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Senior Spotlight: Jantzen Lucas focuses on future in baseball

by DYLAN GREENE
Sports Editor | April 29, 2020 1:00 AM

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

PRIEST RIVER — Over a month ago, Lewis-Clark State College head baseball coach Jake Taylor sent Jantzen Lucas a message asking if he could make the trip down to Lewiston for a bullpen session.

Realizing that his dream of playing collegiate baseball was within reach, the Priest River pitcher and his parents hopped in the car and made the three hour drive to the LCSC campus. Unfortunately, the coronavirus outbreak forced the team to cancel the bullpen session and reschedule to the next day. With nowhere to stay, Lucas and his parents had to drive all the way back home to Priest River and return the following day.

Luckily, all the driving was worth it because immediately after Lucas showed the coaches what he had, they offered him the chance to walk-on to the team next year.

“I couldn’t hold my emotions, I was just so happy,” Lucas said. “It seemed so surreal.”

Lucas had been in contact with LCSC since last fall, but going into the bullpen session he was expecting the coaches to tell him what he needed to work on and suggest he come out for team tryouts in the fall so he was surprised when they extended a walk-on offer to him.

Priest River baseball head coach Mark Schultz said he and Lucas had many discussions over the years about how he could make his goal of playing collegiate baseball come true and he’s glad he got a shot.

“He’s living his dream ... and now that he has his foot in the door, he’s just got to go there and do it,” Schultz said.

Lucas was already planning on attending Lewis-Clark before the walk-on offer so being able to play baseball while he is there is just an added bonus.

Schultz saw Lucas’ potential when he joined the Spartans as a freshman and he said the pitcher really made a jump his junior year when he dedicated himself to the weight room. His velocity on his fastball went way up last year and his command on the mound gave opponents fits as they struggled to connect with his curveball. Lucas has all the intangibles, Schultz said.

“He just wanted to be the best pitcher he could possibly be,” Schultz said, “and you really saw it last year as a junior with some of his outings. He was learning to become a pitcher.”

Schultz said Lucas has always been a hard worker and he was able to keep his teammates loose in the dugout so they didn’t tighten up and make mistakes when they got on the field.

Schultz has enjoyed having Lucas on the team over the past three years and is disappointed he won’t get to suit up for the Spartans this season because he believes Lucas was destined for a special year.

Schultz recalled one time when he walked out to the mound during a game because he thought Lucas was struggling. All Lucas said was, “no, I’ll get this guy,” and then three pitches later the inning was over. Schultz said that moment embodied the type of player Lucas was for the Spartans.

Lucas picked up a baseball and a bat as soon as he could growing up so it was only fitting that he’ll play baseball at a college he has already fallen in love with.

Lou Musso, the current Priest River pitching coach, is one of the reasons why Lucas is so passionate about the sport. Lucas said they talk over the phone and he doesn’t know where he’d be without Musso.

“We’re best friends pretty much,” Lucas said about Musso.

Lucas plans on majoring in criminal justice at LCSC and hopes to join the U.S. Border Patrol after graduating. He said he’ll try to pursue baseball beyond college, but realizes the chances of making it pro are slim.

Lucas and the rest of the Spartans had aspirations of making a return trip to state this season. He said no one was going to prevent the team from reaching that goal so when the news broke that the season was canceled, everyone was hurting.

“Just seeing all my friends faces when they were told that we couldn’t play together again, it just crushed me,” he said.

In his own words: Jantzen Lucas

“I would like to thank my parents first, for all the traveling they did for me year round, and their continuous support. I want to thank my coach Mark Schultz for believing in me and being there for me unconditionally on and off the field, and inspiring me to work hard. You’re not only my coach, you’re my friend. Lou Musso, thank you for being my right hand man. You care so much and I appreciate you more than you will ever know. Doug Naccarato, thank you for always believing in me and wanting the best for me. You will always be my ice cream man. To friends and family, thank you for all the years of support.”