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09/05/2019 12:00 AMHard work definitely pays off. In the case of Alex Bauman, hard work has yielded success at an early age. This summer, Alex had a breakout season as a member of the North Haven Junior American Legion baseball team. Alex, a sophomore at North Haven High School, was presented with a couple of major accolades for his performance with Post 76. Alex not only won the team’s Pitcher of the Year Award, he was also named North Haven’s Most Valuable Player.
“I was very excited when I received Pitcher of the Year and especially MVP,” Alex says. “That was surprising and made me feel like everything that I did paid off in end. I feel very relieved that this season was a success.”
Post 76 struggled during the early goings of the 2018 campaign, but finished strong by winning 10 of its last 18 regular-season games, while qualifying for the State Tournament in the process. Alex turned in several solid outings for North Haven along the way. He tossed a two-hitter in a 3-1 win over Naugatuck, went the distance on a five-hitter in a 1-0 victory versus Meriden, and threw eight great innings in a 2-1, nine-inning win against Madison.
Then in the State Tournament, Alex pitched a complete game when North Haven claimed a 3-1 victory over Fairfield in its first matchup of the draw.
“It was a rocky start, but we pulled together with our goal of making the playoffs,” says Alex. “Overall, it was a good experience. We grew as a team and learned a lot.”
Alex, a right-hander, features a two-seam fastball, a four-seam fastball, a curveball, and a slider in his repertoire. Alex says that the slider has become a key pitch for him during the past year. In 55.2 innings pitched this summer, Alex posted a record of 4-1 with a 2.08 earned-run average.
“The slider is probably my best pitch. I started throwing it last year, but I really got a hold of it this year,” Alex says. “My slider is so much slower than my fastball and cuts right across the zone. That’s why it’s an effective pitch for me. It’s so much different than my fastball that it messes up batters.”
Tim Binkoski, the head coach of North Haven’s Senior Legion team, describes Alex as a true gamer on the mound. Binkoski was pleased that Alex came through time and again for Post 76 when he took the ball in big spots.
“Alex brought stability to the team. Every game he pitched, he kept them in the game and had a good outing, which is what you need out of a kid who is coming into his own,” says Binkoski. “The team had a big turnaround at the end of the season, and a lot of it had to do with Alex. Every time he went out there, he gave the kids confidence that they had a good chance to win the game.”
Alex pitched for the Indians’ freshman team at the high school this spring. He gives a lot of credit to freshman Head Coach Mike Proto for helping him take the next step in his career.
“Coach Proto was a real good coach. He focused on how important it was to learn the fundamentals,” Alex says. “He always said to ‘Play your game.’ He made me stop thinking so much on the mound and to just pitch.”
Alex is now gearing up to play for North Haven’s fall ball squad. Beyond that, he hopes to continue rising up the ranks at both the high school and Legion levels. No matter what team he is competing for, Alex just loves to play baseball.
“Baseball is a part of my life. Baseball helps keep away the stress,” says Alex. “It’s just like going to school. You have to be committed. You have to be able to put in the work. When you do, you get results.”
Sports Editor Chris Piccirillo
contributed to this story.