LebCo Male Athlete of the Week: Gavin Bicher (Week Ending April 21, 2024)

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Gavin Bicher

During the week of April 15th, Gavin Bicher provided solid pitching for the ELCO Raiders as they caught fire in going 4-1. The junior played a large part in the effort, picking up three wins on the mound, two coming in relief. In a 5-3 win over Octorara on April 16th, Bicher pitched 6.2 innings, striking out 10 and only allowing two runs. At the plate, he collected eight hits while batting .421 and driving in three runs. It was this performance that caught the attention of the LebCoSports.com voters, who chose him as the LebCo Male Athlete of the Week. 

Through ELCO’s first 12 games, Bicher is batting .354 with an on-base percentage of .380. He has totaled 17 hits and 7 RBI. While pitching, he has gone 3-1 and posted a 3.20 ERA. His solid play has allowed the Raiders to establish a 7-6 record, putting them in strong contention for a District 3 Playoff berth.

Coach Brad Kreiser said of Bicher, “Gavin has been the “guy” for us this year. He has come through time and time again. Whenever we call on him, he has stepped up and produced for the team. As a coach, he is the type of player you want to have on your team. He has a great attitude, is well respected by teammates, plays the game the right way, is humble, coachable, and hardworking.”

Bicher reflected his coach’s appraisal when listing his goals for the season as being, first and foremost, “Have fun and grow relationships with teammates and coaches.” He went on to say that he hoped they could “get some wins and do well as a team.”

Bicher, also known as “Hank,” said that he sees his role on the team as doing his best to contribute as a leader and to help “everyone to play to the best of their ability.”

It is that leadership style that Bicher has developed while also playing football and basketball for ELCO. The multi-sport athlete pathway is familiar to the Bicher household, as his father was a standout baseball, basketball, and football player for ELCO.

In addition to the atheltic influence, Bicher points to his parents, Travis and Angie, for helping to guide and support him along the way. He is also grateful for the assistance his coaches have provided in his development. However, while genetics and learned skills are part of the equation, Bicher is in tune with his beliefs and listed God first on the list of those to whom he was thankful.

When discussing his future, Bicher has set a goal to become a better leader. He also knows that he wants to go to college to play baseball. At this point, he is interested in engineering and business as possible career choices. 

One fact that Bicher wanted to share is that he likes to play the guitar, an interest he shares with his father. He also shared that his perfect pre-game song is Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl. 

We wish Gavin and his Raider teammates the best of luck as they close out the season. We definitely hope that he gets to sing “Sha-la-la” before several post-season games this year.

Photo provided by ELCO Baseball

Click to read about the LebCo Female Athletes of the Week: Abby Berarducci & Gabby Smith

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: April 15 – April 21

Previous Winners

Ethan Spang (Weeks of March 11th, 18th)

Paxton Thomas (Weeks of March 11th, 18th)

Sam Kolacek (Week of March 25th)

Tyler Burgess (Week of April 1st)

Andrew Via (Week of April 1st)

Zac Frentz (Week of April 8th)