HONESDALE — Graduation has not been kind to Honesdale’s varsity baseball team over the course of the past few years.
The Hornets have been right in the thick of both the Lackawanna League and District 2 championship chase ever since Ernie Griffis became head coach back in 2017.
However, after once again making a deep run at last season’s Class 4A tournament, Honesdale was forced to undergo a near total rebuild this spring. Seven seniors, all of whom were either starters or consistent contributors, needed to be replaced.
“We’ve lost a bunch of great players the last two years so there’s a lot of holes to fill,” Griffis said. “But, we have some talented younger kids who I think are definitely ready to step up.”
One of those underclassmen is sophomore sensation Connor Tirney. A slick fielding shortstop who bats near the top of the order, Tirney is quickly carving out a spot for himself among the area’s truly elite players.
“I always knew he had it in him,” Griffis said. “Connor is going to be a very bright spot for years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing him grow in all the roles that he will have on this baseball team.”
Dazzling trajectory
Tirney was just six years old when he began playing organized baseball.
He started off in T-Ball with the Honesdale Little Baseball Association, then crossed over to the Wayne Highlands Little League where he was chosen for both the U-10 and U-12 all star teams.
A Phillies fan whose favorite player is shortstop Trea Turner, Tirney has also honed his skills in travel ball. He started off with the NEPA 9 and is currently playing with Baseball U.
Tirney’s high school career began last spring when he earned a spot on the varsity squad as a freshman. A middle infielder with soft hands and a big arm, Tirney eventually cracked the starting line-up at shortstop.
“A freshman isn’t something that you typically see, but that’s the type of quality player he is,” said Griffis. “Connor has just grown so much mentally and physically over the last year.”
Tirney rewarded his coach’s confidence in ...
