On Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, Truman seniors Andrew Armstrong, Alex Matlack, Wyatt Spinks, Ryan Cavanaugh and Gabe Marrero were recognized for committing to continue their baseball careers at the collegiate level. Bradley Allen & Colin Poremba were recognized for committing to bowl at the collegiate level. (Photos provided courtesy of Truman HS)
Andrew Armstrong – Bloomsburg University (Baseball)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Bloomsburg, Clarion, Lock Haven
Reasons for choosing Bloomsburg: “Just the environment on the campus – it was very friendly, and the scenery was amazing. It’s up in the mountains. I loved what I saw. They have a good facility and great winning teams, so I’m excited for that.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “Ever since I can remember I’ve been the biggest baseball fan that you’ll probably find. That’s a strong statement, but my whole life has always been baseball. Anything I’ve ever done has been baseball, and this has been one of my biggest dreams.”
Coach Brian Sinkiewicz says: “Andrew is going to be a pitcher only at Bloomsburg. Andrew received first team all-league pitcher honors, and he also earned first team first base. He led our team in pretty much every single category from top to bottom. He was the guy. I told the newspaper I thought he was the best player in the league and district, and that’s a little biased, but he just keeps performing. This summer he was awesome – he just hasn’t stopped, and he has so much more room to grow. I’m really excited to see what happens for him next year. He also got first team all-area first base. He definitely had a really good year. Bloomsburg is getting a great kid, on and off the field great teammate and a really good pitcher. He was the man this year.”
Former coach Tim Monaghan says: “Andrew is probably the most coachable player I’ve ever had. He absorbs information and is able to take criticism and instruction and try to make those adjustments right away. He’s a pitcher, but for his first three years for us, he was like a Swiss Army Knife. He’s pitched, he’s played first, he’s played second, he’s played the outfield. He is very versatile, and he’s been able to fill multiple needs throughout the time he’s been with the program. He was going to be on varsity his freshman year, but we lost that year to COVID. He’s a great kid, a great student, and I just couldn’t be happier for him being able to play baseball at the next level. It’s a great opportunity for him to play in the PSAC, which is a great league. I wish every coach had a chance to have a team full of Andrew Armstrongs.”
About Andrew:
Favorite food: “I’m a big chicken guy – anything chicken. It’s my favorite food by far.”
Favorite movies: Marvel series
Favorite music: Pop
Ryan Cavanaugh – Charleston Southern University (Baseball)
Major: Kinesiology or Marketing
Final list of colleges: Charleston Southern, Radford, Monmouth, Delaware, Wagner
Reasons for choosing Charleston Southern: “Definitely the coaches – the coaches have a lot of experience. All of them have been to the college World Series before, which is definitely an eye opener. I’m a pitcher, and I’ve had a connection with their pitching coach for a long time. He’s got 17 guys that he’s gotten to the MLB in his history, so that definitely drew my attention.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “I have been playing since I was seven or eight. I would always play on a team that was full of my friends, but two years ago, I joined a team called Baseball U. It was a travel team that really got me out there in the recruiting. I started traveling, and that’s when I realized when all the coaches started messaging me that I could definitely play at the next level and the Division 1 level, which really made me want to pursue this dream.”
Coach Brian Sinkiewicz says: “Ryan was a three-year starter for us. He’s a great pitcher and started three or four games for us on the mound. His ERA was under one. He ended up being a really huge part of our lineup. He was our number two hitter as DH, and he played first base a little bit for us. He just battles. I told him all the time – he’s going to be a pitcher only in college, but I stressed to him that he was so important for us as an everyday player.”
Former coach Tim Monaghan says: “Ryan Cavanaugh is kind of like a freak athlete, and what I mean by that is Ryan is thin and wiry, and when you look at him, you don’t think he’s someone that could throw the baseball 90 miles an hour. Just his build – he shouldn’t be able to do the things he can do on the mound. He’s freakish in his athletic ability. He’s another high character kid, really good in the community, gets really good grades. He’s an excellent teammate, works extremely hard not only during the season but year-round. You can’t be built the way he is and throw as hard as he does if you’re not putting in the work. Ryan is a great example of how hard work and determination and setting yourself up with a goal can really get you where you want to be. I’m so excited for him to get a partial athletic/academic scholarship to Charleston Southern University, which is a Division 1 program. It’s a great opportunity for him.”
About Ryan:
Favorite food: Raising Cane’s
Favorite TV show: Outer Banks
Favorite artist: Rod Wave
Gabe Marrero – Penn State Abington (Baseball)
Major: Undecided but considering Business/Marketing
Reasons for choosing Penn State Abington: “Just the coaching staff – I liked how the coach was really friendly with me.”
What was the progression that led you to playing baseball at the collegiate level? “I wasn’t really sure if I was going to play baseball in college because I didn’t really like reaching out to schools. My summer coach and one of my high school coaches reached out to the Penn State Abington coach over the summer, and he got in touch with me. I went on a visit, and I just liked the way he was.”
Coach Brian Sinkiewicz says: “Gabe Marrero was our catcher and received honorable mention as a catcher. He was awesome for us this year. He batted fourth, and we asked a lot out of him. He caught pretty much every single inning for us, which is really hard for a high school catcher. It's a lot of games, a lot of innings, and we put that load on him because he was a senior, and we knew he could handle it. We had a stretch of five league games in a week, and he caught every single one of them. He was kind of ‘our guy.’ We needed him in the lineup during that stretch – we needed those wins to make playoffs, so it was really important, and Gabe answered the bell. He really kept runners from not stealing on us – we didn’t really have a lot of guys steal on us. He’s going to Penn State Abington to catch.”
