Family matters: Mikes’ Barnyak joins mother, uncle in pitching for state title
Steve Manuel/For the Observer-Reporter
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UNIVERSITY PARK — Carmichaels’ Bailey Barnyak joined her mother, Nikki (Gasti) Onderko, in pitching for a state championship in softball Thursday morning at Penn State University’s Beard Field.
The mother-daughter story is well documented, but another member of the family has pitched in a state title game, as Onderko’s brother and Barnyak’s uncle, Chuck Gasti, started for the Mikes’ baseball team in the 2008 final.
Onderko led Carmichaels to a 5-2 victory over South Williamsport for the Class 2A championship in 1998 at Shippensburg University.
Gasti followed in his sister’s footsteps 10 years later, but the Mikes suffered a 2-0 setback to Camp Hill in the Class A championship game at Altoona’s Blair County Ballpark, now known as Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Barnyak had a similar result as her uncle in a 2-0 loss to DuBois Central Catholic.
Barnyak yielded two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings. She had eight strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter, but DuBois Central Catholic’s Rylee Kulbatsky threw a three-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts and no walks.
Carmichaels head coach Dave Briggs was an assistant when the Mikes won the title 26 years ago.
“It was a good story to have Nikki and Bailey pitch for a state championship,” Briggs said. “Bailey pitched a great game today, and she did well enough for us to win.”
Onderko was able to watch her daughter from the dugout, as she is an assistant on Briggs’ coaching staff.
“It’s definitely a surreal feeling knowing that we both pitched in state title games,” Barnyak said. “It is amazing to have her there by my side as a coach, and I know she has my back no matter what. My uncle (Chuck) comes to games and he has helped me with my hitting.”
Gasti played Division I baseball at Cleveland State and D-II ball in the PSAC at California.
Onderko, who pitched at Pitt, admitted the emotions of falling just short of a state title is still with the team, but believes they will look at the accomplishment fondly down the road.
“I’m heartbroken for us,” Onderko said. “It is pretty special to have three immediate family members start at pitcher in a state-title game, and I don’t think it happens all the time. Right now, we are dealing with the agony of defeat, but we will look at this in the future and be proud of what we accomplished.”
Gasti and Onderko agreed that their father, who is also named Chuck Gasti, deserves the credit for their success in baseball and softball.
“My dad has done everything for us,” Gasti said. “It was so nice for all of us to be here, and to be one of the top two teams in the state is amazing. I had people asking me if I was going to attend the game, and I said, ‘If I had a meeting with the President, he would have to reschedule because I’m not missing this game.'”
Gasti’s loss in the final was similar to his niece.
“I hugged Bailey after the game and told her, ‘I know how you feel,'” Gasti said. “The way the games played out is what makes baseball and softball unique.”
Barnyak was a gymnast for 11 years, but switched to softball in 2020, and her grandfather was instrumental in her development.
“I would never have been the player I am if it wasn’t for my dad,” Onderko said. “He prepared me to work hard and put in the time. My dad put in the time with Bailey, and she has worked really hard to get to this point.”
Onderko said Barnyak was close to two-years-old when Gasti pitched in 2008.
“It’s neat because, when Chuck pitched in that game, she was almost two and now he has a boy that’s two,” Onderko said. “He also has a boy that’s four. Maybe we will watch his boys play for a state title one day.”