Lovelace Signs With Kansas Juco

Thursday, January 17, 2013

— Jayme Lovelace is looking forward to his senior season with the Rogers Heritage baseball team, but he made sure his baseball career will continue past the spring on Tuesday afternoon.

Lovelace signed a letter of intent to play for Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kan.

He had scholarship offers from Missouri Southern and two or three other junior colleges, but felt comfortable at Barton.

“I liked the pitching philosophy,” Lovelace said. “I’m really excited for my senior season. It will be different, but I think we can have a good year.”

Heritage baseball coach Keith Kilgore said Lovelace will need to take more of a leadership role this year with the loss of all-state standouts Blake Baxendale and Hunter Wood, but expects big things for him.

“He’s got a great approach and we saw what he’s capable of last season,” Kilgore said. “Barton is not only getting a good player, but more importantly an outstanding young man with great worth ethic and great morals.”

Lovelace went 2-1 in 14 games a year ago, earning a complete-game victory in the first conference doubleheader last season and also pitched five scoreless innings in the Class 7A state quarterfinals against Little Rock Catholic.

Heritage eventually defeated Catholic 1-0 in eight innings as the War Eagles advanced all the way to the state title game, before losing to Bryant.

But in between, Lovelace had some physical struggles, missing more than a month of the season after having his wisdom teeth removed.

“I lost about 15 pounds,” Lovelace said. “I had trouble getting my strength back, especially swinging the bat.”

But he enjoyed a strong summer pitching for the Midwest Nationals out of Springfield, Mo. He was able to work out some mechanical issues with his delivery, Lovelace said.