Former coach Tim Monaghan says: “Gabe is another high quality kid. He attended CSL Charter School, but because he lives in the township, he could play baseball for us. He is another really great kid. He’s quiet, but he’s another kid that works really hard. He was a three-year varsity player, and he had some clutch pinch hit home runs and extra base hits over his career. I’m really excited about him having the opportunity to play college baseball. One of our assistant coaches went to Penn State Abington, so we had a connection there. It’s a perfect fit for Gabe. It checks all the boxes for him – it’s close to home, it’s the right financial choice, and he’s probably going to have an opportunity to play right away, which is perfect for him. He’ll flourish there and be a great asset to their program.”
About Gabe:
Favorite food: Tacos
Favorite movie: Rise of the Guardians
Favorite music: Rap
Alex Matlack – Chestnut Hill College (Baseball)
Major: Undecided/Business or Marketing
Final list of colleges: Chestnut Hill, Delaware Valley
Reasons for choosing Chestnut Hill: “It’s close to home, and it’s also a smaller school, which I wanted to have. Just all the coaches and all the players seemed really nice when I went to visit, and that made my decision.”
Coach Brian Sinkiewicz says: “Alex was a relief guy for us this year and played third base primarily the entire season. He really was awesome for us in the infield. Batting-wise, he did what he needed to do. He had a lot of really, really good team at-bats. I know sometimes we look at statistics, and it’s like – ‘He batted this…’ That doesn’t tell the whole story. He was another guy that was kind of a pitcher for us last year, but he wasn’t an everyday starter. He stepped into the role this year, and he really embraced it. It was a really good year for him as well.”
Former coach Tim Monaghan says: “Alex was a two-year varsity player. As a junior, he was a role player. He pitched in relief. He got one or two spot starts. Alex is kind of like the comedian of the team. He keeps everybody loose. He has a very infectious personality. People want to be around him. He’s funny, he keeps everybody having a good time. I’m excited for him to have the opportunity to play at Chestnut Hill. His best baseball is still ahead of him. He blossomed and got a lot of height recently. If Alex puts in the same amount of work that a kid like Ryan Cavanaugh has over the years – Alex has a ceiling that’s as high as he wants it to be, and I’m excited for him to have that opportunity at Chestnut Hill.”
About Alex:
Favorite food: Anything chicken
Favorite movie: Sponge Bob
Favorite music: Pop
Wyatt Spinks – Chestnut Hill College (Baseball)
Major: Early Childhood Education
Final list of colleges: Chestnut Hill, Albright, Clarion
Reasons for choosing Chestnut Hill: “The community with the team and the program and the coach – they were all just great to me.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “I have been playing baseball since I was four or five years old. I kept playing, and as I got older, I knew I wanted to be more serious with it, so I took more time to work hard to get to where I wanted to be and play at the next level.”
Coach Brian Sinkiewicz says: “This was Wyatt’s first year as an everyday player. He was a returning varsity player. I told him from the beginning – ‘Listen, I’m going to need you to be our shortstop and our leadoff hitter,’ and he accepted that role. He had such a great year for us this year. He batted over .300. He was kind of like the sparkplug to our lineup and really got things going for us – when he went, we went. He was just such a gamer, and I couldn’t be happier for him with the season he had for us this year. He’s going to play at Chestnut Hill – middle infielder is what they’re looking at.”
Former coach Tim Monaghan says: “Wyatt Spinks is a three-year member of the varsity. He is like that thorn in your side for the opposition. He’s finding a way to get on base, to grind out an at-bat, to make a play he’s not supposed to, to get a hit he’s not supposed to. He’s extremely athletic and strong for a kid that’s his size. He’s smaller, but he plays bigger. He’s also like Alex – a little bit of humor, a little bit of an edge, keeping the guys loose, keeping the energy high. His speed, his defense, and his ability to be a really scrappy ballplayer – he kind of epitomizes what we want. When you’re developing players, you want a gritty, hard-nosed kid, and that’s Wyatt Spinks. Wyatt is a grinder, Wyatt is tough, Wyatt is physical, and because of all those attributes, he’s going to go on and create opportunities for himself. He’s also going to Chestnut Hill. Will Brennan is there as well, so the three of them are going to be there together. It’s cool we have a relationship with that school. If Wyatt continues to work hard and continues to be the type of players he is, he’ll carve out a role for himself there. He’s a very confident kid, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
About Wyatt:
Favorite food: Mac ‘n Cheese
Favorite TV show: The Walking Dead
Favorite music: Pop
Bradley Allen and Colin Poremba will both be bowling at the collegiate level. Allen was also a member of the baseball team. To see their complete signing article, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/college-signings/content/truman-duo-will-bowl-midway-university-00107304
Bradley Allen- Midway University (Bowling)
Coach Brian Sinkiewicz says: “Bradley was one of the best teammates we had on our team. He pitched in a couple of spots for us, but the biggest part for Bradley – he was such a big part of keeping our team in check. His younger brother, Austin Allen, was one of our freshman pitchers, and Bradley was so valuable in so many different ways for our team. I told him all the time that I thought he was one of the most important people on our team. He kept everyone loose. He was such a great presence on and off the field for us.”
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