A-K Valley senior spotlight: Valley’s Ben Aftanas

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, April 4, 2022 | 12:13 PM

A new sports season has begun, which means it’s again time for Ben Aftanas to get to work.

The Valley senior is putting on a third uniform this school year as he takes the field as a captain for the Vikings baseball team.

Also a golfer and basketball player, Aftanas is at his best on the diamond. He hit .463 last year and was a Valley News Dispatch first-team all-star. He helped the Vikings finish 13-8 overall last season and score a win over Mohawk in the WPIAL playoffs before losing to Avonworth in the quarterfinals.

He plans to continue his baseball career at Pitt-Greensburg next fall, but before then the pitcher/infielder has high expectations for the Valley baseball team this spring.

“My expectations every year are to compete for a section title and make a deep playoff run,” he said. “We’re a much younger team than last season and lost many key seniors, but we do return many varsity experienced players who were definite contributors on our 2021 team.”

Aftanas took a few minutes before the season began last week for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

What are your personal goals for the year?

Personally, I need to improve my overall performance on the mound compared to last year. I’ve worked over the winter on getting better execution of my pitches and keeping myself more composed. Anything I’m asked to do that will help my team win.

How would you describe your role on this team?

Being a senior and a four-year varsity player, I hope my teammates see me as a leader by example. This season, I need to be more vocal. Position-wise, I am a shortstop and a pitcher. I have played various positions over my baseball career at Valley.

What are your strengths on the mound when pitching?

I worked hard over the winter on learning how to better place my breaking ball. It is now my favorite pitch to throw. Over the past five months, I worked really hard with my pitching coach (Kevin Rayburn) to help me spot the breaking ball. I’m hoping that will also help with having a better overall mix of pitches.

How did you get started in baseball?

My dad, without a doubt. He has a true love for the game like I’ve never seen before. He still works with me on my hitting and fielding whenever we have free time. That love and passion was passed onto me. I’ve been playing since I could walk.

Why did you decide to attend Pitt-Greensburg?

I loved Coach (Scott) Adams and his staff. I also really liked how close the campus was to home so my family could make the trips for our games. They also have the secondary mathematics teaching program that I was seeking for as my major.

What did the UPG coaches like about you?

I believe they liked my ability to possibly play multiple positions and that I could also pitch. I have pretty much played all positions with the exception of first base and catcher.

Are you involved in any other activities at Valley?

I golf and play basketball. I am also the student council treasurer, Spanish club treasurer, ski club vice president, National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society, Science Club, Interact Club, and was a member of the Valley High School STEAM competition team.

How do you want to be remembered at Valley?

I hope to be remembered as a hard-working student-athlete who competed every day on the baseball diamond, golf course and basketball court. More importantly, I hope to be remembered as a quality teammate to everyone I have played with over my four years at Valley. I believe the New Kensington-Arnold School District is moving in the right direction. I have a vested interest in my high school, and now that my senior year will be coming to a close in a few months, I hope to have played an integral part in the return to excellence in Valley High School traditions and changing people’s perspectives of our school district. Our new Superintendent, Dr. (Chris) Sefcheck, is an awesome administrator and person who is without a doubt kid-first. He’s been a huge reason why we are moving in the right direction as an entire school district.

What is something people might not know about you?

I always like to joke about this, but I’m a huge math nerd. I’ve always loved stats and understanding how numbers are used in calculations. I like to compare math to solving a complex puzzle. Once you learn how to do it, it becomes really fun, just like solving a puzzle. I hope to become a secondary math teacher and eventually be a high school coach in the future.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Valley