Stanger goes on a tear this summer at plate
EVANS CITY — Matt Stanger was hoping to pick things up on offense over the summer.
Did he ever.
Playing for the Renegades Elite 17U travel baseball team, Stanger, an incoming senior at Seneca Valley, had already been hitting the ball well before traveling to Georgia for the recent 2019 National Championships.
Starting all seven of his team's games at catcher, Stanger caught fire at the plate, batting .647 (11-for-17). His slugging percentage ballooned to .941 with three doubles and a triple.
None of Stanger's teammates hit better than .412. He was named to the tournament's first team for his efforts.
“I struggled during the high school season. It was my confidence more than anything,” Stanger said. “But I'd been hitting the ball well all summer, started off hot in Georgia and it just continued. I've had better approaches at the plate.”
The championship tournament included teams from all over the country. The Renegades went 3-4 and did not advance out of pool play, but not for lack of effort from Stanger, who faced a high-caliber of pitching.
“There was one kid who threw sidearm and that was different,” he said. “Another pitcher hit 93 (mph) and all of them had good off-speed stuff.
“I batted fourth in our lineup the whole time. It's nice to have some guys batting in front of you because it allows you to see what a pitcher has. I just try to hit the ball hard every time. If you do that, good things will happen.”
Stanger has played travel ball since his elementary school days. He competed in this same tournament last year for a 16U team.
“I did ok, but not nearly as well as this year,” he said.
The Renegades include players from WPIAL schools, including Bethel Park, Peters Township and Mt. Lebanon, among others. The team's season is now over, but Stanger's effort this summer could very well pave the way toward his ultimate goal of playing Division I college baseball. He most certainly caught the attention of some college coaches, the tournament in Georgia had plenty in attendance.
“It can be difficult to keep up with baseball with football coming up and lifting weights,” said Stanger, a running back for the Raiders. “But this definitely gives me confidence entering my senior year.”
