Sophomore starting pitcher Brett Lanman continues to make a name for himself on the mound for the Wildcats, earning last week’s WAC Pitcher of the Week honors after a stellar performance against Grand Canyon, the No. 1 team in the Western Athletic Conference standings.
Lanman did his thing in the game, his statline: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 SO.
“I just got them off timing early, and then they were in swing mode from the start,” Lanman said. “I executed pitches, and they weren’t able to do anything with it.”
Head coach Rick McCarty doubled down, admiring the young arm in his pin.
“He’s super aggressive on the mound, over the plate, challenging hitters,” McCarty said. “And when he’s doing that, he’s pretty fun to watch.”
But Big Country Brett almost never became a thing, as he nearly gave up baseball early on as a kid.
“My first memory, I was playing T-ball, and I remember telling my parents I didn’t want to play anymore because it was too easy,” Lanman said. “I wanted someone to throw it to me.”
However, he stuck with it, lettering in both football and baseball in high school and earning Second Team 5A All-State recognition. That success caught the attention of McCarty, who said he knew they had found their guy.
“He came to one of our camps, and we just kept following him,” McCarty said. “He’s a great team guy, likes to have fun, but when it’s time to go between the lines, he’s one of our fiercest competitors.”
Now a sophomore, Lanman has built on a dominant freshman campaign in which he earned All-Conference First Team honors, WAC Pitcher of the Year, WAC Freshman of the Year, and Second Team Freshman All-American recognition.
And although the spotlight continues to shine on Lanman, he credits much of his success to the eight guys behind him.
“We pride ourselves on defense, and I think it shows,” he said. “Just knowing that I’m one pitch away makes it so much easier because the guys behind me are gonna do their thing.”
With his latest success cementing him as a cornerstone of ACU’s staff, Lanman looks to build on it and help the team reach new heights.
“This year, it’s a big year for us,” Lanman said. “My goal is to do better than last year. Hopefully, I’ll do my part on the days I pitch, and that will lead the team to places we’ve never been.”
