HONESDALE — In the weeks leading up to the start of the 2024 high school baseball season, Bryce Dressler was fully expecting to play a major role in Honesdale’s latest championship quest.
A senior who made key contributions both offensively and defensively last year, Dressler was named a team captain in early March. He was also one of four players chosen to represent the Hornets at this year’s Bill Howerton Media Day.
As expected, Dressler got off to a solid start, especially on the mound. The hard-throwing righty made seven appearances in the early going, working 13 innings and racking up 16 strikeouts.
Dressler then suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for more than a month. It was a cruel blow, but one from which coach Ernie Griffis always believed Dressler would recover.
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“It was heartbreaking to see Bryce come down with that injury,” Griffis said. “He put in a ton of work during the offseason and was set to be a big presence on the mound and in the outfield.”
Fortunately, Dressler’s rehab has gone smoothly and he finally returned to the mound Monday afternoon against Dunmore. He pitched one inning of relief against the Bucks, notching two strikeouts in helping his team to a 4-0 victory.
“I definitely knew that I’d be able to pitch again at some point,” Dressler said. “My ankle is feeling better every day, so I am fairly confident that I’ll be able to contribute to our playoff run.”
With the win over Dunmore, Honesdale improved its overall record to 14-6. The Hornets are currently all alone in second place in Division II. They’re also second in the Class 4A power rankings, trailing Dallas.
Weather permitting, the Red & Black were slated to close out the regular season Wednesday with non-league contest at Mountoursville.
Renaissance man
While Dressler’s fortunes on the baseball diamond are looking up, his performance in the classroom has never wavered.
With less than a month to go until graduation, Dressler is the top-ranked student in the senior class. He currently boasts a dazzling GPA of 4.46 and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Dressler has received many academic honors this year. Most recently, he was named Honesdale’s 2024 Scholar of the Year by the NEIU 19.
“I didn’t expect to win it, but I was extremely honored to be named Scholar of the Year,” Dressler said. “I’ve put in so much work and made many sacrifices to focus on academic success, so it felt very rewarding to be recognized.”
Dressler excels in mathematics as evidenced by his acing of AP Calculus and AP Statistics this year. His future plans are to attend Lebanon Valley College where he will pursue studies in actuarial sciences.
“The campus has beautiful buildings and landscaping,” he said. “Then, I learned about their actuarial science program. It’s rarely offered as a major, and Lebanon Valley has one of the best programs in the nation. That was definitely appealing.“
Dressler is a well-rounded young man who also excels on the golf course and basketball court. He’s also very active in extracurricular activities as a member of the HHS Hunting & Fishing Club, Chess Club and the Freshman Academy Mentor Program.
“Bryce has been nothing but professional since I have known him,” Griffis said. “He puts everything he has into both school and athletics. Bryce will be successful in life no matter where he ends up and what he decides to do.”
Looking ahead
Dressler’s performance on Monday against Dunmore was a turning point in his journey back to health.
He’d been called upon to pitch the seventh and final inning of the game, gifted with a four-run lead thanks to another stellar effort by Hornet ace Peter Modrovsky.
As Dressler took his warmup tosses, Griffis held his breath and hoped for the best. And as it turned out, that’s exactly what he got. Dressler faced just three batters and fanned two of them. Of the 15 pitches he threw, 10 were strikes.
“I was definitely very encouraged,” Griffis said. “Bryce came in and threw strikes and the velocity was there. He can absolutely be a big help as we head into playoffs.”
For his part, Dressler was equal parts elated and relieved.
“It felt great to be back on the turf,” he said. “I am very happy with the movement on my pitches after the month or so off. I’m thrilled to be able to pitch moving into the playoffs.”
Following Wednesday’s non-league contest at Montoursville, Honesdale will sit back and await its first District 2 playoff pairing. As the second seed in Class 4A, the Hornets will have at least one home game.
Possible opponents in the early rounds of this year’s tournament include Western Wayne, Tunkhannock and Nanticoke.
“If we can keep our offense rolling, I think we have a great shot at making it to PNC for the district championship game,” Dressler said. “To me, we are like a family. It’s a lot of fun to hang out with my teammates before games and after practices. That’s what has been helping me enjoy the season even when”
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