Carl Solarek

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Carl attended Freeland High School and played both basketball and baseball for the school. In his high school basketball career he was named Player of the Year in 1962 and 1963 in the Freeland Conference. He was First-Team Selection All-Anthracite League for 1962 and 1963. He was inducted into the Anthracite League Hall of Fame in 1991. Carl played four years of baseball with the Freeland High School Varsity. He was a three-year starter for the Freeland American Legion Team and two-time selection for the American Legion All-Star and advanced to the East Game. Carl Solarek signed professional bonus contract with the Detroit Tigers in 1964. He played five seasons in their minor league system. In his first season he made the New York Penn League All-Star Team, and played the remaining seasons in Daytona Beach, Rocky Mountain, and Montgomery. In Carl’s softball career he played one season in Reading for the Temple Fast Pitch A Team. He won the batting title with a .478 average and was named to the League All-Star Team, and the team advanced to the State tournament. He was then recruited by Manager Rocky Santilli to play with the then Rising Sun Sunners Major Fast Pitch Team. He played ten seasons with the Sunners which became the Reading Sunners, York Barbell Sunners, Billiard Barbell Sunners, and Bank of Pennsylvania Sunners. While playing with the Sunners, the team won national championships in Haywood, California, 1975; Springfield, Missouri, 1977; Decautar, Michigan, 1978; Second place in 1978; and represented the U.S.A. in the World Tournament in New Zealand in 1976. The Sunners also won three gold medals at the National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs. Carl was selected as a First Team All-American at the National Tournament in 1975, 1977, 1978, and 1979, and to the second team in 1976. He has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Softball Hall of Fame in York, District XII Softball Hall of Fame in Driston, Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in Reading. Carl was assistant baseball coach for six seasons for Alvernia College in Reading. He coached the Blue Mountain College Baseball Team, Keystone State, the last four years. The team has won three gold medals and one bronze. Carl was a second team All-American at Alvernia and Player of the Year in Region IX and District. Carl has two sons, Brian and Carl, Jr., and one grandson, Ben.