Coaching Experience: Entering 14th year as Head Coach at Olentangy High School (division 1 - 2013-25) Seven years at Lakota East High School, Cincinnati as assistant coach (division 1 - 2006-12) Coached basketball and baseball; Five years as assistant coach at Hilliard Darby & Hilliard Middle School Coached basketball and baseball.

Number of years at current school: 14

Record at current school: 221-119 

Program Accomplishments: 2025 Division 1 State Championship, 9 OCC League Championships, 7 District Championships, 2 Regional Championships (2006, 2025), 1 State Runner-Up (2006), OHSBCA Field of the Year 2009, 2018

During Coach Lucas Tenure

4 League Championships - 16, 17, 18, 22, 3 District Championships - 16, 18, 25,  Regional Championship - 2025, State Championship - 2025, State Championship as assistant coach 2011 (Lakota East)

Coaching honors

4 OCC-League Coach of the Year (16, 17, 18, 22), 2 Central District Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year (17, 22), PBR-Ohio (Prep Baseball Report) 2025 Coach of the Year, All-Metro Columbus Dispatch 2025 Coach of the Year, National High School Baseball Coaches Association Region 4 Coach of the Year (2025).

Season Highlights: Coming off a 10-15 record in 2024, we finished 24-7-1 and won the last 16 out of 17 games of the season to win the 2025 Division 1 State Championship. We started our season in Myrtle Beach, SC. with an opening day win vs. Anthony Wayne and lost in extra innings to Medina. We finished 2nd in the OCC Cardinal behind Olentangy Berlin. Finished the season with non-league wins vs. Upper Arlington, Olentangy Orange, and tied Olentangy Liberty heading into tournament play.

2025 Tournament Recap

We scored 34 runs and only gave up 5 runs total in six games. .525 ERA with a .700 WHIP, 43 SO’s / 13 BB’s.  Hit .297 as a team with an OPS of .777 and a .961 fielding percentage.

10-0 vs. Reynoldsburg. 5-1 vs. Hilliard Davidson (District Championship), 10-0 vs. Olentangy Berlin (Regional Semifinals), 4-2 vs. Grove City (Regional Final), 3-1 vs. Lakota West (Final Four), and 2-1 vs. Springboro (State Championship).

We were led by our program captains, seniors Cameron Birch & Carter Hire, junior Luke Chilicki, and sophomore Rocco Bucci. We had eleven players in the class of 2025, and a junior (Kaden Gebhardt) graduating early to attend Clemson University to play football. Sophomore, Rocco Bucci (Virginia Tech commit), led the way throughout the tournament hitting .647, .350 ERA / .700 WHIP, going 3-0 on the mound. Senior Cameron Birch (Marietta commit) was another stand out performer on the mound going 3-0 with a .933 ERA. Other players that played a huge role in winning the championship were Senior Carter Hire (Ohio Northern commit), Senior Dominic Pirrone, Senior Cooper Tracy (Adrian College commit), Junior Kaden Gebhardt (Clemson University for Football), and Junior Luke Chilicki.

We have a great coaching staff with a combination of veterans who have been with us for over ten years, new faces, and some alums that have come back to help out. We wouldn’t be where we are without the coaches in our program. Congratulations to Mike Walker, Todd Baker, Austin Sizemore, Taylor Neville, Eric Wells, Cole Robinson, and Griffin Murphy. 

We have talented players, but a huge reason for our success over the years has been our chemistry & bond we build throughout each and every year. Everyone was connected during this tournament run, and everyone knew their role from the starters, non-starters, coaching staff, support staff, administration, diamond club boosters, parents, and community members. We were truly “ONE” during this run to the Championship.

Special thanks to my best friend and wife, Bre, for always being there and being the best mother to our son Grayson. Winning this championship on Father’s Day with him to experience it with me is a memory I will never forget.