T HE G REEN W AVE G AZETTE
P AGE 4
She’s Just a Freshman!
But Lauren Keleher is off to a great start
Mikayla Littman ‘20
Contributor
Lauren Keleher ‘20 (Mikayla
Littman for the Green Wave
Gazette)
“My dream is to
play for the
Duke Blue
Devils.”
Lauren Keleher
‘20
From the time she began playing
softball at the age of five, Lauren
Keleher has excelled at the sport
she loves. Now that spring is here,
she is taking advantage of her first
chance to play softball at the varsity
level.
Earlier this school year, she began
her high school athletic career by
earning a spot on the girls varsity
basketball team. As a freshman, she
averaged 6.4 points per game, and
receiving all tournament recogni-
tion at the Mansfield Roundball
Tournament. The Green Wave
won the South Shore League Tobin
Division by going 19-3 and then
making a strong playoff run, losing
to Fontbonne in the Division III
South Sectional Semi-Finals.
But now, in addition to academics
(she is a member of the student
council and hopes to eventually
qualify for the National Honor
Society and advanced placement
classes), Keleher is firmly focused
on softball. In the past, she played
for the Rhode Island Thunder
Gold, a travel softball team that
plays all over the country. Keleher
has played for the Thunder since
2013. Her favorite memory with
the organization is winning the
National Tournament in 2014. But
now, she is ready to play for the
Green Wave.
Softball has always been such a
vital part of her life. “Ever since a
young age, my goal has been to
play softball in college. My dream
is to play for the Duke Blue Devils
and be a part of one of their first
teams in the program,” said Kele-
her.
She has high hopes for her high
school athletic career. “I’m hoping
both the softball and basketball
teams make it to the tournament
all four years, and have a strong
tournament run. Maybe (we can)
even get a ring along the way,”
said Keleher. The future looks
extremely bright for this fresh-
man, and the softball and basket-
ball teams.
For Tyler Perakslis, Baseball is a Family Tradition
His Dad and Brother are Role Models
south quarter finals. We were down
three runs in the seventh, and we
came back to force extra innings.
As a former student athlete at Abing- Come the ninth inning, Westwood
ton High, Tyler Perakslis once roamed scored five runs, but we scored six.
the same hallways and base paths that We never gave up and I went five for
his players do today. These days Pe-
five with two walks, and (I) scored
rakslis is a student at Bridgewater
four times in that game,” said Pe-
State University, but he also recently rakslis.
became the head coach of Abington’s
junior varsity baseball team, working “Role Models”
Ever since Perakslis was able to play
in the same program that his dad
baseball, he was fortunate enough to
coaches and that he and his brother
have two important men in his life to
played for. We thought it would be
look up to, his older brother Steve
interesting to speak with Coach Pe-
Perakslis, currently a pitcher for the
rakslis and see how he feels about
Tennessee Smokies, the Chicago
coming back as a coach.
Cubs’ Double A farm team, who is
Playing Abington High School
four years older than Tyler, and his
Baseball
dad, (also Steve Perakslis) the long
Perakslis was a starter during his first time coach of the Abington varsity
year of high school baseball, playing
team. As a young boy, he looked up
varsity for South Shore Vocational
to his brother as a role model. He
Technical School, but he returned to would always go to his games and
Abington for his sophomore year,
watch him play. And, as Tyler got old
playing for both the varsity and JV
enough to play, he became good at it,
baseball teams. He played first base his so he “stuck with it.” His dad was able
junior and senior year after Connor
to help him because he was his coach
Fraser ’11 graduated.
for his little league, AAU baseball and
He has a favorite memory from those high school teams too. “Not many
days. “(During my) senior year I hit a people can say their dad was their
walk off single to win the game in the baseball coach for basically their
second round of the playoffs. The next whole life,” said Tyler. He helped
game we played Westwood in the
him become a good baseball player by
Corin Mahan ‘20
Contributor
Tyler Perakslis coaching his team
during a recent game. (Green
Wave Gazette)
“Not many
people can say
their dad was
their baseball
coach for
basically their
whole life.”
Tyler Perakslis
teaching him what he knows today and
this led Tyler to teach the knowledge
he gained from his father to the JV
baseball team he now coaches.
Adjusting to Life as a Coach
Tyler coached a town senior league
team, which was more of a learning
year for him. He was able to show
them what they had to do to improve
their game. He also helped his father
out during some of AHS tournament
games. Now, he strives to make the
Abington junior varsity team the best
they can be. There are 14 players on
his roster, which makes it difficult for
him. He has many talented players, but
there are only nine fielding positions.
He likes how they all want to play
baseball and always have positive atti-
tudes. That makes coaching a lot easier
for him. “Baseball is a mental game,
and you cannot play mad , especially
when you’re hitting,” said Perakslis.
Tyler doesn’t like to single people out
too much, but when pressed to name a
few standouts, he mentioned freshmen
Colby Augusta, Ricky Reissfelder
and Andrew Roy as three who are
playing well. “Those three gentlemen
know the game of baseball and genu-
inely love it,” said Perakslis. And, for a
Perakslis, loving the game is a very
important quality to possess.