Rueben Livingston of Wilson is UECU Pitcher of the Week
Rueben Livingston dominated Berks baseball last season with his bat. Now he’s doing it with his powerful right arm, too.
The senior pitched the Bulldogs into the District 3 Class 6A playoffs last week, beating Boyertown to earn Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week.
With the Bulldogs needing a win on the final day of the regular season to return to districts, Livingston allowed just two hits and a walk over seven innings, striking out seven. He allowed two first-inning runs, then shut the Bears down and helped Wilson rally for a 4-2 win, driving in one run and scoring one run.
A week earlier the right-hander earned the decision in a 3-2 win over Twin Valley in a Berks League quarterfinal. He struck out 10 over six innings, allowing just four hits and a walk.
Livingston was limited to two innings on the mound last season because of a shoulder issue but there’s been no holding him back this year.
He has a 1.53 ERA over eight appearances, with 49 strikeouts over 32 innings pitched. He’s allowed just 26 hits and 11 walks and has held opposing batters to a .203 batting average.
Despite not having much protection around him in the lineup, Livingston has continued to hit.
He leads the Bulldogs with .413 batting average, .804 slugging percentage and with 16 RBIs and 16 runs scored. He’s had 11 extra-base hits.
He was the lone underclassmen in the lineup last season, when Wilson won a District 3 championship, and he obviously benefited from having other threats around him. He crushed opposing pitchers, batting .415 with an .862 slugging percentage and 1.422 OPS.
In a devastating Wilson lineup that averaged 8.4 runs and scored 10 or more runs in nearly half its games he was the most productive hitter, leading the team with six home runs and 28 RBIs. In 25 games he scored 26 runs.
Livingston will play next season at Kent State, which recruited him as a third baseman. He committed in the fall of 2020.
At 6-4 and 220 pounds he is built like a tight end or a power forward. He played a little football and basketball growing up but always knew baseball was his sport.
“I didn’t want to do anything but baseball,” he said. “I’d wake up in the morning and only think about baseball. I (still) throw the football around, run routes. I love doing it all, but it always comes back down to baseball. It’s really my passion.”
Livingston is the eighth Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week this season, and the second Wilson player selected. Cole Leaman was selected April 18.
Players considered for UECU Union Pitcher of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by MikeDragoSports.com.
Also nominated for Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week:
- Austin Miller, Hamburg
- Dalton Furst, Kutztown
- Brad Coley, Muhlenberg
Selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week earlier thisd season:
- April 4: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- April 11: Alexander Velez, Gov. Mifflin
- April 18: Cole Leaman, Wilson
- April 25: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- May 2: Matt Kramer, Wyomissing
- May 9: Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
- May 16: Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
