Lafayette’s run through the Class 4A playoffs that ultimately led to a spot in the North Half title series was made possible through a total team effort. That much was evident by the way the Commodores played through the last half of the season. But as unified as the team was, the player that got them to that point and really made the team believe that good things were going to happen was senior pitcher/infielder Luke Stanley.
Stanley was expected to be one of the main leaders on a team that was classified as “young” and “inexperienced” prior to the start of the 2012 season. Coach Greg Lewis was counting on him, as well as fellow senior Tyler Mize, to lay the foundation for the future. The big surprise was just how good of a job Stanley did in his role and what his talent meant to the team. It’s those reasons, coupled with tremendous pitching and all-around statistics, that made Stanley the 2012 EAGLE Player of the Year. (June 6, 2012, Page 1B)
