By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore sophomore Max Forgione has been a model of consistency this entire baseball season.

He led the Lackawanna League Division II in batting average with an impressive .509 mark and in triples with three. He also scored 30 runs which tied for the Lackawanna League Division II lead.

He helped lead Dunmore into the playoffs, although the Bucks lost, 8-7, to Mid Valley in the District 2, Class 3A quarterfinals. Max did his part in the playoff game with two hits, two runs and an RBI.

Son of Derek and Autumn Forgione, Max also hit three homers this season as a sophomore.

As a freshman, he hit .460 with one homer.

The shortstop-pitcher also excels in the classroom where he has a 3.95 grade point average. His best academic subject is algebra.

He also is a starting guard on the Dunmore Bucks basketball team. Max averaged 10 points per game last season.

The scholar-athlete is a member of the Health Careers Club at Dunmore.

He enjoys listening to music in his spare time and would like to see Cold Play in concert.

He talked about what it takes to excel at the shortstop position in high school baseball.

“You need to be quick and have fast reactions,” he said. “You need a very good arm to get the ball over the diamond.”

The tough-minded sophomore is already a strong leader on the team.

“Our coach Mike Hallinan teaches us to be a good teammate and a leader both on and off the field. He teaches us to grind at bats and be tough.”

Mid Major to Power 5 colleges and universities are already looking at Max as he concluded his sophomore season.

“I definitely want to play baseball in college,” he said. “I might study business and finance in college.”

Max said his parents are big supporters. “They tell me to keep grinding every single day. Eventually it will all pay off.”

The sophomore standout likes to talk about hitting. “You need to be able to do everything as a hitter,” he said. “You need to not just hit for the extra base, but play small ball, too. You need to be able to beat out a hit and spray the ball all around the field. You need both contact and power.”

Confident in his game, Max talked about future goals. “I definitely want to play college baseball, graduate college, and get a good paying job in my field.”

For now, Max said he is looking forward to his next two years at Dunmore.

“Dunmore is a great school. All of my coaches welcomed me as a leader right from the beginning. All of the coaches are great here at Dunmore.

“They teach me a lot about the game and how to be a good teammate.

“I have learned so much from my coaches and teachers here at Dunmore. And I have great teammates and friends.”