SCHOHARIE — Schoharie’s varsity baseball team showed great progress and promise this year, including a run into sectionals. The team was solid and its pitching staff was led by starter Noah Spencer, who notched his 100th strikeout on the varsity team in only his second year. He did this during a stellar sectional shutout.

Spencer said that this season was a “good year.” While the team is growing, it was “young” and will be a competitive team in the coming years.

The freshman just completed his second year on the varsity team and celebrated his 100th strikeout earlier in the season in a 1-0 victory in a crucial sectional game over OESJ in which he tossed 11 strikeouts in a complete game shutout. He accomplished 104 overall.

The right handed pitcher threw one game in relief but mostly acted as a dominant starter. He had 42.1 innings over the season. Spencer racked up an incredible 0.66 ERA.

Spencer throws a four-seamer, a changeup, a curveball, and a two-seamer and will continue working on his newest pitch, the two-seamer. He threw at a high of 84 miles per hour, which is an impressive velocity for any high school pitcher, especially a freshman.

After high school he hopes to get a scholarship to play baseball in college.

Spencer credits his teammates and their “support, being lifted up all year.” He credits the “leadership” of the team and gave “glory to God.”

The Schoharie Storm finished the season 6-15.

Before the next season, Spencer is playing on the travel team, the Schoharie Thunder. The team won its first two games. During the most recent game, he pitched a complete 5 inning shutout against the Tri-City Bombers. The game was ended early due to the mercy rule as Schoharie won 11-0.

Spencer credits both of his parents for his success, as well as the seniors on the Storm the last two years. He said that last year’s seniors “taught me a lot.” He said that his favorite moment of the season outside of sectionals was racking up 45 stolen bases. This was second in the state and top 100 in the nation.

“It was something I didn’t even expect coming into the year.”

He likes the Yankees’ Aaron Judge but hasn’t adapted a pitching style from any specific major leaguer yet. However, his 1968 Bob Gibson-esque performance will leave local fans and family with a lot of cheering ahead over the next three years.