What started as a pandemic time-killing hobby turned into a college scholarship for Wright City senior Blake LeCrone. But more on that later. Blake’s story starts out like many with an early introduction to baseball followed by basketball and those two sports served him well resulting in a trip to the state basketball playoffs and a state championship and four trips to state in baseball with one state title. Blake is a pitcher on the Lumberjax baseball team and when we spoke with him last year during the pandemic-induced off-season he told us he had a solid curve and was working on improving his fastball and change-up. So, did that work pay off this year?
“My fastball improved a ton. I finally got my two-seam fastball where it would move four or five inches and my curve is still my out pitch but I could never quite get the change figured out,” said LeCrone.
His senior year ended up being somewhat disappointing by Wright City standards. The basketball team got bounced out in the area tournament, fall baseball fell in regionals but the most disappointing was the spring baseball season.
“This year was a big let-down because we should have made state in the spring but got beat twice in regionals on our home field and that was maddening,” said LeCrone whose sister Lexxi finished seventh in the high jump at state this year and whose older brother was also an excellent athlete.
So with athletics running in the family, it should come as no surprise that last year Blake took up golf-again.
“I had played one season of golf earlier but it didn’t go so well so as a hobby during the pandemic last year I started playing again. My aunt would make the half-hour trip to Idabel which was the nearest course and I worked on my game. Then last November I contacted the golf coach at Seminole State about a tryout since I wasn’t getting any baseball or basketball offers. I went and shot one of my best rounds ever and he liked the way I carried myself and the reputation of Wright City athletes and in January he offered me a scholarship.”
Blake credits his mom as a motivating force in his athletic endeavors.
“My mom is the frightening one who makes sure I get everything done,” LeCrone laughed.
Blake says he would like to be remembered as a good teammate with high character as he leaves Wright City athletics.
