Senior stands tall behind the plate for Lancaster Mennonite’s baseball team | High School Baseball

Kyler Buckwalter has heard it before. Yes, he’s a little tall for a catcher.

Umpires are often the first to joke about it whenever Lancaster Mennonite’s 6-foot-4 senior puts on the gear and gets behind the plate.

While it seems like an unconventional position choice, it was also an easy one.

“I love being involved in every play,” Buckwalter said. “That’s kind of why I became a catcher. I would always get bored in the outfield.”

The universe kept pointing Buckwalter in a different sports direction. He has the height and pedigree for hoops. Kyler’s dad, Seth, was a standout basketball player and state championship winning coach at Mennonite.

That’s not the path the younger Buckwalter wanted to follow. In fact, he quit the basketball team as a junior and initially had no intention of returning.

“It’s not my favorite,” Buckwalter said. “I don’t love it at all.”

It was only after Buckwalter and senior Brady Grau made a pact that Buckwalter decided to embark on a basketball comeback.

The deal? Buckwalter would be one of Mennonite’s first options off the bench in the winter if Grau, the starting point guard, patrolled center field for the baseball team this spring.

It worked out. Buckwalter played a useful role during Mennonite’s run to its first Lancaster-Lebanon League championship in February. He was the backup big man on an undersized roster.

“I had fun with my friends,” Buckwalter said. “I really liked the league chip. I didn’t play at all that night, but it was fun to be with the team in that way.”

Mennonite has a storied tradition in soccer and basketball. Baseball is a different story. The Blazers haven’t won a section game since the seniors joined the program. It’s hard to field a competitive lineup at such a small school.

This year’s core wants to change Mennonite’s trajectory on the diamond. The goal is to be among the six teams that qualify for the District Three Class 1A tournament. The Blazers are 3-4 and sixth in the power ratings entering play Monday.

Reuben Gingrich, the leading scorer on LM’s state tournament qualifying soccer team, is hoping to steer baseball toward a breakthrough.

“Coming from success in a lot of other sports makes you want to bring this team to the same level,” said Gingrich, who will play soccer at York College. “I know what it feels like to get to that point. Now we’ve got to work for it.”

Gingrich anchors the defense at shortstop. Jackson Snader, a reserve for the basketball team, is one of the go-to pitchers.

Snader realized soon after he transferred to Mennonite from Hempfield that several members of his senior class played hoops. He joined the basketball team for fun. Baseball has remained his passion.

“Our pitching staff is the best it’s been while I’ve been in high school,” Buckwalter said. “Jackson is a key part of that. He’s probably the strongest starter I’ve seen.”

Buckwalter played two sports over the winter. The senior averaged 190 in bowling.

Baseball is the season he looks forward to the most. As long as these Blazers have been together, one thing has stayed the same.

“He’s been our catcher forever,” Gingrich said. “He definitely has a team leader role.”

Buckwalter, who’s hitting .400 with six runs and five RBIs, plans to continue baseball at Waynesburg University. Basketball tried to find him at his college destination.

One of the assistant coaches reached out to Buckwalter about possibly continuing his hoops journey. While being 6-4 will always bring some attention, he’d rather put on his shinguards and chest protector.

Buckwalter is a catcher at heart. Even if he doesn’t necessarily look like one.