Player Profile: Justin Lavey
- Oct 10, 2014
- 3 min read
By Spencer Flaten, Lead writer
Wisconsin is not typically known as a baseball powerhouse, but players like Justin Lavey are slowly but surely chipping away at that reputation.
Lavey, a junior at Kenosha Tremper, is one of the elite talents in the Midwest. As a freshman, he claimed a starting role in the Trojans’ lineup. He batted .304 and knocked in 19 runs, along with a collection of 12 stolen bases. He committed to play baseball at the University of Louisville near the beginning of his sophomore year, and then followed up his commitment with a solid showing on the field during the spring and summer seasons. In the spring, Lavey batted .333, drove in 18 runs and stole 22 bases. His 16 extra-base hits were the most on his team. In the summer, playing with the Rawlings Hitters, Lavey only improved. Facing the best competition in the Midwest, he batted .382 with 30 RBIs and 5 home runs.
His commitment to Louisville came fairly early in his high school career, but Lavey says it was not a terribly difficult decision.
“As soon as I stepped foot on campus I knew it was the school for me. Having been my dream school, it made my decision that much easier to make,” he said. “The school’s athletics are some of the best in the country and the academics are very top-notch. I loved all the coaches and the success they have been having these past few years is very exciting to see. Also the move to the ACC helped me make the easy decision to commit.”
One of the reasons that Lavey received exposure to college coaches across the country so early in his career was his involvement with the Hitters. The Hitters, like many other travel teams in Wisconsin, play in tournaments and showcases around the country. Lavey says that his experience with the program has had a profound effect on his career.
“A huge part of my baseball success is the help I have received from my travel club, the Rawlings Hitters, and [the team’s] owner RJ Fergus,” he said. “Hitters helped me develop both offensively and defensively on the field. Off the field, we train harder than any other team in the country with our winter workouts. Whether it may be sprint work or sleds, you can always count on walking out faster and stronger than you were [when you got there]. Hitters has done so much for me and has made me into the baseball player I am today…You can always count on Hitters to have a top-of-the-line team on the field every day and that is why I and many other teammates have become as successful in the game as we have.”
Scouts have highlighted Lavey’s defensive capabilities as one of his greatest strengths, and that assessment is something he agrees with.
“I believe my best qualities are my ability to steal bases along with my defensive play and my arm strength. I’ve worked a lot on defense over the past couple years and have developed well as an infielder,” he said.
Still, Lavey realizes that he is not a finished product and continues to work on his game.
“The main area of my game I am trying to improve is my hitting. I have been told that I am ready for the next level defensively and just need to work on hitting a bit more. I am working hard to become a more consistent bat and will continue to work on it this off-season,” he explained.
As he prepares for his junior season at Tremper, Lavey says that his team has high expectations for the coming year. His expectations are justified, as the Trojans will have 7 of their top 9 hitters back from a year ago, as well as about half of their pitching staff.
“The goal was set from the start of this off season, when I met with Coach Matera. Our team goal is to win our conference and sectional and get a ticket punched for the state tournament. We have a bunch of very talented ball players who have the heart and dedication to do whatever it takes to get to the state tournament and with hard work this off-season I am confident you will see us far along into the playoffs,” he said.
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