Liberty’s Adam Thies sets playoff goal

Adam Thies has become accustomed to winning.

The Liberty High School senior helped the Lancers into the state football playoffs this past fall as an all-league fullback and linebacker.

This winter, he won the state A/B wrestling championship at 145 pounds.

Now Thies is hoping to bring the same winning attitude to the Lancer baseball team this spring.

“Last year we were one game from making it to the playoffs,” Thies said. “My goal is to make it to the state playoffs this year.

“We have to work on everything. We can improve everything a little bit better.”

The Lancer pitcher and shortstop’s determination is sure to wear off on his teammates. Liberty returns a veteran team from last season’s squad, but it’s Thies’ leadership that will be looked upon as a key to reaching the lofty goal of a state tournament.

“Especially with him, as a wrestler, he knows what it takes to get to that state tournament,” said Lancer coach Tommy Elder. “He really brings that work ethic to the baseball field to share with everybody else.

“Everybody knows what it takes to be there. He doesn’t cut them (teammates) much slack but is very much a leader by example.

“He’s always talking to them and getting them to push themselves to go a little further.”

“I figure if all the younger kids watch you working hard, that will get them wanting to work hard,” said Thies. “You just build off of that, and they’ll want to work as hard as you.”

Elder, who takes over the Lancer program after being an assistant coach the previous three seasons, is not only looking for Thies to be the Lancer pitching ace this season but to be an everyday leader.

Thies, whose earned run average was under 2.00 last season, has added several breaking balls to his repertoire over the past couple of seasons, but it may be his mind-set that’s the biggest key to his pitching success.

“He really got comfortable being up there, and he got comfortable with all the pitches he was throwing,” said Elder. “He kind of took on that starting role and just ran with it.

“Mentally he started to understand his pitches and what his best pitches were, pitch counts, reading hitters, and that sort of thing. He really grew mentally.”

“I’ve pretty much improved on all my off speed pitches,” said Thies, who throws a curveball, changeup and now a knuckleball. “Before I even started in high school, I didn’t know how to throw an off speed pitch.

“The knuckleball is still in the working right now. You just have to make sure you have the right grip on it, and keeping it when you’re throwing it.”

The big pitch for Thies, though, is still the fastball.

While Thies individual success on the Lancer diamond is important to Liberty, the team’s success in paramount in the senior hurler’s mind.

“For football, wrestling and baseball, I really wanted to go out not regretting anything,” said Thies.

“Football, I got all-league this year, and I haven’t done that ever.

“In wrestling I won the state tournament, so I know I accomplished what I wanted to do in wrestling.

“This year I definitely want to step it up in baseball.”