Nick Gasper is what some would call a team player, an amazing human being, an asset to many lives, a leader, and a dear friend to most.

Nick is currently a junior and a relief pitcher for the Hawks.

When given the opportunity against the Mount Lebanon Blue Devils on April 29, Nick came through, pitching four innings in relief, as the Hawks rolled back to beat the Blue Devils 10-9.

When asked about his performance, Gasper said, “It was a tough situation to come into. I didn’t expect to come in that early in the game.”

Despite the early call, Gasper said that he was ready to go out there given the circumstances, and he had the mentality of “throwing strikes” and “letting his team do the work behind him.”

Gasper followed that by saying that that is his mojo and that he believes his team is capable of making plays behind him.

“I was feeling really confident in my stuff,” he said.

Despite letting a few runs through in the first, the mentality of stopping the bleeding remained in effect for Gasper, as he would not let a single run cross the plate following the inning and through his outing.

Before the game, Gasper had not pitched in over a week. When asked how he responded to the week’s rest, he noted that it is not always about getting on the field and equally as important to cheer your team on from the bench.

Despite that, he said, “My curveball and fastball were located perfectly.” 

Gasper wanted to mention some of his teammates and coaches as well. He thanked all of his coaches along the journey through high school baseball, and especially his fellow teammates, including Sebastian Schein (junior) who came in and closed the door in the Lebo game.

“It was truly just a great game, and a great team win,” said the lefty. “Obviously, it was a non-conference game… that could easily be our biggest win of the year despite that.”

The win against Mt. Lebanon revived the “bench mob,” and regained Bethel Park’s confidence. This would prove true as the Hawks would beat T.J. baseball 10-0 on May 2 and 10-9 on May 5 in a come-from-behind win. 

Going into the post-game, Gasper commented on the Gatorade shower and how supportive his team was.

“It’s a moment I’ll never forget… It was awesome to extend my outing and see how supportive my team was.”

Gasper said the Gatorade shower was a memory he’ll never forget, as Coach Zehnder pulled him aside and got him off guard, and he got “drenched in Gatorade.”

Gasper has clearly been enjoying the moment this season and can’t wait for more.

He, along with many of the Hawks baseball players, are looking past the last game.

While he said, “We’re gonna take it one game at a time,” the Hawks are set on bigger goals than individual games.

“We want to continue to build as a team, and continue to win baseball games,” he stated.

Gasper believes the Hawks can make another impressive playoff run, and it starts with the “one game at a time” mentality.

When asked about his life in baseball, and outside of high school baseball, Gasper said his greatest memory was “playing with his teammates throughout the years,” adding that they have all been “there for me and have improved my game to an unbelievable extent.”

He mentioned how he has been playing with some of his teammates his whole baseball career, and that it has been very interesting to watch them progress and evolve through the years.

When asked for any advice or messages for anyone, the 5-foot-11 junior said, “Don’t get too stressed over a game of baseball. We all have bad and good days. Enjoy it, and have fun.”

While Gasper’s baseball career truly can’t be summed up in a phrase or word, one thing is clear: Nick would do anything to see his team, himself, and anyone around him succeed.

Gasper proves to be a busy person as well.

Nick Gasper, Colin Clink, Bo Conrad, Bobby Beckwith, and Lincoln Fontanesi have since created a new YouTube channel called “Ghost Quest.” The channel features videos where these five (sometimes including special guests) search for unanswered questions to spirits and the world around them. “Ghosts Quests” originated from what Gasper thought would be an idea that wouldn’t work.

Multiple months, thousands of views, hundreds of subscribers, and a sponsorship later, “Ghost Quests” is now the talk around BPHS.

Gasper said, “I would like to do this as long as I can… I used to always watch these people hunt ghosts on TV, and now I can say I’m one of them.”

He has a lot on his plate with YouTube, baseball, and school, but wants to take it “one day at a time.” He is beyond excited for his chance in baseball, YouTube, and life in general.

Gasper wants to go to college and get a “good education” somewhere, saying after that he wants to “play baseball no matter what.” Whether that be in Pennsylvania, Ohio, or beyond, Gasper is ready for the years ahead of him.

Gasper would like to get into the engineering field or something along the lines of sports management. Although he has eyes on college, he also stated that if “Ghost Quests” would continue to grow, he would do that for as long as he can. Although we cannot fully predict the future, we know that no matter what, Gasper has his eyes on success. 

Gasper is a hard worker, a dream maker, and does what he wants to do. If he sees an opportunity, he doesn’t waste it and continuously pushes toward success.

We need more people like Nick Gasper in this world, and despite not being a full-blown starter for the Hawks, he constantly pushes his team on. He enjoys playing baseball, making “Ghost Quests,” and living his life to the fullest.

There is no limit to how much success Gasper’s life brings about.