OLD TAPPAN, N.J. — Back in March, Jake Lutz and his family suffered a great loss. Jake’s dad, Rick, passed away after a battle with cancer. Given this tremendous loss and the COVID-19 pandemic, life has turned upside down for the entire Lutz family. For Jake, he has had to lean on family, friends, and the love of baseball that was passed on to him by his father to see him through these trying times.

Baseball in His Blood

Jake’s father played professional baseball and lived baseball, so his love for the game was naturally passed on to Jake. As Jake recalls, “I’ve been playing baseball since I was born.” The first time Jake played organized baseball and was a member of a team he was 6 years old and played for the Jersey Storm. Of course, this team was run his dad and Jake played on this team until he was 14.

Jake says, “My father was everything. He taught me how to play the game I love. He coached me all my life, trained me, and took me to all of my games.” In addition, Jake’s dad taught him to never be satisfied and to have a healthy chip on his shoulder as he continued to practice and hone his skills as a ballplayer.
Two Sports, One Drive

In addition to baseball, Jake calls basketball his “second love.” He has been playing basketball since 2nd grade and plans on playing basketball for fun in the future. While he stopped playing organized hoops before his freshman year, Jake played for Goats Basketball for coach Joe Jackson for years.

As Jake says, “I give Coach Jackson all the credit in the world for the basketball player I became. My basketball skills and mentality I played with, transferred to everything else I did. including baseball. I played every second like it was my last.” Coach Jackson’s tutelage earned him high praise from Jake. He says, “I wouldn’t choose to play for any coaches other than my father and Joe Jackson.”

Since stepping on the field for the Pascack Valley baseball program, Jake and his teammates have continued the program’s history of excellence. While the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out Jake’s senior season, there were many successes. The team won its league all 3 years that Jake was a part of the program, and also made it to the state tournament every year. These 3 seasons continued an impressive streak of 6 consecutive seasons as league champions. In his sophomore year, the team advanced to the finals, and in his junior year, the team advanced to the semi-finals. In spite of all of the success on the field, what Jake describes as the most important accomplishment is “becoming a family” with his teammates and coaches.

Jake’s exploits on the baseball field also led to individual recognition. During his high school career, Jake was named:
• 3rd team All-State my sophomore year
• 2nd team All-State my junior year
• All-League in both sophomore and junior year

Through the years, Jake grew as a player and as a leader. In terms of leadership, Jake says, “I always try to be a leader no matter what I do. A leader needs the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to others.”

More Than an Athlete

Jake’s drive to succeed pushed him not only on the court and on the baseball field, it also drove him in the classroom and in his other endeavors. In addition to maintaining a 3.6 GPA and taking many honors courses, Jake found the time to serve as the sports anchor for PVTV (Pascack Valley Television).

Next Stop, Wagner

Jake’s baseball skills and his academic prowess earned him a scholarship to play Division I baseball at Wagner. One of the proudest days of his life was signing his letter of intent to play at Wagner back in the fall of 2018, flanked by his dad, his brother, and Coach Lynch.

In terms of the decision to commit to Wagner, Jake says, “There really wasn’t that much to think about. I visited the campus and loved the area immediately. The baseball program is very well-run, and they are a very good team every year and compete at a high level. Coach Carone and Coach Noto were so welcoming and easy to talk to during our recruiting stage and when I committed Wagner, they made me feel like family.”

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

As Jake continues his baseball career at Wagner, it will be a bittersweet experience given the fact that his dad—the man who fostered his love of the game and taught him so much about the game—won’t be in the stands cheering him on. The past few months, Jake has leaned on his family and friends to help him through these trying times. His mom, Christine, step-mom, Kim, and his brother Rick, have all needed to lean on each other as they grieve.

In addition, his baseball family has been there to lift his spirits. He says, “I wouldn’t be the person I was in life without my boys. My best friends kept me out of my head.” Whether it was working out on the field with Wes and Mason Baronian every day during quarantine, fishing with friends, or playing golf, his friends stood steadfastly by his side.

Jake says, “I couldn’t thank Wes and Mason enough for being there for me on the field when I needed it. Aside from that, my boys Ryan Sheehan, Sean Duffy, Jake Williams, Meldin Feratovic, Jimmy Berlamino, Tony Giustra, Zack Bischoff, Blake Rosenbach, Erik Mannino, and Sean Beukas were there for me every day. They always kept my mind off my father and the sad thoughts by being with me over the course of my father’s sickness. I don’t know where I’d be without those guys.”

A Bright Future

As Jake transitions into college life and lives out a childhood dream of playing Division I baseball, he will do so with the everlasting love and support of his family and his friends. He also will do so with a host of amazing memories of his dad. He remains driven to be the best player and person he can be due in large part to his dad. As he says, “My father is my hero. It’s hard to step on that field or basketball court and not think of him.

Everything I do in my life will be for him and I won’t stop until I achieve my goals.” While he won’t physically be there, somehow, someway, Jake’s dad will be cheering him on not only in the stands, the gym, and the classroom, but every day of Jake’s life.

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