Plymouth Whitemarsh Baseball Honors Team's Seniors

Plymouth Whitemarsh baseball honored the team’s 11 seniors at Miles Park on Saturday. Photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko.

LAFAYETTE HILL - There wasn’t a baseball game, but it was a Senior Day to remember for the seniors on the Plymouth Whitemarsh baseball team on Saturday afternoon at Miles Park.

“Today it felt like we actually had closure and this was the sendoff for us, something that we deserved,” senior captain Dylan Strunk said. “After seeing it for the older guys who taught us stuff, we finally got our day, and it meant a lot to me personally, and I know it meant a lot to all the other guys. It was a good thing, and waiting was well worth it.”

No one seemed to mind the sweltering temperatures, and there was no rush to get through the proceedings that honored a group of seniors whose season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perhaps no one was more disappointed to lose the 2020 season than senior captain John Doroba, who was sidelined his entire junior season.

“In June 2018, I broke my right hand in a baseball game, and I was out until the fall of 2019,” Doroba said. “As soon as we did all of our winter workouts before the season, the last day of tryouts I tore my ACL in a basketball and missed my junior year. It was really tough.

“I was really looking forward to this year, and I was ready. I had all my rehab done, I had my plan all set for this year, but it was just taken away. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

The Colonials - winners of just three conference games when the seniors were freshmen – captured the SOL American Conference title in 2019 but did not have the opportunity to defend a title they still own. PW also advanced to the PIAA state quarterfinals last spring.

“Our team wasn’t the best at first, but as a group, I’ve seen everyone working hard to make sure we got what we wanted,” Doroba said. “Without everyone’s effort, it wouldn’t have been possible, but just to see everyone working together put everything in place, and last year we were able to succeed and get as far as we did.”

“When we came into the program, (winning a conference title and advancing to the state quarterfinals) would have been a long shot,” senior captain Kevin Reilly said. “But we worked hard and had some things go our way, and it worked out.

“Basically, we got our whole team to buy in. We all worked out together in the offseason, and we just were good friends – the chemistry was better, and that helped too. Today was nice to have a conclusion to our season and to wrap it all up instead of it ending because of COVID-19.”

For the seniors, there will be one more opportunity to play together on Tuesday night as part of the Colonial Baseball Association squad in the third of a three-game series in the Baseballtown Charities Showcase at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Fightin Phillies.

“It feels really good to be playing because I don’t know how much longer I could have gone without playing a game,” Doroba said. “Just to have the opportunity to do so with these teammates means a lot to me.”

“When the news (of the quarantine) broke out, we were in Florida,” Strunk said. “It was heartbreaking to us. We didn’t know what was going to happen.

“The three games we’ve played helped take away the sting of losing the season and just made it feel better. Thank God we were able to reunite and finally got to go on the field together. It was a great opportunity for us.”

Saturday’s celebration took place on the diamond at Miles Park with each senior recognized individually. Seniors honored were Emerson Abromavage, Daulton Carlisle, John Doroba, Tom Downey, Quin Dye, Ben Mascio, Zach Redican, Kevin Reilly, Nate Sfida, Dylan Strunk and Ethan Suh. Also part of PW's Class of 2020 but unable to attend the ceremony were outfielder Tyler Willans, pitcher Larry McLaughlin, and infielder Jack Mangan. This fall, Willans will be attending Millersville University, McLaughlin will enroll at Penn State University, and Mangan will attend the University of Alabama.

Below is the transcript of Saturday’s Senior Day celebration:

OUTFIELDER- John Doroba (Captain)
John will be attending West Chester University this year where he will major in Physical Therapy. John got his start in Plymouth Little League, and his favorite baseball memory is winning the Marple Tournament for Plymouth, and enjoying a good meal with his teammates after the game.
John advises incoming freshmen to give everything your best and push yourself to get better. He says that 2020 has taught him that you should be grateful for all of the opportunities you are given for it can be taken away from you in the snap of a finger.

OUTFIELDER- Dylan Strunk (Captain)
Dylan will be attending Delaware Valley University this year, where he will continue his baseball career and major in Turf Management. Dylan was a 2020 recipient of the Whitemarsh Baseball Association Scholarship.
He started his baseball days in Plymouth Little League. Dylan’s favorite baseball memory was beating Hatboro-Horsham to win the Suburban One American Conference Championship.
Dylan advises incoming freshmen to never take any moment on the field, the weight room or the classroom for granted. Appreciate what's around you and trust what's going on.

