Lewis-Palmer baseball has taken a giant step forward the past four years, and a lot of that is thanks to Paul Tillotson.

As an imposing figure on the mound and in the batter’s box, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Tillotson was the catalyst for regular-season titles and deep playoff runs for the Rangers. He is The Gazette Baseball Peak Performer of the Year.

During his senior season, Tillotson batted .562, knocked in 40 RBIs and totaled 20 extra-base hits. His pitching stats were just as impressive, going 8-1 with a 1.02 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of more than 5-to-1.

“This season was a lot of fun,” Tillotson said. “My teammates are great guys, and we went out and played the right way. During your senior year it’s sentimental every time you play on someone else’s field cause it’s the last time. I have a lot of great memories.”

Tillotson emerged as a power during his sophomore season. In the three seasons before he became a fixture in the batting order and pitching rotation, Lewis-Palmer went a combined 20-37. During the past three years, the Rangers went 54-14, which included a 4A Pikes Peak Athletic Conference mark of 39-3.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

“Paul definitely has the tools and is mentally strong enough to be successful in college and in the pros,” Lewis-Palmer coach Brett Lester said. “He’s put himself in a good position. There’s not much you can do to get in his head, which also benefits us as a program. Our team saw that he respects the game and isn’t bigger than the game. It’s huge, because he listened to whatever we told him, and was coachable in all aspects.”

One thing is for sure: teams in the area, and around the state, will be happy to see Tillotson move on from the prep ranks and onto college.

There were many times over the past four years that Tillotson pitched a complete game, while also providing himself with enough run support to get the victory.

“You get satisfaction from both,” he said of hitting and pitching. “You get more of an instant gratification from hitting a home run, and pitching you have to perform over six or seven innings. But they’re both fun.”

Tillotson wasn’t selected in the Major League Baseball draft, which means he’ll be heading to Lincoln, Neb., to play for the Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Conference next season.

“I’m extremely excited to get out to Nebraska and further my education and improve my baseball ability. I want to be able to start as a freshman and get in there and be competitive and see what I can add to the team.

“There’s some disappointment in not getting drafted, but I have a great opportunity at Nebraska. A lot of it had to do with medical reasons after I had surgery in January, so teams saw me as a high risk. It’s unfortunate, but I’m hopeful I’ll have the same opportunity in three years to be drafted.”

While he’ll most likely be focusing on his pitching at Nebraska, Tillotson is hoping to get a chance to show what he can do with a bat as well.

“I’m hoping to get an opportunity to hit there, and I’d like to give it a shot to see what happens,” he said. “The coaches know I like to swing it, and I think I can have some success.”

Lester says Tillotson will be missed, but the time he spent with the Lewis-Palmer program will pay off, even after he’s gone.

“Paul’s been the catalyst for this program, and was an extension of the coaching staff,” Lester said. “We have some activities where the JV mixes in with the varsity, so it was good for everyone in the program to get to be around him. When Paul was on the mound, there was always an added level of confidence.”