Three hits and a cloud of dust: Sermarini an offensive dynamo for La Salle

WARMINSTER >> All he does is hit.

Well, that’s not entirely true. He hits for average, drives in runs, scores runs, hits for power, steals bags, deftly fields a position he just started playing this season and usually ends a game much, much filthier than he started it.

Pick an offensive category and La Salle senior Mason Sermarini has probably excelled at it this spring.

The Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the PCL, Sermarini continued his torrid production on Thursday, going 3-for-4, scoring two runs, driving in another and stealing three bases as La Salle topped Central 12-2 in the District 12-6A title game. His only varsity season has been a good one so far, but Sermarini and his teammates hope to keep playing another two weeks.

“It’s been awesome, it’s just nice to see the hard work paying off after not being able to play last  season,” Sermarini, his uniform caked in several layers of infield dirt, said. “But, I’m more proud of the W’s the team’s been racking up and of course, the PCL title.”

According to the team’s MaxPreps stats, Sermarini entered Thursday’s game with a .523 batting average with 23 hits on the season. The first baseman also had 21 runs scored and 21 RBIs, had collected five doubles, three triples and a home run and added 13 stolen bases for good measure.

He only added on to all those numbers against the Lancers. Sermarini notched a two-out single in the top of the first, the only time all game he reached and didn’t score then led off the third inning looping a single over the pitcher and into shallow center. After Joe Cattie drew a walk, Sermarini went to steal third, got the base then got up and rushed home on an errant throw by the catcher to give La Salle a 3-2 lead it wouldn’t give back.

“I think I’ve just been trying to keep it simple and not do too much at the plate,” the senior, a first team All-PCL selection, said. “I trust my preparation all offseason and just go out there to get the job done.”

The senior grounded out his third time up but got back on track in the decisive fifth inning, flaring an RBI single just off the end of the second baseman’s glove and later scoring on Justin Machita’s double.

Sermarini also credited the Explorers’ coaches for getting all the hitters prepared prior to each game and talking through at-bats during contests. Baseball comes down to batter against pitcher, but the guys in front of and behind Sermarini in the order have also played their part in his success this season.

Leadoff man Jake Whitlinger was also a first team All-PCL pick and shortstop Eric Shandler is a patient hitter who gives Sermarini an early look at the opposing pitcher. The senior, who hits in the No. 3 spot, also has a couple big bats behind him in Joe Cattie and Justin Machita and La Salle coach Kyle Werman has seen the entire lineup work together to make each other better during the season.

“On any day, it’s one of those guys,” Werman said. “It doesn’t have to be everybody. We talk about you don’t always have to be the superhero. Just do your job and if you can’t do it on a given day, someone behind you will and I think they trust each other and have chances everywhere in the lineup where somebody can have an impact.”

Werman called Sermarini a “really pure hitter” but also lauded the senior’s intellect and versatility. The senior has been a shortstop most of his life but with a plethora of athletes at the infield positions, Sermarini was moved to first base and took it in stride, putting plenty of effort into learning the ins and outs of playing there.

As solid as the senior has been, his season started out ice cold.

“He just couldn’t find a barrel, then he got hit with COVID and when we finally got him back, that’s when we took off from there,” Werman said. “These short seasons, you get little spurts here and there but once he figured it out, he’s just been lights out and stayed in the that three-hole for us.”

Sermarini, who shared Offensive Player of the Year honors with Bonner & Prendergast sophomore Kevin McMonigle, has also shown a clutch gene this spring. The senior had a walk-off single against the Haverford School and delivered the game-winning RBI in a 3-2 extra-inning win at Neumann-Goretti and most recently, drew a bases-loaded walk that tied the game and forced extras in the PCL title game.

It’s not much of a surprise the senior has gone all-out this spring. A JV player as a sophomore, Sermarini lost his first chance to crack the varsity lineup when last spring’s season was eventually cancelled so he’s just joined a long line of guys who have gotten just one year on varsity with the Explorers and made the most of it.

“For 99 percent of us, it’s our first time on a varsity field so I’m proud of all the guys for the way we’ve stepped out there and been productive all season,” Sermarini said. “You always have to trust in who we are, we’ve been preparing for this the last four years.”

He entered the spring untested in varsity high school ball but also without a commitment for his future. It was a long process, but Sermarini said he just recently committed to play at Georgetown. The senior, an outstanding student, said he was also considering MIT if the opportunity with the Hoyas didn’t work out but he was very excited when things worked out.

La Salle has concluded classes for the academic year and the seniors have graduated but for the senior baseball players, they’re happy to come back to school for a couple hours each day to practice and be around each other. Starting Monday, when La Salle meets Hatboro-Horsham in a PIAA 6A first round game, they have at most two more weeks.

“I’m just glad to have this chance to keep playing with my best friends,” Sermarini said. “I’m trying to balance a lot of different things, but my love for the game made (Georgetown) the place I wanted to be and I’m glad to be through the process and ready to be a Hoya next year.”

Sermarini laughed when it was noted he doesn’t look like a typical first baseman but he made a couple nice plays stretching for a throw or picking a ball to get outs on Thursday. The Langhorne native, who stands about 5-foot-9, is also a little more active between the bases than most first basemen.

If that means he ends up caked in dirt and dripping sweat, so be it. All he wants to do is win.

“A hot day like this, sweat turns the dirt to mud and I feel like I have an extra 15 pounds of weight on me,” Sermarini said. “My mom’s the one that gets stuck doing all the wash, but she gets it. As long as we’re out here winning, it’s forgivable.”