Senior Spotlight: Waynesburg senior had storied high school career even without final season

By: Greg Macafee
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 | 8:44 PM

Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

When Waynesburg senior Luke Robinson was younger, he was always playing with the older kids.

His brother Hunter had started playing baseball a few years before him, so when Luke was finally old enough to play, his dad always let him play up a few age groups with Hunter.

“I was skipping my age division and playing with my brother’s age division,” Luke said. “So I was playing about two years up. I definitely got way more experience playing baseball because I was playing with my brother.”

When Robinson got to the high school level, the experience of playing against older players his entire life paid off in a big way.

During his three years of high school baseball, he became one of Waynesburg’s best players. As a freshman, Luke and Hunter got to team up for Hunter’s final high school season. Luke hit .469 with 23 hits and 12 RBIs. Hunter hit .271 average with 13 hits and 14 RBIs, but he also threw 55 innings for the Raiders and produced a 0.51 ERA.

“Our styles were a lot different; our pitching styles were a lot different,” Luke said. “He was more technical and I was a little more relaxed. It was just whatever worked for us really.”

Luke followed up that year with a sophomore season where he tallied just 11 hits and 10 RBIs but excelled on the mound with a 1.96 ERA in 25 innings.

Although he was hoping to have one more shot this year, Robinson capped off his high school baseball career last year, securing Waynesburg its first postseason win since 2011 with an 8-1 victory over Freedom.

Robinson hit .435 and threw 44⅔ innings while striking out 70 batters and producing a 2.19 ERA last season for the Raiders. While his individual accomplishments were off the charts, Robinson was all about the team aspect of the sport and helping teammates no matter the situation.

“We had a lot of support from the coaches and the community and that helped a lot,” Robinson said. “But from a player’s standpoint, we supported each other, we helped each other fix each other’s little mistakes that needed to be fixed. We just always helped each other.”

What’s your favorite memory while playing baseball for Waynesburg?

It’d have to be that playoff my sophomore year against Shady Side Academy. That would definitely be the top of my high school memory. The game ended up getting called because of rain and we lost, but we were coming back in that game and we got a rain delay. We were waiting to play, but it just ended up getting called.

Who is the one pitcher/hitter you want to face?

It may sound stupid or funny, but I’d like to say myself. I just would like to see how fast it is, the movement. I’d like to see it all.

Have you picked up any new hobbies?

I recently started running. I hate running, but I recently started to run more.

What’s your favorite sports memory?

We’re still looking to do more, but because of all the sports being shut down we can’t do it right now. But (my dad) used to take me to all the MLB baseball stadiums. We’ve hit about 20 of them so far, so we just need to hit the west coast now.

What’s your favorite one so far?

I’d like to say Wrigley Field because of how cool and old it was.

What are your future plans?

I don’t plan on going to college. I’m hoping to go for an apprenticeship for a line worker.

If you could switch places with anyone in the world, who would it be?

Nobody. I just feel extremely blessed with my life. I wouldn’t change it.

If you could choose anyone to give the commencement speech at your graduation, who would it be?

Joe Rogan.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Waynesburg