It’s a shore thing
for Ryan junior

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Andrew Lacovara is looking forward to some fun in the sun this summer.
But it’s not quite time to switch from spikes to flip-flops just yet.
The Archbishop Ryan junior will be spending his summer at the Jersey Shore.
But first he has some unfinished business on the baseball diamond.
Lacovara covers centerfield for the Raiders, and also is one of the team’s power sluggers. The Bensalem resident slammed seven doubles and one triple this year as a big contributor to the Raiders’ 16-5 record.
"We have such a tough team this season," said Lacovara. "It feels so great to win. We’ve been playing great all year. With the team we had from last year, we were confident that we’d be playing solid this season."
The Raiders’ squad is mainly upperclassmen this year, with the exception of three sophomores. The experience-heavy team earned a first-place seed in the Catholic League regular season. But according to Lacovara, the team is used to compiling a winning record.
"I really learned a lot at Ryan," he said. "The experience I got helped my game — the more I played, the easier it got. We’ve made the playoffs every year I’ve been with the Raiders, so my whole time at Ryan we’d been a solid team."
Last year, the 5-foot-11 athlete helped Ryan finish third in the Catholic League with a 9-5 record. This season, the Raiders defeated O’Hara 11-3 on May 26, earning a spot in the finals.
Ryan was scheduled to face St. Joe’s Prep as the Times went to press this week.
"It feels great to win," said Lacovara. "I love playing for Ryan. It’s such a great school and all of my friends are here. And I’m really looking forward to being a senior next year."
The three-year varsity player hasn’t decided where he’ll attend college yet, or what he’d like to study.
But he’s not too worried.
The easygoing student-athlete considers baseball a stress release, and thoroughly enjoys life on the diamond.
"I’ve been playing since I was little," said Lacovara. "So I’ve gotten confident out there. It’s tough sometimes, but I enjoy it. It’s a relaxing game and I really like it. It’s not stressful. I don’t get nervous. I just go out there and do my best."
The junior still has one more season with the Raiders, and he plans to make it a successful one. In the meantime, Lacovara will spend his summer vacation soaking up the sun — both on and off the baseball field.
"I’m planning on heading down the shore as much as I can this summer," said Lacovara. "I just love being down there with the beach and the boardwalk. Plus a lot of my friends and my brothers are down there, and we always have fun together."
And when his feet aren’t in the sand, they’ll be in the dirt.
Lacovara will spend a good part of his summer vacation with the Bandits, a tournament team based in Bensalem that will be traveling throughout the country to compete.
"This summer we’re headed to Georgia , Florida , New York and a few others," said Lacovara. "I’m really looking forward to it. I love to travel and I love playing baseball, so it’s a good fit.
"I’ve been playing baseball my entire life," he continued. "It’s all I ever wanted to do. I love baseball — it’s my whole life." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com