LANCASTER — Culture and brotherhood are a couple of catch phrases used a lot in sports these days.
However, how many teams and players walk the walk? When push comes to shove, often, and in today’s society, players tend to do what is best for them, because it is a me, me world we live in.
It is refreshing when you come across a player who puts everything aside for the good of the team.
A year ago, Lancaster’s Brayden Montgomery was coming off an outstanding season where he shone at shortstop for the Golden Gales. He made the easy plays look easy, and the hard ones look routine.
He was excited for his senior season, but something changed. The Gales lost All-Ohio catcher Zach Mowder to graduation, and Lancaster coach Corey Conn was forced to ask Montgomery if he would switch positions and go behind the plate.
Instead of resisting, Montgomery never batted an eye. If it would help the team, he was more than willing.
Montgomery had played catcher when he was younger, but it had been a while. Being asked to switch positions wasn’t easy because Montgomery would only have three weeks in the preseason to be comfortable.
“It was a slight change at the beginning of the season, and it wasn’t the initial plan going into the season,” Montgomery said. “I have to give all the credit to the coaches because they helped me get ready, as well as all of my teammates in the dugout, because they had my back 100 percent. As much as I want to be at shortstop, and that’s where my heart is, I have to do what is best for the team at the end of the day, so if that’s moving to catcher, playing in the outfield, or just being a hype guy in the dugout, no matter what it is, I have to do my job to help us win games. My job is to be behind the plate because we graduated a great one.”
Conn said it takes a special and unselfish player to be willing to change positions, and he knew Montgomery was that player.
“Brayden is such a special talent and a special kid,” Conn said. “Here is a kid who has been a really good infielder the last two years, and I think he was one of the best shortstops in the state, and then in mid-February, we put him behind the plate and had him be a catcher. He didn’t bat an eye. He knew that was what was best for the team. It says a lot about him that he was willing to switch positions, but at the same time, he is really good back there, too.
“He knows what our goals are as a team, and they aren’t necessarily his individual personal goals, but he puts that aside and puts the team goal first. When you can have your best players do whatever is best for the team. That sends a message to everybody of what’s important, and that’s the team.”
Taking nothing away from Mowder, who is now playing college baseball at Denison University, but Montgomery has played the position at a high level. He has thrown out six of eight base runners attempting to steal. At the plate, he has a .500 batting average (14-for-28), has two doubles, a home run, scored eight runs, has nine RBIs, and has a .632 on-base percentage.
“Zach was back there for the last three years and was such a special talent. he was phenomenal,” Conn said. “Brayden has stepped in and has more than held his own.”
Everything goes back to the culture of Lancaster baseball and what Conn preaches. Montgomery is proof that he is living it. He truly cares about his teammates and what is best for the team. It’s a big reason why the Gales are 6-0 and tied for first place in the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division, and 10-2 overall.
“This is a brotherhood. I come to practice with a smile on my face every day because these are all my brothers out here,” Montgomery said. “They aren’t blood, obviously, but these are my dudes out here. Knowing they have my back 100 percent of the time is just awesome. Being able to come to practice makes my day. Building team chemistry is what we do, and it’s through the roof. It’s a great experience and a brotherhood that is hard to explain if you are not in it.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster’s Brayden Montgomery makes unselfish switch for team
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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