Pair of Aces: Stingy Pitchers Lead Scots Toward Playoff Berth

Internal competition propels Webster, Stammel in expanded roles this season

On Tuesdays and Fridays, Max Stammel and Sam Webster take the pitcher’s mound, trying to outgun the top hitters in District 7-6A.

But almost as important is the battle every Monday to see whose name will be etched on the board during Highland Park’s team meetings — as Pitcher of the Week.

Stammel and Webster have been the main drivers behind HP’s mound mastery this season. The Scots earned shutouts in six of their first nine district games, and they are solidly in contention to return to the playoffs in their first campaign in Class 6A since 2016.

“We play off each other really well,” said Webster, who appropriately shares the team lead with Stammel for the weekly team honor. “It’s difficult to prepare for one good pitcher, let alone two.”

Webster is a senior right-hander, and Stammel is a junior left-hander. But as much as their differing styles with similar pitch arsenals make them a potent 1-2 punch, their competitive drive plays an even bigger role.

“They compete with each other more than they compete with anyone else. They want to be better than one another,” said HP head coach Travis Yoder. “They have that internal drive. People see that, and it breeds an environment of competition. That gets people better.”

As one of HP’s top hurlers a year ago, Webster was expected to play a more significant role this spring, but Stammel has been more of a surprise after pitching primarily out of the bullpen last season. Both have anchored a pitching staff lacking depth due to injuries and inexperience.

“They’ve stepped up because we put high expectations on both of them,” Yoder said. “They knew they would need to log a lot of innings.”

Stammel provided one of the season’s highlights for the Scots when he threw a perfect game against Irving on March 21, striking out 17 of the 21 batters he faced.

“In the moment, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal,” Stammel said. “Going into the fifth or sixth inning, I knew I had it, but you still have to compete.”

That’s been the mantra all season for an HP tandem that tries to take a playoff mentality to the mound every start.

“It’s a good mix between the two,” Yoder said. “Every time they go out there, they give us a shot to win. It’s been fantastic to watch.”