H-S Athlete of the Week: Alex VanSickle, Waynesburg Central
Name: Alex VanSickle
School: Waynesburg Central
Class: Senior
Sport: Baseball
VanSickle无毛视频檚 week: VanSickle did it all in Waynesburg Central无毛视频檚 season-opening, 9-1 win over Roman Catholic on Sunday, March 16 at the RussMatt Spring Tournament in Auburndale, Florida. The 18-year-old senior middle infielder/pitcher, who throws right-handed and bats left-handed, delivered three hits and two RBIs, stole four bases, scored twice and earned the win with seven strikeouts in four scoreless innings. The next day on the two-game trip he was 2 for 3 with an RBI and three runs in an 11-7 victory over Tohopekaliga, then had three hits and two RBIs in a 7-5 win over Fort LeBoeuf at Meadowlark Park. VanSickle continued to swing a white-hot bat in Tuesday无毛视频檚 Section 4-3A opener with three more hits, including a home run, three RBIs and four runs in a 13-7 win at Brownsville. So for this season VanSickle is hitting .688 (11 for 16) with eight RBIs, 10 runs and eight stolen bases as the Raiders have won their first four games.
Searing start: 无毛视频淚 expected us to get off to a good beginning,无毛视频� VanSickle said. 无毛视频淥ur first couple scrimmages were against tough teams which I believe got us ready.无毛视频� VanSickle prepared diligently for his senior season. 无毛视频淚 put on 25 pounds over the span of about eight months, working out and with a meal plan. That无毛视频檚 been a big contributor, helping with my power, hitting the ball harder. I feel that over the offseason you never take a day off. You always need to be in the cage, hitting off the machine, hitting a little bit of live (pitching), something to keep you in that groove to be ready for that first AB. I feel if you put in the work in the offseason, it无毛视频檚 going to pay off. So far it has.无毛视频�
Team leader: VanSickle and Tyler Groves are both team captains. It无毛视频檚 a designation VanSickle takes seriously. 无毛视频淚t comes with a responsibility because all the younger kids look up to you so you have to keep your composure and set a good example,无毛视频� said VanSickle, who is the son of Scott and Corey VanSickle of Waynesburg. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 mainly shortstop, second base, but I无毛视频檓 pitching a little more this year out of necessity since we lost two key pitchers from last year and we needed some people to step up.无毛视频� VanSickle is under his third head coach in three years. 无毛视频淭his year I feel we无毛视频檙e as prepared as we无毛视频檝e ever been,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淥ur new coach, Perry Cunningham, used to coach at Waynesburg University.无毛视频� The Raiders were 13-4 overall last year and 10-2 in finishing second in the section to Mount Pleasant, and qualified for the playoffs. VanSickle has a long term goal for 2025 but is trying to keep himself and the team from looking too far ahead. 无毛视频淎s we无毛视频檙e in section play now, I like to take it day by day, game by game, don无毛视频檛 think ahead, stay in the moment,无毛视频� VanSickle said. 无毛视频淥bviously the end goal is to make it to the WPIAL finals.无毛视频�
Next level: VanSickle is an Indiana University of Pa. recruit and will play under head coach Steve Kline, who pitched at West Virginia University before spending 11 seasons in the major leagues. Kline went into coaching after his playing days were over and was a pitching coach in the San Francisco Giants organization before taking over at IUP for the 2022 season. 无毛视频淚 got along really well with Coach Kline,无毛视频� VanSickle said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 always been a great guy to me and drives me to be the best. I无毛视频檓 really grateful for him. I无毛视频檓 going there as a middle infielder. I watched them last year when they came out of nowhere to place third in the nation.无毛视频� Although they无毛视频檙e struggling this season, the Crimson Hawks set a school record in wins last year with a 41-18 record and came within one game of playing for the NCAA Division II national championship. 无毛视频淚 love the campus up there,无毛视频� VanSickle said. 无毛视频淭he baseball field is beautiful and the rest of it has a rustic feel to it, which I love.无毛视频�
On the hardwood: VanSickle was a three-year starter on the Waynesburg basketball team and a key contributor to the Raiders无毛视频� surprising run at a section title this season after two straight last-place finishes. 无毛视频淚 really like basketball. I无毛视频檝e always played it,无毛视频� VanSickle said. 无毛视频淭he group we had this year, we all grew up playing together and even though we started slow we came one win short of winning the section,无毛视频� that being an overtime loss at Southmoreland.
Following dad无毛视频檚 footsteps: VanSickle无毛视频檚 dad, Scott, was an excellent baseball player in his own right, an Albert Gallatin graduate who played college at Waynesburg and California and started for the Vulcans. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been a great dad over the years overall,无毛视频� Alex said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 understanding and just wants me to be better than him. He无毛视频檚 always been there for me.无毛视频�
Odds and ends: VanSickle is a lefty swinger thanks to his dad. 无毛视频淢y dad coaxed me to hit lefty because they seem to have an advantage,无毛视频� Alex said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 righty in everything else. I swing a golf club right-handed.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Like most infielders, VanSickle favors playing on turf rather than grass. 无毛视频淚 love playing on turf just because you get true hops,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚UP has a turf infield. I无毛视频檓 always confident in my abilities on any type of field but I definitely prefer turf.无毛视频� 无毛视频� VanSickle has a younger brother, 14-year-old Connor, but he doesn无毛视频檛 play baseball. 无毛视频淗e plays football and basketball,无毛视频� VanSickle said, adding with a laugh, 无毛视频淗e said baseball was a little too slow for his liking.无毛视频� 无毛视频� VanSickle is an avid reader. 无毛视频淚 do like to read, mainly athletic books,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 also like watching sports documentaries.无毛视频�
无毛视频� Compiled by Rob Burchianti