Lake graduate Ryan Hotmer excelled on the field for the Express baseball team this season en route to earning All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference honors as a freshman.

The first baseman/pitcher was second on the team in hitting (.379) while starting 27 games. He also tied for the team lead in home runs (3), while producing 20 RBIs and stealing three bases.

First year head coach Del Young didn’t know much about Hotmer when the season began as he was hired after the recruiting class came in. He thought Hotmer would contribute more as a pitcher, but something happened during the spring trip to Myrtle Beach that changed those thoughts.

“Originally, I thought he would contribute more on the mound as a non-conference starter or reliever, but he had a couple opportunities to get in the lineup in Myrtle Beach,” Young said. “He took the opportunity and ran with it.”

Hitting out of the cleanup spot, Hotmer tied for the team lead in home runs with three and produced 20 RBIs and stole three bases while playing in 29 games. He also had a .476 on base percentage and slugged .529.

“It was basically a situation where we thought he was so valuable that we didn’t want to take him out of the lineup,” Young said.

In addition, it wasn’t as if Hotmer didn’t contribute on the mound. He actually did pretty well.

He led the team in ERA at 1.98 while going 2-0 in 13.2 innings. He allowed only one extra base hit (a double), while striking out 13. He started one game, while working primarily in relief.

“He still contributed on the mound,” Young said. “He ended with an ERA under two and was really a solid player for us.”

While already being named All-OCCAC, Hotmer still has a chance at All-Region honors. The Express finished 25-13 (9-5 OCCAC) this year. They finished as the conference runners-up.

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