Carpenter Cup Classic:
Catholic League

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

On June 11 at 6 a.m. — three hours before they were scheduled to compete in the Carpenter Cup Classic baseball tournament — Jon Schmidt and Nick Ferdinand already were taking a swing at the competition.
The two are teammates on the Archbishop Ryan High School baseball squad, and they also shared the honor of being chosen to represent their team at the 23rd annual Carpenter Cup, a prestigious tournament that showcases the best athletes throughout the tri-state area.
Schmidt and Ferdinand also weren’t taking the responsibility lightly.
“I go to the batting cages every day,” said Schmidt, a junior who plays outfield for the Raiders. “I was at the batting cages at six o’clock this morning, with Ferdinand, practicing.”
Their efforts paid off. A few hours after the duo’s early-morning preparations, both had solid hits during the Philadelphia Catholic League’s bout with Burlington County in the first round of the Carpenter Cup, held last week at the University of Pennsylvania’s Meiklejohn Stadium.
But the twosome couldn’t carry the day. The Catholic League lost, 10-7.
“I think that we pitched from behind,” said Monsignor Bonner’s boss, Joe DeBarberie, who was head coach of the Catholic League squad. “We were always 2-0, 3-1, and if you do that with a good team that can hit, they’re going to hit the ball. And that’s what they did.”
Both squads were successful in smacking the ball around, combining for 24 hits (Burlington County, 13; Catholic League, 11) in last week’s intense face-off.
Burlington County’s Shawn Flynn had a two-run homer in the top of the second inning, putting the first runs of the game on the scoreboard. Three hits and a Catholic League error in the sixth inning gave Burlington County three more runs, and a comfortable 5-0 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Catholic League showed some life when seniors Tim Edger and Rob Benedict started the inning with back-to-back singles. Schmidt had a solid shot to short leftfield, loading the bases. The stage was set for Archbishop Wood’s Brian O’Grady, who, two pitches later, slugged an out-of-the-park grand slam.
“We were talking to kids before that inning and said, ‘Look, just get on base,’” said DeBarberie. “He (Schmidt) had a great at-bat, got on base, and next thing you know the next kid hits a grand slam! It was great!”
In the seventh, Burlington County reclaimed the lead, scoring four runs thanks to three hits and another error. The Catholic League’s Ferdinand retaliated by slugging the ball over the fence.
Burlington was able to score another run despite the sweltering heat of the eighth inning. Junior Nick Allen walked, stole second and made it to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a sacrifice fly. During their final chance of the game, the Catholic League scored two more runs, aided by two hits and a Burlington County error, but it wasn’t enough for the team to advance to the next round of this year’s Carpenter Cup.
Final score: Burlington County, 10, Catholic League, 7.
Despite the loss, DeBarberie saw a silver lining in the experience.
“We had so much fun since the first day of practice when we got together,” the coach said. “It was neat to see all the guys kind of bond. And coaches were the same way. We all just had a great time today.”
The talent on the Catholic League team came from Neumann-Goretti, Cardinal O’Hara, Kennedy-Kenrick, St. Joseph’s Prep, North Catholic and Archbishop Wood, among other schools. DeBarberie was aided by six other coaches from schools around the city.
It was an exciting adjustment for both coaches and players who, until this point, were used to seeing each other as opponents. Now they were on the same side.
“It’s kind of a little strange, because you know all the people,” said Schmidt. “You’ve been playing against some of these guys for a while. We’re familiar with each other’s game. And we all worked really hard. That’s what got me here today — hard work.”
Since being bumped upstairs from JV to varsity during his sophomore year, Schmidt has helped the Raiders to two consecutive postseason appearances — a spot in the Catholic League finals last year and the semifinals this season.
“I got one more year at Ryan, and I plan to concentrate and work hard so we can win the championship,” said Schmidt, who had a .538 batting average and earned first-team All-Catholic honors for his work as a designated hitter this season.
The 17-year-old Northeast resident, who has been playing baseball since he was a child, credits his uncle as his biggest motivator.
“I went to Ryan because I wanted to follow in my uncle’s footsteps,” said Schmidt, referring to Buddy Taylor, who helped Archbishop Ryan win the Catholic League crown in 1974. “He was a good player, and I wanted to be just like him. I look up to him. He couldn’t make it to the game today, but he sent me a text at four o’clock in the morning, saying, ‘Have a good game and have fun.’”
Schmidt did just that.
“My goal from the beginning of the season was to get out here,” Schmidt said with a smile. “And it’s everything I thought it would be. I’m really excited to be here. I’ve been looking forward to it all week. Being out here with all the intensity — it was a good time.” ••