Power Player

One of the more difficult tasks in baseball is being a switch hitter. It isn’t seen very much in high school, but recent Bordentown High graduate Luke Guire has proven to be adept at hitting from both sides of the plate.
“My dad got me into it, and I started doing it full time when I was 12,” Guire said in an interview last month. “It’s been a while in the making.”
He is a natural right-handed hitter, but sees more time as a lefthanded hitter since there are so many more righthanded pitchers.
Guire, who plays shortstop, will continue his education and baseball career at Delaware.
“I love coach (Greg) Mamula who is a great guy, and I love his power hitting philosophy,” Guire said. “I’m excited to get down there and play.”
Before doing that, Guire is again playing this summer for Bordentown’s American Legion team. This is a talented group that has a legitimate hope of winning a state title. Last year Bordentown advanced to the New Jersey state American Legion championship before losing to Brooklawn, 7-4.
Entering the week, Bordentown was leading the Mercer County American Legion League with a 14-2 record. Guire is a big part of that team.
“We’re hoping to make another great run,” Guire said.
Before the Legion season, Guire enjoyed a tremendous senior year for Bordentown.
He was among the top players in South Jersey, hitting .469 with 12 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI. That was for a high school team that went 15-12 and advanced to the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals before losing to Robbinsville, 3-2.
Immediately after the high school season, Guire was part of the Burlington County team that won the 39th annual Carpenter Cup.
Burlington County went 4-0 in earning the championship, which concluded with a 4-0 victory over Chester County at Citizens Bank Park.
During the four games, Guire batted .429 (3 for 7) with a .600 on base percentage. He scored three runs and knocked in one.
To show what type of high school career Guire enjoyed, he was a four-time participant in the Carpenter Cup, which consists of 16 high school all-star teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
“This was awesome being part of this championship team this year,” Guire said. “It was my fourth year here and it was great to bring home a championship and playing at Citizens Bank Park is always a treat.”
He said when competing in the Phillies ballpark, it had a naturally different feel to it.
“Everything is just a little bigger, the stage is a little bit bigger,” he said. “It’s so nice, the grass is something you’ve played on before, so it’s awesome.”
And there was one other instance that truly showed he was playing in a Major League Baseball stadium.
“Seeing the scoreboard, seeing your name on the scoreboard, it’s awesome,” he said.
Guire hopes to play as long as possible this summer and regardless how far his American Legion team advances, he will be well prepared having played high level baseball since the high school season began in late-March.
Photo: Luke Guire / Marc Narducci
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Author: Marc Narducci
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