All-Delco Baseball: Challenge to defend title only motivation Mathes needed

NEWTOWN TWP. — Alden Mathes never let success go to his head.

Whether it was winning a Babe Ruth World Series with Broomall-Newtown back in 2014, or helping Marple Newtown capture Delaware County’s first PIAA baseball title a year ago, Mathes never rested on his laurels.

Being “the man” in 2019 on a team that won it all the year before can be burdensome for some players. Mathes was known for his excellence as a pitcher and center fielder, a dynamic hitter who possessed all of the five tools: speed, power, hitting for average, fielding and arm strength. He committed to the University of Richmond in July 2017, just weeks after finishing his sophomore season of high school.

Mathes, though, was never content.

The 2019 campaign would be his most challenging. Gone were key members of that history-making 2018 team, including Daily Times Player of the Year Luke Zimmerman (St. Joseph’s) and All-Delco catcher Luke Cantwell (West Chester). Head coach Mark Jordan left for Central League rival Radnor and Billy Haines was hired to be the third coach in four years at Marple Newtown.

“It was definitely different with the new coaching staff, but we were out here to try to defend (the state championship),” Mathes said. “Our mentality didn’t change. We still wanted to go out and do the same thing we did last year. Just because we got a taste of it definitely didn’t mean we didn’t want to taste it again. I think that put a target on our backs. Everyone wanted to beat the state champs. And I think it pushed us to play harder every single day to try to not let a team experience that.”

Even with so many questions hovering over the team, Marple Newtown remained the team to beat in the Central League and in Delaware County. Mathes was a huge reason for those expectations, and he didn’t back down. No, the Tigers didn’t repeat as state champs this year, but they won 19 games and earned a piece of the Central League title.

Mathes had a sensational year on the mound and at the plate, and for his efforts he was named the Daily Times Player of the Year, the third player from Marple Newtown in the last four seasons to claim the honor.

Joining Mathes on the All-Delco team, which is chosen after consultation with area coaches, are Archbishop Carroll’s Tyler Kehoe; Bonner & Prendergast’s Nate Furman and John DeMucci; Cardinal O’Hara’s Dan Hopkins, Joe Kelly and Jim White; Garnet Valley’s Dom Picone, Haverford School’s Joe Bonini; Marple Newtown’s Andrew Cantwell and Kevin Merrone and Strath Haven’s Brady Mutz.

Mathes is a three-time All-Delco recipient, while Kehoe, Furman, Hopkins and White make the first team for a second time.

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With Mathes leading the way, the Tigers overcame an 0-2 start in the Central League and won 13 consecutive games. He went 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA and a county-high 107 strikeouts in 58 innings of work. He slashed .372/.476/.663 with nine doubles, five triples, two homers and a county best 37 runs scored. He struck out just six times in 106 plate appearances and homered in his final at-bat on his home field to help the Tigers win the District 1 Class 5A third-place game.

“I really don’t think I lowered my expectations,” Mathes said. “I knew we had a great pitching staff coming back and I knew we had young kids who were going to step up. Obviously, it’s hard to do what we did last year, but it’s not like I’m not expecting it, either. We had such a talented team and such a great group of kids who were going to put in the work with a new coaching staff.”

READ: All-Delco Baseball: Picone’s nearly perfect season one for the Jaguars’ showcase

Mathes admitted that having three head coaches (Steve Schmidt, Jordan and Haines) during his high school career was not ideal, but the constant change only fueled him to become a better player.

“I definitely got different experiences with each and learned different coaching styles from each,” Mathes said. “But I feel like having so many different coaches, there was never one that really got to put his stamp on me or the program. I obviously developed very strong relationships with all of the coaches and I’m going to stay in touch with them as I move on, but I think I would’ve liked to have the same coach all four years, to develop an even closer relationship with (one). Each year we had different signs, different plays. I think I would have liked some steadiness there.

“… But it was still a great experience.”

While Mathes enjoyed his time playing for Haines this year, he didn’t know what to think in the very beginning.

“It was an indoor practice and he kind of ran our (butts) off. We were like, ‘Oh man, this is going to be a long year,'” Mathes said. “But after that he was great. Coach Haines is a great coach, he makes baseball fun. All of the coaches are young and energetic. He really did do a great job.”

READ: The full list of the All-Delco teams

Mathes’ talents on the diamond and in the classroom were recognized in the spring when the Delco Athletes Hall of Fame named him as the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

At Richmond, the left-handed Mathes will pitch and play the field.

“Any way I can get on the field, I’m going to do it,” he said. “I’m going to work as hard as I can.”

Hard work is what Alden Mathes is all about.