SENIOR WEEKS: Unionville co-captain Sammut played huge role, despite creating the boxscores, instead of appearing in them

For the handful of star players across Chester County, the cancellation of the 2020 spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a crushing blow. But for many looking forward to college sports, it was a sizable bump in the road of their athletic careers.

For those like Unionville baseball co-captain and team manager Kenny Sammut, who was preparing for what will likely be his last year of organized baseball, the lost season marked an abrupt end to their careers.

Sammut, who did not play much baseball before ninth grade, has practiced with the Unionville team since his freshman year. And although he had not seen much live action in games, Sammut was an integral part of the Unionville baseball family.

“Kenny was our team manager and he has been with us for four years,” Unionville head coach Mike Magee said. “Kenny worked really hard every day at practice and he was voted unanimously as one of our captains this year by his teammates, and that showed how much the other kids love him.”

Sammut, whose duties as manager of the Indians included scoring each game, was always there for his teammates.

“I score the games and I feel I help pick the team up on the bench with encouragement and cheering them on,” Sammut said. “I like to pick up the team when we are behind. I really was working hard in practice this year and was hoping to get in some games. One of the memories I will take away from my years at Unionville will be to play baseball in ninth grade.

“I had not played baseball really before that and to practice and play a few innings with the guys who were better than me is something I will always remember,” Sammut said. “To not have a 2020 season was really sad. I was sad for the guys like Connor Schilling and Luke Folmar, who were regular players, and for them to not have their senior season was really sad. But, I feel we did the right thing and we did not want the virus to spread even more than it did.”

In the fall, Sammut will attend Seton Hall University, where he plans on majoring in business. Sammut said the location of the school in North Jersey was a big part of his college decision.

“I chose Seton Hall because they have a real good business school and it is close to New York City and I felt that would help my get a good internship,” Sammut said. “I am really excited to be going to school there but I will never forget my time with Unionville baseball.”