43
Larimer, Blue Devils have experience on their side
By STEVE WILAJ
BERLIN CENTER
Wyatt Larimer is a junior — sure, an upperclassman, but still only a junior.
Thing is, the Western Reserve shortstop/ace — a varsity player since his freshman year with big-time state tournament experience the past two seasons — is as seasoned a veteran as they come.
And he knows how the Blue Devils have to approach their quest for a third straight trip to Columbus, which starts on Thursday with a regional semifinal matchup against Sycamore Mohawk at 4 p.m. at the Lorain Pipe Yard.
“If we just stay focused and remember how it was last year and the year before,” Larimer said. “Not re-living it, but using that experience of being at Huntington [Park] — already playing there twice in the past two years — I feel that’ll really help us reach our goal.”
Western Reserve beat Jackson-Milton, 3-2, in a Division IV district final on May 18 to get to this point.
In 2014, the Blue Devils reached the state semifinals before losing to Newark Catholic. The Green Wave then ousted Reserve in the state final, 6-2, last season. Those near misses have left Ed Anthony’s team with plenty of benefits — as well as one main goal.
“We want to win it all,” Anthony said. “Each year has been a step. So there’s only one way to go up and that’s to win it all.
“I think [the experience] is huge. This senior class is very, very experienced when it comes to big venues and playing in the regional championship and in the state the past two years. I think that carries over big-time.”
Anthony added that it should particularly help on Thursday against Sycamore Mohawk.
“They are a lot like us,” he said. “They have a pitcher that’s a lot like Wyatt. But one thing that I hope carries us through, we have a lot more experience when it comes to the bigger games.”
Larimer had a big game against Jackson-Milton last week, going 3 for 3 with an RBI while tossing a complete-game, three-hitter. He’ll get the ball again Thursday.
“Individually, since playing my whole freshman year at the varsity level and then starting in a lot of big games last year — even at the state level — I feel like, going in, I don’t have any added pressure,” said Larimer, who pitched the Blue Devils to a state semifinals victory in 2015. “I’m just gonna prepare myself like I do every single game and go out there and try to help my team win.”
In addition to Larimer, Western Reserve has four seasoned seniors in Walker Marlowe, Jake Clark, Drew Slaven and Logan Matas.
Marlowe, a third baseman and four-year letterman, is also sure the Blue Devils’ past success will pay off.
“It’ll help us play loose because we’ve been there,” he said. “Our coach preaches three things: timely hitting, pitching and defense. That’s what we like to pride ourselves on. Those three factors will definitely be what we have to reach to get over that hump.”
The hump being winning the state championship.
However, as an experienced team like Western Reserve knows it has to, the Blue Devils are simply taking it one game at a time — and the journey starts with Sycamore Mohawk.
“I feel that we’re really prepared considering this is our third straight regional,” Larimer said. “Our experience with every guy on the team mostly being here last year — that helps a lot and we’re ready to go.”