On Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, five Council Rock North seniors – Ryan Hartley, Ryan Henritzy, Darren Lauer, Pat O’Leary and Dave Pine – were recognized for signing letters of intent to accept scholarships to play baseball at the collegiate level. Three of the five – Ryan Hartley, Darren Lauer and Dave Pine – were teammates on the Newtown squad that advanced to the Little League World Series in 2005.
“They’re all great athletes,” coach Matt Schram said. “Some of them are two-sport athletes, but all of these kids love the game of baseball, and that speaks volumes about why they are where they are and how successful they are as a group and individually. They have great personalities, and they have great families. They’re great kids, and college coaches want that. They want good athletes, but they also want good kids.”
Ryan Hartley – University of Delaware (Baseball)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Delaware, Albany, Quinnipiac, Temple, Western Carolina
Reasons for choosing Delaware: “When I went to Delaware, I still had other schools to go visit, but after I went to Delaware, it was like ‘This is where I want to be.’ I liked the campus, and it’s really close to home, which I liked. One of the biggest things that made my decision was the coaches. They’re like your parents when you’re away from home – anything they can do to help you. When I stayed with the players – everyone had good things to say about the coaches.
“Delaware has all the sports, and it has great academics. I didn’t have bad grades, but I don’t know if I would have even gotten in without sports, and that makes it even better.”
What was the progression of the recruiting process for you? “Once I came up as a freshman and made varsity, it made me think that maybe this is what I could be doing in college. As the years went on, I kept improving and getting better. In my sophomore year, I started hearing from coaches, and by my junior year, I really started hearing from a lot of coaches. “I don’t think it was stressful – it was enjoyable. When you wake up on July 1 and you have 15 coaches calling you, it was awesome.”
Coach Matt Schram says: “Ryan played shortstop last year, and he was the SOL National Conference MVP as a junior. In 11 years of coaching baseball, I don’t recall ever seeing juniors being voted the MVP of the league, especially in the Suburban One League. That’s an incredible accolade.
“Ryan has only played shortstop, and he will play shortstop at Delaware. On my field – if the catcher is the general, the shortstop is almost like your commander. He’s a leader out there. The shortstop has to be a vocal and a physical leader, and he clearly is that. Just watching him now – he’s already a leader. He’s a built-in shortstop, and I’m sure that’s what Delaware is looking for from him.
“He hit third in the lineup last year, and I could pretty much tell you he’ll bat third again this year. He’s not a power-hitting number three hitter. He’s more a line drive hitter, but to bat third and to hit for the average he did will tell you how good a hitter he is because he’s faced pretty good pitching in this league.”
Ryan Henritzy – Lock Haven (Baseball)
Major: Sports Management
Final list of colleges: Lock Haven, California of Pa., Gwynedd-Mercy, East Stroudsburg
Reasons for choosing Lock Haven: “I just got along with the coaches pretty well, and I liked the school. They have a good program, and it’s not too far away.”What was the recruiting process like for you? “After our school season last year and when summer baseball started – I was pretty new at it. I didn’t know much about it, but I played for the All-Star Baseball Academy, and my coach told me he was going to get me exposed to some colleges. We went to a lot of tournaments and a couple of showcases. That was really important. Most coaches like to see you in games.
“I always wanted to play college baseball, but I just never knew the whole process. It’s very exciting to know where I’m going. There’s a lot of pressure off your shoulders.”
Coach Matt Schram says: “Ryan played on both sides of the ball for the football team, so it’s not surprising athletically for him to sign for a baseball scholarship. I coached him four or five years ago, and his work ethic is great. He’s top notch.
“He plays second base, but he’s so fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if – on the college level – they looked at him to be an outfielder. When you have a guy that fast, they usually end up in the outfield. I don’t know statistically what he did last year, but I know Ryan’s on-base percentage and stolen base percentage were really high. “
Darren Lauer – Elon University (Baseball)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Elon, Delaware, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth
Reasons for choosing Elon: “It was the best balance of academics and baseball, and it gave me the best opportunity to go to the next level. I went to their camp a year ago, and I really fell in love with the school. It’s so beautiful down there. The field was great, the coaches were great, and the campus was amazing. It’s the right size – it’s not too big and it’s not too small, and it has some major I might be interested in pursuing.”
