This past spring, Ethan Beil had a banner year for the Quakertown Community High School baseball team.
Beil led the team in home runs (three), hits (23), RBIs (19) and triples (two), while he hit a solid .404 and stole 10 bases. He was named an All-Suburban One League second team choice in his senior year.
This summer, Beil has continued to excel with the Quakertown Blue Jays. Beginning this week, the Blue Jays had an overall 7-8-1 mark in the Bux-Mont Legion. Beil is one of five recent Quakertown graduates on the roster – Jake Dulis, Ty Everitt, Peyton Kochel and Brandon Pierce – that is cluttered with underclassmen from the high school roster.
As a result, Quakertown has struggled to find consistency throughout the season. However it entered Wednesday’s game against Doylestown with a 4-2-1 mark in its last seven games.
Beil views the summer summit as a new challenge. He had a .394 average with 15 RBIs to begin the week.
“I see the Legion team as a team full of new opportunities and experiences,” he said. “We have a lot of young guys on our team who are forced to contribute when a lot of other guys have other commitments.
“They are proving themselves against older competition. That is a real positive sign for the future of the high school program.”
Beil, who plays right field, first base and third base, has credited his success to altering an approach to his swing.
“I have found success in relying on my hands to carry through the ball,” he said. “Instead of trying to hit it super hard, I have been working on my hands. I am able to hit the ball further, harder, and also have been able to hit the curveball more consistently.”
Jack Qualteria is the elder statesman on the team, being a 2021 graduate. Qualteria saw limited action as a reliever for the University of Valley Forge baseball team this spring.
Qualteria, who plays first base and whose younger brother Dan will be a junior this fall, has had a consistent season at the plate – hitting .355 – and has been among the team’s leaders in several categories.
“It has been going pretty well,” said Qualteria about his season. “I have been hitting the ball pretty well and have been stepping up on the mound in relief. I think overall I’m having a pretty good season so far.”
Qualteria also sees the lack of consistency as a major factor for the Blue Jays’ struggles.
“I think the Legion season has had its ups and downs,” he said. “We have had games we should have won, and other games where we came from behind to win. The team has a lot of chemistry since we’ve all played or practiced together in some form over the past four years.
“Since we have good chemistry, it has been a fun season. I believe we can pull this together.”
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
