Clarion Area Baseball Standout Max Lane To Continue Career At Carleton College (07/19/15)

Recently graduated Clarion Area student/athlete Max Lane has chosen to continue his academic and baseball career at Carleton College, an NCAA Division III school, located in Northfield, Minnesota. Carleton is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (M.I.A.C.).

(Photo by Nate McClaine) Max on the mound in State Playoff game in Erie

Max had an outstanding career for the Bobcats. Some of his highlights include the following career (2o13,14,15) regular season accomplishments: He had a .400 batting average, with 50 hits and 37 RBIs. Max reached base on walks 63 times and struck out only 11 times in the past three seasons.

If Max was proficient with the bat, he was more so, on the mound. His career regular season ERA was only 0.97. Max struck out 107 batters in 69.3 innings pitched. That’s over a strikeout and a half per inning. He issued only 28 walks.

During the 2015 regular season, Max had an ERA of 0.00. That’s not a typo. He gave up zero earned runs, in 31 innings. He struck out 40 and allowed only seven batters to reach base on walks.

Max compiled a number of honors over his high school career. He was named All-Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference the past three seasons. He was named as both pitcher and catcher the last two years. He was named to the Tri-County/Courier Express All-Star Team as a junior and senior, being named Honorable Mention last season and First Team this season.

Max was named All-State by the Pennsylvania High School Baseball Coaches Association (PHSBCA) for his sophomore and junior years.

He was named the Bobcats’ Team MVP and Cy Young recipient the past two years and won the KSAC Scholar Athlete Award for 2015.

(Photo submitted) Max and his 2015 KSAC North Champion teammates

Max credits his father, Rich Lane for much of his development as a player and person. He said, “I have always loved playing baseball. I played for Clarion Little League from a little guy in T-Ball, all the way up through Big League. I was lucky during most of these years to have my Dad as a coach, and he did a great job of teaching me the game and being a positive influence on me as a player and as a person.”

Another coach greatly helped Max with his technique. He continued, “As I grew up and began to take baseball more seriously, I started training with Mike Torres. Coach Torres was a master of technique, and he definitely is responsible for making me a mechanically sound and complete ballplayer.”

As he grew older, Max got some specialized baseball training and travel ball experience with an organization in Pittsburgh. Max said, “I decided to narrow my athletic focus to baseball during my freshman year in High School. I made the decision to travel to Pittsburgh to the All-American Baseball Center on a regular basis to train year round and play travel baseball for Team All-American during the fall and summer.

“The head coach there, Dan Ninemire, had extremely high standards and was very demanding. He helped me develop into the mentally tough ballplayer that I am today. He also taught me how to take my catching game to the next level and provided me with the tools I needed to become a successful player at several positions.”

Max shared about his varsity career, saying, “My Bobcat career started early. I was a rotating player during my freshman year, playing several different positions. As a freshman, Coach Lee Weber had tons of faith in me and placed me in tough spots, knowing and believing that I would succeed. Coach’s confidence in me helped to jump start my career, putting me on the right track to success.

“My sophomore year I had a breakout year at the plate, and I was able to become the full time catcher. That year I was named as an All-State catcher, a great accomplishment in my career.

“My junior year, I was a more significant member of the pitching staff. Coach Rob Jewett was important in helping me become a dominant pitcher, by emphasizing the importance of accuracy and hitting spots, a big part of pitching.”

The Bobcats were Conference Champions and District Nine Class-AA runner-up this season. Max commented on the team’s success, “This past year, I knew that we could excel as a team, as we had a group of guys who were willing to work hard to get the job done. We were able to upset Moniteau and Cranberry and win the KSAC, and then go on to upset Elk County Catholic to qualify for the state playoffs. I was excited that the work and time that I put into pitching showed during the season, and I was able to string some strong outings together to help my team.”

Why did Max decide on Carleton? “I have chosen to attend Carleton College. It is a one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country and is strong in the humanities, perfectly fitting my academic interests and just the type of school I was hoping to attend. The baseball program at Carleton is one of the better programs in their conference, and a program that is striving to overtake some of the elite baseball schools in the area.

“Carleton’s coach, Coach Aaron Rushing, is a really great and down-to-earth guy who seems to emphasize the little things, a philosophy that I agree with and one that I believe is responsible for my personal success as a ballplayer.

“I plan on majoring in Political Science and International Studies at Carleton, and I hope to find my passions for the future during my four years at the school. I am so excited to move on to the next level, both in the classroom and on the ball field.”

Max shared his gratitude for those who have helped him along the way, saying “I sincerely thank my parents, teachers, and coaches and am confident that my hard work, training, and experiences thus far will all serve me well at Carleton College.”

Longtime Carleton head coach Aaron Rushing had this to say about Max, “We’re excited about Max. (He) brings a lot of energy when he plays. His versatility will be a strength as he will help address needs on the mound and in the infield. (We’re) not sure exactly what his role will be until we see him compete in the fall and winter, but expect him to compete for time on the pitching mound early on.”

The prospects for the Knights’ continued success, look very favorable. Coach Rushing said, “We’re excited to only lose three seniors to graduation, as we have a strong core and will bring back all 8 regular position players from a team that hit .326 a year ago. All should be bigger, stronger and more mature. We have a young pitching staff coming back and they should be more polished as well.

“We’ve consistently gotten better over the past several years with the past two graduating classes setting school records for career wins. Hopefully with our returners and incoming class, we will continue this trend.”

Max’s high school mentor, Bobcat Manager, Rob Jewett has high praise for Max. He said, “Max is a tremendous baseball player and person. He is the kind of player coaches wish they had 20 of!

“He worked extremely hard all year to become the best baseball player he could be. He is not a big kid, so he needed a great work ethic to hang with the big boys.

“He is also a very smart kid. He was valedictorian of Clarion and it showed when he played baseball. He is a student of the game hungry to learn more. On the field he developed into a top pitcher in our conference, maybe even in the state.”

Coach Jewett continued, “Again he is only 5’6 but he pitched like he was 7 feet tall. He didn’t just throw the ball either, he pitched! He knows how important it is to hit the corners and where and when to throw his off speed. He developed a tremendous change up this year and used it well. He finished the year with an ERA below 1 which is unheard of. He earned that stat too, since I pitched him in every big game, which means he faced the best and beat the best.

“He didn’t have his best year hitting, but was still very good with a sub 300 average. He has a great eye at the plate and worked 25 walks this year. He switched some things with his stance and is hitting above .700 in Big League (summer ball).”

And what about Max’s influence on the rest of the Bobcat squad? Coach Jewett said, “Max was a great leader for our team. He is a quiet and respectful kid, but he became more vocal his senior year, as he filled in the captain role. Other players learned a lot from Max just by how he played. He will be sorely missed!”

Coach Jewett feels Carleton is getting something special in Max. He said, “Max will be a great addition to any college team. He brings knowledge of the game, hard work ethic, great pitching, outstanding catcher and the love of the game. I know he will succeed at the next level. Don’t anyone let his size fool you, because he plays 10 times bigger than he is!”

Congratulations on a great high school career, Max!!!! And best wishes as you embark on your college career at Carleton!!!!