​

As much as Brycen Lester loves basketball, there’s no better thrill than going deep in the hole at shortstop and throwing out a speedy base runner at the end of an inning.

As he prepares for his senior season with the Airedales, Lester reflects on the decision to trade his basketball sneakers for baseball spikes.

“It wasn't an easy decision, because I hated leaving my friends,” he said. “I was a decent basketball player, but if I wanted to become elite at baseball, then I needed to focus mainly on baseball. Instead of practicing basketball every day in the summer, I needed to focus on baseball.”

By all accounts, Lester made the right decision.

This past season, the Airedales’ infielder hit .394 with a team-best 31 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

The 5A-West All-Conference standout will take his natural position at shortstop next spring on a team that will bring back seven starters.

“It feels good to produce,” Lester said. “Being an Alma Airedale, and not just being on the team but producing for the team and having an impact feels good.”

Lester appeared in 14 games as a sophomore, playing mostly on defense. This past spring, however, was a far different story, where he was second in hits and average behind all-state teammate Carson Hamilton.

Lester went 28-for-71 and led the team with a .538 on-base percentage.

“I have loved baseball since I was born,” Lester said. “I grew up watching baseball. There’s something about it that made me super happy. I feel love for baseball more than anything else. It’s always been my thing since I was a little boy, and that will never change.”

Over the past two seasons, Alma has posted a 29-26 record - a far cry from where the program was five years ago.

“It’s been something special, for sure,” Lester said. “I grew up going to all the Alma games, and they were never very good. We had a year where we didn’t win a game, so now it’s cool to be a part of a winning program, and not just a winning program but a good baseball program.”

Lester is also a proud member of Fort Smith’s American Legion program - the oldest in the state.

This summer, he and six of his Alma teammates are playing for Trey Prieur with Fort Smith Forsgren.

“There’s no pressure,” Lester said. “It’s just fun baseball, and it’s good competitive baseball. I love all my teammates and my coaches. It’s definitely different. In high school, I woke up thinking about that day’s game. I’m nervous, but in a good way, and legion it’s just for fun. If you make a mistake, you just brush it off. School ball is so much more competitive."