After bursting on to the local baseball scene with a breakthrough sophomore season, Ian Whitman appeared poised to make the world his own. But his junior year just didn’t work out for him, and Whitman and the Northern Lebanon baseball team struggled in 2013.

But this season, Whitman has rediscovered his past form. And because he has, the Vikings have become the talk of Lebanon County scholastic sports this spring.

A hard-throwing senior right-hander, the cordial Whitman is the unquestioned leader of Northern Lebanon’s surprising pitching staff. Where Whitman is taking the Vikings is to the postseason promised land.

On Monday evening at Earl Wenger Memorial Field in Fredericksburg, Whitman hurled yet another complete game, leading the Vikings to a 7-5 triumph over Garden Spot. With the win, Northern Lebanon remained red-hot and kept their charge towards a Lancaster-Lebanon League playoff berth and a District Three Class AAA postseason appearance very much alive.

Since starting the season 3-4, Northern Lebanon has been one of the most consistent baseball teams in Section Three and the league. One need not looking any further than Whitman for reasons why.

– Jeff Falk