On April 22, sophomore pitcher Luke Hunter pitched his first career no-hitter against Marple Newtown. The first no-hitter for Conestoga since 2016, Hunter’s pitching feat meant no batters were able to hit the ball into fair territory and reach base. The no-hitter sealed a competitive game, which ended in a 2-0 win for the Pioneers.
Following baseball tradition, the dugout and coaches did not speak of the no-hitter during the game, but Hunter knew there was a possibility of a no-hitter after the fifth inning. After the final at-bat, the team congratulated him for his accomplishment.
“All my teammates rushed out and jumped with me,” Hunter said. “After the game, (head) coach Greco got me the baseball and congratulated me about it, and I was very happy.”
According to Prep Baseball PA, Hunter was ranked fifth in the state for batted ball speed in 2024. Assistant coach Luke Turner has mentored Hunter since he made the varsity team his freshman year. According to Turner, his combination of size and strength makes him a talented hitter and fielder in addition to his pitching capability.
“As a freshman, (Hunter) was 6-foot-5, the biggest kid on the team. Everybody was looking at him to be a leader on the team, a mentally mature player, and he had a huge spotlight on him,” Turner said. “Luke’s going to play in big games for some big teams, and it’s my job as a coach to make sure that he is ready.”
Hunter’s performance helped the team continue its five-game win streak. Despite losing five games at the start of the season, the team found its groove and started playing with renewed confidence. Turner believes the team simply needed to get comfortable and adapt to a style of baseball the program was less familiar with.
“Once we started getting in the groove, there was no looking back. It just became confidence and resilience and realizing that it’s not going to take one guy that’s good,” Turner said. “‘How can everybody do their job, from guys on the bench, from the shortstop to the coach, to make sure that we’re putting ourselves in the best position to win?’”
Hunter and the team are looking to fulfill their goal of winning the state championship. The team began practices in the fall to prepare to make a run and are confident in themselves and their ability to play.
“This is going to be a very memorable season. For some of the guys this will be their last time as baseball players,” Turner said. “At every practice, we’re exhausting ourselves. We’re putting everything we have into it, so that when Monday comes, we’re ready to go to war against any team that gets in our way. These guys have a lot to look forward to in this playoff run, and the best is yet to come.”
Ryan Ding can be reached at [email protected].
