Tearing Loos: Payson Seymour product creates powerful legacy with JWCC baseball program

QUINCY — Graduation day ended up being spent on a baseball field. There aren’t many places Lucas Loos would rather be.

His favorite fishing hole might be one of them.

“I don’t think it’s better than baseball,” he said. “But it helps me relax and get my mind off things.”

More recently, the woods have become a nice getaway, too. Last fall, Loos turned quite the double play while deer hunting as he harvested a pair of 10-point bucks.

“I’ve only been deer hunting two years now,” he said. “I’ve gotten pretty lucky there.”

Maybe so, but the effort Loos puts into his passions leads to such incredible results. It’s what has taken place the past two springs at John Wood Community College, where the Payson Seymour graduate has carved a niche as one of the best players in the history of the Trail Blazers baseball program.

A stout third baseman with a cannon arm and a lethal bat, Loss has been on a power-hitting tear since arriving on campus. He broke the JWCC single-season record for doubles with 26 and tied the career record with 34, while smacking 29 career home runs (one short of the record) and matching Ryan Barnett’s career record with 125 career RBIs.

Couple those results with a tireless work ethic and it explains the success and the opportunity to carry on his baseball career at NCAA Division I Oakland University.

“People have told me I’m the luckiest person they know in that I’ve got abilities they don’t think other people have,” said Loos, who saw his sophomore season end Saturday in a doubleheader loss at Vincennes (Ind.). “Even with them telling me that, I’m still working as hard as I possibly can.”

His family plays a significant role in the work he does.

“When I’m not at practice, I’m getting my dad or my mom to go to the cage and throw to me,” Loos said. “If I’m in a slump, I’m always asking Coach what can I do better with my swing and how can I improve everywhere. I just want to be the best I can be.”

So who is the better batting practice pitcher?

“Probably Dad,” Loos said. “Dad can throw overhand. I don’t think mom can do that.”

His mother, Krisann, is as loyal and supportive as her husband, Steve, which has been instrumental in his development.

“Even in high school, they pushed me,” Loos said. “It was never about whether I played bad. They just always knew I could do better. They pushed me to get to the next level and then push myself to go harder than that. That’s one of the biggest factors in how much I’ve improved and how well I’ve played.”

His progression caught the eye of the Oakland coaches.

A Horizon League school located in Rochester, Mich., Oakland sits at 26-24 going into a Sunday doubleheader against Illinois-Chicago and five regular-season games remaining overall. It has the Golden Grizzlies in position for their first winning season since 1997.

“The coaches seemed very driven,” Loos said. “They showed a lot of interest in me and wanted me and are willing to help me improve. … The campus is nice, everyone was friendly and it seemed like the right fit.”

It’s an opportunity he couldn’t bypass.

“I’m pretty excited,” Loos said. “Playing Division I baseball has been one of my biggest dreams, and to accomplish that makes it even better.”

The improvements he’s made the past two seasons helped showcase his talent for Division I coaches.

“One-hundred percent I think I am a better player now,” Loos said. “In every aspect, I believe I am. I’m bigger, faster, stronger. I can hit the ball better than I did in high school, and I’m fielding it better. I’m better in every aspect ever since I’ve been at John Wood.”

Playing for the Chillicothe Mudcats in the MINK League last summer was beneficial, too.

“That really helped me find out I can go on to another school and play as well,” Loos said.

But it’s going to be tough to rival the advantages playing at JWCC provided.

“One, being able to play in front of my family,” Loos said. “They all live around here and I grew up around here. Two, being able to play with a great group of guys both years is another big one.

“I’ve really enjoyed spending time with my teammates. I think we all really enjoy just being around each other.”

For someone who was a two-sport standout in high school and could have found opportunities to play basketball at the collegiate level, this was the perfect fit because it’s the one thing he’s more passionate about than any other.

“Baseball was always my first love,” Loos said. “I told the coaches I talked to in the fall I wasn’t really known for baseball around here, but baseball has always been the main sport I’ve wanted to pursue.

“You’re going to fail more times than you’re going to succeed, and that pushes me to want to be 100 percent successful even though I know I can’t. But that’s what motivates me the most.”

And Loos won’t waste an opportunity to chase success.

“Knowing I got to play and I’m still playing when other people aren’t getting that opportunity, it shows me I’m pretty lucky,” Loos said.