More than basketball season was at stake for Lakes junior Derek Lucier when he suffered a knee injury during a junior varsity game on Feb. 15.
The baseball team eventually had to start without him.
“It was tough for that to happen so close to baseball season,” he said. “I tried to help at practice in any way I could and keep a watchful eye on what everyone was doing. But I really wanted to get back as soon as possible.”
Lucier, a 5-foot-11 outfielder, was diagnosed with a partially torn medial collateral ligament. Fortunately for him, the injury didn’t require surgery, and he was sidelined for about two months.
He relied on his work ethic and high-end athleticism to return to the Eagles (8-12) for his third varsity season as quickly as possible.
Lucier’s even-keeled personality also worked in his favor.
“With Derek, you don’t know whether he’s having a good day or a bad day because he’s the same all the time,” Lakes baseball coach Chris Hoffman said. “That goes a long way in a sport where there’s so much failure.”
Lucier, an all-conference selection in the Northern Lake County Conference last year, experiences failure less often than most others do. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have concerns as his time on the sidelines neared its end.
Lucier is a gap-to-gap hitter who uses his plus speed to take extra bases, and that speed also helps him cover significant ground in center field. A knee injury presents a particular challenge for a player so reliant on his legs.
“Fielding is maybe the best part of my game, and when I’m on, I feel like I can do just about anything out there,” he said. “But I was nervous at first when I got back, and I was definitely thinking about my knee.”
Hoffman eased Lucier back into the lineup, starting him at the bottom of the order after he missed the Eagles’ first seven games. But Lucier is back near the top, often in the No. 2 hole, and he entered the week hitting .436 with a .577 on-base percentage and six extra-base hits.
“He’s really given us a nice boost,” Hoffman said “To be able to add someone like Derek once the season starts helps with depth too.”
Even though Lucier’s hitting returned to form more quickly than his defense, he still had to knock off some rust at the plate. He struck out twice in his first game but eventually put in enough work in the cages to get on track. Of particular help was a home run he hit against Wauconda on April 21.
“I was slumping going into that game, so the home run wiped my mind clear,” he said. “I just had to get used to seeing pitches. But I’ve been pretty consistent after that.”
That consistency has been noticed, and appreciated, by Lucier’s teammates. But what stands out most are the plays he makes that others typically don’t.
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“Tough plays for everyone else are a can of corn for Derek,” Lakes junior infielder JJ Jackson said. “He tracks down everything, whether it’s laying out for balls or tracking down liners in the gaps. He makes it look easy.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.