Menu
Lane Ketterman signs with Coffeyville
By Eric Wade
Daily Mail Sports Editor
The second of eight members of the winningest senior class in Nevada High School baseball history announced his plans to continue his playing career at the college level Thursday.
Lane Ketterman has been an integral part of the Nevada Tigers baseball squad that has either tied or eclipsed the school's single-season wins record in each of the last three seasons. He has been a member of the Tigers varsity squad throughout his entire high school career, starting in center field and even doing some pitching.
As a hitter, Ketterman is batting .400 this season, with two home runs, 24 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 14 walks and eight strikeouts. Those numbers are some of the best of his career, but his offensive statistics have had a fair amount of consistency to them, throughout his career.
Last year, he finished the season with a .305 batting average with one home run, 24 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 13 walks and nine strikeouts. In 2012, he put up his best numbers with a .410 batting average, two homers, 21 RBIs, 31 runs scored, seven walks and eight strikeouts.
Those numbers, as well as a stellar defensive career that has seen Ketterman make a habit of robbing opposing hitters with spectacular plays in the outfield, got the attention of the coaching staff at Coffeyville Community College, who offered him a scholarship to join the Red Ravens baseball squad. On Thursday, Ketterman made his acceptance of that offer official, when he signed a letter of intent to take his spot on the Coffeyville roster next season.
As for his reasons for accepting the scholarship offer, Ketterman said it was a fairly simple decision.
"They have a really good program that I've heard about and they're ranked nationally," he said. "And I really enjoy the coaching staff. I just think I'm really going to enjoy the program there."
Though the excitement for stepping up to the next level is clear in Ketterman's demeanor, there are a few things he will miss, after his exit from the ranks of the high school student-athletes. Most notably, he said, is the fact that he will no longer be able to play the game he loves with his best friends.
"I grew up with everybody on my team," Ketterman said. "And all of our starters, basically, we've been raised up together, playing baseball together."
On the academic side, Ketterman has a leg up on many high school seniors, since his course of study is already decided. Ketterman told the Daily Mail after his signing ceremony that he will pursue fish and wildlife management, with the hope of working with nature and the environment, once his college career is over.
"I'm hopefully going to work for the state and manage some statewide land or go into more private, and just help people out who need help managing land for different environmental reasons," he said.
Heading into college, academic success and the achievement of his career goals away from the baseball field is at the forefront of Ketterman's mind. Success on the baseball field and the advancement of his athletic career are secondary to those goals, but Ketterman did say he wouldn't turn it down, if the opportunity presented itself for him to play baseball professionally.
"If I get the chance to, yeah," he said. "But I'm definitely school-oriented."
The Red Ravens finished the 2014 season 39-18 overall and saw their season come to an end with a pair of losses in the Central District Tournament, last weekend.