Newton South Student Wins Historic Baseball Award

NEWTON, MA — An afternoon at the Newton Parks and Recreation building for the annual Hamill Award luncheon is like a fully narrated trip back in time though the annals of baseball in the city. There are the laminated table settings chronicling a half-century of honoring the best high school player from a city school. There is the presentation of that year's award to the latest talent to join the impressive list.

Then there are the tales of baseball from years past, all set on the diamond, from the Hamill Award committee members who lived them all the way back to the 1950s.

"It was fun," said Sebastian Pike, the Newton South rising senior who earned the 50th edition of the award presented at last Wednesday's luncheon. "I heard a lot of cool stories. It's pretty interesting to hear how much history there is in Newton baseball."

That history is something South coach Mike Aiena said he was not fully aware of when he took over as head varsity coach three years ago. Aiena grew up in New Jersey and played at Boston College. He extended his post-collegiate career in the Boston Park League, and coached at Arlington Catholic, before coming to Newton.

"It was when I went to the first luncheon that I saw the list of past winners and had to chuckle,” he said. "These are a lot of guys I've played with in leagues over the years and know from different baseball circles. So I knew all the talent that had come through Newton baseball. It's when you attend the event that you realize all the tradition with the award."

Pike became the latest addition to that tradition after a tremendous season with the Lions in which he batted .458 with 27 hits, 13 RBI, 12 stolen bases, eight doubles, three triples and a 1.000 fielding percentage in center field. It was Pike's second season as a starter after batting .340 upon winning the spot as a sophomore.

"He got a few votes for league All-Star last year and then this year he was a slam dunk," Aiena said. "He absolutely progressed. He put more time into working out. He did it the right way and filled out as an athlete."

While Pike may have been a slam dunk as a Dual County League All-Star, he was not automatic as the Hamill Award nominee from South. Teammate Brandon Lee won the award the past two years, and entered this season with the chance to become the first-ever three-time honoree. But a preseason knee injury hampered Lee for parts of the spring. That, along with Pike's emergence, put Lee's streak in doubt.

"I met with the players late in the season and told them it was between the two of them," Aiena said. "Brandon was having a good year despite dealing with the injury, and Seb was having a great year. I told them I was going to nominate the one who deserved it more. When it came time to nominate, I called Brandon and let him know I was going with Sebastian. To Brandon's credit, he told me he was hoping I would say that. He said he was chasing him all year."

Pike said it was Lee who first called him to congratulate him on earning the nomination.

"Brandon is a class act on and off the field," Pike said. "He is one of the best teammates I have ever had."

Pike still had to beat out the nominee from Newton North, but did so within the Hamill committee to earn South’s third straight award winner.

"When Brandon got it again last year I learned what an honor it is," Pike said. "I felt I had made a good case for it. Brandon was having a good year too, so I thought it was going to be one of us. I wasn't playing thinking of it as a goal. But it is pretty cool to get this award."

Pike said his improvement this spring came from training harder and working on fundamentals.

"I decided I want to play in college so I knew I had to put in the work to achieve my goals," he said. "I went to the batting cage two, three times a week in the offseason, focused on all the little things and got stronger. I gained 20 pounds. Those things combined helped me have a breakout season."

While Pike wants to get even better next season, he said he is most interested in his improvements showing up in the win column for the Lions. South missed the state tournament this year with a 7-13 record.

"I am hoping we can build off some of the things we did well this season and come back even stronger next year," he said. "My goal is to make the tournament. I am going to be a captain next year and I want to be a better leader to help us win. I think sports is all about winning. That's my ultimate goal, so I hope I can help build the culture as a winning player here next year, and then take that on to college."