For Webb City senior Tate Lewis, leadership doesn’t come from being the loudest voice in the dugout — it comes from setting the tone through work, confidence and consistency on the mound. “My personal goals for this season are to improve from last season and help lead my team to another district championship and hopefully to state,” Lewis said.
He knows the path to another deep playoff run won’t be easy, especially as the team settles into a new season. “Team morale so far has been down from last year, but it’s only the beginning of the year and I expect it to be just as good as the end of last year,” he said. “The biggest improvement that I’ve seen this early in the season is that we’ve been hitting the fastball better at this point than the last couple years.”
For Lewis, success begins with focus on the smaller details. “Obviously our biggest goal is to make it to, and win state, but first it starts with beating Carl Junction in our first game,” he said. That focus trickles into every phase of their approach. “I think our biggest strength so far this year is our defense, we have multiple kids that played in the field last year and have had improvements.”
He credits that defensive confidence as key to his mindset on the mound. “The role that I plan to play this year is being the starting pitcher in our big games, and help keep our team in big games,” he said. “My mindset is to go out there with full confidence and fill up the strike zone and trust in my defense behind me to make plays.”
Lewis takes preparation just as seriously as performance. “I prepare myself for games by making sure that I am all the way stretched out through my arms and legs, and make sure that my body is feeling good,” he said.
When the cleats come off, Lewis stays grounded in perspective. “I don’t really mind having a legacy at Webb City, but I do hope that I can have a good senior year and be known for being a leader to my team, and one of the better pitchers,” he said.
After graduation, Lewis plans to play at Crowder College and pursue a degree in engineering — continuing the same discipline and drive that have defined his time at Webb City.
