Lenoir Community College’s baseball team is on a roll, and three local products are at the center of its success.
Sophomores Trent Murray and Kyle Smith, and freshman Chastin Radford are helping carry the Lancers at the plate as they eye a Region X tournament championship and subsequent berth into next month’s junior college world series.
Smith, a 2011 graduate of Jones Senior and LCC’s starting shortstop, and Murray, a 2011 graduate of Greene Central and its starting catcher, had to endure the growing pains of a junior college baseball team their freshmen seasons.
Radford, the Lancers’ starting center fielder, went straight from the outfield and lead-off spot at North Lenoir last spring into the same spots with his new team.
All together, the trio is helping LCC (27-9) forge ahead in its current seven-game win streak and erase the memory of last season’s shortcomings.
“I think physically, as a team, we’re a lot better at this point then we were last year,” Murray said. “Last year, we didn’t ever come together until the (Region X) tournament. I think we’re kind of finding it all right here before the tournament.”
“We’re more committed.”
The Lancers finished just seven games above .500 last season at 31-24 — a disappointing ending for Murray, Smith and head coach Stony Wine, who had high expectations for his 2012 club.
This year, things are clicking at the right time and the team hasn’t been hampered by injuries like it had last season.
“I think we’ve got a good chance of going (to the world series) this year because of coming together early. Last year we came together late, and I think that kind of hurt us,” Murray said.
Murray’s place in the lineup has been solidified with his high on-base percentage, brought about by his uncanny knack for getting hit with the baseball.
Heading into today’s non-conference game at Louisburg College, Murray had been hit with 14 pitches on the year, giving him the third-best on-base percentage on the team at .440 among everyday players.
Murray, who was plunked four times in one game during legion ball last summer, said he learned to take getting hit after watching Wine get onto a player who dodged a ball before his career at LCC began.
Being a catcher helps ease the pain, too.
“I don’t do it on purpose. … Ever since then when a ball comes I just turn and take it — free base, possibly get moved over and score a run,” said Murray, who has scored 11 runs this season.
“Being a catcher, getting beat up a little bit back there, it’s kind of helped take the pain a little bit, too.”
Smith was able to work his way into the lineup at the end of last season and took the starting shortstop spot this year early.
Being an everyday player has helped the Jones County native in his confidence, which has translated into a .344 average, good enough for second best on the team among everyday players, with two home runs and seven doubles.
“I bring a little bit of everything. I bring a little bit of leadership, a little bit of hard work, a little bit of character,” Smith said with a smile. “At the top of the lineup, me and Chastin, if one of us don’t get on the other one’s always on, or, if we both get on, it’s bad news for the other team usually.”
Smith, who had Tommy John surgery his junior year in high school, has developed a strong work ethic from his father, former Jones Senior coach Glenn Smith.
The younger Smith said his father pushed him harder than anyone else in high school, and that’s translated into a more productive post-high school career.
“I’ve always been the one to be pushed the hardest in practice. If the team does something wrong I’m always the first one called out. It just makes you not want to do anything wrong, and when you get here, to the college level, you don’t want to ever make a mistake.,” Smith said.
Radford, who at this time last season was trying to help North Lenoir win a conference title, has made the transition from high school to college look easy.
He leads the team in average (.408), hits (51), runs scored (30), on-base percentage (.507), stolen bases (10), walks (21), RBIs (27), at-bats (125) and total bases (65) among everyday players.
Radford has no idea how he’s become the Lancers’ best hitter.
“I don’t really know. I’ve just kind of been doing it all my life. Baseball’s a pretty cut-and-dry sport — see the ball, hit the ball, if it’s in the air catch it, if it’s on the ground you stay in front of it,” Radford said.
“At LCC we do a lot as a team, and we all make it look pretty easy.”
Wine said he has seen all three grow and mature along the way.
“They’ve helped solidify our offense,” he said. “Each one brings something different to the table, but together it’s all worked out to help our team win some games.
“They’ve each come a long way in the last few months, both on and off the field.”
The way it’s set up, the team that wins the Region X tournament — held May 10-14 in Morehead City — will represent it in the NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, Okla., May 25-June 1.
Murray, Smith and Radford really want to go, if for no other reason than to see what the rest of the country is like.
“A lot of these boys ain’t never been out of their home state,” Smith said. “They want to go somewhere.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.