Wallenpaupack Area grad Wyatt Peifer named to college baseball Gold Glove team

Wyatt Peifer was a perennial all-star baseball player during his varsity years at Wallenpaupack Area High School.

A multi-sport standout who also excelled on the basketball court, Peifer is now piling up the accolades and awards on the college diamond.

Peifer just recently put the finishing touches on a stellar sophomore season at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The third baseman helped the Dukes advance to the NCAA Division I regionals, closing out the campaign with a 36-25 record.

This summer, Peifer was named to the 2024 ABCA-Rawlings Gold Glove Team. He's the first player in program history to receive the honor.

Also by Kevin Edwards:Wallenpaupack Area baseball team is in a three-way battle for first place in Division I

“Wyatt is a pleasure to coach,” said James Madison skipper Marlin Ikenberry. “He's a no-maintenance kind of player. Wyatt works incredibly hard every day and I couldn't be happier for him being named to the Gold Glove Team.”

For his part, Peifer is thrilled to be able to share the award with both his coaches and teammates.

“I'm extremely blessed and honored,” Peifer said. “I'm thankful to all my coaches for working with me and believing in me. My teammates were also a huge part of my success and I can't thank them enough.”

By the numbers

Peifer was a fixture in the James Madison line-up this season, starting all 61 games.

A switch hitter who spent most of the year batting fifth in the lineup, Peifer batted .305 with an OPS of .904. He scored 40 runs and collected 44 RBIs, 19 doubles, two triples and five home runs. He was also a savvy baserunner, swiping eight bases in 11 attempts.

“Wyatt is an outstanding hitter and a very good base runner,” Ikenberry said. “He's very versatile and a real team player who leads by example.”

And while his offensive skills are worthy of note, it's on defense that he truly shines. Peifer anchored the James Madison infield all year at third base, finishing the season with a .964 fielding percentage. He committed just seven errors in a total of 194 chances, while posting an eye-popping 15.08 defensive runs saved, which ranked third in the country.

“The best way to describe how good Wyatt is with the glove is that he makes the hard plays look easy,” said Ikenberry. “He has great instincts at third and always knows where he's going with the ball.”

Peifer's favorite memory of the 2024 season came when James Madison returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011.

“It was a surreal moment,” he said. “I honestly can't remember the next three minutes after the announcement because I blacked out. I just remember seeing our name scrolling across the screen and then celebrating with my teammates.”

The Dukes did notch a pair of wins at the Raleigh Regional, but were eventually eliminated via losses to South Carolina and NC State.

Ambitious goals

With two full seasons of NCAA competition under his belt, Peifer believes he's prepared to take the next big step.

“The overall goal for the team is to reach Omaha,” he said. “The College World Series is the pinnacle of baseball at this level. My biggest individual goals are to keep working hard and hopefully hear my name called a year from now in the Major League draft.”

James Madison had three current players selected in this year's draft. Todd Schmalzle coached Peifer at Paupack, and the veteran skipper is confident that his star pupil has the ability to play on the big stage.

“Wyatt is a tremendous young man,” Schmalzle said. “He definitely deserves all the success he's having. I hope to see him continue on this path and possibly get a shot to play at the next level.”

In Peifer's mind, growing up in a small town setting helped instill core values that have served him well later in life.

“I wouldn't trade my years at Paupack for anything,” Peifer said. “I'm very fortunate to have grown up in a tight knit and supportive community.”

Embrace the grind

Wyatt is the son of Mike and Jennifer Peifer of Greentown. He's a 2022 Paupack graduate who's now studying finance within James Madison's School of Business.

When asked what type of advice he'd give to a young Buckhorn hoping to follow in his footsteps, Peifer didn't hesitate.

“Embrace the grind,” he said. “Embrace the process that's necessary to achieve your goals. Never stop believing and don't ever let anyone tell you that your dreams are unrealistic.”

In Ikenberry's opinion, it's exactly that type of mindset that separates his Gold Glove third baseman from the average player.

“Wyatt is an easy kid to root for,” he said. “He works hard every single day, whether it's taking extra batting practice or showing up at 8 a.m. to take grounders. Wyatt deserves every single accolade he gets.”