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Sports

Spotlight Athlete: Wade Rothermich, Fort Zumwalt North Baseball

Senior pitcher/outfielder recently accepted a full scholarship to play at Lindenwood University next season.

senior Wade Rothermich knows people are watching him.

They’ve been doing so his entire life when it comes to athletics, and Rothermich knows that heading into his final high school baseball season, people are watching with a close eye to see what he does.

“And I like it like that,” Rothermich said. “It’s not really pressure or anything like that. It’s more expectations. I expect a lot from myself too. So I just go out there and try to be a good player and leader for my team.”

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And boy, has Rothermich been a fantastic performer for the Panther baseball and basketball teams ever since he was named a starter on both during his sophomore seasons.

The 2010 baseball season was especially phenomenal for the 6’0 lefthanded starting pitcher and centerfielder.

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On the mound, Rothermich was one of the most dominant pitchers in the area, posting an 8-0 record with a 1.64 ERA, 56 strikeouts and five complete games in nine starts, and 51 1/3 innings pitched.

At the plate, Rothermich was only slightly less fantastic, posting a .316 batting average, with a home run, 22 RBIs, 20 runs scored and a team-high 11 stolen bases.

Those combined numbers helped lead Ft. Zumwalt North to a 24-4 record and a district championship last year, and probably earned Rothermich a full athletic scholarship offer from for next year, which he recently accepted much to the delight of his family and coach.

“Wade’s a great kid,” Ft. Zumwalt North head baseball coach Steve Siebert said. “We rely on him a lot. We ask him to do a lot. And he’s always right there to come through for us when we need it.”

That trend continued in the Panthers season opener this past Saturday morning against .

Ft. Zumwalt North eventually defeated the Wolves 9-5, behind the standout pitching of senior teammate Joey Siegler and the brilliant power hitting of sophomore Dre Gleason.

But early in the contest, with his team clinging to a 2-0 lead, Rothermich made two sensational catches from his centerfield position on balls that could have gone for extra bases that would have allowed Timberland to tie the score and possibly take the lead.

Instead, Rothermich’s brilliance kept Ft. Zumwalt North in the lead, and allowed them to extend that lead later in the game.

“Those were just two unbelievable plays,” Siebert said. “But we expect great plays from Wade. We know he’ll always be there, especially in the clutch.”

Panther fans could get their first chance to watch Rothermich pitch this season when Ft. Zumwalt North takes on , Monday, March 21, in a third round game of the season-opening Troy Baseball Classic.

That game is scheduled to be played at Timberland High at 4 p.m. on Monday, but field conditions could force the contest to be moved to another location. Siebert said he’ll let circumstances determine which of his starting pitchers will go on which days.

“We feel like we’ve got two number one starters (with Rothermich and Siegler),” Siebert said. “They’re both kind of interchangeable. So we can use them both a lot. It’ll just depend on the matchups. But I’m comfortable using either one against anybody.”

Ft. Zumwalt North will host its 2011 home opener on Friday, April 1, when the Panthers will meet up with Timberland High. First pitch that day is 4:15 p.m.

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