What was the progression that led you to Elon? “Elon had expressed some interest, but I played for the New Jersey Super 17 this summer, and I didn’t do as good as I thought I could have. I would always tell them when I was playing, and they saw me four or five times, and eventually, they liked what they saw. “I kept e-mailing them a lot, letting them know I was very interested. I have been to the college five or six times. My sister goes to Duke, so it’s real close by, and when we would go down, I would head over to Elon to check it out. I know some kids that are playing there, and they said they loved it.
“It’s a good feeling to know I’m going there.”
Coach Matt Schram says: “Darren was the number two pitcher last year. I have watched him play for six or seven years, and he’s projected to be our number one pitcher this year based on how he did last year. He signed with Elon, which is big time. That’s a great signing, and it’s great for our program.
“This is a kid that pretty much pitches all the time and doesn’t ever really hit. We’ve been doing our indoor hitting for two weeks, and he’s at every indoor workout working his tail off to be a better hitter. Elon signed him because he can pitch, and I don’t think he’ll do much hitting in college, but if he can help the team by getting the bat in his hands and helping out with his at-bats – that’s the kind of kid he is.
“Darren throws hard, and he’s very crafty. He hits his spots and has great command and pretty much throws the ball where he wants to just about every time. Where O’Leary will go up there and throw as hard as he can and pretty much blow it by you, Lauer throws hard but is very crafty.”
Pat O’Leary – Winthrop University (Baseball)
Major: Undecided but possibly sports management
Final list of colleges: Winthrop, Temple, Monmouth, Seton Hall, St. John’s
Reasons for choosing Winthrop: “The coaches. They had a lot of good stuff to say, and I feel like they will help me get better.”What was the progression that led you to Winthrop? “I have always wanted to play in college. I actually hadn’t ever heard about Winthrop until they contacted me about three weeks ago. I was at a tournament with my Baseball U team in Jupiter, Fla., in October, and they saw me. I went for a visit, and I fell in love with the school. Once I saw the school, my decision was easy.
“It’s really exciting. It’s definitely a lot more relaxing.”
Coach Matt Schram says: “Pat didn’t throw a lot for his team last year. From what I understand, he threw six or seven innings, but he had a great summer and showcased himself incredibly over the summer as a pitcher.
“He’s a real hard thrower – he throws in the upper 80s, low 90s. I can’t answer why he didn’t throw much last year, but he’s going to throw a lot this year. Guys that throw that hard at this age don’t have perfect control, but he had a great summer. Winthrop loved what they saw.”
Dave Pine – Millersville University (Baseball)
Major: Business/Finance
Final list of colleges: Millersville, California of Pa., IUP, Bloomsburg, West Chester
Reasons for choosing Millersville: “I really liked the coach. I went up for a visit, and I really liked all the players. The distance – I don’t want to be at home when I’m going to school, but I don’t want to be too far away. Millersville is an hour and a half away, so on weekends my parents can come up and watch me play. I’m close to home, but I’m not close to home.”
When did the idea of playing collegiate baseball become a reality? “Ever since I was little, I just wanted to continue playing baseball in college, and it’s weird for me to think of stopping playing baseball. Collegiate baseball was that next step. It wasn’t like, ‘Do I really want to do this?’It was just natural.“The recruiting process is stressful, but it’s fun at the same time. You have some kids that are signing early, and you feel left out if you’re the kid that’s not signing early. That can be stressful, but the whole thing is fun – getting to visit the colleges and developing relationships with other coaches. I was looking at a bunch of schools that were in the same conference, so when I go to Millersville, I’ll know a lot of the coaches. It’s really exciting to know where I’m going.”
Coach Matt Schram says: “I have watched David catch since he was 11 or 12 years old. I did a fall workout with the guys, and he did a lot of work behind the plate. He’s one of the best catchers I’ve been around. He’s a special kid behind the plate, and he’s one of those kids – you’ll hear people say, ‘He works hard,’ but he not only works hard, but he’s also intense about how hard he works because he loves the game. You could be playing a wiffle ball game, and he would be going full throttle because that’s how he is. That’s how he approaches the games, and that’s how he approaches all of our workouts. He works his tail off, and the best part about him is if he takes off his catching gear and goes somewhere else on the field, he’ll work just as hard.
“My assistant coached his summer ball team, and the pitchers love to throw to him. He’s one of those guys that makes pitchers feel so comfortable, and that’s huge. That’s one of the things I look for in a catcher.”
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