By Owen Gotimer
LoCoSports Editor-in-Chief
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Leesburg (November 27, 2015) — Tuscarora High School senior Noah Lacy has made a commitment to continue his baseball career at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise starting in the 2016-2017 school year.
“I’ve dreamed about this day for years, and it surpassed all expectations. It’s a good feeling knowing all those long practices, late nights and far away tournaments all paid off,” the 5-foot-11 Lacy said. “I would say the best part about committing is walking through the halls and someone congratulating me or sitting in class and my peers clapping for me.”
Signing his National Letter of Intent on November 16, Lacy chose UVA Wise for a number of reasons including getting to play four more years of baseball with Diamond Elite teammate and fellow Wise-commit Brandon Keiper.
“I choose Wise because it gave me the opportunity to continue playing baseball at an elite level, as well as being able to receive a great education with a UVA diploma,” Lacy said. “The coaching staff also supplies a support system that no other college offered so that my transfer from high school to college would not be as difficult as it would be at other schools I was considering. I also wanted to go to a school that I would know someone and having a long-time travel ball teammate commit before me made my decision a lot easier.”
Lacy and Keiper will travel to southwest Virginia next fall to help the young, Division II Highland Cavaliers – including Woodgrove graduate Matt Wright (2014) and Stone Bridge graduate Ty Lighton (2012) – improve on a 14-32 record in 2015.
“I believe that I will bring a spark to the team of leadership, a winning mentality, versatility on the diamond and a reliable student in the classroom,” said Lacy who will catch at Wise. “At Tuscarora, I am responsible for making sure everyone knows what is going on at all times: being voted captain and being a catcher. Growing up playing a lot of baseball in Georgia, for many years, I was taught what it took to win year round and push my teammates every day to get after it, whether that’s in the weight room, baseball diamond or classroom.”
Under his leadership, the Huskies finished 10-11 in 2015 before falling to Briar Woods in a quarterfinal of the Conference 14 tournament. But a junior-heavy class in 2015, means a lot of returners for head coach Mark Bauer as Tuscarora will try to vie for a conference title in 2016 over reigning VHSL 5A state champion Stone Bridge.
“My expectations for Tuscarora this season are the same as they always are: win a championship. I want to deliver Tuscarora their first championship in baseball history before I leave,” Lacy said. “We have a good group of guys for this season. The season will be full of laughter and smiles. We all believe in each other and fully expect to come out of the gates making a big splash.”
Around baseball since he was young, Lacy really found his interest in America’s pastime while watching his cousin play high school baseball in Georgia.
“I started playing baseball when I was 10-years-old back in Georgia because I wanted to play a sport with all my friends and be like my older cousin,” Lacy said. “I wanted to be like my cousin so much that whenever the coach needed a catcher I would be the first to jump up and get my skinny-self fitted into the gear. I would mirror how I saw my cousin catch as best I could so that I could be as good as him one day.”