Former Saint shines on the diamond for Marshall University

As Tommy Lane slowly approached the plate in the top of the first inning in his first official at-bat for Marshall University, the junior transfer from MHCC sank his Size 14 cleats into the batters box and took a deep breath, as he always does.

With a 2-1 count, the 6-foot-7, 235-pound southpaw put his all behind a fast one and sent it deep over the centerfield fence in Tallahassee, Florida in a game with Florida A&M.

With his parents, Tom and Ruth, in the stands that Feb. 19 afternoon, it made the moment that much more special. But Lane, modest as ever, would have been more excited had his team not lost 9-4 during its season opener. “We fell short,” said the Pendleton native.

Lane said his first Division I home run will be remembered for a long time, but watching his team’s reaction as he rounded the bases was priceless, according to the big red head. “It’s a great feeling, but seeing the excitement and energy that it gives the rest of the team is what really makes me enjoy it,” he said.

Lane credits his two years at Mt. Hood for his great start to the season. He said Saints head coach Bryan Donohue played a major role in his success. “Hood plays ball the right way and that’s going to prepare anyone who goes through there to succeed at the next level if they are able to move on,” said the slugger. “The biggest thing I took away from Mt. Hood was execution of the team game. Dono would always say, ‘pitching, defense and execution of the team game.’ That’s a recipe for success.”

Lane finished the 2015 regular season with the Saints leading the NWAC with 11 home runs, to go along with 49 RBI, good for second in the entire league. He was named to both the South Region and NWAC first (honored) teams for his efforts.

During his two-year stint with the Saints, he belted 16 home runs and had 74 RBIs, while hitting .307.

Donohue said Lane was one of the more exciting players he’s had a chance to coach in his nine years at Mt. Hood.

“I think Tommy could put a show on during batting practice,” said Donohue. “He changed a lot during his two years with us. As a freshman he had a tendency to give up at-bats. Then his sophomore year he completely changed his approach. And to think, he didn’t even play his entire senior year of high school because he broke his collarbone during the basketball season.”

The coach praised Lane’s work ethic, especially in the batting cage: “Never had a player spend more time in the cage. He’s a cage rat.”

As of Thursday, Marshall stood at 13-10 and Lane has played a major role in their success early in the 2016 campaign. He has seven home runs, 21 RBI, and is batting .337 – leads the Thundering Herd in all three categories. “I feel good at the dish, just trying to simplify things and swing at strikes,” he said. “That’s is the biggest thing (on my approach at the plate).”

Lane wants more than anything to make it to the NCAA tournament and make a run at Omaha, home of the College World Series, the dream of all college players. “I want to play postseason baseball so I am just trying to fill my role,” he said. “I don’t pay attention to my stats unless we’re winning games.”

Donohue isn’t surprised by Lane’s early breakout. “Pretty sweet to see what’s he has done so far. The biggest knock on him by pro scouts was whether he would struggle against velocity,” said the coach. “He could hit a ball a long ways, but I wasn’t sure how he would do at the next level. But now, he’s probably making a stronger case to be a draft guy this year.”

Marshall is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and the team is a part of Conference USA. So far, the team is 3-3 in conference action. Lane feels like his squad has the tools and leadership to make some major noise this season. “We have people who have been here for four years and they’re good leaders and more than anything, we believe we have what it takes,” he said. “Yogi Berra said it best: ‘Baseball is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical.’ ”

On March 15, Lane hit a monumental home run – a 12th-inning, walk-off shot to defeat Morehead State, 6-5.

Lane, who was used to swinging wood bats during his two years at Mt. Hood, said a change to a metal-composite bat hasn’t affected his approach at the plate. “I like to feel the weight of a wood bat’s barrel… So, I had our equipment guy get the most end-weighted bat possible,” he said.

Majoring in International Business, he’d like to continue playing as long as he can. At this rate, that might be a very long time.

“I’ll play until I can’t for whatever reason that may be,” he said. “Baseball is a game (where) you can’t look forward, it’s all about what your doing right now.”