By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – At 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds Tyler Linderbaum looks a lot more like a football player than a baseball player.

That makes sense since the Solon junior is one of the state’s best lineman and an Iowa football commit.

Don’t let his size be deceiving, Linderbaum is as effective on the baseball diamond as he is on the gridiron.

“He’s so athletic, Tyler played all the sports growing up and he loves baseball, obviously his future is in football but he’s a baseball player,” Solon coach Keith McSweeney said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s 175 or 275.”

Already a three-year starter Linderbaum is putting together his best baseball season this summer.

Linderbaum is hitting a career-high .373 with 26 RBI and 28 runs, helping the Spartans to a 24-13 record.

“I just keep trying to work on my approach at the plate and that has helped,” Linderbaum said. “I try to get in the cage and get reps and keep getting better every day.”

A state medalist in both track and wrestling this year after an all-state football season, baseball ends a busy athletic calendar year for Linderbaum.

With a division one football career ahead of him some athletes would consider dropping a sport to free up some time.

Not Linderbaum and certainly not baseball.

“I enjoy playing baseball, I’ve played with these guys since second grade so I never thought about not playing,” Linderbaum said. “I’m a seasonal guy, whatever sport I’m in I really enjoy.”

Solon is certainly happy to have Linderbaum in the lineup this season.

A year after hitting .298 with a team-high 32 RBI, Linderbaum is improving on those numbers this season.

Linderbaum has split time between first base and third base this season and has also pitched 27 1/3 innings compiling a 3-3 record.  

“Wherever the team needs me is fine,” Linderbaum said. “I will play wherever so if I can help the team out at third or by pitching then I will play third or pitch.”

His size makes Linderbaum stand out on the diamond.

Most peg him as an all or nothing power hitter, prone to deep fly balls and lots of strikeouts.

Again, his large frame is deceiving.

Linderbaum bats second for Solon and is one of the Spartans best contact hitters.

“I’m a little different size than the normal two spot guy,” Linderbaum said. “We joke about that but I’ll hit wherever.”

Linderbaum doesn’t fit the profile of a hulking power hitter.

He boasts a .486 on-base percentage thanks to a career-high 22 walks and has only struck out nine times in 118 at-bats, tied for fewest among Solon regular starters.  

With hits in 29 of 37 games this season Linderbaum has been one of the Spartans’ most consistent hitters this season.

“He’s a low strikeout guy, he puts the ball in play,” McSweeney said. “Luke (Ira) is a high on-base percentage guy and Tyler does a great job of moving him over.”