Baseball preview: Paul Tillotson hopes to get Lewis-Palmer elusive state title

MONUMENT — It’s now or never for Lewis-Palmer senior Paul Tillotson.

The senior has been a staple to the Rangers’ baseball program for three seasons and entering his fourth and final year, he’s hoping that his experience and leadership can help him get his hands on that state championship trophy, even if the makeup of the team doesn’t have the same feel.

“It’s a little bit different,” Tillotson said. “We lost some guys from last year, we got a new coach but we’re looking on the up-and-up right now.”

Having Tillotson on the roster gives the team instant credibility. They came in as the No. 2 team in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com preseason baseball rankings. That’s the kind of reputation a team has when they have a University of Nebraska commit on its roster.

That’s right. Like several other Colorado athletes, Tillotson is bound for Lincoln. That is assuming that the lure of Major League Baseball doesn’t rear its head in June.

But for now, Tillotson’s only focus is on helping the Rangers become a better baseball team and continuing the string of success it has seen in recent seasons.

First-year coach Brett Lester is fortunate enough to join a squad that rosters one of the best players in the state.

“It’s a luxury that not many coaches get the chance to enjoy,” Lester said. “He’s going to be competitive every time out and he’s going to do well on the mound, even at the plate in the games that he’s not pitching, he’s going to have a huge output.”

In 2015, Tillotson was such a devastating weapon for the Rangers. From the offensive side, he batted .446 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. In 95 plate appearances, he struck out only six times.

On the mound, he went 8-1 with a 1.62 ERA. He struck out 145 hitters and walked only 22.

So which skill set are the Huskers hoping to utilize?

“I’m definitely going as a pitcher, but they wanted to know if I still want to hit,” Tillotson said. “They hinting on the subject that I’m going to hit more (than they thought I would).”

And he’s up for it.

He remains in constant communication with the Huskers and they continue to track each other’s progress.

And while it’s easy to track numbers on a boxscore, the one thing that Tillotson is working harder at this year is helping out the younger players. He and teammate Billy Cook are doing everything they can to develop young players and ensure that Lewis-Palmer will be a winning program well beyond this year.

“As returning veterans it’s kind of on us to help those young guys out,” Tillotson said. “Just the little things that go into winning games through the season. It’s our job to help kids out when we see things they need help on.”

And in the process, they’ll be helping themselves out as well. At the end of last season Tillotson and the Rangers were on hand as the state championship trophy was handed to Green Mountain. That feeling, regardless of the changes the team has gone through, made him hungry and determined to bring a state championship back to Lewis-Palmer.

The Rangers have never won a baseball crown.

“I definitely have the hunger,” he said. “I want to push myself and my team to prove that we deserve that No. 2 ranking. I’m always going to be pushing my team to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can.”

Baseball preview

Preseason rankings

Defending champion: Rock Canyon
Season begins: March 10
Playoffs begin: May 11
Championship: May 28
Returning all-state players: Maverick Handley, Mullen, C/INF, senior (second team).

Defending champion: Green Mountain
Season begins: March 10
Playoffs begin: May 11
Championship: May 28
Returning all-state players: Cameron Brown, D’Evelyn, OF/P, senior (first team); Paul Tillotson, Lewis-Palmer, P/OF/3B, senior (first team).

Defending champion: Eaton
Season begins: March 10
Playoffs begin: May 11
Championship: May 28
Returning all-state players: Matt Burkart, Eaton, SS/P, senior (first team); Kelton McCoy, Bayfield, C/P/INF, senior (second team); Will McKissick, Kent Denver, OF/P, senior (second team); Zane Phelps, Bayfield, 3B/C/P, senior (second team), AJ Stephens, Faith Christian, 1B/P/OF, senior (second team).

Defending champion: Rye
Season begins: March 10
Playoffs begin: May 9
Championship: May 28
Returning all-state players: Bailey Benz, Rye, C, junior (second team); Jett County, Burlington, P/INF junior (second team); Chance Dunker, Sedgwick County, P, senior (second team); Caden Eastin, County Line (Wiley/McClave), CF/P, senior (second team); Evan Finley, Peyton, P/INF/C, senior (second team); Cesar Gonzalez, Hotchkiss, P/SS, senior (second team); Trevor Smith, Paonia, 3B/C/P, junior (second team); Joe Stephen, Limon, SS/P, senior (first team); Taylor Thoman, Peyton, P/UTIL, senior (second team); Jake Tomcheck, Resurrection Christian, P/OF/1B, senior (second team); Tyler Woodhams, Sedgwick County, P, senior (first team).

Defending champion: Dove Creek
Season begins: March 10
Playoffs begin: April 25
Championship: May 19
Returning all-state players: Jordan Ernst, Dove Creek, P/SS/2B, senior (first team); Tyler Fields, Cornerstone Christian Academy, C/INF/P, senior (second team); Spencer Gatlin, Dove Creek, 1B/DH, senior (second team); Ricardo Juarez, Holly, P/INF, junior (first team); Ryan Keoller, Granada, P, junior (second team); Derek Kibel, Dove Creek, CF, sophomore (second team); Paul Kidder, Community Christian, P, junior (first team); Jaxon King, Felming, SS/P, junior (first team); Kyle Schultz, Dove Cree, P/SS/2B, senior (first team); Eli Sievert, Rocky Mountain Lutheran, P/INF, senior (second team); Marc Solis, Eads, P/3B/SS, senior (second team).