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Lorenz finds continued success at E-town

Submitted photo
East Juniata graduate Nick Lorenz puts a ball in play. Lorenz, a senior at Elizabethtown College, looks to find playoff success in his final season.

ELIZABETHTOWN — During his impressive career at East Juniata, Nick Lorenz was always consistent.

He led his team, regardless of sport, and won every postseason award.

Whether on the soccer field, where the Tigers made it to the PIAA’s final four; the basketball court, where his team broke the school’s record for wins in the season three times and he became Juniata County’s all time boys leading scorer; or the baseball field, where he dragged East Juniata to the top of the Tri-Valley League — the Tigers knew nothing but success with Lorenz on the roster.

He has found a new level of consistency at Elizabethtown on the baseball diamond, where he will wrap up his college career this spring.

He has played in 76 straight games for the Blue Jays dating back to April 8, 2016, and is coming off a 2017 season where he hit .343, led the team in RBIs (33) was second in on-base percentage (.439) and clubbed a team-leading five homers.

“I think it was mostly approach,” Lorenz said of the outstanding junior season. “Obviously, I had to change my approach going from high school to college and facing a lot stiffer competition pitching. Trying to think about staying in the middle of the field, going gap-to-gap actually increased my power and average. My biggest change was more of a mental approach than anything.”

It was also no surprise that he accomplished a goal of his by leading the Blue Jays to a Landmark conference championship and an NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, where Elizabethtown fell 11-1 to Alvernia.

Getting to the regional was a goal Lorenz set his sophomore year and he was able to get there a year later.

“That was amazing,” Lorenz said. “A lot of hard work paid off for us and we won the conference and got to go to a beautiful facility in York. That was a dream come true. That was awesome.”

Now the Blue Jays are trying to defend that title and get back in that position after a slow start. They are currently 5-10 and are just trying to finding their way.

“We weren’t favored in the preseason picks, so I think that’s some motivation for us,” Lorenz said. “I think when we get clicking on the pitching and hitting side, we’ll be a scary good team. I think it’s just motivation for us right now to come back and defend our title.”

He is hitting .327 with 18 hits including seven doubles and a triple, and has driven in seven runs through the end of March. The shortstop has helped turn 11 double plays and has a .961 fielding percentage.

The average and power will come around as the advantage tilts from the pitcher’s favor during the cold early-season games to when the ball starts flying.

Pitchers get to toss the heavier, wet ball and the hitters have to contend with the stinging feeling when they make contact. It’s something more difficult when the college season begins in February, more than a month before high school play.

“I think without having an extended spring training you do have to work out the kinks as you go,” Lorenz said. “I have adjusted the same as everyone else. You just have to say that someone else is working hard, so you have to do the same.”

One thing that can help Lorenz in the line up is a hitter he has near him.

Third baseman Mike Christy was the heartbeat of a PIAA championship team at North Penn and like Lorenz is an excellent hitter. His ability to make pitchers work makes it easier to get pitches to hit.

“It frees hitters up before and after him,” Lorenz said. “When you have consecutive good hitters, you have to get people out before and after. They have to come to the plate because they know they have him behind or in front of you. It frees you up, having him in front of me in last year’s case.”

Lorenz’ goal for this season is the same as it’s been before — to win the Landmark conference one more time and get to the regional to cap his brilliant career.

Then he wants to apply what he has learned off the field and make his mark in the field he has studied for four years.

“I think repeating a conference title would be my biggest accomplishment,” Lorenz said. “Obviously, off the baseball field, I’m looking to get a couple of jobs in the investment world. I think right now, gearing up for a conference championship and a regional playoff run. That would be my biggest accomplishment since leaving EJ.

“I would like be working either in banking or investment,” Lorenz said. “Financial stuff and stuff like that.”

If it’s anything like his athletic career, you might as well consider that a done deal.

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