Skyler Lhamon, a recent graduate of Bath High School and current member of the Lima Locos, throws a pitch againt the Grand Lake Mariners on Sunday.
Chris Howell | The Lima News
Skyler Lhamon didn’t expect to be here.
Because he’s an incoming freshman, playing for the Locos this summer wasn’t really something that was on his radar.
In fact, about two months ago, Lhamon was suiting up for the Bath Wildcats while nearly all of his teammates were playing baseball at their respective colleges or universities.
But with the Locos in need of some more pitching for the second half of the season, Chad Ehrnsberger picked up the phone and expressed his desire to add the 6-0, 170-pound righthander to the roster.
It turned out that the interest was mutual.
Lhamon accepted the invitation without hesitation.
“I knew I wanted to do this,” he said. “It feels pretty good to be here. I want to make the most of this opportunity.”
Along with outfielder Brooks Wright, Lhamon is the only true freshman on the Locos active roster.
He’s now made three appearances on the mound since joining the team in Michigan early last week. The most recent of those came at Simmons Field on Wednesday against Muskegon where Lhamon earned a four-inning save by holding the Clippers to one run on three hits.
In his Locos debut on June 25, Lhamon threw three innings out of the bullpen and was the winning pitcher in a 13-8 victory over Michigan.
“In his first outing, he did a good job for us,” said Locos coach Chad Ehrnsbergr. “He struggled at the end but he showed a lot of good things up in Michigan and he did that again against Grand Lake. He’s certainly earned more opportunities and hopefully, he continues to capitalize on them.”
Lhamon’s second appearance came in familiar territory at Montgomery Field in Celina on Sunday. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning on a mound he previously pitched on when Bath visited Celina during his junior year.
“We put him in a tough spot (against Grand Lake) with the bases loaded and probably their best hitter up and he comes in and strikes him out. That was huge,” Ehrnsberger said.
Lhamon admitted after the game that it was easier to settle in by pitching on a familiar field.
“I felt way better than I did my first time out,” he said. “I definitely can say that it felt more comfortable to be on a mound that I knew and one that I had the feel for.”
The feel he had for his surroundings led to an even better feel for his pitches. Lhamon throws a fastball that sits around 90 miles per hour and mixes in three secondary pitches, a change-up, curveball and a slider according to Prep Baseball Report.
He has a simple approach on the mound. It’s the same one he used during his senior season as the ace of the Wildcats’ staff.
“Just throw strikes. Get an out. That’s really all that’s on my mind,” Lhamon said. “I just want to go up there and pitch for outs. You don’t have to get strikeouts, it’s just about getting outs.”
Knowing who he is, trusting his stuff and leaning on his teammates have been the main points of focus for Lhamon in the early going.
He said that members of the pitching staff, namely fellow Lima native Ryan Yingst, have made it easy to fit in and he’s picking up some important pieces of information along the way.
“Those guys are the biggest influences that are helping me go out there and be myself. Ryan (Yingst) has been especially helpful because we’re kind of from the same area and he’s talked to me the most so far,” Lhamon said.
“Some of the guys have actually been impressed that I’m not nervous to go out there. It’s because I know who I am and I go out there and be myself on the mound.”
Lhamon wrapped up his high school career this past spring with first-team WBL and second-team district honors. He threw a five-inning no-hitter on May 8 against Ottoville, which included a rare four-strikeout inning.
On Dec. 13, 2023, he announced his intention to play baseball at the next level for Olney Central College, a school in Illinois whose baseball program has 42 straight winning seasons and produced more than 350 Division I, II and III athletes.
When Lhamon arrives on campus, he believes the experience of playing with the Locos is something that’ll put him ahead of the curve for next season.
“The expectations they’ve laid out for me is just to stay healthy and come in ready to work,” he said. “I think this experience is the best thing for me. It’s my first time facing college hitters of all levels and if I can pitch against guys who are playing D-I baseball this summer, then I think I can do pretty well against some JUCO talent.”
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on Twitter/X at @Lima_Howell
