'Hell of a ride': Manitowoc Lincoln baseball hopes record-breaking season ends at state
MANITOWOC — Bruce Steinbecker is in his 27th year coaching the Manitowoc Lincoln Ships baseball team and he can’t recall a team like this, ever.
The Ships are ranked No. 6 in the state in Division 1 and sport a team batting average of .363 through Thursday’s games.
For comparison, the national average for a high school baseball team according to MaxPreps.com is almost 100 points lower at .276.
“We’re playing really good baseball, inspired baseball, team baseball,” Steinbecker said. “This is the best record and (highest) ranked team Lincoln has ever seen. Team batting average of (.360) is unheard of, if you look at our record book.”
Senior Noah Wech, an Oklahoma State commit capable of throwing 90+ miles per hour who also is a high level batter and defensive shortstop, might get a lot of attention but he says Lincoln is way more than one player.
“Every single kid on this team has a role and every single kid on this team is playing that role to the best of their abilities,” Wech said.
Added fellow senior Gavin Lettenberger:
“There’s not a weak link, one through nine can hit and I think that’s the difference maker,” Lettenberger said.
Lettenberger and Wech are two of three seniors, Brady Hadler the other, who are among Lincoln’s top 10 batters in terms of plate appearances so the team isn’t even senior heavy either.
“The difference between this team and some of those other teams is our program is getting better and better and better,” Steinbecker said. “Our youth teams are having success and its a trickle effect. We have over 50 players in the program right now. Every night it seems like its a different guy in the lineup that are getting it done for us.”
That’s not to say players such as Wech aren’t invaluable.
“Noah is one of the most fierce competitors I’ve ever had,” Steinbecker said. “Nobody sees the amount of work he puts into this game, physically and mentally. This year he’s really put that senior cap on.”
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Wech appreciates the faith his coaches and teammates place in him.
“It’s nice to know that my coaches rely on me a lot,” Wech said. “I play with a lot of intensity and lead with a lot of intensity and it means a lot to the younger guys.”
What’s aided the team says Wech is a desire to always get better, citing a player-led practice on an off day on a gorgeous Sunday last week.
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“We had an off day with no practice and one of the guys said ‘let’s go hit at the field, it’s a beautiful day and let’s go hit,’” Wech said. “That’s what makes you win games.”
And if an offense resembling the Murders Row Yankees wasn’t enough, the Ships have a pitching staff which has been the high school equivalent of the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s with a team ERA of 1.85.
Wech (0.81) is one of three pitchers with at least five appearances sporting a sub 1.00 ERA along with Steinbecker’s son, junior Brayden Steinbecker (0.55), and sophomore Cade Grapentine (0.70).
Lincoln hasn’t been to the WIAA state tournament since 2006, and just twice since the Jimmy Carter administration, so the expectations for this year’s team are sky high.
“That’s our goal, we think we have the team to do it,” Steinbecker said of a trip to state. “We talk about being right between the ears, we never want to look back and have any regrets. If the mental approach is right then usually the physical comes along with that.”
“I can’t even put it into words,” Wech said of a possible trip to state. “Hats off to our guys, the coaching staff, because we’re in for a hell of a ride. The season isn’t over yet.”
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: State-ranked Manitowoc Lincoln baseball enjoys record-breaking season