CATCHER - Kevin Reilly (Captain)
Kevin, a four year varsity starter, will be attending Division 1 Binghamton University this fall where he will be continuing his baseball career. Kevin was a Suburban One American Conference All League honorable mention catcher as a freshman, he was a third team All League catcher as a sophomore, and received the first team all league honors as a junior. In addition, he was selected in 2018 and 2019 to play in the exclusive Phillies Carpenter Cup Classic
Kevin started his baseball career in the Whitemarsh Little League. His favorite baseball memories are winning the Suburban One American Conference title and the run in the Junior Legion State tournament. Kevin advises incoming freshmen simply to WORK HARD, and he says that 2020 has taught him to always stay ready because you never know when you will be able to play again.
 

OUTFIELDER, Zach Redican
Zach will be attending Gwynedd Mercy University this year where he will continue his baseball career and major in Business. This spring, he was the recipient of the Ed Swetkowski Plymouth Whitemarsh Social Studies Award and the Whitemarsh Baseball Association Scholarship.
Zach began his baseball career in Whitemarsh Little League and his favorite baseball memory is the junior legion run in states.
Zach advises incoming freshmen to work hard, and do the little things right. Keep your grades up and try different clubs and classes.

FIRST BASEMAN, Daulton Carlisle
Daulton will be attending West Chester University this year. He was a recipient of the 2020 Whitemarsh Baseball Association Scholarship. Daulton’s baseball days started in Whitemarsh Little League and in the 21^st Ward. His favorite baseball memory is playing in the Cooperstown tournament.
Daulton advises incoming freshmen to put in the work on and off the field because you can only benefit from it. He says that 2020 has taught him to not take anything for granted, because everything can change in the blink of an eye.

PITCHER, Ethan Suh
Ethan will be attending Temple University this year, where he will be majoring in Supply Chain Management. He has been recognized as a Plymouth Whitemarsh Distinguished Honor Roll student.
Ethan started his baseball days in the Whitemarsh Little League. His favorite baseball memories are winning tournaments and winning the little league district title in back-to-back seasons.
Ethan says that 2020 has taught him that we, as seniors, won’t see each other as often so to make the best of what we can, with what we have.

FIRST BASEMAN, Emerson Abromavage
Emerson will be attending Clarion University this year where he will continue his baseball career at the Division 2 level and major in Business. Emerson’s baseball experience began in the Whitemarsh Little League and his favorite baseball memory is his first home run.
He advises incoming freshmen to work hard and not allow anyone to get in the way of your goals. He says that 2020 has taught him to live life to the fullest.

OUTFIELDER, Quin Dye
Quin will be attending Gwynedd Mercy University this year, where he will continue his baseball career and major in Sports Management. Quin’s baseball career started in the Conshohocken Little League and his favorite baseball memory is the catch he made in centerfield against North Penn during his sophomore season.
Quin advises incoming freshmen to keep your grades up and play hard. He says that 2020 has taught him to never take any opportunity for granted because it can be taken away with the blink of an eye.

PITCHER, Nate Sfida 
Nate will be attending the University of Miami this year, majoring in finance. This year, Nate was the recipient of the Freedom Valley Award for Community Service and The Presidents Award for Academic Excellence. Nate began his baseball career in the Plymouth Little League and his favorite baseball memory is hitting a pinch hit home run in the 2017 fall league playoffs.
Nate advises incoming freshmen to take advantage of strength and conditioning workouts in the winter, and he says that 2020 has taught him that life goes on.

THIRD BASEMAN, Tom Downey
Tom will be attending Gwynedd Mercy University this year, where he will major in Nursing. Tom began his baseball career in Whitemarsh Little League and his favorite baseball memory is going to Homer City, Pennsylvania.
Tom wants to let incoming freshmen know that high school is a good time. And, he says that 2020 has taught him that all good things come to an end.

PITCHER, Ben Mascio
Ben will be attending West Chester University this year, where he will continue his baseball career for one of the top Division 2 programs in the nation.
Ben has garnered several Suburban One American Conference all league awards, including second team all league pitcher as a sophomore, second team all league designated hitter as a junior, and first team all league pitcher as a junior.
He started his baseball career in the Conshohocken Little League and his favorite baseball memory is winning the Suburban One American Conference Championship last year. Ben’s advice to incoming freshmen - “Don’t talk while Coach Manero is talking. He doesn’t like that.” Ben adds that above all, 2020 has taught him how to make eggs.

