Mutz, Arbogast ready for big weekend
The way Brian Fili sees it, Strath Haen’s Brady Mutz and Penncrest’s Matt Arbogast are about to enjoy the experience of a lifetime when they take part in the sixth Big 26 Baseball Classic next month at FBN Field in Harrisburg.
The three-game series pits the top incoming seniors and juniors from Pennsylvania against the best from Maryland.
“It’s a great event,” said Fili, the head coach at Strath Haven and one of the assistants for the Pennsylvania squad. “It’s not like your average travel-ball or showcase event. It’s more about the team game than an individual showcase. The kids live in dorms for four days and get to know players from all around the state and from Maryland, too.”
The four-day event begins with a Buddy Challenger welcome picnic and game on Thurs., July 19 at 5:15 p.m. There is a skills session for college and pro scouts the next morning followed by games Friday night, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Each game lasts nine innings and every player on both teams are required to play a minimum of three innings in each game. Pennsylvania leads the series, 3-2.
“Each player is assigned a buddy, someone with special needs, who goes up with them when they’re introduced,” Fili said. “It’s a big league weekend for these kids. When they walk into the locker room their uniforms are hanging under their nameplates. It’s really special.”
Mutz, a catcher, and Arbogast, a shortstop, earned their spots on the roster through a tryout session that was held June 3 at Lebanon Valley College.
Mutz earned firstteam All-Central League honors after batting .391 with 20 RBIs and 10 runs scored. He had 27 hits, including four doubles and a triple.
Arbogast batted .369 for the Lions with a .468 on-base average and .600 slugging percentage to earn honorable mention All-Central League honors. He led the team with 24 RBIs and also had four doubles, four triples, one home run and seven stolen bases. He also was 1-for-2 with an RBI for Delco in the Carpenter Cup. He also plays basketball and soccer.
“We had 11 catchers try out and Brady stood out,” Fili said. “We have three catchers so each one will catch three innings in each game on a rotation basis. One will start one game, play the middle three innings once and the last three innings once. That way, each of them get to start. It’s a little different with outfielders and infielders because we have two at each position so they may play a little longer. And then we have rules for pitching, too.
“That’s what makes it such a great event. Every kid plays in every game. If more people came to see it, they would see just how great it is. I’ve had a couple of kids from Strath Haven play in it and they rave about it. Kevin Molhollen (2014 Daily Times Player of the Year) comes back every year. Marple Newtown’s Luke Cantwell played in it and loved it. The kids who play in it become good friends and stay in touch with each other.