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The New Lenox Patriot | July 19, 2018 | 45
NL baseball player takes full advantage of opportunity at St. Laurence
Alex Gasbarro earns
second team All-CCL
Blue as sophomore
Steve Millar
Freelance Reporter
Going into his sophomore
baseball season at St.
Laurence this spring, New
Lenox resident Alex Gasbarro
knew he had a chance
to play a big role in his first
year on the varsity team.
“I wasn’t sure exactly
how it’d play out, but early
on it was pretty clear to me
that I’d have an opportunity
to help the team,” he
said. “We lost a lot of seniors
from the 2017 team,
and I worked really hard
over the offseason to get
ready.”
Gasbarro was able to
work his way into becoming
an everyday player for
the Vikings, spending most
of his time at second base.
He hit .385 with one
home run and 17 RBIs and
was named second team
All-Catholic League Blue.
“We knew in order for
us to be successful this
year, we’d need some of
the young guys to step up,”
said St. Laurence coach
Pete Lotus, who also lives
in New Lenox. “Alex is one
of the guys who really came
through.
“With Alex, we always
knew that even if he wasn’t
hitting well at the time, he
was going to give us a good
at-bat every time he went up
there, and he was going to
help us defensively.”
Gasbarro had a fun time
along the way.
“The season was a blast
for me,” he said. “We had
a young team and people
didn’t expect a lot from us,
but we went out there and
competed and had a great
season.”
One of Gasbarro’s best
games came in the Class 4A
St. Laurence Regional final,
when he went 3-for-3 with
two RBIs in the Vikings’
10-2 win over crosstown rival
Reavis.
St. Laurence’s season
ended in the next game, an
18-5 loss to Mount Carmel
in a sectional semifinal, but
there were plenty of good
memories before that.
The Vikings finished
30-8 and won the Catholic
League Blue title.
“Winning the Catholic
Blue was awesome,” Gasbarro
said. “No one expected
it from us, but we
believed in ourselves. We
used people doubting us
as motivation. It felt great
to take that championship
home.”
Baseball has always been
a big part of Gasbarro’s life.
“I’ve been playing as long
as I remember,” he said. “I
have a lot of memories of
playing whiffle ball with
my family. It’s just something
we’ve always done.
I’ve always loved playing
baseball.”
Just by stepping onto the
field for the Vikings varsity
team, a longtime goal was
accomplished for Gasbarro,
who grew up cheering St.
Laurence on.
That may seem strange
for a kid from New Lenox
who would have went to
Lincoln-Way Central had
he went to a public school,
but Gasbarro’s longtime relationship
with Lotus made
him a Vikings fan.
“Coach Lotus has been
my hitting coach since I was
9 years old,” Gasbarro said.
“Watching his team, it was
always a dream of mine to
put on the St. Laurence cap.
“Then, when I got closer
to high school and visited
St. Laurence, I fell in love
with the school, too. It felt
like home.”
Lotus has watched as
Gasbarro has grown and
matured as a baseball player
New Lenox resident Alex Gasbarro was a key piece in St. Laurence’s 2018 campaign where the Vikings won a regional title
and finished with a 30-8 record. St. Laurence Sports Media
and as a person.
“He played baseball with
my daughter when they
were younger, and next
thing I know he’s taking
swings in my garage,” Lotus
said. “It’s been really
fun to see his progression
as player, just the way he
understands the game and
the intensity he plays with,
that’s fun to see in a sophomore.”
In many ways, Lotus said,
Gasbarro was far different
than most sophomores.
“Alex became a leader
on the field,” Lotus said.
“That’s tough to do as a
sophomore. A lot of younger
players are tentative and
don’t want to say much, but
Alex is the opposite of that.
“I’m really looking forward
to watching him continue
to grow these next
couple years.”
Gasbarro is confident that
this season will help him
greatly in the future.
“Playing in big games
against big opponents is
great experience,” he said.
“This past year was huge
for me. I know what it’s like
now and I know what kind
of work I need to continue
to put in.
“Working hard last summer
really helped me be
ready for this season, so I’m
going to work just as hard
this summer. I’m excited for
our team to come back and
have another great season
next year.”
RIGHT: The infielder hit
.385 with one home run
and 17 RBIs against tough
competition, which earned
him a second team All-CCL
Blue recognition. Photo
Submitted