WPIAL baseball: Butler soaking in every moment ahead of massive Class 6A title clash vs North Allegheny
Even 25 hours before first pitch of its biggest game in recent memory, Butler’s baseball team carried on with a certain measure of mindfulness.
The top-seeded Golden Tornado (19-3), headed into Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 6A title game focused solely on the Pullman Park field sprawled in front of them before Tuesday’s afternoon’s tune-up.
“My main focus right now is just living in the moment,” Butler coach Josh Forbes said. “We’re gonna get to it, and that’s the message that we’ve been preaching all year is like, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna look forward.’ Because the future creates anxiety, and the more you look forward and the more anxious you get, sometimes the worse you end up performing.
“If we just continue to do what we’re doing in the moment — right now, it’s we’re gonna have a really good practice.”
Butler has won a dozen straight, with its last loss coming against fellow finalist, No. 3 North Allegheny, on April 10. The last time the program played for a WPIAL championship was in 1992, with future big league pitcher and Golden Tornado boys basketball coach Matt Clement stationed at third base.
“I’ve always tried to just live in the moment,” said senior catcher and Pitt commit Mavrik Clement, Matt’s son. “Just do what I need to do to get the job done.”
While preparing his team to attempt to win the school’s first baseball district crown, Forbes has been adjusting to becoming a parent. His wife, Holly, delivered their son, Roman Isaiah, Friday at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. The Golden Tornado’s youngest fan will be in the crowd when Forbes leads his cast at EQT Park in Washington.
“I know that’s kind of crazy, five days out of the womb to come to an environment like that, but my wife is the athletic trainer for the team,” Forbes said. “She’s obviously not gonna be able to go and work ... but she’s been with us and with these boys and with me through the thick of (everything).”
The Tigers will get off the bus by way of wins over No. 6 Hempfield and No. 2 Canon-McMillan. North Allegheny has a league-leading nine crowns.
“Since they’re the evil empire of the whole WPIAL and basically every program that they have is really, really talented, it still gives us that, ‘Hey, nobody expects us to be here, nobody thinks that we’re gonna win still,’” Forbes said.
Of course, having a pair of aces in its corner helps Butler. Seniors Nolan Stefaniak and Kyle Casteel, respectively pledged to Penn State and West Virginia, have combined to go 10-1 on the campaign. Stefaniak, who’s slated to start on the mound, hasn’t allowed an earned run in 35.2 innings pitched.
“I have confidence in both of them for them to do their jobs,” Clement said. “They’ve done it all season. There’s nothing to change.”
With the trio of Division I talents, and a shortstop in Boden Lenyk who’s headed to Division II South Carolina-Aiken, the Golden Tornado have had a target on their backs all season.
“If there’s expectations, that’s great,” Forbes said. “We expect there to be expectations, and that’s when it’s the most fun. ... Just because if there’s things expected of you, then that means you’re doing something right.”
