Senior Spotlight: Lehman leaves lasting legacy at SHS

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.

SANDPOINT — Players like Tyler Lehman don’t just grow on trees.

When Lehman joined the Sandpoint baseball team as a freshman, it only took him a few games to get called up to the varsity team and earn a starting spot in left field. It was clear he belonged there and has been Mr. Consistent throughout his high school career.

Chase Tigert took over the team’s head coaching duties when Lehman was a freshman and quickly realized he had a special player.

“He became one of those core guys from the time he was 15 years old,” Tigert said. “He’s been an integral part of laying the foundation for this program.”

Lehman was a team captain as a junior and was set to be the Bulldogs leader this season as well. As a sophomore, Lehman earned the league’s Newcomer of the Year award and last season he notched all-league honors with a .392 batting average.

Given how successful Lehman had been the past three years, Tigert was expecting him to have one memorable senior season so it was certainly a let down when the season was canceled.

“This year was just going to be an amazing year for that kid,” Tigert said. “His swing was incredible, his speed had improved, he was going to steal so many bags for us this year and he was going to be our No. 1 guy on the [mound] again. I mean it was going to be so much fun to watch.”

Before the news broke that the Bulldogs wouldn’t be playing at all this season, Lehman had already accepted the reality. He isn’t worried about the games he’ll be missing out on. Instead, Lehman is upset he won’t get to step on the field with this year’s team at all.

“I’m just more sad about not being able to play with all these kids that I’ve been able to play with since I was 8 years old,” he said. “I’ve known them since we all started T-ball together.”

Lehman first started playing baseball at age 5. He’s not entirely sure what got him hooked on the sport but he said seeing his dad constantly watching Seattle Mariners games might have had something to do with it.

Baseball has played an important role in Lehman’s life and he’s stuck with it for so long because of the mental demands of the sport and the strategy that is required in every aspect of the game.

“It fits me for who I am,” he said.

The sport has taught Lehman that nothing is given and everything is earned.

“You don’t have to be the most talented person,” he said. “You can always work way harder than anybody else and then you’ll eventually get there.”

KC MacDonald has known Lehman for most of his life and has coached him off and on for the past 10 years. He said he could tell at an early age by the way Lehman carried himself that he was going to be a great leader in the future. As the Bulldogs’ catchers and outfielders coach this year, MacDonald was able to see Lehman’s leadership in action during preseason and said he’s still very much the same kid he was back then.

MacDonald said Lehman’s understanding of the game is hard to teach and he’s extremely coachable.

Tigert said Lehman did anything he asked him to do and played any role he was told to play without any complaints. It seemed like Lehman started at nearly every position on the field during his high school career. His versatility was unmatched, Tigert said.

Lehman’s work ethic and dedication was contagious amongst his teammates and everyone respected him, Tigert said. Lehman helped establish a culture the team will look to hold onto for years to come.

“When you have a bunch of younger guys that see someone like him,” Tigert said, “who knows how to play hard but at the same time knows when it’s OK to crack a smile ... that’s exactly what you’re looking for.”

Tigert said Lehman’s willingness to do what others weren’t is what made him so successful and he feels grateful that he got to watch Lehman grow into the player and person he is today.

“He was the guy that no matter the situation, you’re like, ‘OK Tyler’s there, that’s what I want in this moment,’ ” he said.

Lehman’s favorite high school memory happened during his sophomore year on the bus ride down to state. It’s a very specific memory that he said summed up how that entire season felt.

“In the bus they had TV’s in there and it has the little DVD thing that bounces around on the screen,” he said, “and so we were watching it for probably at least 15 minutes and it kept bouncing off the sides and not hitting the corners ... and finally it hit the corner and the entire bus just erupted and coach Tigert looked back and wondered what we were doing. That was my best high school moment.”

Lehman will be continuing his baseball career after high school at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington. He plans on majoring in biochemistry or biochemical engineering and transferring to a four-year university after two years to hopefully play baseball at the Division I or II level. If he plays good enough next spring, he could transfer after one year at CBC.

MacDonald thinks Lehman has a great chance to make an impact at the next level.

“I have no doubt because he is a stud,” he said about Lehman. “He’s going to go somewhere, he’s going to do what he needs to do. He’s driven and that’s one of the parts I love about him. If he wants it, he’ll go get it.”

In his own words: Tyler Lehman

“Thank you to my parents and grandparents, all of my teachers and my friends and teammates that have supported me so much. It sucks that I couldn’t wear the Sandpoint jersey one more time but sometimes that’s the way life goes.”