In competitive sports, a team is like a family.

They practice together, play together, and win or lose together.

For three area schools, some members of their varsity baseball teams aren’t just like family - they are family.

Panther Valley, Lehighton, and Pleasant Valley all have brothers playing together, and all three sets of siblings are playing major roles for their respective squads.

Sibling success

Brad Hood, and his younger brother, Stephen, have been foundational players for Panther Valley baseball ever since they could swing a bat.

Panther coach Rich Evanko has known the Hoods since he taught them in middle school. Evanko is familiar with coaching brothers - having mentored three different Goida brothers during his tenure at PV. He speaks highly of the Hoods, who have been front and center of the team’s success that has continued again this year.

“They’re both great kids,” Evanko said. “They’re pitchers on our team, and both are natural competitors.”

At practices and at games, Evanko takes notice of the friendly competitiveness between the brothers. “One might say to the other, ‘You’re not getting a hit off this pitcher, but I am.’ They joke with each other that way, but they also pick each other up if one or the other is struggling. You can tell they have each other’s back.”

As far as having leadership qualities, Evanko says that Brad, the senior, is more vocal than Stephen, the junior. “Stephen will take charge of some of our practice duties without me asking,” said Evanko, “but they both play the roles of generals and soldiers on our team.”

Stephen Hood – this week’s Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Male Athlete of the Week – leads the Panthers with 11 RBIs and three home runs this season and is hitting .375 through six games. He is also excelling on the mound, with a 3-0 record and an ERA of 0.00 in 19.1 innings pitched with 35 strikeouts and just five hits and five walks allowed. Brad Hood is batting .333, and has a 3.50 ERA in eight innings pitched with 12 strikeouts.

Two from the Tribe

The Lehighton Indians’ varsity baseball team features senior Ian Rarick and junior Aiden Rarick, who have played key roles in the Tribe’s early success this year. Ian patrols centerfield while Aiden is the team’s starting shortstop.

Head coach, JC Dietz began watching the Rarick brothers when they were part of Franklin Townships’s successful Little League program. He knows their parents well, and believes that the discipline that comes from home has transferred over to the baseball field.

“They’re a great family,” said Dietz. “They’ve told me to do whatever I think is necessary to keep them disciplined and focused on what needs to be done.”

And what needs to be done is getting done on the diamond. “Both Ian and Aiden are at the top of our lineup,” said Dietz. “They’re both fast, good hitters, and steal a lot of bases for us.”

Ian brings a lot of energy and fire to the field before games, according to Dietz. “He has this refuse to lose attitude. He’s got a great work ethic, too, and a strong leader on our team as well.”

Dietz says that Aiden is more of the quiet type. Ian encourages him to always work hard to get better.

Together, they make an outstanding 1-2 punch for Indian baseball team.

Ian Rarick leads the Indians with a .545 batting average through eight games, with 21 runs scored. The senior has also gone 2-0 with a 4.00 ERA in 14 innings pitched on the mound, registering 15 strikeouts. Aiden Rarick is batting .333 with 11 RBIs, three doubles, two triples and 10 walks.

Diamond twins

Pleasant Valley’s roster doesn’t just feature brothers, but twins.

Seniors Ben and Nate Mostosky have played varsity baseball since they were sophomores. They both pitch and man first base, but according to their coach, TJ Murphy, there are more differences than similarities.

“I call Ben our No. 1 pitcher, and Nate is our 1A,” he said. “Nate is a crafty lefty, and baseball people know that lefties are of a different breed when they’re on the mound.”

Murphy sees “brother stuff” as he calls it in the dugout and on the field. “Their both intense competitors, but in different ways. Ben is more vocal, and will carry it when the team is not playing well. Nate is easy going, and lets it all fall off his back. They support each other, but sometimes they get into it with each other, too. Truthfully, they are just typical teammates most of the time.”

Murphy recalled a time when his Bears played at Coca Cola Park and both Ben and Nate both asked to be the starting pitcher.

“There is that one trying to outdo the other, but it’s in a good way,” said Murphy. “Against Pocono Mountain East this season, Nate started the game and was relieved by Ben. That’s something I’m sure went home with them.”

In that game against PM East – a 6-5 win for Pleasant Valley – Nate pitched the first four innings and earned the victory before Ben closed it out with three solid innings in relief of his brother.

Ben Mostosky is batting .391 this season with 12 RBIs, three doubles and a home run. He is also 2-1 on the mound.

In the Bears’ 14-3 win over Northern Lehigh on Monday, Nate was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk. He struck out nine in a game against Allen on March 29.

Home run

Brothers in baseball is not unique to the high school level. There have been numerous sets of brothers who have played together or against each other in the Major Leagues.

Matty, Jesus, and Felipe Alou are one of the most famous set of brothers - the trio comprised an all-brother outfield in three games for the San Francisco Giants in 1963.

It’s likely true that the Alou brothers played with each other on the youth level and high school level decades ago, like the Hoods, the Raricks, and the Mostoskys are doing now.

Whether that will continue on the college or professional level some day for this group of area siblings is still unknown. But one thing is for sure, all three sets of brothers are currently making a major impact for their high school teams.

That means opponents of the Panthers, Indians and Bears will probably be heard saying the words, ‘oh, brother’ a lot this season as the Hoods, Raricks, and Mostoskys continue to make their presence known on the diamond.

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BLUE RAIDER CHAMPIONSHIP REUNION

... The Tamaqua Area School District, along with the Tamaqua Baseball Boosters, will honor the 2003 Blue Raider baseball team on the 20th anniversary of their District 11 championship. The team advanced all the way to the state championship game, before falling. All team members and coaches are invited to attend the Saturday, April 15 home game against Panther Valley (12 p.m. start) where they will be honored.

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MILESTONES

… On March 23 in an 11-9 victory over Saucon Valley, Ava Collins reached a career milestone when she collected her 100th-career goal for the Northwestern girls’ lacrosse team. Tiger teammate Alexis Vennera also recently hit a career milestone. Vennera had a goal and an assist in Northwestern’s contest against Easton on April 4 to give her 100-career points.

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STRIKEOUT CENTRAL

… In Weatherly’s third game of the season against Panther Valley, pitcher Maddy vonFrisch recorded 10 strikeouts to give her 400 for her career. vonFrisch has a total of 54 strikeouts in the Wreckers’ first five games this season, including a season-high 17-strikeout performance in Weatherly’s 5-3 Schuylkill League win over Shenandoah Valley on April 4.

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RECORD-BREAKER

... Palmerton’s Nataly Walters has been enjoying tremendous success through the first few weeks of the season for the Blue Bombers’ track and field team. Walters broke her own school record in the long jump with a leap of 19-1.5, topping the mark of 18-11 she set last week to beat the previous mark of 18-10.25 set in 1976, and also established a new school record in the 100 with a time of 12.10, besting the previous mark of 12.59 set in 2013. Walters also set the school record in the 200 with a winning time of 25.3 to beat the previous best of 25.88 set in 2013 while also winning the triple jump. Walters placed seventh in the Class 2A long jump at the PIAA Track and Field Championships last season.

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SETTING THE STANDARD

... During Tuesday’s track and field meet at Jim Thorpe, a pair of area athletes established new stadium records. The Olympians’ Kaila O’Connor established a new mark in the 100 with a time of 12.37, while Marian’s Fatikha Tikhtova set a new record in the high jump with a leap of 5-6. Tikhtova’s jump was also a Marian school record.