Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Gabe Lauricella of Clayton Valley Charter
Name: Gabe Lauricella
School: Clayton Valley Charter High School
Grade: Senior
Sport: Baseball
Pitcher and team leader Lauricella is known for his tenacity on the baseball field as well as in school. The senior has been an asset to Ugly Eagles baseball for the past four years and first earned a spot on varsity as a sophomore.
His participation on the 2023 Alpha Power Team and his experiences playing basketball and soccer as a child have all contributed to his athletic accomplishments. Lauricella notes that participating in a variety of sports has taught him to trust his teammates and play together as a team.
“Gabe is a great teammate. He is definitely a leader on the club and always is able to help in any way possible. The team really rallies around Gabe,” says CVCHS baseball coach Casey Coakley, who has nothing but good things to say about his senior righthander. Lauricella and his teammates’ hard work paid off in 2022 when they won the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division championship.
In addition to the satisfaction of success, his favorite part about being a Clayton Valley Charter athlete is being in the presence of great people – from the players to the coaches to the fans. As he wraps up his four years with Ugly Eagles baseball, he is grateful to coaches Jesse Medrano, Coakley, Herc Pardi and Christopher Bodishbaugh, who have all supported him.
Off the baseball field, he’s maintained a 4.3 GPA while participating in the Public Service Academy and leading the CVCHS Lego Club as president. He hopes to play baseball in college and run his own business one day. Lauricella notes that playing for Clayton Valley baseball has given him the tools to develop both as a player and a person.
CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.
The Pioneer congratulates Gabe and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com
Katherine Pugh
Katherine Pugh is a junior at Clayton Valley Charter High School. She enjoys running on the CVCHS cross country team in the fall in addition to the track and field team in the spring. Pugh also swims recreationally for Oakhurst Country Club in the summer. She is a part of the CVCHS Engineering & Design academy and finished her sophomore year with a 4.33 GPA. She’s also excited to be a representative for CVCHS’s ASB leadership group during her junior year. In addition, Pugh works as a hostess at Ed’s Mudville Grill in Clayton. She is very excited to be writing the Student Athlete Spotlight for the Concord Clayton Pioneer.