Boys athlete of the week
The Post-Gazette’s top male performer for the past seven days
The past week: Stern pitched five scoreless innings and went 2 for 3 with two RBIs to help Montour to a 10- 0, six- inning victory against Ambridge in the Spartans’ Class 4A Section 1 opener on Monday
Check this out: Stern, a senior and Washington & Jefferson recruit, has been the winning pitcher in three of the undefeated Spartans’ six victories this season and has a 1.02 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 13⅔ innings. He’s also been one of the team’s top hitters with an average of .438 (7 of 17) and six RBIs. He was a key member of the Montour state championship team last season and played a key role in its come- from- behind win against Holy Ghost Prep in the final. What made you decide on Washington & Jefferson? The campus was just really nice and the coaches were really easy to talk to. They showed that they cared about you.
You play both, but what do you prefer, pitcher or center fielder? I like the outfield, but I like pitching also. So I guess pitching. I like controlling the game.
What does that feel like, having that kind of control on the mound? I like to determine how the game plays out and the pace and how the team does. Everything starts with you. With that in mind, what do you think of the new pitch clock rule in Major League
Baseball? It’s definitely different. I personally don’t like it because I think it changes the timeless aspect of the game.
What would go through your mind if you were on a pitch clock? Just pick up the pace. You still control the game. I know you’re on a count, but you’d have to use the clock to your advantage and just keep the hitters on their toes.
What is your strength as a pitcher? I think my fastball has been working really well this year so far. And I do like to control the pace. I can take my time. How has this been coming in as the defending state
champions? It’s been awesome. We’ve got a huge target on our back and everyone wants to beat us. That makes every win feel a lot better.
What do you like to do when you’re not playing baseball? I don’t mind a little hoops. I like to play some pick-up basketball outside with friends. What’s one food you can’t live without? Steak is a big one for me. I like Longhorn, and Texas Roadhouse is pretty good. Are you streaming anything? Not right now. I’ve just been working on baseball and I haven’t really had a lot of time to just sit back and relax. What’s something people don’t know about you? I didn’t learn to swim until I was 12.