Miguel Hugas was the recipient of a big surprise last Thursday when his mother and father traveled from Venezuela to watch him and Shaler play for a PIAA Class 5A championship. The three reunited for the first time since Hugas left South America for the United States in January 2021. Hugas lives with an aunt and uncle in Etna.
And while Hugas was understandably amazed by his mom and dad making the long trip to watch him play his final high school game, no one should have been amazed by the show Hugas put on in the final, hitting two home runs to help Shaler rally from a five-run deficit to defeat Strath Haven, 9-8, in eight innings for its first PIAA title since 1980.
It was an amazing season overall for Hugas, the top pitcher and slugger for a Shaler team that won both WPIAL and PIAA titles. Hugas, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound switch-hitting outfielder-pitcher, hit .444 with team highs of 11 doubles, five home runs, 34 RBIs and 19 walks. The right-hander also led the pitching staff with an 11-0 record and 0.71 ERA. He fanned 91 and walked only six in 71 innings.
For his efforts, Hugas, an Alabama recruit who could be selected in the first few rounds of July’s MLB Draft, has been selected as the inaugural PUP baseball Player of the Year. All players in the WPIAL and City League were considered, and the honor was picked by the PUP sports staff.
Q: Favorite moment from this season?
A: The 5 a.m. workouts. I enjoyed them. They were hard, but I like working hard.
Q: The WPIAL championship was streamed online. Did your family in Venezuela watch it?
A: Yeah. I talked to them after the game. On the bus ride I was talking to them. They were like congrats and stuff.
Q: When you pitch in front of scouts, do you get nervous?
A: No, it’s just me and the catcher.
Q: A year from now, do you see yourself playing in college or professionally?
A: The pros.
Q: OK, five years from now, what level do you see yourself playing and what position?
A: The MLB. Whatever they want. I’ll play whatever they want me to.
Q: When was the last time you were in Venezuela and what do you miss most about it?
A: Two years ago. Probably friends and family.
Q: What was the hardest part about making the transition to living in the United States?
A: The language.
Q: Your cousin, Bryan Rincon, graduated from Shaler in 2022 and now plays in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. How close are the two of you?
A: We’re like brothers. We talk almost every day. We talk about baseball or our day.
Q: Favorite fast-food restaurant and what do you normally order there?
A: Chick-fil-A. I get the 12-nugget meal with fries and lemonade.
Q: Any hobbies outside of baseball?
A: Sleep, eat and sometimes play video games.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.