Sandcrabs coach: Putting Seabreeze baseball 'back on the map'

In his second season as the head coach of Seabreeze’s baseball team, Jeff Lemon is sure of at least one thing: The strength of this Sandcrabs team, once again, is its pitching.

The Sandcrabs had a 2.2 ERA last season, and through the first four games of the 2020 season, the Sandcrabs’ have a 1.9 ERA.

“Our defense is really good,” Lemon said of the Sandcrabs, who were 2-24 the season prior to Lemon’s arrival. “But our pitching stands out.”

However, there was a lot of growing to do in Lemon’s first season.

“It was about trying to get them to leave their old ways of complacency and to have some passion for the game and competing,” he said.

The Sandcrabs improved and won eight games. And with it, saw several players rise into leadership roles. Lemon pointed to pitchers Robert Truer and Jordan Ackerman and catcher Canyon Brown as players who have stepped up for the team.

“We want to put Seabreeze baseball back on the map like it used to be.”

 

JEFF LEMON, Seabreeze baseball coach

 

“Robert is a quiet leader,” Lemon said. “He does everything by action. I don’t know if I’ve heard him say 10 words since I’ve been here. But he gets after it.”

Ackerman, who is committed to play baseball for LaGrange College in Georgia next year, not only leads by example — he also leads vocally.

“The guys look to him in adversity,” Lemon said.

The Sandcrabs want to compete for a district championship this season and hope to make it into the regional tournament.

“As pitchers, our goal is to keep the team in the game as long as we can,” Ackerman said. “I think we’re going to give our team a chance most nights.”

Truer added: “It’s going to be a full team effort.”