Spring Sports Panther Preview: Baseball & Softball

Est. Read Time: 5 mins

Saucon senior Patrick Beatty helping teammate Vince Borger fine tune his mechanics as Chris Smith crushes it in the cage.

The weather conditions indicate otherwise, but, believe it or not, SPRING HAS SPRUNG! What that means for the wonderful world of Saucon Valley School District sports is that Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Tennis and Track are now under way.

According to Saucon Valley Athletic Director, Bob Frey, almost 400 Panther student-athletes have registered and are roaring to go for the start of the 2018 PIAA Spring season!

Panther Athletics Spring sports breakdown (# of participants)!

Baseball: (32)
Softball: (14), Junior High Softball- (14)
Boys LAX: (32)
Girls LAX: (37)
Boys Tennis: (16)
Track & Field: (118), Middle School Track & Field- (48)
Coed MS Soccer (40)

A.D. EXTRA: Panther Athletics is in need of 6-8 volunteers to work the two Varsity Track meets on April 5th and 10th. Volunteers are needed to assist with working events and recording results. No prior experience or knowledge is required. Clearances are free. Please contact the athletic office if you are interested!

Saucon Valley High School baseball coach Gary Laub making the most out of a preseason filled with indoor practices.

Like so many others who are tired of feeling the stubborn chill of winter, Saucon Source, too, is ready for change. So, in anticipation of the new sports season heating up, we are thrilled to provide our readers with previews of the different Panther sports. Today, Saucon Source gives you a little snapshot of the Panther baseball and softball programs. Check it out!

Senior Alstan Wolfe turns his full attention to his final Saucon Valley baseball season.

BASEBALL OPENING SHOTS!

Head Coach: Gary Laub
Assistant Coaches: Eric Gough, Eric Focht, Bob Frey, Tommy Rasich, Mike Kiak and Bill Frey
Seniors: Patrick Beatty, Vince Borger, Dane Druckenmiller, Elias Engelhardt, Tom Gallagher, Kyle Petsch, Chris Smith, Nick Steckel, Alstan Wolfe
Returning Impact Players:
- Field Players
  - Sr. Alstan Wolfe OF/SS/P. 4yr. starter. 2016 1^st Team All Colonial 3^rd base, 2017 2^nd Team All Colonial SS. Alstan was last year’s team leader in hits (23), extra base hits (7), and batting avg. (.460). Alstan will be the team Closer this year on the mound.
  - Sr. Chris Smith OF. batted .341 last season.
  - Jr. Patrick Morrissey C
  - Sr. Elias Engelhardt 2B/OF
  - Sr. Dane Druckenmiller 2B/DH
- Pitching Staff
  - Sr. Pat Beatty P/OF (threw no-hitter v. Moravian Academy last season)
  - Sr. Kyle Petsch P/3B
  - Sr. Nick Steckel P/1B
  - Jr. Nicholas Millets P/1B
  - Jr. Jared Thatcher P/OF/1B
Newcomers:
- So. Thomas Spirk 3B/OF/P
- So. Kevin Schoch SS
Coach Laub’s Keys To Success:
- Team approach: “No one player is greater than the team.”
- Improve on our two-strike hitting, and hitting with players in scoring position
- Throw strikes and challenge batters, reduce the number of walks
- Our juniors gained a lot of valuable experience last year. It is time for them to step up and contribute in a more more significant role. If that happens, we will be a playoff contending team.
Top Competition: Notre Dame, Wilson and Southern Lehigh
EXTRA BASE HIT! This season is the 100 Year Anniversary of Baseball at Hellertown/Saucon Valley High School. Made possible through their own fund-raising efforts, the Panther baseball team will be traveling to Cooperstown, NY on May 19th to tour the Baseball Hall of Fame. To highlight the trip, Coach Laub has made arrangements for the team to play a game on Doubleday Field. Stay Tuned for more information!

Saucon Valley softball coach Scott Didra working on bunt coverage during another preseason practice session spent in the high school gym.

SOFTBALL OPENING SHOTS!

Head Coach: Scott Didra
Assistant Coaches: Jeff Ebert and Kristen Gubish
Seniors: Ashylyn Mixa, Nicole Barbera, Kylee Messenlehner, Meghan Okken, Jamie Lasko
Returning Impact Players:
- Sr. Ashylynn Mixa CF
- Sr. Nicole Barbera 1B
- Sr. Kylee Messenlehner C/OF
- Sr. Meghan Okken P
- Sr. Jamie Lasko IF/OF/C
- So. Rachel Schoch OF
- So. Megan Patriarca 2B
Newcomers:
- Fr. Jaclyn Barbera IF/C
- Fr. Ally Frace IF/P
- Fr. Morgan Mixa OF
Coach Didra’s keys to Success:
- “BELIEVE”, We can, if we think we can! Our goal is to get everyone to believe in themselves and start to gel as a team. If we can do that and continue to work on the basics, we can be successful.
- We have the “Fab-Five” seniors who will have a big impact on our team. The staff likes the idea of having all five seniors being captains this year. We’re looking for each and every one of them to bring their own positive style of leadership to our team.
- The team’s success, however, will not rely on just the Fab-Five. We have a young promising group of underclassmen who will have the opportunity to make a positive impact right away.