Three Tigers Ready for 2008 Season

It’s not unusual at the 3A level for freshman to make the varsity team and break into the starting lineup.  But three years ago, Snyder had three such freshman and now these three young men–Lance Day, Brent Bollinger, and Dustin Murdock–hope to take their experience and help the Tigers get to the State Tournament.

Three years ago these three players were just freshmen with potential.  They had played together in Snyder since Little League days and were always the top players in the league.  But as freshmen, playing on the varsity team was going to be a challenge for them.

“I had watched the high school team play,” said Dustin, “and I was hoping I could make it that year but I wasn’t sure.”  Dustin did make it and became the starting right fielder.  He ended up that year with a batting average over .300.

“I had a blast my freshman year,” Lance said.  “It was a good experience for me.”  Lance also did well his freshman year and became the #2 pitcher on the team that year.

“I was nervous at first and felt a lot of pressure,” explained Brent.  “My Dad was the coach and I felt like I had to play well to prove to myself and everyone else that I deserved to be there.”  Brent did just that and became the Snyder 3B his freshman year.

“Brent, Lance, and Dustin had to really grow up fast,” said Snyder head baseball coach, Charles Bollinger.  “I pretty much threw them into the fire when they were freshmen. They worked hard and have always felt that they could beat anyone that they played against. I knew watching them play in little league and babe ruth league that they were going to be a special group of players. I have always told them that my goal was to get them to the state tournament and win before they get out of high school. They have been successful at whatever they played and they will never be satisfied with anything less than winning a state title. I am very proud of these guys...they can really make a coach look good.” 


The Leader

Lance became the ace of the staff during his sophomore year and has been the go-to guy on the mound since.  He was selected to the TSWA All-State team his sophomore and junior year and to the THSBCA All-State team as a 3rd team pitcher his junior year.  Last year, he compiled an 11-1 record with an ERA of 1.18.  He had 90 K’s in 71 innings.  Lance has also been the quarterback of the football team the last two years as well, leading Snyder to the state semifinals in ’07.

Brent Bollinger on Lance:  “I have so much confidence in him.  Since we were in Little League, I have felt like we were going to win when Lance is on the mound.”

Dustin Murdock on Lance:  “He is a great pitcher, no doubt.  But most of all, he is just fun to be around.  He never lets you get down.  He always picks you up.”




  Mr. Intensity

Brent is a highly motivated individual.  He is a competitor and therefore he always gets better.  Brent made the TSWA All-State teams his sophomore and junior year as a short stop and he also made the THSBCA All-State team as a 1st Team Shortstop his junior year.  He batted .391 last year with 5 HRs and 27 RBIs.  He also led the team with 43 runs scored and had a .500 OBP.

Dustin Murdock on Brent:  “Brent gives 110% when he plays whether he’s on defense, on the mound, or at the plate.  And he is a great base runner.  He is really smart on the bases and almost always gets a good jump.”

Lance Day on Brent:  “I really appreciate Brent’s competitiveness.  He never wants to lose.  He works hard and I like to partner up with him in drills because he makes you better.”



The Hitter

Dustin has always had a knack for hitting the ball.  That was obvious even in his freshman year.  He took hitting to the next level after that initial varsity year and it did not go unnoticed.  Dustin was named the Offensive MVP of the District in both his sophomore and junior years.  He also was named to TSWA All-State team both years.  He batted .392 last year with 3 HRs, 13 2Bs, and 31 RBIs.  He led the team with a .667 Slugging Pct.

Lance Day on Dustin:  “I have always appreciated Dustin’s ability to hit the baseball.  He has natural ability.  When he is in the cages, I watch him to learn from him.”

Brent Bollinger on Dustin:  “Dustin works hard at hitting and he is a clutch hitter.  He just gets better and better every year.”


2008 Season
Will this be the season for the Snyder Tigers?  There are so many things that can happen in a season that no prediction is ever safe.  But there are many things in place for Snyder this year.  There are the three seniors who return with three years of varsity experience, all of whom most certainly will be playing at the next level.  There is fellow senior Brooks Gafford who also is a returning starter.  There is junior catcher Jesse Conner, who also was a starter his freshman year, and Riley Davis, a junior 1B with power, hitting 6 home runs in 2007.

So how do these three core players feel about this year?

 “We want to go as far as we can,” said Dustin.  “Winning state is everybody's goal and we have a good chance.  I just want to have fun.”

“We’ve been waiting for this time when we were all seniors, “ Brent added.  “It’s our last chance to make it to the tournament.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Lance said.  “Some are saying ‘Win State’ and that would be great but we are going to have fun.  But we are going to get after people.”

Dustin summed it up well, though.  “The three of us have been together a long time.  Hopefully we will go out with a bang!”