On the final day of the winter solstice, Tamaqua’s Mason Ligenza was throwing seeds. With his gifted bat, the 6-foot-7 senior was barreling up the ball.

As a gaggle of fans – and a half-dozen Major League Baseball scouts – looked on, there was nary a miss from this soon-to-be coveted baseball player, who never skipped a beat from last spring, when he was the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Player of the Year.

In fact, he’s even better.

While Ligenza garners much of the attention, the Blue Raiders are no stranger to the spotlight. The defending Schuylkill League champions lifted the curtain on the 2025 season in resounding fashion with an impressive 11-0 nonleague win over a youthful Marian squad Wednesday.

Tamaqua’s heavy-hitting team whacked 11 hits.

While Ligenza took center stage on the bump, Luke Kane, his teammate and battery mate, was in the zone too. They combined for six of the team’s hits, while Noah Mateyak and Logan Morgans accounted for a pair of hits, with veteran third baseman Landon Kamant doubling home a pair of runs in the total team effort.

On a balmy late winter afternoon, Ligenza pounded the strike zone, going four innings, striking out eight, and allowing one walk to get the decision.

Cooper Ansbach, the do-it-all senior, tossed one inning of relief, allowing Joe Derr a seeing-eye-single through the middle of the infield to lead off the fifth inning before fanning the next three batters to end the game.

“Mason was in a great groove,” Kane said. “He had command of every pitch he threw. It’s easy to catch him. I hardly ever move the glove. He is just so good. The way he hits the ball is crazy.”

Indeed, that’s where the Big Bopper has his bread buttered. The University of Pittsburgh-bound Ligenza torched a pair of doubles in his first two at bats, scoring on both occasions. He drew a walk, before booming an opposite field home run to left in his final plate appearance.

“I really wasn’t looking to hit the ball that way,” Ligenza said as his teammates were chiding him to take it the opposite way, since Marian’s defense shifted to leave a gaping hole. “It was just the way the pitch was thrown, and luckily I hit it that way.”

Tamaqua came out of the gates hot.

“We wanted a fast start,” said Kane. “We want to get things going early and we did that very well today. It’s good to start the season this way.”

The Blue Raiders cashed in for a four spot in their first at bats. Ligenza roped a double and stole third before Jake Yenser drew a free pass. Kane drove in Ligenza. With two outs, Marian committed a throwing error, allowing Yenser to score before Morgans then delivered a single for two runs.

Tamaqua was off and running, and never looked back.

John Petrilyak, in his maiden voyage as Marian’s new skipper, knows the talent Ligenza possesses.

“He’s the best player I have ever seen from this area,” Petrilyak said, “especially from the left side.”

Tamaqua scored two runs in the second for a 6-0 lead.

Ligenza ripped his second double. One out later, Kane singled for an RBI, and with two outs, Mateyak added an RBI single.

“For game one, I’m really pleased, and Mason threw excellent,” said Tamaqua manager Jeff Reading. “Overall, we put the ball in play, and we wanted to get Cooper (Ansbach) an inning of work.”

Redding loves the way this team can potentially mesh, and points to Ligenza as a leader for the squad to follow both on and off the field.

“He has such confidence in his hitting, and that rubs off on the other kids,” said Reading. “That type of (energy) is fantastic for everyone on the team.”

Tamaqua used a four-run fourth to go in front 10-0, with the top of the order setting the table. After walks to Ligenza and Yenser, Kane delivered a two-run double. Mateyak picked up another RBI, and Kamant drove a blast to left center to drive in a run before trying to stretch his hit into a triple.

Ligenza put the icing on the cake with his solo round-tripper to left.

“It felt good with the way I swung today,” Ligenza said.

GAGA … The scouts are lining up. After Wednesday’s game, scouts in attendance wanted to see Ligenza go through a batting practice session. The senior took about 50 swings with a break in between.

ONLY TWO CHANCES … The Raiders had to make only three plays in the field all day. A grounder to second baseman Brayden Witkowski in the third, and he fielded another grounder in the fourth. A bunt try off the bat of Marian pinch hitter Tyler Rebarchak in the fourth was fielded cleanly by Ligenza, who threw to first for the out.

RETIRING MODE … Ligenza retired the first eight batters he faced before issuing a full-count walk to Cole Jordan. In his four innings, the lefty threw 48 pitches, 32 for strikes. Ansbach struck out the game’s final three batters on 13 pitches.

WILL GET THERE … “We are super young,” said Petrilyak “We did some nice things, and we are only going to get better.”

Tamaqua 420 41 - 11 11 0

Marian 000 00 - 0 1 1

Ligenza, Ansbach (5) and Kane; DeFrancesco, Griguoli (4) and Labenburg. W - Ligenza. L- DeFrancesco. HR: Tamaqua - Ligenza.

Records: Tamaqua (1-0); Marian (0-2).