Pitch Perfect: NISH’s Landry happy to lead Yellow Jackets from the mound in senior season

Published 5:00 am Sunday, April 17, 2022

Luke Landry spent the fall season of his senior year working hard. In addition to playing on the NISH football team as a kicker, Landry underwent surgery and rehabilitation on his throwing shoulder to repair a routine pitcher injury.

“Over the summer, I was feeling really good pitching-wise, and then I started to feel a little pinch in the front of my shoulder and it got to the point where I couldn’t really throw anymore,” Landry said of his injury. “I had to take four or five months off. I didn’t lose confidence, though.”

Now fully healed, the senior is back on the mound for the Yellow Jackets, serving as a leader both on and off the pitching mound. Going into his senior season, Landry knew that he could expect to tbe the Yellow Jackets’ starting pitcher, something he said gave him an extra push to heal quickly.

“I knew that these guys out here needed me and I knew that (coach Lewellyn) wanted me to be up there and I knew for sure that I wanted to be up there, so it definitely added a bit more motivation,” Landry said.

Despite his injury, Landry didn’t take off for the fall season and miss out on his last year of football for NISH. Landry explained that while football wasn’t a concern for his shoulder injury, it took discipline to follow through with his rehab program.

“I wouldn’t say that it affected me playing football, being that I was only a kicker,” he said. “I still made sure that I took care of it and stayed disciplined. That’s the hard thing about being a two sport athlete, you have to be disciplined with both.”

NISH head coach Eli Lewellyn said that Landry has faced plenty of adversity in his high school athletic career, but he has come out the other side a stronger competitor.

“Luke has had to go through a lot of adversity between his freshman year and his junior year, so he’s really built for the big moments,” Lewellyn explained. “I wish we could’ve been in more big moments throughout the year, but Luke is just prepared for it. Last year he faced a lot of adversity, things weren’t breaking his way, but all of those experiences helped to grow him as a young man and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Landry credits his teammates for providing him with the motivation to be the best player that he can be.

“That’s what gives me motivation, just knowing that I’m out here with those guys,” Landry said. “I trust them calling pitches and to know that they’re believing in me, it’s a great feeling.”

Lewellyn spoke about his decision to rest Landry for NISH’s district game against Sulphur, explaining that he knew that the team would need their starting pitcher to give everything that he had for them to win.

“After his Sam Houston start, where I thought that he did a good job with pitching and holding down the front of the lineup, I told him that we weren’t going to pitch him at all against Sulphur and that he was going to go 115 (pitches) against Southside,” Lewellyn said. “He threw exactly the maximum number of pitches, so I’m really proud of him. Luke, all year, has been someone that’s wanted the ball and really been a leader and set the tone for us. Our guys believe when he is on the mound that we have a chance, because he’s given us a chance all year.

Landry’s stats this season have been nothing short of impressive, even if you didn’t know that he was returning from an injury. The senior currently has a .358 batting average from 81 at bats. He’s hit 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homeruns on the way to 20 RBIs this season. From the mound, Landry has recorded 37 strikeouts and has an earned run average of 4.354. Landry’s WHIP (walks and hits per inning) is currently 1.756.

With just a week remaining in the regular season and a narrow chance at making the playoffs in his senior year, Landry said that all he expects from the team and himself is to play the best games that they can.

“I’m just hoping that we keep playing our best baseball and control what we can,” he said. “The scoreboard will speak for itself.”