Former Lake standout Deyton Lingle never got to play for a state championship with the Hornets.
But he’ll get to play for a World Series title at Pearl River Community College.
The Wildcats enter the tournament in Enid, Oklahoma with a 40-12 record and are the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
For Lingle, it’s an opportunity to be part of a championship team.
“It’s just good to get a reward for all the hard work we do,” Lingle said. “We were the No. 5 seed going into the region tournament and everything just came together for us. We had pitched it really well at times and hit it well at times but never really put it all together. We finally put it all together in the region tournament. It’s all about who get hot at the right thing.”
Lingle has played in 24 games this season with 46 at-bats and his hitting .293 on the season heading in the Series. He has 10 walks and three doubles with nine RBIs.
Lingle said he is the fourth outfielder for the Wildcats and mainly faces left-handed pitching.
“It’s been a situational thing,” Lingle said. “I hit a lot against left-handers. I run a good bit and just have to be ready to play. They ask me to be a presence in the locker room. Even if you don’t play every day, you have a role to play.”
Lingle left Lake as one of the top players in Class 2A. Lingle hit .553 as a senior for the Hornets with 32 RBIs and was 7-0 on the mound with 1.02 ERA and 94 strikeouts.
But with the Wildcats, Lingle has had to adjust to being a backup. Lingle said he had opportunities to transfer but decided to stick with it at Pearl River.
“It’s been tough,” Lingle said. “Coming out of high school, everybody is the best player on their team. You just have to ride it out and trust God. You have to buy into what the coaches are asking you to do. You have to push the three guys in front of you to get better. That’s what you have to do.”
Lingle, who has already graduated, already has plans for the future. He has signed with Springhill College in Mobile, Ala.
“I’ll be a utility guy and pitcher there, sort of like I did in high school,” Lingle said. “I’ve only thrown one inning here but have done well in intrasquad. They liked my arm at Springhill. I’ll do whatever they need me to do. One thing that I’ve learned is that the team is greater than the individual. That’s what I have grown into. It took a little while to do that last year, but I figured it out. I play a role here and that’s what’s most important.”
