J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTO: Mary Summers has supported son Mitchell Summers’ baseball career since he was three years old.(Staff photo by J. Edmund Barnes) LUTCHER – Mitchell Summers doesn’t play varsity baseball – yet. As a freshman catcher for Lutcher High School, he hasn’t gotten too much playing time, either on the prep team or on the summer legion team. He plays more in the metro league, where he alternates between catching, playing first base, and being the designated hitter. But Mitchell is part of the future of Lutcher prep sports, and he is spending his summer honing skills that will be used in the years to come. Even if it costs him time that he would prefer to spend fishing. Mitchell, who also plays football, has been playing baseball since he was three years old, said his mother Mary Summers. Mary Summers, who runs the Lady Head Spirit Club, says that she enjoys coming to watch Mitchell play. As the head of the Lady Head Spirit Club, she tries to promote spirit in the stands. During football season, she makes noise makers, gives balloons to the children, and generally get the fans to make noise and get behind the team. During the fall she is known as the Confetti Lady: “I throw all the confetti in the stands, about 30-40 pounds.” “The people who clean up don’t like me. They tried to have me banned,” she laughed. The Legion game against Hannan would its course – a game that Lutcher would end up losing by a score of 7-4. Mitchell helped warm up relieving pitcher Ryan St. Germain, then spent the seventh inning playing first base, his only appearence on the field during the game. After the game Mitchell described the catcher’s job as one to “keep giving the pitcher confidence.” Mitchell said the loss to Hannan came in part to the fact that team hadn’t won in a while. “Nobody was in the game today,” said Mitchell. Mary Summers said that football is Mitchell’s favorite sport. When asked why, Mitchell said, “Because you get to hit people. You take all your anger out.”