PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chance Lott, Indianola

Oct. 23—It was a big fall season for Chance Lott.

The Indianola senior led the charge for his team this year, with the result of being named the 2021 McAlester News-Capital Fall Baseball All Area Player of the Year.

Able to play multiple positions, Lott was especially a force on the mound for the Warriors, recording 53 strikeouts through 37 innings and only allowing eight walks. He also raked at the plate, earning a .579 batting average, with a .729 on-base percentage and three home runs scored — one of those as a grand slam.

He also finished the season scoring 20 runs, 22 RBIs, and recorded 28 stolen bases.

But Lott said all of those stats was really just him doing his part to help his team.

"I just went out there and did what I needed to do," he said. "I took it one game at a time, and focused on doing what I could to help our team and find a way to win.

"We just had to stay focused thorughout the season, and we knew what the big picture was," he said. "And we had to focus on our faith, and keep strong as a team and play hard."

The Warriors saw plenty of successes during the season, despite battling the hurdles like rain outs and COVID cancellations. They finished with a 10-7 record, and saw the team appear in the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Class B rankings during the season.

Lott said there was a lot they went through, but he's proud of the way his team continued to persevere.

"We had to deal with a lot," he said. "It was hard sometimes, but we worked together and did things that hadn't happened here in a long time."

Lott is no stranger to the work that is needed to be successful on game days. As a multisport athlete, he spends a majority of the school year at practice and honing his skills for the season that he is playing in at the time.

It keeps him busy, but he said he's always enjoyed just getting to get out and go play.

"Our main goal is to go out and have fun in the process," he said. "And we had to stay focused as a team and practice hard, and to have fun while doing everything we wanted to do."

He'll have one final spring baseball season with the Warriors before he graduates and wraps up his career at Indianola. But as he looked back, Lott said there have been a lot memorable moments and people.

"It's been great. I've made friends, and a lot of great memories," he said. "It's been fun, and I'm really grateful for it all. I'm just trying to enjoy it and make the best out of my last year in this uniform.

"I want to thank the team, and my family. And the Lord," he added. "For doing everything they can to help me pursue my life in baseball."

Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.