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| Larson inks with Ottawa on baseball scholarship |
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| Sports - Louisburg | |||
| Written by Andy Brown | |||
| Wednesday, 17 June 2009 08:00 | |||
 Baseball is what Cody Larson lives for.And, for another four years, Larson is going to live well — this time in Ottawa. Larson signed his letter of intent June 8 to play baseball at Ottawa University. Larson was on the Louisburg varsity baseball team for several years before graduating last month and was one of the Wildcats’ top pitchers during that time. He also played a solid first base when he wasn’t on the mound. “I always had a dream to play after high school,” Larson said. “After I took my first couple visits, it just kind of hit me that I am good enough to play at this level.” His dream will be realized this fall when he reports to school. A big reason Larson decided to attend Ottawa was because of new coach Joe Reed, who will be entering his second season with the Braves. Last season, he guided Ottawa to a 12-38 record and an 8-16 mark in the Kansas Collegiate Athletics Conference. “He is a great guy,” Larson said of Reed. “He is the reason that I am going there. I talked to him, and he is the kind of guy I want to play for. They have a young team, and I am going out there and compete for a spot. Hopefully, I will get some good playing time and see where that takes me.” Reed sees Larson as a good fit for his program. Thanks to graduation, Reed has a need for left-handed pitching and a glove at first base. Larson’s signing fills two big holes, and Reed believes he will contribute to the team right away. “We have a need for a quality left-hander and a first-baseman with a left-handed stick in our lineup and Cody has experience with all those,” Reed said. “Also with his competitiveness and the level of competition he is used to facing, it was a sure fit with our needs.” Larson’s competitiveness was on display late in the season. After a comebacker to the mound hit him in the eye during the regional tournament in May while he was pitching, he wasn’t sure whether he would be able to play his first year of college ball. The eye healed up well and he was even able to play during the Class 4A state baseball tournament the next week. Apparently, it will take more than a ball to the face to keep Larson off the field. He certainly will be missed in the Wildcat dugout. “Cody will be able to step in and contribute at Ottawa,” Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse said. “He was a three-year starter for us and one of those players who is very knowledgeable of the game and of the different situations that may arise during games. Cody has an extremely good glove at first base and will compete on the mound. He has played enough baseball and has seen some pretty good pitchers, so I expect him to excel at the plate as well.”
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