Evergreen & Gold: Players from Pacific Northwest find new baseball Home at Southeastern Louisiana

HAMMOND, La. – It may seem unconventional for a college baseball program in the Deep South to sign a single player – let alone four players – from the Pacific Northwest. But it certainly earned some acclaim for the Southeastern Louisiana baseball team, whose recruiting strategy is predominantly localized to Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama.

The coaching staff began their love affair with the region in 2015, when they sent former Lion infielder Carson Crites to spend a summer with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Baseball League.

Pilots head coach Darren Westergard was so thoroughly impressed with every aspect of Crites’ performance – from his intensity on the field to his energetic mentality in the dugout – that he offered to lend the Lions any advice about potential signees in the area. Flattered, then-recruiting coordinator Andrew Gipson took Westergard up on his suggestion.

Fast forward to the 2017 fall ball season, when Southeastern found themselves in need of a physical outfielder with enough speed to wreak havoc as a baserunner and enough power to make an immediate impact in the everyday lineup.

Enter Bryce Steckler, a junior college transfer from Everett (Wash.) Community College who uncannily brought back memories of Crites for his new college coaches.

“We lost an outfielder, so I called [Westergard] and he had seen Steckler play,” said Gipson. “He told me that he was a good one, so that’s how it all started.”

Aside from a slight decline in batting average as his debut season with the Lions wore on, Steckler lived up to his billing from Westergard. His four triples ranked second on the team to fellow junior college transfer Cody Grosse, and his eight doubles were tied for third. He also launched three home runs and maintained a perfect fielding percentage throughout the season.

After watching Steckler put up considerable numbers in the 2018 season, Gipson sought to discover the other talented players that the Northwest’s rich college baseball pipeline might have produced. He found left-handed reliever Nick Flesher (Boise, Idaho), dynamic right-hander Justin Simanek (Kent, Washington), and third baseman Eli Johnson (Chehalis, Washington).

Gipson convinced the trio of junior college athletes to transfer to Southeastern, which is located approximately 2,400 miles from their respective hometowns. Each had his own reason for choosing to make the move, whether it was the school’s family-friendly atmosphere, the coaching staff’s emphasis on the value of a player’s potential, or even the warmer spring climate.

“I just felt like it was the right fit because I could come down and play in some warmer weather than what’s in the Northwest this time of year,” Flesher said. “My junior college field has about 8 inches of snow on it right now, and they can’t even play baseball.”

As such, familiarizing themselves with their new territory has a unique definition for each of them.

To Flesher, it meant that he could enjoy the typical staples of Louisiana living.

“It’s flatter down here and more humid, plus you guys have a lot of new foods that we don’t have [in the Pacific Northwest],” he said. “I actually had crawfish for the first time the other day, and I’m a big fan.”

Simanek chose to elaborate on a different aspect ‒ handling the task of being away from home for the first time, which manifested itself in some new responsibilities.

“I lived at home when I was in JUCO, so I had to learn to live on my own,” explained Simanek. “I have to make my own food and do my own laundry, so that has been a new experience for me.”

For his part, Johnson has quickly adjusted to living in Hammond with the help of Simanek ‒ who was his teammate at Tacoma Community College for two years – as well as the Southeastern fans who welcomed him into the “Lion family” with open arms.

The others credit Steckler for making it easier to get accustomed to the transition since he already had a year of experience under his belt. When they arrived on campus, he shared his guidance about adapting to an entirely different culture, introduced them to their new teammates, and told them what to expect from the coaches.

“[I just told them] what we’re about down here,” Steckler said. “Working hard, getting after it, and becoming not only the best baseball player but also the best person you can be.”

The coaches at Southeastern have taken full advantage of the opportunity to fill specific needs with these talented young men, as well. While Steckler provides depth to an outfield that dwindled after the 2018 season, Johnson ensures formidable defense at third base. Flesher fits the impressive pedigree that has dominated Lion pitching over the years – pitch selection and a masterful strike-throwing ability, just to name a few. Simanek also gives the Lions a potential right-handed specialist, which he already showed during a one-hit performance March 5 against UL-Monroe.

Gipson isn’t concerned with the effort it took to bring the group to campus, but he’s certainly glad they showed up.

“It’s not that these guys aren’t talented enough to be here after high school, but some of these guys are from rural parts of the world,” Gipson said, meaning that it’s harder for those players to get noticed by recruiters. “They go to a junior college and get some experience by playing a certain style of baseball. That benefits them when they come here. Each of those guys has had a great year, and I think it’s going to continue.”

TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour before first pitch.

General Admission tickets for Lion home games are $9 for adults and $6 for children (ages 3-12). Southeastern students are admitted free with a valid university ID card.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 fall semester. The policy mirrors safety precautions taken upon entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.

LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The new Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.

All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter, @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.