Looking forward

Ask Tyler Lichty what he wants to do long after he graduates and the Sandpoint High senior gives a quick, sincere answer.

“I want to play baseball the rest of my life,” the standout right-handed pitcher said.

Lichty knows the odds are stacked against him. It’s said that less than 5 percent of all boys who dream of playing in the major leagues live out their fantasy. That percentage shrinks further for area kids considering just two former North Idaho prep standouts – Josh Phelps of Rathdrum and Bobby Jenks of Spirit Lake – play in the majors.

So Lichty has a wise backup plan. He at least wants baseball to pay for a college education just in case he has to find a real 9-to-5 job some day.

Lichty has been offered a scholarship at a junior college in Oklahoma, and a handful of Northwest community colleges have expressed interest. Other schools seemingly are finding out about him daily.

He wants to play at an NCAA Division I school. He will be content to go the junior college route to get there, too.

Moscow coach Evan Hecker, a four-year starter when he played at Washington State University (1998-2002), said he plans to call his alma mater and other colleges about Lichty after he shut down Moscow 9-3 last week.

“If I was a Division I coach I’d want him on my team,” Hecker said. “He’s legit. He’s as good as you’re going to see in high school ball around here. He’s only going to get better.”

Sandpoint coach Mike Givens agrees.

“He has the passion for the game,” said Givens, who was the head coach at Skyline College, a two-year school south of San Francisco, for five years in the early 1990s. “He’s pretty sound mechanically and that will help his arm last a lot longer. His arm action is smooth, quick. He’s got the body and levers to maximize his speed.”

Pro scouts from Arizona and Cleveland have seen the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Lichty play this spring. Lichty has been clocked a couple of times as high as 90 mph. He’s hoping to bump it up 3 or 4 mph with some warm weather.

“He’s got a good pitcher’s body, a great frame,” Lake City coach Cory Bridges said. “He has a big upside. He’s got the makings to be a big-time prospect. Any time he’s on the mound he can beat anybody.”

Lichty went 6-2 last year. Two of his victories were at state when he went the distance in Sandpoint’s 1-0 opening win over Mountain Home and in relief when he secured the Bulldogs’ 8-6 4A title-clinching win over Bishop Kelly.

Counting Lichty, just two starters returned this year, which explains Sandpoint’s 1-7 start last month. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last 10, and Lichty, who got off to a 0-3 start, has won four in a row.

His ERA is 2.50, down from 2.81 last year. He has 52 strikeouts, eight more than he had in nine games last year.

Lichty’s losses were against quality teams – a season-opening 7-2 defeat to Richland, Wash., a 2-1 defeat in eight innings to Coeur d’Alene and a 5-4 defeat to Lake City.

“I wasn’t too worried about the losses,” Lichty said. “I was pitching really well. We have a young team and we had practiced on our own field just two times (through his first three starts).”

Among many things Givens is impressed with about Lichty is his presence on the field.

“He’s an animal on the mound – a real Bulldog,” Givens said. “He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s one of the first ones on the field for practice and one of the last ones to leave.”

Lichty came into the season with a solid throwing foundation. He threw 30-60 pitches three times a week from October until the season started, and he attended a pitching camp at Gonzaga University in late November.

“I’m pitching a lot better overall,” he said. “I worked pretty hard in the off-season. I worked a lot on hitting location. Last year, I was just throwing the ball hoping to hit a spot. This year I’m throwing knowing I can hit my location.”

What Givens perhaps is most appreciative of is Lichty’s leadership. That’s why Givens is hopeful the Bulldogs can make a run at defending their state title.

“Early in the year we were just trying to find ourselves,” Lichty said. “We’re really starting to come around. Playing against the 5A teams up here is really preparing us for state. The way that we’ve been playing lately, there’s no doubt in my mind that we can do it (win state) again.”

As for where Lichty might end up playing next year, Givens knows his pitcher will have choices.

“It was just a matter of being noticed, and that’s finally happening,” Givens said.