May 11, 2019
By Fred Liggett
FredL@lstribune.net
While many area baseball fans are watching and waiting for the next post-season appearance by the Kansas City Royals one young group of Lee’s Summit baseball fans are preparing for their own post-season, they are the 2019 Lee’s Summit West Titans baseball team.
The Titans are set to begin post season play this week in a Missouri Class 5, District 12 Tournament. The six team tournament, hosted by Lee’s Summit West, features local teams such as Ray-Pec and Belton in addition to the Titans. Filling out the bracket is Springfield Hillcrest, Springfield Central and Willard. Fans can enjoy first round games on Saturday, May 11 when Belton plays Hillcrest at 12 noon followed by Ray-Pec against Central at approximately 2 p.m. Action resumes on Tuesday when top seed LS West plays the Belton/Hillcrest winner at 1:30 p.m. to be followed at 4 p.m. by second-seeded Willard playing the Ray-Pec/Central winner. A district champion will be crowned on Wednesday, May 15 with the championship game set for first pitch at 4 p.m.
As expected the LS West Titans have been very successful this year thanks to a large senior class. Titans baseball head coach Jay Meyer has watched this year’s team compile a 24-3 regular season record. The district tournament will offer one of the last times area baseball fans can see a talented young group play before heading off to college on various levels. Cade Clemons leads the group and is headed to perennial NCAA power Wichita State next year. Ben Kobel, James Michael and Jake Grauberger are all staying close to home to play at Johnson County Community College. Three more team members have plans to play NCAA Division II baseball at area schools. Zachary Olson has plans to play at Emporia State while Spencer Weeks heads off to Missouri-St. Louis. Carter Young intends to continue his career at MIAA Conference champion University of Central Missouri.
Before these talented group of players move on to their chosen teams on the next level they have a single goal in mind, a state championship. The road to this final destination for the team begins at home as the Lee’s Summit West Titans work to claim a district title in front of some baseball fans hungry for post-Season success.
