On paper, it seemed like an afterthought.

Over the years, Northampton has been a perennial baseball power. The Konkrete Kids recently clinched their 11th consecutive district playoff berth, and they stayed in elite company with Emmaus, Liberty, Parkland and Stroudsburg as being the only teams to achieve the mark.

However, head coach Mick Sugra fully enjoyed the moment and its significance.

“When it happened, the first thing I thought about was how proud I was,” said Sugra. “This is something that only four other teams did. It certainly isn’t easy, and we shouldn’t take it for granted.

“To be able to do it at Northampton is even more special. There is such a rich baseball heritage here, and people better than I am came before me.”

Sugra was happy that his players recognized the mark.

“We talked to them, and they got the message,” added Sugra. “They finally realized what they did, and the significance of it.

“We had a great practice the day after we clinched. We were inside, but we turned the pitching machine up to 90, and the guys were hitting the ball. We were back-to-basics again, and we were definitely looking good.”

The Kids began their week with a game against Allen Monday and Bangor Tuesday. They rescheduled their game against Hamburg to May 19.

Northampton (10-7) also began the week winning 10 of their last 14 games after an 0-3 start. They will begin the league playoffs Thursday at Parkland at 4:45 p.m. The Kids currently sat as the seventh seed in the District 11 Class 6A bracket.

Senior Hunter Corrow has been a one-man show for the Kids all season. On the mound, he has paced the staff with a 5-2 mark with 40 strikeouts in 38.1 innings and a 1.45 ERA. At the plate, Corrow leads the team with a .444 average, 20 hits, five doubles, and 15 RBIs.

“Without him, we definitely don’t win three games,” said Sugra. “We wanted to see how he would do on four days rest for the first time against Whitehall. He had a no-hitter going into the seventh.

“He is very meticulous about everything he does. He is an outstanding student who has 4.4 GPA.

“We joke about how we need him. He is a great teammate and hard worker who has always wanted the ball since he was a little kid. My assistant coach and myself played ball with his dad.”

With some history behind them, Sugra is confident his club can take the next step.

“We’re playing better,” he said. “The guys are starting to realize what they can do. We have to stay confident and keep working.”