Sentinel file photo
Mifflin County’s Jaxson Pupo, right, high-fives Huskies coach John McGonigle as he rounds the bases after hitting his second home run of the inning against Cumberland Valley.

LEWISTOWN — A pair of Mifflin County High School baseball players recently announced their decisions to continue playing at the next level.

Following the early signing period, Mifflin County catcher Jaxson Pupo and pitcher Landon Black made their commitments to Division II Lock Haven University and Division III Mount Aloysius College, respectively.

Pupo, the Huskies anchor behind the plate, hit .333 with seven extra base hits, including three home runs and 10 RBI last season. Pupo possesses a special ability to get on base at a high clip, recording a .508 on-base percentage while slugging .662.

“Jaxson brings a lot of intensity and confidence every day. Combine that with his work ethic and that makes him into the leader he is today,” Mifflin County coach John McGonigle said. “He comes every day to practice looking to refine his skill set to be perfect. He expects that from himself and that discipline he has to be great is like a domino effect on the rest of the team. When you see a leader coming to practice every day and doing that, it should be contagious, and it is when it comes to Jaxson and his leadership. With graduating so many seniors last year, his leadership and experience are going to be a big part to the success this year.”

Pupo possesses the complete arsenal as a catcher and can impact the game on offense and defense, which drew the attention of college coaches. Pupo will be reunited with former teammate Rylan Bailey at Lock Haven.

“There are a lot of things that stand out when you talk about Jaxson. Besides his leadership qualities, his abilities at the plate stand out he most. He has the ability to change the game every time he walks up to the plate,” McGonigle said. “When you have a guy in the line-up that has that ability to change the dynamics of the game with one swing it makes a big difference. You saw that last year when he connected for a grand slam and then in the same inning hit a 3-run homer as well. It’s not just the long ball that you think about when it comes to him. He led the team in extra base hits last year. He can do a little bit of everything at the plate and work gap to gap.”

One of Pupo’s battery mates, Black, announced that he would be continuing his playing career at Mount Aloysius after a solid 2021 campaign. Black made eight appearances for Mifflin County, specializing as a reliever while also making a start.

“One of the biggest things that stand out about Landon is his bulldog mentality on the mound,” Black said. “He showed a ton of grit last year working in the middle innings as a reliever. He worked through a lot of tough spots and ate up a lot of innings in that manner. That bulldog mentality kept us in a lot of games.”

Black’s ability to go after hitters and his willingness to pitch to contact makes him stand out.

“On the mound Landon is a guy that trust his stuff, but also trust his defense. As a pitcher when you trust your defense, that makes a big difference in how you go after hitters,” McGonigle said. “He throws a ton of strikes and makes hitters put the ball in play. In the field he does a good job at making the plays and knocking balls down at 3rd. He is someone that has the ability to be a two-way guy.

“Coming into this year we are going to need that senior leadership and the same mentality on the mound. He is one of two returning varsity players with pitching experience at the varsity level. You are probably going to see him in a couple different roles as the season progresses, but he will definitely be a big part of our rotation.”

McGonigle is looking forward to getting the season underway and congratulated Pupo and Black for their opportunities to continue playing in college.

“The coaches would like to congratulate Jaxson and Landon and their families on their commitments,” McGonigle said. “We wish them nothing but the best moving forward, and we look forward to following their journeys.”