photo by Samantha Robinson
Senior pitcher Nate Sphon unloads a pitch in a game earlier this season.
During his senior year of high school, Nate Sphon’s father was diagnosed with dementia, and this debilitating condition worsened by the day.
A star high school athlete spurred by his dad, Sphon made the decision to transfer from West Chester University to Point Park to be close to his ailing father.
In mid-March Thomas Sphon died, but his memory lives on in every pitch Sphon throws out on the diamond.
“I feel like he’s with me,” Sphon said. “He’ll always be with me. I can remember back to those times when I would ask him to go into the backyard because he was a catcher. Nothing can stop me because I have him.”
Sphon is currently a senior at Point Park, and he is a starting pitcher on the baseball team. He was a conference starter all four years at Point Park. He is also a sports, arts and entertainment management (SAEM) and accounting double major.
Sphon has been playing baseball since he was three years old. His father and grandfather instilled in him the love of the game.
From the time he started t-ball, Sphon’s father never missed a game. He always made time for a game of catch in the backyard, and he even coached Sphon and his brother’s team.
During one of the playoff games that year, Sphon remembers stepping up to the plate with the winning run on second base. He took a deep breath and drove in the winning run.
“I just remember rounding first and having my dad lift me up,” Sphon said. “I felt like I was on top of the world. It was a benchmark of success to see the joy in my dad’s eyes. I just used that moment as a working force to do something better each and every time.”
As a youngster in Greensburg, Sphon put all of his effort into athletics. At Greensburg Salem High School, he played baseball, football and basketball.
“I honestly loved it so much,” Sphon said. “I just felt like it was natural, and I was having so much fun. I took it on as a lifestyle. I played three sports all year round. Even at home I was doing something athletic. I didn’t think of it by how much time I’ve put in.”
In terms of time, Sphon went on to add he never had an offseason because when one sport went into the offseason, he moved onto the next sport. He could not even provide a guess at how many hours he has put in. During his athletic career, Sphon put in three to four hours of work in a day, five to six days a week.
During high school, the five foot seven inch athlete realized he was too small for football, so he moved his focus to baseball because as he put it, “In baseball it doesn’t matter what size you are.”
After graduating high school, Sphon planned to attend Duquesne University to play baseball, but the baseball program was cut shortly before Sphon arrived, so he headed for West Chester University.
During his freshman year at West Chester, Sphon discovered he had bone spurs in his throwing arm, and he needed surgery. He did not play a single game that season, but he was redshirted due to the injury.
During this time, his father’s condition was getting worse, so Sphon made the decision to find a school in Pittsburgh to be closer to his family and transferred to Point Park.
“I wanted to be in Pittsburgh to be closer to home for my dad,” Sphon said. “Another reason was because during that season, I noticed the baseball team at Point Park was playing well and the program was good.”
In his first year at Point Park, Sphon helped the team reach the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II World Series.
“It is just in his make-up and the way he plays,” said head coach Loren Torres in a telephone interview. “It was a great experience for him. He took in a lot of knowledge. The experience was the icing on the cake because he was already a leader.”
Playing in the World Series as a freshman gave Sphon a huge advantage moving forward.
“It helped a tremendous amount playing in the big stage against good teams,” Sphon said. “I’m more confident now. I have the experience. Now, it’s nothing new. I’ve been there; let’s do it again.”
This confidence is something his teammates have come to respect.
“I told his mom I’ve never been around someone who leads a team so well,” said junior pitcher Jason Kim in a telephone interview. “He carries himself with a strong stature. We like the confidence he has when he steps on the mound. We feed off of that, and it makes us better.”
Heading into this season, Sphon’s eyes were set solely on getting back to the World Series, but reality set in on a baseball road trip in early March when he learned his father was on the brink of death.
“I actually found out everything in Florida,” Sphon said. “I found out they were keeping my dad alive until I got back. I told the team after the tournament was over. I didn’t want them to focus on me. Anything I need I go to them. They’re my brothers, but everything’s the same. I didn’t want to be treated differently.”
This came as a shock to the team, but for senior infielder Zach Zimmerman he was aware of the situation and made sure to be there for his friend.
“I’m actually very close with Sphon,” Zimmerman said. “We grew up playing sports together. I knew him and his father very well. I actually knew the situation before the Florida trip, and I discussed it with Nate. He’s very strong, and he finds a way to take everything as a positive.”
It was most surprising to the team because of his demeanor during the tournament.
“That shows he is great at leadership,” Torres said. “He puts the team first. He’s a warrior. It shows a lot of mental toughness to go through that and still pitch.”
Sphon saw his father one final time before Thomas Sphon passed on March 10, 2015. In his first start after his father’s death, Sphon stepped onto the field with a heavy heart.
“It was a whirlwind of emotion,” Sphon said. “Honestly, I kept telling myself throughout my pregame ritual that my dad would want me to focus on the game. It was something we both had a love and passion for. It was just the way I was brought up. It’s my character. I give every ounce of heart I have. As soon as I stepped on the mound, that was it.”
It was as simple as that. He stared down the opposing batter and threw a first pitch strike. This season Sphon is 5-3 with an ERA of 2.63 and one shutout. The week of March 23 Sphon was named the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) pitcher of the week.
One thing Sphon will never forget is his father’s dedication, and to him that will not change.
“He never missed a game ever,” Sphon said. “But with his condition, he never really got to see me play at Point Park. Now, he’ll never miss a game.”
Even though his father passed there is one tradition his father started that a teammate has continued, and that is telling Nate a pregame slogan.
“No matter what time it was my dad would tell me it,” Sphon said. “Even if he was running late, he would call me just to say it.”
Now it is up to Zimmerman to tell Sphon each game, “Play hard and throw strikes, little man.”
“It’s just great that we’re close enough to do that,” Zimmerman said. “It keeps his dad in his heart and gives him that fire. I love that he respects me enough to let me carry on what his dad said to him.”
It has been over a month since Sphon lost his father, but his focus is still the same.
“Number one expectation is the World Series,” Sphon said. “I can speak for us. Those conference titles come along the way, but the World Series is a 10 game tournament and anything can happen.”
Even though he is currently focused on the game Sphon has begun thinking about life after baseball.
“I want to stay within baseball,” Sphon said. “If I can’t play baseball I want to work in baseball. I’m going to work every day to be in that place where I can play, but I have to be realistic.”
As for now, he is just enjoying the ride and how lucky he has been to play all these years.
“It’s definitely been a blessing,” Sphon said. “When I look back on the hours I put in, I just think this is my life. It’s surreal that I’m a senior now. It’s mind blowing to think this is it. Now I just have to leave it all out on the field.”
