Whether he took the mound or filled the 3-hole spot in the batting lineup, the Trinity Lutheran baseball team knew it could rely on him.
Jacob Schult dominated on both sides of the ball in the 2016 baseball season.
With all of his accomplishments this season, The Tribune has named Schult the 2016 Jackson County Baseball Player of the Year.
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From the onset, the Cougars knew Schult would be the go-to on the mound in big games.
In the Seymour Invitational, the run started when Schult earned the pitching win against Seymour to take home its first title.
Schult then followed with a no-hitter against Class A No. 2 Rising Sun.
Throughout the season, the Cougars ranked in the top 10 for Class A every week.
“I knew coming in from last year, we had only lost two players and weren’t losing much,” Schult said. “We could only get better from where we were. We also brought in a freshman and transfer from Florida. I knew we had a lot of talent last year but were really young. I kind of expected (the success).”
The senior didn’t lose his first game on the mound until May 16 and didn’t drop another contest until the Loogootee Regional game against Lanesville.
Lanesville would go on to finish as runners-up in the state championship game.
For Schult, a fiery competitor, knowing Lanesville made it that far into the postseason was no consolation.
“We should have been there. We beat (Lanesville) earlier in the year,” Schult said. “I will be the first to admit that I didn’t play my best game. Based on the year I had, I felt like I left a lot out there, and I’m sure a lot of the other guys feel the same way.”
Trinity finished 19-9 for the season.
In 632/3 innings pitched, Schult threw 101 strikeouts while giving up just 33 hits with a 1.32 ERA.
Last season, he played most of his games injured.
With a full recovery from knee surgery, Schult commanded the pitch count this year.
“The curveball is really what I got,” Schult said. “Last year, I tore my PCL the second week of the season and didn’t get it treated. As a pitcher, you need to have your legs to keep your velocity and control. My breaking ball wasn’t there last year. After I recovered, my velocity and off-speed ball was on.”
At the plate, Schult led the Cougars in almost every statistical category.
With 87 at-bats, Schult connected for a hit 36 times with 14 hits for extra bases, 29 RBIs and a .414 average.
“As a senior on the team, I felt like I needed to be the one that stepped up and provided for the team,” Schult said. “I feel like that should be the role as a senior. You’re a leader, and when the team needs you the most, you come through.”
At the start of the school year, Schult was unsure whether he wanted to play football or baseball in college.
After his stellar senior season, he knew it had to be baseball.
“With the senior year that I had, it’s really tough to not play at the next level,” he said. “The way I dominated batters this year, I feel like I can compete next year as a freshman. I want to give my best and see what they can do with it.
“Missing a year of football, I felt like that put me back some. I was pretty even with football and baseball going into my senior year, but it was pretty clear by the end of the year I wanted to play baseball.”
Schult, who made Academic All-State, will attend Rose-Hulman this fall to study mechanical engineering.
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2016 Jackson County Baseball Player of the Year
Jacob Schult, Trinity Lutheran, senior
- 8-2 pitching record
- 63 2/3 IP, 101 K, 33 H, 28 BB, 1.32 ERA
- Threw a no-hitter against Rising Sun
- 87 AB, 36 H, 10 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, .414 AVG.
- Academic All-State
- 2016 Trinity Lutheran male athlete of the year
- Holds 11 school records for baseball
- 2016 Cougars MVP
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Zach McCory, Brownstown Central, senior
Hitting: 48 hits, 13 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 26 RBI, .516 AVG.
Fielding: .994 percent, single-season assists record (65).
Other: All-Mid-Southern Conference, career record holder in hits (123).
Austin Green, Brownstown Central, senior
Hitting: 29 H, 4 2B, 1 HR, 18 RBI, .326 AVG.
Pitching: 51.1 IP, 47 K, 19 BB, 1.77 ERA, 5-3 record
Other: All-MSC
Tyler Lawson, Brownstown Central, senior
Pitching: 45.2 IP, 35 K, 8 BB, 1.99 ERA, 4-2 record.
Other: All-MSC honorable mention.
Cole Brock, Brownstown Central, senior
Hitting: 34 H, 22 RBI, .366 AVG.
Other: All-MSC honorable mention.
Ty Maxie, Brownstown Central, junior
Hitting: 32 H, 3 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .337 AVG.
Fielding: .990 percentage.
Carson Lambring, Brownstown Central, junior
Hitting: 31 H, 2 2B, 10 RBI, .307 AVG.
Fielding: .980 percentage.
Sy Zickler, Brownstown Central, junior
Hitting: 29 H, 6 2B, 1 HR, 23 RBI, .377 AVG.
Cody Williams, Brownstown Central, junior
Pitching: 43 IP, 42 K, 13 BB, .277 ERA, 6-0 record.
Trevor Peters, Crothersville, freshman
Hitting: 21 H, 2 2B, 9 RBI, .488 AVG.
Alan Perry, Seymour, sophomore
Hitting: 30 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 19 R, 10 RBI, 14 SB, .411 AVG.
Other: Unanimous All-Hoosier Hills Conference.
Luis Munoz, Seymour, junior
Hitting: 21 H, 2 2B, 13 RBI, .368 AVG.
Satoshi Hirose, Seymour, junior
Hitting: 21 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI, .313 AVG.
Pitching: 37 IP, 35 K, 9 BB, 38 H, 2.27 ERA.
Other: HHC honorable mention.
Jorge Vega, Seymour, senior
Hitting: 21 H, 5 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, .323 AVG.
Fielding: 153 putouts, 13 assists, .976 percentage.
Seth Maki, Seymour, sophomore
Hitting: 22 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, .349 AVG.
Jake Moore, Trinity Lutheran, junior
Pitching: 43 IP, 59 K, 29 BB, 45 H, 2.93 ERA.
Hitting: 32 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 14 RBI, .386 AVG.
Chandler Reynolds, Trinity Lutheran, sophomore
Hitting: 30 H, 8 2B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, .366 AVG.
Ross Kruse, Trinity Lutheran, junior
Pitching: 32.3 IP, 30 K, 29 BB, 26 H, 2.60 ERA, 5-0 record.
Hitting: 30 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 21 RBI, .309 AVG.
Sam Crick, Trinity Lutheran, junior
Pitching: 26 IP, 35 K, 29 H, 10 BB, 2.96 ERA, 8 saves (school record).
Hitting: 23 H, 4 2B, 26 RBI, .264 AVG.
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Devin Stuckwisch, Brownstown Central, junior
Codi McDonald, Crothersville, senior
Jessie Fink, Crothersville, junior
Ryan Wieneke, Seymour, senior
Tyler Bloom, Seymour, junior
Keenan Bohall, Seymour, senior
Janzen Bloom, Seymour senior
Jake VonDielingen, Trinity Lutheran, sophomore
Nick Mensendiek, Trinity Lutheran, junior
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