Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Ligonier Valley’s Noah Lawson

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, April 24, 2023 | 10:58 AM

After going 9-11 last year in Class 3A, Ligonier Valley’s baseball team dropped to Class 2A following the season.

That switch already is paying dividends, leading to a 7-2 start to the season, including a 5-1 mark in Section 3-2A.

Ligonier Valley is also coming off of a two-game sweep of one of its new section rivals, Apollo-Ridge.

Senior pitcher/second baseman Noah Lawson is pleased with how things have been going.

“It’s been a great start to the season,” Lawson said. “The momentum’s definitely there right now, and we hope to keep it moving.”

A good part of this team’s success comes from the mound and the big three of Lawson, southpaw Haden Sierocky and Broderick Schreyer.

The reason they’re so successful has to do with their difference in pitching styles.

“That’s what makes us such a strong rotation,” Lawson said. “Obviously, Haden being a lefty, Broderick’s more of an over-the-top fastball kind of guy and I have a different motion that’s more from the side.”

Lawson’s favorite and most successful pitch to throw is his slider.

His pitching philosophy is pretty straightforward.

“I always try to get ahead and get to two strikes as fast as possible,” Lawson said. “It gives me more room to work.”

The two hole is where Lawson lives in the lineup on most days, and he’s adopted and embraced that role.

“I’ve loved it so far this year,” Lawson said. “It’s nice knowing that I have some confident hitters around me.”

In the fall, Lawson was an all-section goalkeeper on the soccer team.

Outside of sports, Lawson is a Ligonier Valley nominee for the Westmoreland County Scholar Athlete award.

Lawson is planning on attending the United States Military Academy, with hopes to walk on to the baseball team.

This week, Lawson took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with baseball?

I started in Little League, like most kids. My stepdad, he played baseball whenever he was younger. I just kind of followed in his footsteps. He coached me the first couple years, and it took off from there.

What are your team’s goals for the rest of the season?

Honestly, right now, we’re just taking it one game at a time. Just looking to the next section games, and we’re hoping to win every single game that we play.

How much pride do you take in your academics?

I definitely take a lot. It’s something that I’ve worked very hard for my entire life. My life’s been, since I was a little kid, it’s been school and baseball. That’s something that I absolutely take a lot of pride in.

How did you become a goalie?

Originally, I actually played defense up through middle school. I got to high school, and I would play goalkeeper here and there, I would fill in and I was decent at it. Then, we had an open spot, we only had one goalie on the team at the time. I tried it out a couple times and really fell in love with it.

Is there anything you can translate from soccer to baseball or vice-versa?

I think baseball’s definitely helped me with soccer. Just learning the hand-eye coordination, it kind of went hand-in-hand with being a goalie.

What is one thing that people might not know about you?

I think I’m going to have to go with the fact that I love hunting, and that’s what I do in most of my free time. I think it gives me a break from the business of life. It lets me get outside some and have some free space.

Tags: Ligonier Valley