Lockport Porters Baseball

These past few months have been quite exciting for residents and students of Lockport alike; it is baseball season, and the Lockport Baseball team is up to bat. With much to prove coming off of a great last season, the team has made a strong showing this year.

When I caught up with seniors Niko Mastoras, Jake Moerman, Caden Miller, and videographer Aaron Hubbard in the library for this article, I immediately noticed the calm atmosphere. Usually, I conduct my interviews from the sidelines just a few minutes before and after games, where there is heightened adrenaline and ample excitement. Although this interview was much more relaxed, each player sitting before me was eager to discuss the new season.

When I asked about the 21-22 season, along with standout players, the boys did not hesitate to name some of their former teammates, including Lucas Pajeau, Victor Izquierdo, Griffin Brown, and David Zaragoza. Along with those standout players, they highlighted some games, particularly the one against St. Laurence. Niko Mastoras— shortstop and right-hand pitcher— gave a shout-out to the excellent defense performed at the game.

"Everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing. Pitchers were pounding the zone, hitters were attacking the fastballs. We also had that lockdown defense," Mastoras explained.

In addition to noting LTHS's skilled playing against St. Laurence, Mastoras described the atmosphere. "There were around five hundred to six-hundred people there," Mastoras told me. "It was fun to play under the lights."

"Last year our strength was really our team bond," Jake Moerman, senior and outfielder, answered when I asked about the strengths and weaknesses of last year's season. "We all respected each other and had a lot of fun."

Senior Caden Miller, LTHS's catcher and corner, added to his teammates' sentiments by explaining, "Our competitiveness for sure; the coaches bring it up after every game. We had no quit."

The truth of Miller's sentiments is evident in LTHS's record of the 21-22 season being 38-4; the team exemplified that team effort.

In the current 22-23 season, the team has a record of 18-8. The players quickly pointed out that they could have played better baseball during some games. "We've done a great job coming off of a few games where we weren't playing well. Everybody has really stepped up," Mastoras explained.

The teammates acknowledged those stumbles, and now they continue to go forward. Moerman added more to that idea, "It was rough at the beginning, but the seniors have become better leaders." Some seniors mentioned were Anthony Martinez, Joey Manzo, and Anthony Francone, who continue to perform well for the team.

Not only have the seniors stepped up, but some of the younger players too. Miller mentioned how younger players are making their mark on the legacy of the Lockport Boys Baseball team. "A few games we've had Joey Dalponte and Matt Fox, who is one of our pitchers, play very well in the last outing. Hopefully, we get more of that soon."

The players mentioned that the leadership within the team comes from the example set by the coaches. "The reason we are good on the field is because they have trained us so well," Moerman explained. "They expect a lot out of us, but we have gotten close with them the past couple of years that we have been on varsity. They have become our leaders and role models."

Miller said, "The coaches are really hard on us to make sure that we are our best. That only happens when we buy-in, and during our toughest moments, we come together and get it done."

"None of this would be possible without the coaching staff," Mastoras explained. Although he clearly admires the entire coaching staff, he credits one coach in particular with creating waves within the team, Coach Malinowski. "Especially Coach Malinowski, he runs the show. His baseball IQ is the reason why our program is the way that it is. He cares about every single one of us."

Each player sitting in front of me had nothing but praise for their coaches and credited them with where they, and the team, are today.

During the talk about this current season, Aaron Hubbard offered an interesting point of view. He is one of the lead media specialists, along with senior Matt Kajmowicz, and he celebrates the wins and overcomes the losses on the sidelines. "It is cool to watch the team as a fan. They are overall just great people, and these seniors are leaders on this team and for the program. They teach them the importance and expectations of what it is to be a Lockport Baseball player."

Kajmowicz also has a great appreciation for this team and enjoys documenting the games on the sidelines. He explained to me that even though this season has been unexpected at times with some injuries, he still believes in them one hundred percent. “Anthony Martinez told me that he would like to see this team get us back to state,” Kajmowicz said. “I am nothing but confident in them.”

When I asked the players about the media content and what it was like to have that sort of coverage behind the scenes, they all agreed that while it is invaluable, they always try to stay focused on the game. "It's more than just the social media side of things," Mastoras explained. "I mean, we have Hubbard over here who goes out of his way to record our events. They do a lot of stuff for us but come game time, we have to block all of that outside noise out."

Hubbard continued, "The media that Matt and I do is unlike any other school out there, but sometimes that spotlight on the players can be distracting. What I have learned about being a Lockport Porter is that there is always a target on our backs.” Hubbard explained that even though the media days add that pressure onto the team, it is nothing new to them.

It has been quite the season this year, and the community of Lockport is eager to see LTHS baseball finish it out. Despite the spotlight placed on this team day in and day out, these players handle it respectfully, and, as Hubbard mentioned earlier, they indeed show what it means to be part of the Lockport Boys Baseball Team.

"It's setting those expectations of those who came before us," Mastoras told me. "Our coaches tell us to always represent the program in a first-class manner, and that is what we do. That is why Lockport Porter Baseball is the way it is."

See the guys in action:

https://drive.google.com/file/...