Western Wayne baseball team poised to make a run in Lackawanna League action

VARDEN — Western Wayne’s varsity baseball team has taken its fans on a little bit of a rollercoaster ride to this point in the season.

Heading into a crucial week of Lackawanna League action, the Wildcats’ overall record stands at 4-6. Coach John Boandl’s squad is a game below .500 in divisional play and currently sitting fifth in the District 2 Class 4A power rankings.

“We’re playing good defense right now,” Boandl said. “And we’re just a couple of timely hits away from being 6-4. We’re definitely in the mix, so we’ll just keep grinding and trying to get better every day.”

Weather permitting, Western Wayne is scheduled to play three times this week.

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The Wildcats will be at Old Forge on Monday, then host home games against Riverside on Wednesday and Old Forge on Friday.

First pitch for all Lackawanna League contests is set for 4:30 p.m.

On-field leadership

Any conversation about this year’s squad must begin with the captains.

Ethan Lamberton, Lance Maiocco and Ethan Grodack are all battle-tested veterans and each brings a unique skill set to the baseball diamond.

Lamberton is a junior catcher who’s a defensive asset behind the dish. He blocks balls in the dirt, frames pitches well and has a great rapport with his staff. However, it’s the way he’s swinging the bat right now that is raising eyebrows around the league.

Heading into this crucial week of action, Lamberton is batting .400 with seven runs scored and six RBIs. He also has three doubles and a triple while hitting in the five-hole.

“Ethan is just killing it at the plate,” Boandl said. “He has developed into a power hitter who uses the entire field. Ethan can drive the ball just as well to right field as he does to left field.”

Maiocco is a versatile junior who pitches and plays the outfield. On the mound, the savvy southpaw is currently 1-1 with a total of 18 strikeouts. At the plate, he’s batting .321 while leading the team in hits and triples.

“Lance is really starting to come into his own as a pitcher and as a hitter,” Boandl said. “He’s a leader and great competitor. Lance has a pretty swing and is the most reliable player we have in our line-up.”

Grodack is a talented multi-sport athlete who also excels on the football field. This spring, he’s putting together a solid senior season both on the hill and at the plate.

Through 10 games, Grodack is leading the team with eight runs scored. He’s also shown flashes of power by belting three doubles and a triple. On the hill, Grodack leads the team in ERA (3.35) and strikeouts (25).

“Ethan is a true power pitcher who features a good fastball and nasty slider,” Boandl said. “He’s a great kid and leader as well. We put a lot on his shoulders and things are really starting to click for him.”

In addition to the three captains, Western Wayne is receiving key contributions from Frankie Leyshon and Damion Glackin as well.

Leyshon is a senior who’s also been the starting varsity quarterback for the past three years. This spring, he’s playing left field and chipping in with solid at-bats in the lower half of the order.

“The younger kids really look up to Frankie,” Boandl said. “He’s always very positive and sets a great example for his teammates both on and off the field.”

Glackin has been nothing short of a revelation this year. Just a freshman, he quickly won the starting nod at shortstop and is also recording valuable innings on the mound.

Through the first 10 games of what promises to be a stellar varsity career, Glackin is batting .320 with a team-best nine RBIs.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Boandl said. “The only question I had about Damion coming in was how tough he’d be mentally. But, he’s definitely risen to the challenge.

“Damion does everything well. He has quick hands, good range and a great arm. As a pitcher, he locates his fastball really well and has a breaking ball that he’s not afraid to throw in any count.”

An epic victory

Without question, the biggest win Western Wayne has on its 2024 resume so far came in a non-league encounter with Lake Lehman.

The two teams battled deep into extra innings before the Wildcats finally emerged with a hard-fought 12-11 victory.

“The kids just never quit,” Boandl said. “We were down three different times in the sixth, eighth and ninth, but they just kept fighting back every time. It was a great win.”

Glackin led the offensive assault in this one, banging out three hits and collecting six RBIs. Grodack went 2-for-4 with a couple of walks and four runs scored, while sophomore third baseman Alex DeCandis lashed three hits and drove in two.

Glackin was the starting pitcher. He worked three innings before handing the ball off to reliever Mike Durso. Junior right-hander Jamal Benedict eventually earned the win, going three innings and fanning four.

It was the kind of victory that has Boandl optimistic about the rest of the season.

“Our goals from here on out are to keep being competitive and keep improving,” he said. “This is such a great group of young men. I love being around them and working with them every day.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Western Wayne baseball team set for crucial Lackawanna League contests