CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Rossview two-way player Lantz Shirk has been named Clarksville Now Player of the Week for his consistency at the plate.
During the week of April 3, the Hawks competed in five contests, including playing three games in the Donny Everett Classic. Rossview won each contest, and they did so in dominating fashion. In total, Rossview outscored their opponents by a combined run differential of 61-17.
The Hawks began the week playing against Henry County in a two-game series. During game one, Rossview won 9-5. Shirk was the hero from start to finish in the matchup.
The senior finished game one with more runs batted in than the entire opposing team. Shirk went 3 for 3 with a double, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 2 steals and 5 runs batted in. Shirk’s hot hand stayed steady throughout the remainder of the week.
During their second game against Henry County, the Hawks recorded the win 11-1. Shirk extended his perfect start to the week by going 2 for 2 with another double, 1 run scored, 1 walk and 1 hit-by-pitch.
After their series against Henry County, Rossview turned their attention to the Donny Everett Classic. Teams from Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio all competed in the event.
The Hawks won all three of their games, which included beating Christian County 21-4. Rossview also defeated Houston High School and Riverdale High School.
When the week concluded, Shirk ended up hitting safely in 9 out of his 11 plate appearances. That comes out to a batting average of .818. In addition, the senior recorded 2 doubles, 5 runs scored, 6 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch, 2 steals and 10 runs batted in.
“I was feeling pretty comfortable,” Shirk said. “I went up to the plate trying to be aggressive, looked for anything early in the count that I could hit hard. There was a lot of hard-hit balls, but some hits that fell in my favor too. The biggest thing was being aggressive and that let me be successful.”
2022-23 season
Shirk has been one of the most reliable players in the Rossview High lineup through four weeks of the 2022-23 season.
However, after last week, his season statistics were elevated to another level.
| W 1-3 | W1-4 | |
|---|---|---|
| AB | 29 | 40 |
| Runs | 9 | 14 |
| Hits | 12 | 21 |
| RBI | 13 | 23 |
| BB | 7 | 13 |
| 2B | 3 | 5 |
| 3B | 0 | 0 |
| HR | 1 | 1 |
| AVG | 0.414 | 0.525 |
| OBP | 0.514 | 0.636 |
| SLUG % | 0.621 | 0.725 |
| OPS | 1.134 | 1.361 |
There was a dramatic increase in hits, runs batted in and walks. His batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS were also impacted by his efficient week.
Shirk said one difference coming into this season was that he prepared himself to remain calm and collected before stepping into the batter’s box. Also, his mentality has revolved around being selective and aggressive at the plate.
Shirk told Clarksville Now his ultimate goal is to do everything in his power for Rossview to go all the way to Murfreesboro this postseason.
Coaches corner
“Anytime you can have a senior play at a very high level, it not only makes for good production on the field, but good leadership in the clubhouse as well,” Rossview Head Coach Parker Holman said. “Lantz has done a good job of bringing a sense of maturity to the team. I think a lot of the younger guys lean towards him as someone who can calm them down in situations they haven’t really experienced yet.
“He can share some of his experiences while he had success and even those he had through failure. Those things are vitally important for us as a club. What’s special about Lantz on the ball field is his intelligence, ability to breakdown the game in phases and how he can slow the game down at a level most high school players can’t,” Holman said.
“He understands the difference between pitches he can hit, and pitches he can hit hard. Also, he understands when to take a walk when he’s given them and he doesn’t need to make things happen. He’s a really cerebral player and it shows up in his at-bats and on the mound once he makes his return.”
What’s next
Coming into the week, Rossview High baseball was ranked 10th in the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Class 4-A poll.
The Hawks record sits at 16-3, and they have matchups against Goodpasture Christian and Liberty Creek to finish out week five of the 2022-23 season.
As for Shirk, following his final season with the Hawks, he’ll make the move to play collegiate baseball for Maryville College under head baseball coach Clint Helton.