As Harriton transitions into the spring season, varsity baseball phenom Jonah Frankel has been nominated as Athlete of the Week. Frankel is the star pitcher at Harriton, having won the Harriton 2016 Athlete of the Year award. Also, Jonah has received numerous awards and titles throughout the Philadelphia area, such as being named Fox 29 Athlete of the Week, First-Team All Central League, and First-Team All Main Line. Jonah continues to grow as a player and has ambitious goals for this season and for the rest of his baseball career.

How have you grown since your first year on varsity? (Freshman year)

I have spent a lot time in the gym, constantly lifting weights. I have also had some great coaches who have guided me to achieve success at the varsity level. They have helped me adapt to the challenges that come along with pitching against varsity batters.

What do you believe was your biggest accomplishment last year?

I would say my biggest personal accomplishment was becoming First-Team All Central and First-Team All Main Line. I was also proud to have the lowest ERA on the team.

What type of work have you been putting in throughout the offseason?

Well, I want to give a huge shout out to my man Wayne Helms. He has been helping me with my strength and conditioning, attempting to continue to raise the speed of my fastball. I lift weights more than three days a week and stress my lower body strength. I have also been doing a lot of long-toss and working with multiple pitching coaches throughout the offseason, doing everything I can to raise the speed of my fastball and improve my pitching in general.

How is the team shaping up this season?

More than anything, regardless of my own accomplishments, I am extremely excited for the potential of the team this year. My fellow pitching staff is strong (shout out to Jack and Don), and we have a lot of offensive talent this year. We want to continue to workout and get swole so that we can demolish those Radnor players. We are coming for their necks.

Are you planning on playing baseball in college?

I am definitely looking forward, if I am fortunate enough,  to playing at the collegiate level. It will be a challenge as a very small amount of baseball players play collegiate sports after high school. I am currently throwing 85 miles per hour, and I need to continue to raise that speed. I am also continuing to learn how to have better control of my different pitches so that I can be prepared to throw against some of the best hitters in the nation.

What are your goals for this season?

Nothing less than the ‘chip. We have the talent, and we have been putting in all the work. We have to use what we got and #don’t believe the hype. We have the most heart out of every team, our motto is team together, and we are excited to work to bring Harriton the championship that it truly deserves. We are going to bring the state championship that we so honorably lost in 2013.