Lansing Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2023

On November 25, the Lansing Athletics Hall of Fame inducted the Class of 2023, which centers around one common theme: a perfect baseball season.

The 2012 team that went 26-0 and won the New York State Class C championship was inducted along with three key contributors: Ellington Hopkins, Sean Streb, and the late Mike Herzog.

Leading the Bobcats was head coach Stuart Dean, who was part of last year’s Hall of Fame class. He’s had plenty of time to reflect on how they were able to achieve such a rare feat.

“The first thing that I think about every time I think back on that team was their work ethic,” Dean said. “They were tirelessly working in practice. Baseball can be a tough sport to practice, but they came each day ready to practice. The other thing that really set them apart is that they put aside their own individual goals they may have had and focused on the overall team goals.”

The Bobcats steamrolled through the section and the state, posting a .342 batting average and a 1.71 ERA while outscoring their opponents 267-63. Streb had a major hand in those stunning statistics, as he batted .492 and only struck out four times at the plate. He was just as magnificent on the mound, recording a 0.92 ERA and striking out 76 batters. That culminated in Streb winning the Class C Player of the Year, symbolizing an unforgettable senior campaign.

“I was always somebody that wanted to put the ball in play and needed to put the ball in play,” Streb said. “I wasn’t a big hitter. The best I’ve ever connected on a ball was a one-hopper to the fence. I was just somebody that got on base, and I had Ellington in front of me who always got on base too, so he helped out with my RBIs.”
Streb was the starting pitcher in an intense state championship game against Haldane. He vividly remembers catcher Kevin Howell making the final out behind the plate and the ensuing celebration to achieve baseball immortality.

“You don’t believe that it actually happened, especially the fact that we hadn’t lost a single game all year,” Streb said. “It all capped off with that moment, with everybody tackling each other on the mound. I remember locking eyes with Coach Dean and tackling him. It was an unreal moment and I was so happy to do it with you like my best friend Benji [Parkes], Ellington, and everybody else.”
Streb also excelled in two years on the boys soccer team. He scored 20 goals and 11 assists. During his senior year, he helped the Bobcats win the IAC and Section IV Class C titles and a state semifinal appearance. He continued playing the sport in college at Tompkins Cortland Community College and SUNY Cortland for two years each. He is now an assistant coach for the University of Rochester men’s soccer team.

Like Streb, Hopkins was a force to be reckoned with on the diamond. As the team’s leadoff batter, he compiled a .439 batting average over his three-year varsity career and was a two-time First Team All-State selection.

“He was probably our best athlete,” Dean said. “His dad was a great baseball player at Ithaca High School and Ithaca College, so I can see where his baseball acumen came from… Ellington on with a single was like a double because he stole like 30 bases that year. He was such an amazing athlete. He had great speed and plate discipline. I think he led us in walks, as well. He was just a complete player baseball-wise.”

Hopkins would go on to play at Monroe Community College before transferring to North Carolina Central University. He also played professionally in Texas in the independent Pecos League, where he was a three-time All Star and won the league championship in 2019.

Herzog was an assistant coach for 10 years with the Bobcats, mainly working with the pitching staff. He balanced that role with his full-time job with HMH Site and Sports Design in Ithaca that built high school and college athletic fields. He was so committed to the team that a bus would sometimes pick him up at a predetermined location so he could attend away games.

Herzog passed away in May after a battle with cancer. Dean has fond memories of working alongside Herzog, and he knows that their state championship would not have been possible without him.

“Coming back from away games with him on the bus, we’d have some conversations back and forth about what we did well and what we didn’t do as well as we’d like,” Dean said. “Those conversations and opportunities that I had with him were the ones that really stick with me because he had such great insight. He had a great rapport with all the kids. They respected him. Aside from his baseball knowledge, he just had a way of connecting with kids that made him a really special coach.”