SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of May 7, 2015)
The scene is a familiar one to fans of Hatboro-Horsham softball. Jaynie Black, occupying a seat on a ball bucket near her team’s on-deck circle, alternately shouts encouragement and advice to players at the plate and on the base paths. “No one better,” Black shouts. “You’ve got this. Confidence.” And then to a player who doesn’t slide on a close play at third base, “You’ve got to be down on that one.” To even a casual observer, it’s clear that Black falls comfortably into her role of captain and takes seriously her responsibility to offer guidance to a young squad. “It’s really great to see these older kids when they accept the younger kids,” coach Joe DiFilippo said. “I have a pretty young team this year, and both Jaynie and Jen (Cader) make it so easy for these young kids to come up. I put enough pressure on the kids – it’s good to have someone who is on an even keel.”
Black, it turns out, hasn’t forgotten what it was like to be a rookie on a Hatter squad that captured the state title the preceding year. “Our program has always been so strong, so there are huge expectations coming in,” she said. “I definitely know the stress of coming in. We just try to calm them down and tell them it’s just a game – it’s easier when you play loose.” Black has been golden at second base for the Hatters, but with holes to fill at the start of the season, DiFilippo plugged his senior captain in at third base. Although Black was rock solid, the Hatters’ coach decided to move her back to second after several games. “She’s just too good up the middle, so I had to put her back to second base,” DiFilippo said.
Black has been playing softball for as long as she can remember, and her reasons for loving the sport speak volumes about the senior captain. “It’s such a team game – you can’t play it by yourself,” she said. “You get so invested in your teammates. I don’t know. I just love it.”
Off the softball diamond, Black, who has taken several AP classes, also excels in the classroom. She is a member of the National Society and is also on the Advisory Board for her senior class. She is a member of the newly formed Link Club, which helps incoming freshmen adjust to high school life.
Black will continue her softball career at Millersville University. Before then, she will play for the Thunderbirds this summer where DiFilippo also is her coach. According to Thunderbird teammate Morgan Yoder, catcher for archrival Souderton, she brings the same traits to her summer team that she brings to the Hatters. “She’s a very positive person,” Yoder said. “I hear her on the field and bench non-stop cheering for our team. If you ever make an error or don’t have a good at-bat, she’s the first person to come up to you and pick you up.”
To read Black’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/jaynie-black-0053428
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 7, 2015)
Getting injured can be an unfortunate part of the game. In baseball, besides pitchers experiencing arm problems, a catcher is probably the most likely to get hurt, given the nature of the position. There’s the constant squatting behind the plate, the foul tip that strikes the throwing hand, the wear-and-tear of the up-and-down body movement, the countless throws back to the mound and putting extra steam on the ball to gun down baserunners. More obviously, there’s the threat of home-plate collisions. But Sam Pfleger’s injury – rather, injuries – occurred not in a game and not while trying to stop a baserunner flying down the line from third base from scoring. It happened during batting practice. He fell into a BP screen behind the plate, and to call it unfortunate is a gross understatement. The Council Rock North senior backup catcher was participating in a college showcase at the University of Delaware last summer, hoping to attract some interest form college coaches. “My team was shagging balls,” Pfleger said, “and a teammate threw a ball over my head.” Pfleger landed on one of the legs holding up the screen, and the damage to his body was severe. Basically, he suffered a broken left leg (a closed fracture of the left fibula), and a badly sprained right ankle with collateral damage (a full rupture of the anterior talofibular ligaments).
It happened on July 25, 2014. After two surgeries, 10 weeks in a wheelchair, and extensive, painful rehabilitation, to see him in uniform this season and able to play for Council Rock North is a testament to his heart and determination. Pfleger loves baseball and his Council Rock North team. And his senior year is so precious. So it was simple for him. He had no doubts he would be back. “I knew I was going to be back out on the field with my brothers,” he said. “That’s all that mattered. I wanted to be out there playing with my friends.” He credits his teammates and coaches for lifting his spirits early on and strengthening his resolve to recover in time for his senior season. The visits to his home by coach Matt Schram and the team meant everything to Pfleger. “At first, I didn’t really show it,” he said. “But I was really discouraged, but my coaches and teammates were determined to help me out, help me get back out on the field, and that helped me so much.”
“He’s a great kid,” said Schram. “The guys love him. He’s an inspiration. The severity of his injury is something few people have experienced.” Pfleger’s first surgery was August 1 to insert a plate and screws in his left leg. A second surgery on September 26 was done to remove the screw that reattached his left ankle to his leg. The plate remains. Pfleger endured six months of intense physical therapy. “I had a few setbacks, but I was able to get where I needed to be right before the season,” Pfleger said.
An excellent student, Pfleger will attend Bloomsburg University and plans to pursue a dual major in secondary education and math/special education. He still hopes to play baseball as a walk-on.
To view Pfleger’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/sam-pfleger-0053427
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