Paul Osting Commits to Western Illinois University for Baseball

Lincoln Trail College is proud to announce that Paul Osting has committed to continuing his athletic and academic career at Western Illinois University.

Paul has been a key player for the Lincoln Trail Statesmen, consistently demonstrating his dedication, hard work, and love for the game. Reflecting on his journey, Paul shared, "I have always had a love for the game so I have had the goal of playing for as long as I could and playing high level collegiate baseball has been a lifelong goal of mine. I am extremely excited and grateful for this next chapter."

Paul attributes much of his success to the rigorous training and supportive environment at Lincoln Trail. "Lincoln Trail further instilled the value of hard work. Basically my whole time at LT, we spent time in the depot working on game-like pitching so we could fail in practice and make games easier. This is one example of the process that we followed to have a successful season offensively and laid the groundwork for what I will have to do to have continued success," he explained.

In choosing Western Illinois University, Paul is confident that he has found the right place to continue his growth both on and off the field. "I chose Western Illinois because I believe it will be a place where I will continue to be pushed and develop as a person and a baseball player. I expect to win games next year and continue developing both on and off the field," Paul said.

He also credited his development to the coaching staff at Lincoln Trail, particularly Coach Collin Maynard. "Coach Maynard pushed us to get our own work in on top of what we did at practice. This is something I will have to take with me wherever I go in order to have success, both on and off the field," Paul noted.

Coach Collin Maynard praised Paul's progress and impact on the team, saying, "Paul made great strides during his time at Lincoln Trail. He became a staple in our lineup and one of our top run producers all year. His consistency at the plate continued to improve all year long which made him a dangerous bat any time he came up to the plate."

Coach Maynard further highlighted Paul's resilience and leadership, stating, "Paul has shown to handle any challenges and setbacks head on. He is never one to shy away from any challenge put in front of him. His contributions to the team were invaluable. As far as performance, in region 24 game Paul hit .320 with 11 home runs, 9 doubles, and 15 stolen bases. On the season, Paul led our team in home runs (12) and stolen bases (24). He was also a leader for us off the field, consistently leading by example, always doing the little things right and never cutting any corners."

Looking ahead, Coach Maynard expressed his confidence in Paul's future at Western Illinois University. "I believe that Paul will thrive at Western Illinois University. I expect Paul to go in with the hardworking mindset he has always had and fight to earn an impact role for them right away. I believe that Paul's journey at LTC has prepared him well for WIU both on and off the field. I have no doubt that he will work hard to achieve his goals in all facets of life when he arrives on their campus."

Paul also expressed his gratitude for the support he received at Lincoln Trail, saying, "Being in Robinson and having the support of the people I was with on a daily basis, I was able to grow as a person and learn what it truly was like to make decisions on your own. I got a fresh start and I was able to stack days and work towards becoming closer to the player that I know I can become."

As Paul Osting embarks on this new chapter at Western Illinois University, the Lincoln Trail community is proud of his achievements and excited to see his future successes.

Paul's advice for upcoming Statesmen is "Enjoy the moments and take in your time in Robinson. Stack days and keep the end goal in mind."