Coach Chris Manero says:  “While certainly not the senior day that we would have been expecting when the schedule was being made prior to the season, we are still very fortunate to be honoring such an outstanding group of graduates from our baseball program. So, today we are essentially completing the high school baseball chapter in the lives of these young men.

“It is very easy for each of them, individually, and for us as a team to think about the ‘would haves,’ ‘the could haves,’ and the ‘what might have beens’ from the 2020 season.

“The last four months have certainly given us enough time to have spoken about those and thought about those, but as with any senior day, it is a time to reflect not on what wasn’t accomplished with this group of players, but what was accomplished.

“In so many ways, this group is so symbolic of the ideals and the principles of the Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials Baseball program. Individually, these players represent so much of what our baseball program has grown to become.

“Players like Tom Downey, Tyler Willans, Nate Sfida, and Daulton Carlisle - these guys were mainstays at our summer baseball camp back when they were in little league. They grew up learning about our baseball program, and their names already seemed so recognizable to us when they first stepped foot on our baseball field as high school players.

“Players like Ethan Suh - Ethan likely would have been the ultimate role player for us in the 2020 season…an arm out of the bullpen to get us out of a tight spot, or a utility man in the infield wherever we might need him in the field. Everyone’s role is different and all are of equal importance, and Ethan, in all likelihood, would have demonstrated that in 2020.

“Quin Dye- Quin is proof that everyone comes to our program with a chance to make a name for himself. As a coaching staff, none of us really knew Quin on day one of his high school tryout. But he made the team that year and went on to become one of our hardest workers in the weight room and one of our best character guys on the roster.

“Emerson Abromavage and Kevin Reilly - their high school careers may not have started at PW, but they serve as reminders of and hopefully ambassadors to the fact that we have an outstanding high school with tremendous opportunities for students and availability for athletes to succeed at every level. These guys had the opportunity to make choices, and they both chose us. Now, they are moving on to play college baseball.

“Zach Redican - we offer so much as a high school baseball program, and one of the things we do that has been so important has been our fall program. As a coach, when I think of Zach as a player, I always seem to think of his very first days on the field in the fall season of his freshman year. It is where we first got to see his baseball instincts and where he first opened up our eyes to his potential. He is a constant reminder of the opportunities that we are so excited to offer our players all year long.

“Benjamin Michael Mascio – at the end of the day, we are a team and we play a sport, and when you play a sport, there really is one result that you want at the end of the day – you want to win. If you want to win, you need a Ben Mascio on the team because he will go out, and he will give you a chance to do that every single day. He never has and never will accept anything less.

“John Doroba -  A hand injury one year, a torn ACL the next year. John has not always had the smoothest ride, but every day when you would look at him, you would think he is flying first class. I do not know, as a coach, that I have ever seen a young man who is such a tremendous person and teammate in the midst of his own adversity. John, often students look to adults to be role models, but John, you are my role model.

“And Dylan Strunk - cut from the middle school team in seventh grade and cut from the middle school team in eighth grade, Dylan never stopped going for his goals. When opportunity knocked in ninth grade, he didn’t only find himself on the roster, but he was the starting JV catcher. Now, he is moving on to play college baseball. The passion, the commitment, the determination and the emotion that this kid has is simply impressive. When he smoked a triple at FirstEnergy Stadium this week as part of a three-hit night, it just felt like everything had come together.

“Collectively, above all, this group of players has been so important to our program. They have transcended the days of a 3 win, 11 loss varsity season to a league championship and an appearance in the PIAA State Quarterfinals. They have built a championship culture. In May, their team from a season ago was recognized by PA Prep Live and the Times Herald as one of the best area teams of the decade.

“We had some very private moments with this group. Thursday night March 12 in Florida when it seemed like the fate of the entire world was suddenly becoming uncertain, the utopian feel in the locker room when we arrived home after winning a league championship at Hatboro-Horsham, and what would become the final time that we sat in that locker room together - the day of our last game in the state playoffs last spring. Whether happy or sad, excited or uncertain, the one common element above all in all of these moments was passion. Passion for the game of baseball and a demonstration of how truly important it is for each and every one of these guys.

“In a society where apathy and a general lack of enthusiasm for much can be seen often, it has been refreshing and impressive to see just how much this group really cares. And, at the same time, they showed a good reminder for all of us of how important baseball is as a part of their lives.

“Thank you to all those who have been a part in the baseball experiences of these men, Congratulations to our Class of 2020, and I think I speak on behalf of everyone here when I say we wish you the best in all that you do.”