#Risewithus


August 18, 2021


It's been almost 9 years since someone other than Dalton Britt or Cam Locklear have manned shortstop for the Liberty Flames.  Prior to that Matt Williams was a 3 year stalwart at the position in the Jim Toman era.  That type of longevity is rare in college baseball for a number of reasons.  It can also be difficult to recruit the next wave at the position when it's obvious the job isn't going to open in the foreseeable future.  As the 2022 season rolls around the Flames will be tasked with filling that role that Locklear has filled for so long.  

The flames have reached into the portal for another interesting addition in Jake Lazzaro who will be transferring from St. Johns.  St. Johns is perennially one of if not the best program from the NE.   Lazarro is a plus defender with solid speed as he was 8 of 10 in stolen base attempts in 2021.  He hit .222 in 108 plate appearances with 1 HR and 13 RBI & 28 BB's which produced a .391 OBP.   In 2020 he hit .327 in 49 AB's with a .421 OBP before COVID stopped the season dead in it's tracks in mid-march and was 3 for 3 in stolen base attempts.  At 6'3 and 2020 he's a different style SS than what the flames have seen in years past.  He earned College Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American honors for his play in 2020.  Lazzaro was also ranked as the #2 player in pre-season in the Big East.  He's also another LH bat which the flames love to have LH options up and down the lineup.  Lazzaro played in the Cape Code league for Hartwich this summer which is typically the toughest summer league competition out there.  

The early season weather is brutal in the NE which causes teams like St. Johns to have to play on the road for the first month of the season almost exclusively.  While the SWVA weather isn't always great in the early part of the season it's much better than what St. Johns deals with.  If Lazzaro can put together another season like he had going in 2020 pre-covid then the Flames will have shortstop for the next 1-2 years.   Lazarro, like Majkowski can be a big contributor if he can play plus defense, above average baserunning and have an OBP in that .400 range even if the average doesn't bounce all the way back.  

Comments

  1. SstaedtlerAugust 18, 2021 at 5:51 PM

    Love this blog! Great job as I get to hear about recruits in other sports.

    ReplyDelete

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