Work ethic of Henry, Lambert set tone for improving Hornets

By Tim Tassa -- Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER -- When Jesse Henry and Scott Lambert rode into the parking lot at Bridgeforth Field on Wednesday, their green Ford Explorer was just one of a few vehicles present.

Nearly an hour before a mid-afternoon practice, and more than a half hour before any of their teammates arrived, the SUV rolled to a stop aside the facility's batting cage.
The pair unloaded a bucket of baseballs, practiced tee work, then soft toss and concluded with live pitching as their baseball associates began filing in.

Henry and Lambert's extra credit could easily be chalked up to the day's unusually warm 60-degree temperature -- they both donned red team shorts and navy blue T-shirts -- or a favorable class schedule.

But that wouldn't completely assess the above-and-beyond nature of two of Shenandoah's top returning players, readying for today's season-opening doubleheader against Misericordia at noon.

They share the team's collective voluntary work ethic, head coach Kevin Anderson said, which is a fun problem to have.

"We have to tell guys to go home rather than trying to beg them to get out here," he said. "They're out early; they stay late. We play straight-up baseball -- no gimmicks -- and that's the type of players that we have."

"We might practice for two or three hours," Lambert added, "but it doesn't stop there."
Shenandoah has won 20-plus games in five straight seasons, finishing 20-20 overall and 5-7 in the USA South conference last year. In January, the Hornets were picked to place fifth of seven teams, equaling last season's finish, according to a poll released by the conference office.

But in 23 years of coaching, Anderson said his current group -- citing its coachability and attitude -- is the best bunch he's worked with.

"As a coach you look forward to working with these guys on an everyday basis with very few problems," said Anderson, who is in his sixth season as head coach at Shenandoah. "That's a credit to the players -- especially the upperclassmen -- because good players attract other good players."

Like Henry (shortstop) and Lambert (catcher and right field), the Hornets return a strong nucleus of position players, but field uncertainty on the mound.

Sophomore and James Wood High School product Greg Van Sickler, the conference's rookie of the year, will try to duplicate his team-leading .439 batting average and .659 slugging percentage, while Henry, Lambert and center fielder Kevin Brashears will try to follow up their .300-plus batting averages of 2008.

Junior Scott Van Dusseldorp is penciled in at third base, senior Jason Eberz and Longwood transfer Jake Yocum will vie for left field honors, and junior Sean Plouffe will platoon with Lambert at catcher.

"This is one of the closest teams I've been on before, all the guys are real close," Lambert said. "I think in past years we may have had the talent, but not really the camaraderie that we have this year. So it's definitely looking good for us right now."
Finishing the final third of games is crucial for the prospects of another 20-win campaign. The Hornets held a lead in 34 of 40 games last year, Anderson said, but mustered only a .500 record.

Last year's No. 1 starter, senior Matthew Davis, will move into a closer's role with senior Gage Levac, leaving the Hornets' rotation to a mound of tenderfoots.

With a four-pitch arsenal, senior Josh Simons, who will also play second base, will be the Hornets' ace, with Van Sickler brought along slowly in the rotation. The rest of the unit consists of freshmen, with individuals Bryce Sears, Eric Rabung and Cory Nelson each drawing praise from some of the team's veterans.

"I haven't started for a couple years," said Simons, who was the closer last season and spent time at shortstop. "But I'm real happy; I feel good."

Simons, in addition to batting .336, carried a 1.42 ERA last year. He, too, required a strenuous training regimen -- mostly running -- to prepare for pitching deep into games.
It's a routine that's catching on.

"You definitely got to instill it in the young guys; it just trickles down from there. If you can get them to believe in what you're teaching then it definitely helps out with the new guys," Lambert said.

"After we leave we gotta have someone else to teach the work ethic they need."

* Contact Tim Tassa at ttassa@nvdaily.com