2 weeks Ago By Steve Bennett
If Paul Zaffuto heard it once, he heard it a thousand times. The scouting report from the local Little League community about the 10-year-old who someday was going to make a difference and lead the high school program to glory. “I was following this kid from Little League when he was a man among boys,” the Pittston Area high school baseball coach said.
“Two or three years ago we had no pitching whatsoever. I couldn’t wait to get anybody, let alone a guy like that.” Meet Pittston Area’s Elijah Barr, a 6-foot-5 flame-throwing right-hander who took the Wyoming Valley Conference by storm as a freshman, battled an injury last year as a sophomore and is now ready, along with his 93-mph fastball and four-pitch arsenal, to make up for what proved to be a miserable sophomore season.
“His freshman year he had a good showing,” Zaffuto said. “Last year the injury set him back. He is at full capacity now.
” Barr came as advertised. As a 14-year-old freshman he worked his way to being the staff ace. He pitched in the district semifinals and bounced back four days later to pitch in the championship game.
“The first couple of games I was nervous, but I settled in quick,” Barr said. “I was 14 years old my whole freshman year. I remember we played Abington Heights.
We were down, 3-2, and I came in and finished the game out. I didn’t allow any runs and we won the game. That settled me in.
” Winning is all that matters to Barr. Whether it’s as a starter or reliever or shortstop, as long as the Patriots are winning, that is all Barr cares about. Last season, a left knee injury limited Barr’s time on the field.
He had a tear in his patella tendon. Surgery was not necessary, but he needed injections and time to recover. That cost him almost two months.
He came back briefly, but was not the Elijah Barr anyone expected, specifically himself. Once the high school season was over, he played with the Sandlot Baseball Academy. From there, he connected with the Ohio Warhawks, an organization that travels to all the major summer tournaments.
“I really got back into baseball last June,” Barr said. “A scout saw me play and told them to give me a shot. There are kids from all over the country on the team.
We all train together for about three or four weeks and then we go to tournaments in Florida and Georgia, pretty much all over.” It was last summer while playing with the Warhawks when Barr hit the magic number of 90 mph on the radar gun. His previous high was 89 mph, but once that extra tick clocks in it was like reaching a whole different level.
“It was a milestone to get, it felt good,” said Barr, who routinely sees scouts and recruiters behind backstops with radar guns each time he takes the mound. “I just get out there and block it out. I don’t try to overcompensate.
I just want to throw strikes and help the team win. If I start to worry about velocity the ball will go all over the place.” Though he has the ability to reach back and let a fastball fly, Barr generally goes with what is working.
Whether it’s his two-seam fastball, four-seam fastball, cutter, circle-change or curve, he is smart enough to realize that not all will be working on the same day. “My best pitch is the four-seam,” Barr said. “My cutter works well off that.
It’s almost like it’s the same pitch.” Barr is expected to be a big piece of the puzzle as Pittston Area tries to return to the district championship game. He’s not the only piece, however, as Zaffuto claims he can run 12 pitchers out, three of whom he characterizes as above-average high school arms.
For Barr, there will be more at stake. College recruiters will be on hand, pro scouts will more than likely appear when he takes the mound. He already has offers from the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State.
“He comes to practice every day and the kids are looking to him,” Zaffuto said. “He’s getting a lot of hype. He is going to go Division I, pro scouts are looking at him.
That’s a lot of weight to have to carry. He just turned 16. He’s still a boy, just a junior in high school.
I have to remember that when I’m talking to him.” What’s new The Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 will have a bit of a new look this year with the addition of Nanticoke Area and the subtraction of Tunkhannock Area, which drops to Division 2. The Trojans, who always seem to be the team to bounce between divisions, once again find themselves up with the big schools.
Nanticoke Area is going through a rebuilding phase within the program so don’t be surprised to see the Trojans take some lumps this year. Change has come Along with the divisional changes, the District 2 playoffs will look a little different for teams from the Wyoming Valley Conference. Class 6A: Still a subregional with the inclusion of Williamsport, joined by Delaware Valley, Scranton, Hazleton Area, Wilkes-Barre Area and Valley West.
Class 5A: Dallas moves up to Class 5A where it is joined by Pittston Area, Abington Heights, North Pocono, West Scranton and Wallenpaupack. Class 4A: Honesdale, Mid Valley, Scranton Prep, Valley View, Crestwood, Berwick, Wyoming Area, Nanticoke Area, Hanover Area and Tunkhannock. Class 3A: Riverside, Dunmore, Lakeland, Western Wayne, Lake-Lehman, Montrose and Carbondale Area.
Class 2A: Wyoming Seminary and Holy Redeemer have dropped down from 3A to join Elk Lake, Old Forge, Holy Cross, Blue Ridge, Mountain View and Lackawanna Trail. Class 1A: MMI Prep, Forest City and Susquehanna..
