DIII Top 30: SS Jason Lash, Heidelberg

Player: Jason Lash

Position: Shortstop

Year: Junior

School: Heidelberg

Who knew that Gar Keen would be the tip of the iceberg? Get it iceberg, Heidelberg, Wittenberg? Ok comedy isn’t what we’re here for and we know that.

In what is no laughing matter, thanks to alphabetizing the list, today’s trio of player profiles is bookend with the state’s premier middle in-field duo. Keen started the day, now it’s up junior Jason Lash to put a stamp on the Orange, Black & Red twin-killing.

Two Ohio Athletic Conference rings, two OAC tournament titles, two first-team All-OAC plaques. Sounds familiar? Well now we have two middle infielders with little room left on the trophy mantle entering their junior seasons.

With the combination of second baseman Gar Keen and now shortstop Jason Lash, it’s not hard to understand how Heidelberg ran rampant through the OAC at 15-3. Nor is it hard to see how they averaged nearly 10 runs a game scoring a staggering 455 runs in the teams 46 games. The offensive productions produce by the two are unmatched in the state of Ohio on a DIII level for a double-combo, in fact it might be the best in the nation.

From Strongsville where he also attended high school, Lash has put back-to-back seasons together which makes him a no-brainer as far as DIII players to keep an eye on in 2010.

As a freshman the 41-10 Student Princes, Lash made 50 starts. While anchoring the most demanding defensive position, Lash performed pretty well at the plate. Few adjectives can describe how impressive it is for a freshman to end his season batting .425, but that is what Lash did. In 174 at-bats Lash belted out 74 hits which included 11 doubles, two triples and two home runs.

The 5’11, 170 pound righty would lead Heidelberg with 47 RBI, while finishing second with 46 taps of home plate himself. Lash would also finish second with a .546 slugging percentage and again with a .482 on-base percentage. In 2008 Lash drew 14 walks, was struck by eight pitches, and struck out eight times.

Fundamentally Lash was sound as well. Three times each Lash successful drove a run home on a sacrifice fly, or successfully sacrificed his at-bat in advancing the runner over. On the bases Lash stole five bases in seven attempts. In the field 10 errors were made in 217 chances for a .954 fielding percentage.

Not a bad rookie campaign.

Lash would proceed to collect postseason honors as coaches selected Lash first-team All-OAC. He also was named a first-team honoree by the American Baseball Coaches Association on the All-Mideast team. Lash also receive Academic All-OAC honors for his performance in the classroom.

Then the sophomore slump came.

If only every baseball player could bat .341, bang out six home runs and drive in 47 during an “off season.” The numbers Lash put up in 2009 did taper from those he produce in 2008, mainly just in hits and average, as Lash did increase his power production during his sophomore season.

Batting .341, Lash finished with 62 hits in 182 at-bats. Though the total of hits decline, the total bases did not. Of the 62, 11 were doubles, five were triples, while six went over fences. Lash increased his total bases from 95 to 101 and as a result slugged .555. Lash stayed consistent in driving exactly 47 runs for the second consecutive season, though he would score 10 more runs, this time crossing home 56 times.

A contributing reason for the drop in hits and average would be the astonishing rate Lash walked at. Apparently batting .425 does make its way around conference and pitchers are a little more careful in pitching to you. Lash finished the ’09 season with 30 walks, against just nine strikeouts. Lash would be hit by another seven pitches as he finished with an on-base percentage of .448.

Again, only if we were lucky enough to have an OPS of 1.003 in a down season. Well we probably wouldn’t be behind a computer.

Lash successfully swiped eight bags in 10 attempts. In the field 10 errors in 187 chances for a .947 fielding percentage. A slight decrease from his freshman season.

At the season’s conclusion coaches selected Lash to another first-team All-OAC honor. Unfortunately he could not duplicate his feat on a regional level as the ABCA selected him to their third team. When you have already racked up that much hardwood with two years to go I guess you can be generous and share some honors.

One honor that has eluded Lash is that of being named an All-American. Lash is surely on that path and with Keen as a partner up the middle don’t be surprised to see Heidelberg as home of two of the nation’s best middle infielders. As Heidelberg looks to continue its OAC dominance, Lash will continue to show why he is the conference’s best. However like Keen, for Lash to leave a lasting legacy he and the Student Princes need to take the next step and make noise on the national level… as a team. He will do so individually.

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