FREDDY GONZALEZ | Valley Morning Star
LYFORD — Lyford High School’s Layne Klostermann became the first baseball player in recent memory to ink a letter of intent to play at the next level.
Surrounded by family, friends and a bevy of proud coaches on Thursday, Klostermann signed on to play for Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.
“This day is really special for me and is something that I’ve kind of had in my mind since freshman year,” said Klostermann. “As it gets closer, it becomes a realistic goal and then this year to be able to finalize the deal and seeing all the hard work pay off is really special.”
Last season, Klostermann was named the District 32-3A Most Valuable Player as well as the Valley Morning Star’s All-STAR Player of the Year. He also helped the Bulldogs win their first league championship since 1995.
Bulldogs skipper Chris Cervantes said he would miss having Klostermann on the team.
“His leadership, both on and off the field, is something that you cannot replace,” said Crvantes. “He brings the same passion, not just on the field, but in the classroom and that is something that the kids see. Obviously, his production on the field speaks volumes, but as a person he has shown tremendous leadership and is just a great kid to be around, and is going to do great things. He is what one would call the epitome of what a student-athlete should be.”
OLLU’s interest was well received by Klostermann, who quickly jumped on the opportunity to become a Saint.
“Coach (Bryan) Aughney spoke to some coaches and we went up there to visit, and I automatically clicked with him because he’s a good coach and a better man and I knew it was going to be a good fit,” said Klostermann.