Speedy Center-Fielder Paving His Trail

Until the end of his junior year of high school, Hillcats outfielder Guy Lipscomb always envisioned himself playing college ball, just not college baseball. He believed one day he would be on the gridiron, instead of where he ended up, on the diamond.

“I liked football a lot more,” Lipscomb said.

Spending just three months out of the year playing baseball until he entered college, Lipscomb spent the rest of his days practicing football. Lipscomb's original hopes of playing college football were high as he was a competent wide receiver, quarterback, running back and safety throughout high school. However, by the end of his junior season, he still hadn’t received any offers.

While Lipscomb did have another year left to be recruited, it was time to put those ambitions to rest for a little bit. He embarked upon his annual hiatus from football, otherwise known as baseball season.

Lipscomb ended up having a tremendous spring with Franklin High School. He earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named All-District all while batting .304. By the end of Lipscomb’s dominant junior season, he had garnered interest from one school for baseball, and it was just right down the road from his home.

Dave Jarvis, Belmont University’s Head Coach, was introduced to Lipscomb through his own son. Jarvis’ son happened to play on Franklin High School’s football team with his future center fielder.

Lipscomb’s competitive nature and elite athleticism drew Jarvis in before he ever formally met him. He said a multitude of intangibles, some even stemming from his football skills, created a high ceiling for the level of player he believed Lipscomb could become.

“I saw a lot of speed,” Jarvis said. “I saw a lot of strength. I saw dynamic explosiveness as an athlete. That was something that I liked a lot. And then of course, as I got to know him, I felt like hey, this guy is a perfect fit.”

Lipscomb committed quickly to Belmont once Jarvis and his staff offered him. With the Bruins’ campus only about 30 minutes from his home, Lipscomb called the decision a no-brainer.

“I was kind of lucky it was the first offer,” Lipscomb said. “You know, it was the only offer.”

After an impressive sophomore season at Belmont, Lipscomb was selected by the Cleveland Guardians with pick 151 in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. Soon after the draft, he headed out West to train at the Guardians Player Development Complex in Arizona.

Lipscomb said he saw improvement in his batting abilities after his time in Arizona. He believes it has carried over and translated to his time with the Lynchburg Hillcats.

“The main focus was my back hip and learning how to coil and create tension and then, how to carry that tension forward,” Lipscomb said. “it's helped my power, my impact quality.”

Since joining the Hillcats this spring, Lipscomb has a batting average of .278. After notching an AVG of .304 last month, he credited the recent success to adjustments he made to his batting form going into his sophomore year at Belmont. To improve his swing, Lipscomb looked to videos of Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, whose swing is widely regarded as one of the best in the game.

“We worked a lot on my upper half, my hands getting more on-plane,” Lipscomb said. “We did a lot of blast stuff. My hands were lower on the bat my freshman year. I could really only get to certain pitches with a zone, and I couldn't make good solid contacts to all parts of the zone. But then it just all clicked my sophomore year.”

Aaron Smith, Belmont’s Associate Head Coach, also served as the team’s batting coach. He worked with Lipscomb to extend his bat path to be more on-plane with the ball. Smith said as Lipscomb flattened his bat path, his margin for error increased, as did the sheer force he could hit the ball with.

“All of a sudden you started to see more contact, more solid contact,” Smith said. “Then there was that ability for him to have some over-the-fence type power.”

After a disappointing first year hampered by injuries and COVID-19 restrictions, Lipscomb’s off-season work did not go to waste. He helped lead the Bruins to their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Championship en route to 39 wins, which tied the Belmont record for wins in a season.

Lipscomb etched his name atop the Belmont stolen base record book in impressive fashion. While batting .406, the sophomore All-American would go on to steal 42 bags, shattering the previous Belmont record of 30. It has been over a decade since a Division I player has stolen at least 40 bases while also hitting at least .400.

Smith described Lipscomb’s ability to steal bases as gutsy. He said his former speedster would create a feeling of helplessness for opposing coaches trying to figure out a practical way to defend Lipscomb.

“They practically would plant a defender on second base, just not wanting him to be able to steal the bag,” Smith said. “And the pitcher was looking at him, the infielders are standing there on the base, and he still steals it.”

When reflecting on Lipscomb’s two years with Belmont, Smith said while Lipscomb could be a quiet person sometimes, his inviting personality would foster an emotional connection with just about any of his teammates.

“People gravitate towards him,” Smith said. “He is a fun-loving person to be around. He kind of has that infectious attitude and it brings people into the conversation and people just want to be around him. It's not like a boisterous attitude by any means. But just somebody that comes from the heart when he speaks, and he wants to be around you.”

Aside from his minor disdain towards the overused joke made regarding his last name in the same breath as the Belmont-Lipscomb University rivalry, Lipscomb looks back on his collegiate career rather fondly.

“Because it worked out, I wouldn't change a thing,” Lipscomb said.

While his draft buzz did arrive later than most, Lipscomb’s remarkable sophomore campaign propelled him to the fifth round of the MLB Draft. Ever since he was assigned to Lynchburg, the Tennessee native has been quite the impressive prospect.

The former OVC Player of the Year continues to demonstrate that he can and will steal the bag when the opportunity arises. Lipscomb ranks second in the Carolina League in SB with 35 and has a .390 OBP. He even has helped to push the Hillcats atop the league in SB, as they lead all teams with 151.

Lipscomb has 33 RBIs and 50 hits on the season. He believes there is plenty of untapped potential that could go towards improving his swing.

“I have a lot more power in the tank,” Lipscomb said. “I think sometimes I cut myself off, you know, I don't give myself credit, like, it's in there. “I just have to find out how to use it. I don't just have to be a slap hitter or a singles guy, I can drive it into the gaps.”

Lipscomb even recently hit his first home run of the season in the Hillcats' 7-4 win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers a couple of weeks ago.

With Lipscomb’s impressive level of play sustaining itself almost halfway through the regular season, he seems poised for a strong finish to his first year. Jarvis said Lipscomb’s athleticism, competitiveness, character and work ethic are all attributes he sees in athletes competing at the highest level.

“A tremendous athlete with an extremely high IQ, or quotient, for the understanding of the game, and then, he’s a tremendous competitor,” Jarvis said. “And I think when you take those things and put them together, I think that he could play in the big leagues. I really do.”