close

Summer sizzle on the diamond

2 min read
1 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Abe Addler lugs his equipment to the next station during drills at the Mt. Lebanon baseball youth camp.

2 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Mt. Lebanon Assistant Coach Brandon Whitfield indicates that Tyler Brasacchio, 8, is out at the plate while opposing players celebrate the call during scrimmage action.

3 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Jameson O’Rourke, 8, makes a diving catch during a drill.

4 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Players watch as Basil Teodori attempts to catch the ball during a flip-toss drill.

5 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ takes questions from players at the Mt. Lebanon youth baseball camp earlier this summer. Happ, who played high school baseball for the Blue Devils, was recently named to the MLB all-star roster. In November, he will be inducted into the Cape Cod Summer League Hall of Fame.

6 / 11

Players look for the call at third base during scrimmage action.

7 / 11

Benjamin Petrie keeps his eye focused on first base as he readies to unleash a throw to get the runner out during scrimmage action.

8 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Luca Gides, 9, takes a sip of water while Cash Dentice, 9, examines his bat during a break in the action.

9 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Mt. Lebanon baseball campers await the arrival of Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ.

10 / 11

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Finn Darcy, 11, works on his fielding skills during a ground ball drill.

11 / 11

Teammates watch as Tyler Brasacchio, 8, fouls off a pitch during an at bat in scrimmage action.

Eighty-four baseball enthusiasts in grades two through seven participated in the Mt. Lebanon youth baseball camp held at Mellon Middle School field.

High school varsity Coach Patt McCloskey and his staff and players from the WPIAL Class 6A championship club led the instruction.

Typically, Mt. Lebanon offers a two-month hitting camp at its indoor facility during the winter months.

“This was something new,” said McCloskey. “The first summer camp we’ve done in a decade.”

In addition to hitting and fielding drills, the campers were treated to a guest appearance by Ian Happ. The former Blue Devils is an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs.

“The camp was a great success because we had some amazing parents that organized all of the logistics in a very short period of time,” McCloskey said. “We hoped the campers had a great time, and really got to enjoy working with the varsity players while practicing a wide range of baseball skills.”

McCloskey’s varsity assistant coach, Brandon Whitfield, appeared to have as much fun as the campers during the three-day event.

“I absolutely love doing this with the kids. I had a blast. Hopefully they did too,” said Whitfield.

Whitfield admits his passion is working with the young people, not just athletes. When he isn’t coaching, he serves as an assistant principal at Baldwin High School.

“Giving back to the community and seeing these kids have fun learning is second to nothing,” Whitfield enthused.

“This was a great time. The camp was awesome,” he added.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today