Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Luke Blanock
School: Canon-McMillan
Year: Senior
Sport: Baseball
Blanock’s week: Despite learning March 17 that doctors discovered a tumor in his left femur, Blanock made the trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., with his teammates to compete in four games during the Cal Ripken Experience.
He went 3-for-9 at the plate with an RBI, threw out three runners from left field and made a diving catch. On Saturday, against Moore Catholic (N.Y.), Blanock was the starting pitcher and tossed 4 1/3 innings with four strikeouts, two walks and one earned run to earn the victory.
“It was awesome. It was so fun. It was similar to coming back to basketball,” Blanock said. “It was definitely good for me to have that a little vacation and just be able to play some baseball. It’s a sport that can definitely take your mind off of the real world things. “
Blanock did not play basketball and baseball as a junior after being diagnosed with metastatic Ewing’s sarcoma. Doctors removed a tumor and part of his lower spine last December. He underwent 75 days of chemotherapy, as well as 131 individual applications of radiation over 56 days.
Blanock returned to basketball this season after doctors determined his cancer was in remission. He was set to be the Big Macs’ starting left fielder until he received the diagnosis. He was told about the tumor by his father, Kurt.
“I can’t say that I was surprised. It’s a bummer, obviously,” Blanock said. “I knew I was high risk of it coming back. I dealt with this news before. I try to pretend it’s not there and go about my life the way I usually would. When I have to be a cancer patient, then I’ll do it then. Until then, I’m going to live my life.”
After the fourth inning Saturday, Kurt Blanock, who is the Big Macs’ pitching coach, told head coach Frank Zebrasky Luke was ready to come out.
Zebrasky disagreed. He wanted Luke to re-enter the game in the fifth inning and face one batter to allow Kurt to take him out of the game.
Luke got the first batter out in two pitches and Kurt walked to the mound.
“I hugged him. I started crying and I said, ‘I love you,'” Kurt Blanock recalled. “He said, ‘I love you dad,’ then he gave me the ball. When he walked off, there was a big standing ovation from everyone. The other players, our players, everyone in the stands and their coach came over to Luke and gave him a hug. I lost it. It was an incredible moment.”
On the mound: Blanock had not pitched in a varsity game since 2013, but did not skip a beat Saturday.
Canon-McMillan went on to win 16-6 with Blanock as an inspiration.
“It tells you how special of an individual he is to be able to do the things he was able to do after battling the way,” Zebrasky said. “It’s unbelievable to watch him go about practices and games.”
Kurt Blanock told his son that no matter what the outcome of a game is, the fact he is able to compete is a victory in itself. Luke’s exit from TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark is a moment he’ll never forget.
“That was pretty sentimental. I didn’t even know he was going to do that,” Luke Blanock said. “They didn’t tell me about that. When he came out, it made for a pretty emotional, sentimental moment and all the parents and people who were there did a standing ovation. It was special.”
Compiled by Lance Lysowski