DISTRICT 2 BASEBALL: Condeelis is Scranton Prep's latest middle man

It started with Vince Cimini going to Boston College and Noah Granet heading to Princeton.

Then, Noah Sorensen went to the University of Connecticut before transferring to Long Island University.

Now, Zander Condeelis continues the tradition. The Canisius-bound senior is the fourth middle infielder from Scranton Prep in recent years to head to a Division I college.

“Vince and Noah kind of led the charge and were able to work with Noah, who was able to work with Xander,” Cavaliers coach Mark Seitzinger said. “They kind of all fed off each other and it just festered down through for us.”

Seitzinger said there is no secret formula to it. He and his coaching staff gave them drills to help the players improve. But it was up to the players to make it happen and they did.

“Those guys came every day, worked hard and did what they had to do,” Seitzinger said.

“We tell the kids all the time, ‘If you want something, you’ve got to go get it.’ Xander wanted it and has worked really, really hard to attain that. College coaches don’t come out to high school baseball games anymore. So it’s the work he did in the summers to get faster and stronger and put himself in position to be noticed and seen.”

Between playing for Scranton Prep and summer ball with the Northeast Pride, Condeelis is proud of the work and effort he has put in to get to this point in his career.

“Strength has been the biggest thing for me,” Condeelis said. “I’m not the biggest kid on the field, so the past two years I’ve worked consistently on strength, hitting the weight room and flexibility.

“My hitting, I’m not going to hit home runs every time, so I’m just looking to find barrels, get on base and use my speed to steal a base and get in scoring position. Fielding has just been an arm strength thing. I’ve always felt confident in my fielding. Yeah, you’re going to get eaten up by bad hops here and there. But I was just more strengthening my arm to get (the throw) across the diamond and just stay consistent.”

Condeelis admits he felt a little bit of pressure in his junior year when he took over after Sorensen graduated. Not only was he trying to continue the middle infield legacy at Scranton Prep, he was following in the footsteps of his older brother.

Rich Condeelis was a standout at Tunkhannock High School and the University of Pittsburgh who was drafted in 2015 by the Minnesota Twins in the 36th round. He spent one season with the Twins’ rookie affiliate in the Gulf Coast League, pitching in 12 games.

“I was just trying to fit that same role that Noah did. Be the leader, be the energizer,” Condeelis said. “This year, we have such a good team that I didn’t really have to take the role where I had to be the best player every day. That was really important.”

As Scranton Prep’s leadoff batter, Condeelis is batting .325 (26 for 80) with five doubles, one triple, 27 runs and seven RBIs.

More than anything, though, Seitzinger said it is Condeelis’ intangibles that set him apart.

“He’s got speed, he’s got a good arm, he’s got a good glove,” Seitzinger said. “He’s a threat to run every time he gets on base. The physical skills are all there. But the No. 1 thing for me is the attitude and confidence he has. He’s just a straight-up competitor.”

Living in Mehoopany, Condeelis travels one hour each way every day to go to Scranton Prep. He wakes up around 6 a.m., heads to school, goes to practice, gets home around 6 p.m., lifts, eats dinner and does schoolwork. Then does it again the next day.

“It was definitely tough in the beginning, especially when I started driving. You get tired,” Condeelis said. “But I’ve kind of got into a repetition thing. It’s all been worth it, especially with the academics. It definitely helped me with college.”

Winning a district title would make it even more worth it.

On Sunday at 6 p.m. at PNC Field, Scranton Prep faces Dallas in the District 2 Class 4A championship game. In recent years, the Cavaliers have reached the final (2019, 2021, 2022), only to come up short each time.

However, riding a five-game winning streak, Condeelis feels he and his teammates are peaking at the right time.

“We have to hit early and get on the board early,” Condeelis said. “We’ve kind of struggled with getting on the board early. Our bats heat up later in the game, but that’s not always very helpful. It puts a lot of pressure on your pitchers. I feel like if we could put up three or four (runs) in the first two innings, then let our pitchers work with some confidence.

“We’re all digging deep and striving for something we all think we’re capable of. I’ve been part of district losses every year. I really want that gold medal instead of silver again.”

The Scranton Prep-Dallas final kicks off three days of district championship games at PNC Field.

Three games are scheduled for Monday. At noon, MMI Prep faces Susquehanna in the Class 1A final. Mountain View meets Elk Lake at 2:30 p.m. in the Class 2A final. At 6 p.m., Hazleton Area faces Williamsport in the Class 6A subregional final. All three games are rematches from last year.

Two games are on tap Tuesday. Mid Valley takes on Holy Redeemer in the Class 3A final at 3:30 p.m. Pittston Area plays Selinsgrove in the Class 5A subregional final at 6 p.m.