By John Orrell
Landmark correspondent
RUTLAND — High school student-athletes, just as professionals, have their circle of fandom — those true-blue supporters who admire and respect how players conduct themselves both on and off their respective playing surfaces.
For Wachusett Regional High Class of 2023’s Noah Pratt, arguably one of his most staunch supporters is none other than Mountaineer varsity baseball head coach Jeff Kodys, who is quick to sing the praises of his team’s co-captain.
“I said that I’d take nine Noahs and we’d have a winning team,” said Kodys. “Talent-wise, he can play any position. He had a great year pitching. He can play shortstop, catch and … do just about anything. He has speed from playing soccer, and he’s a leader on and off the field. He’ll be tough to replace next season.”
“I’ve had a nice bond with coach Kodys. I’ve trusted him as a coach, and he’s probably the best coach I’ve ever had,” said Pratt in returning his coach’s complimentary remarks. “He keeps the game fun and light, but when it comes down to the games, he’s very serious and gets locked in. It’s nice what he said about me, and I really appreciate that.
“Baseball’s my number one sport. My dad and I bonded over it. I started out playing T-ball, and my dad was my coach throughout. He was my coach in AA, AAA and part of AAU. It was the kind of thing we could bond over.
“I like shortstop over any other position, but I also feel that with centerfield, I could also do well. My dad and I would always work on pitching and pitching mechanics. It’s something I’ve always done, and it kind of comes easy after doing it so long. I enjoy pitching. I’m pitching for East Side (American Legion) right now. The game against Hudson I only let in one run.
“Day after day, I just want to get better. I’m so passionate about it that I want to master the entire sport. I also play for the Northeast Eagles out of Clinton. I’m there a lot, and I want to be better than exceptional and I want to have that edge over everybody. That way the game is more fun because the more work I put in, the more fun the game is if I’m performing better.”
This season Pratt was given the honor to be a team captain, and he was quick to embrace his new responsibilities. That he and fellow captains Alex Toomey and Jack Hansen were already close made the trio’s job simpler than had they not bonded.
“We pretty much tried to keep it a light environment,” Pratt explained. “Obviously, when it came down to serious situations, we had to get people cheering and back in the game. Alex (Toomey), Jack (Hansen) and me go back to sophomore year, so it’s easy to lead the team. We just matched up well, and it made the captain responsibilities easier.”
Asked how he approaches a game, be it as shortstop, pitcher or even as a centerfielder where he has made some astonishing putouts, he admits that pre-game butterflies can be overwhelming at first but not hard to control.
“I’m a little nervous every time I go out there, but once I settle in, I’m relaxed. But I’m always pumped up when I get out there,” said Pratt. “It’s so windy at our field that I can’t hear much anyway. The people I do hear when it’s windy, I try to block them out. I focus on the pitcher and try to stay locked in, but I don’t really focus on the crowd that much.
“Pitching is mostly mental. If you’re up there and you keep telling yourself ‘don’t throw a ball, don’t throw a ball’, you’re going to throw a ball and you’re going to do bad. It’s important to just stay calm on the mound, or I’m coming out the next inning. I’ve learned to keep my emotions in check. You have to stay mentally locked in, no matter what the situation is.”
Pratt managed to put up impressive numbers, including an ERA of 2.55 where he fanned 41 batters in 44 innings. He relied mostly on his 4-seam fastball, curveball and slider. He intends to try out for baseball at Bentley College, where he will attend in the fall majoring in finance, but will always savor the special times from being a Wachusett High Mountaineer.
“It’s all about carrying a sense of pride and leading by example,” Pratt said. “Wachusett’s a big school. There are a lot of kids looking up to you, so you have to lead by example for the younger kids and make sure they know not to diminish the name by playing the game the right way.”
