Student of the Game: Falmouth Commodores' Luke Gaffney nerds out over math and baseball

The Falmouth Commodores’ Luke Gaffney is a self-proclaimed nerd.

“I’m definitely a nerd by every means of the word,” Gaffney said. “I’m a big math guy. I did partial differential equations this semester, and it kind of kicked my butt but I think it’s very fascinating.”

He’s a mechanical engineering major at Clemson University.

Gaffney’s obsession with numbers has translated into his own baseball game, which at its core, is statistics driven and has been ever since Henry Chadwick introduced the practice of keeping records of player achievements in the early 19th century.

Hitting, meanwhile, is a probability game.

“I love to learn and that’s one of the reasons why I love this game because you’re always learning and it’s one of those games where you have to be a learner,” he said.

One thing that Gaffney has picked up from his Commodores teammates — the likes of Zion Rose (Louisville), Gavin Turley (Oregon State) and Christian Martin (Virginia Tech) — is keeping a game journal. For him, it’s a way to reflect and figure out what approaches worked and what ones didn’t. or what he needs to try differently.

Seeing his teammates be dedicated to something so regimented shows that it’s beneficial. That's because the best of the best players play in the Cape Cod Baseball League and, “they obviously know something.”

“Reflection on your game and reflection on your day in general is about taking the time to look back and see, ‘Oh, what did I do well today? What did I not? How can I improve?,'" Gaffney said. “You can’t really learn if you don’t look back. It’s been hard to do because you finish with a game, you get on a bus and then you’ve got to go eat, and I’m not perfect at it by any means, but seeing guys up here do it is really motivating.”

Gaffney keeps two journals.

One is a little notebook that is in his bat bag and one stays in his backpack. There’s honestly not a moment they aren’t close by.

“The great players are the ones that are able to make adjustments during the game and even pre-pitch, and I think having that reflection helps you go out say this is what I need to improve on,” he said. “It also helps you not dwell on past at bats, whether it’s a mental thought, it’s then just go out and execute as opposed to, ‘Oh god, I’m 0-for-3 today with three Ks’, because that’s going to happen, but if you learn something then you’re improving.”

Quiet Competitor

Gaffney, who recently committed to Clemson via the transfer portal, had a decorated redshirt freshman year at Purdue University. He was just the second Boilermaker to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Gaffney worked with the team at 108 Performance in Knoxville, Tennessee ahead of the season.

“They believed in me before I believed in myself, and just having that, honestly helped me have confidence in myself going into the season knowing that I can do this” he said.

The Danville, Kentucky native went on to tie the school’s single-season record with 62 runs scored and eclipsed six freshman records – hits (75), home runs (13), RBIs (65), total bases, slugging percentage (.628) and runs scored.

“The big thing I’ve been trying to learn is to be able to play baseball,” Gaffney said. “There are so many opportunities where you can simplify your approach and play for the team. You don’t have to necessarily get a knock, especially with the competition, but if you can do a job, move a runner, that helps the team win and that’s shifted my attitude when I go to the plate.”

What has helped lift Gaffney to unimaginable heights early in his collegiate career is his desire to continue developing, despite the success.

“One of the things you look for as a coach is don’t let success lead to failure and Luke does not have that kind of mindset. He wants to get better each and every day and he wants to be a great teammate,” Commodores manager Jeff Trundy said. “He’s doing the things it takes to win a baseball game, and there’s no signs of selfishness there. I think when you appreciate an opportunity, you usually end up doing pretty well, and Luke’s done that.”

Gaffney will have to make a quick transition to Clemson following the conclusion of the Cape League season, where he has gained even more confidence with a hot bat—he leads Falmouth in hits and RBIs.

“I’m really excited for it,” Gaffney said. “It’s going to be a challenge but that’s how you grow, so that’s going to be a good thing. I’m going to try my best and do what I do.”

Allen Gunn covers high school sports for the Cape Cod Times. You can contact him at agunn@gannett.com and follow him on X at @allentgunn.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: This Cape Cod Baseball League player is a nerd - and it helps his game