Cory Frick

DUNMORE, PA – Due to the COVID-19 cancellation of spring sports at every level from little league to high school all the way through the major league ranks, Penn State Scranton and the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) have been working to honor the senior student-athletes whose seasons were cut short or cancelled in their entirety. Over the last few weeks of remote learning Penn State Scranton and the PSUAC have been finding ways to recognize these dedicated athletes who spent hours preparing for their seasons both on and off the field.

This week senior first baseman and pitcher, Cory Frick is the Penn State Scranton player of the week. Cory a graduate of Dunmore High School in Dunmore, PA is an accounting major and a 2020 team captain of the baseball team. Frick spent his whole career at the Scranton campus but rediscovered his love of the game in his junior year as he carried his desire to play into his senior year, in hopes of fairing better in his final season on the diamond. As the fall semester approached, the team found out the program would be under new leadership but for Frick it was a familiar face, Coach Vito Ruggiero. When asked about Cory and his character, Coach Vito fondly shared a story from back in little league. “When Cory was in little league he was about 12-years-old. His team needed some players so they called up a couple younger kids to play on his team. One of those players was my eight-year-old son. Cory took my son under his wing and protected him and made him feel welcome on the team.”

That moment is something Coach Vito utilized when facing the decision of picking his team captains for the 2020 season. “Showing that level of leadership and compassion for others at that young of an age really helped in my decision to make him a captain for this team,” Coach Vito continued. Being a lineman for Dunmore Bucks Football helped Frick develop the dedication and hard work ethic that has carried him through his college career and led him back to the diamond. After just one season, Frick earned the respect of his teammates on and off the field through the respect and leadership he exhumed on the field and in the classroom. His hard work in the classroom has earned Cory Dean’s List honors as well as earning him an internship with the Dunmore Borough.

Coach Vito, who manages the borough, stated they were looking for a trustworthy guy who could help with duties from payroll to assistance at Schautz Memorial Stadium in Dunmore. “He is genuine. He is not a phony. What you see with Cory is what you get. Cory is a quality young man who will be a great asset to anyone he works with in the future.” When asked if he had anything he wanted Frick to know Coach Vito replied, “I wish him the best of luck. If he needs anything in the future I will always be one phone call away. I don’t just see Cory as a former player but I see him as a friend.”  Cory, an accounting major, plans to work in credit analysis for a bank after graduation in May. 

To read the PSUAC Senior Spotlight about Cory visit:

https://www.psuacsports.com/aotw/2020_Senior_Spotlights/2020_Senior_Spotlight_Cory_Frick