North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week cooking on and off the field
North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week cooking on and off the field
Greg Tartaglia , NorthJersey.com Thu, May 7, 2026 at 4:12 PM UTC
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There is a class at Hawthorne High School in which Aiden Baird has learned to cook.
Last week on the baseball diamond, the senior first baseman was really cookin’.
In consecutive games against Waldwick, Baird launched five home runs, including two grand slams. The North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week, presented by HSS, totaled six hits on the week, so his slugging percentage worked out to 1.615.
“I couldn’t say I’ve ever had five home runs in two games before,” he said. “I think I had two last season. One of them was a grand slam, but this one felt a little bit better.”
The first came in an April 29 NJIC Liberty Division game at Waldwick. The Warriors’ field is known for its hitter-friendly fence in right field, and Baird did send a line drive that way for a solo shot early in the game.
The “granny”, though, went to deep left off the bat of the right-handed hitter, and it was part of a five-run seventh that helped secure a 9-3 Hawthorne win.
“It was pretty surreal, especially with how many people were there, seeing all my family and friends there as well,” Baird said. “It was definitely a great moment that I’m going to remember for a long time.”
Aidan Baird, Hawthorne baseball
Two days later, he slugged three homers versus Waldwick at the Bears’ home park. That game also drew a crowd – “I think the lacrosse team had just finished a game, so there were more people there than usual,” he said – but the eight-RBI day they witnessed was not enough to save Hawthorne from a wild 19-12 setback.
“That’s definitely the highest scoring game I’ve ever played,” Baird added.
He has been playing baseball since roughly age 5. His mother Rebecca (nee Fegley) was a Division I softball player at Rider, and that provided some inspiration for his athletic career.
Baird also plays football at Hawthorne, where longtime baseball coach John Passero also led the gridiron squad until his retirement from that sport two years ago.
“He was there for my first two years of football, so I’ve known him for a long time,” Baird said. “Coach has always had my back, believed in me – he’s obviously taught me a lot of things, but he also lets me do my thing as well.
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“I think a big part of him letting me do my own thing helps my confidence.”
Baird credited confidence with the main reason he’s been cooking (in the figurative sense) in the batter’s box. In the classroom, aside from AP Geography, one of his favorite activities is wielding a bowlful of batter in culinary arts.
“Me and three of my really close friends are in that class, and I like to cook,” Baird said. “But it’s more about just having fun, making memories. We have an Instagram account, so we like to post what we cook.”
Indeed, Brothas Bakery on Instagram touts, “All recipes courtesy of Chef Dockray” (Hawthorne’s culinary instructor). Photos show the group doing everything from rating hot dog eateries – Rutt’s Hutt in Clifton is a fave – to baking items to donate for Christmas.
“We go around Hawthorne doing a bunch of little good deeds, just trying to make it a better place, good environment,” Baird said.
The 1920s Yankees may have had John “Home Run” Baker, but the Bears of the 2020s have a real “Home-run baker.”
Aiden Baird
Sport: Baseball
School: Hawthorne
Class: Senior Age: 17
Accomplishment: Baird went 6 for 13 (.462) in four games and had a monster home-and-home series against Waldwick, ripping five home runs with a grand slam in each game. He drove in eight runs during one of the contests and 13 on the week.
Also nominated: Blake Tyburczy of West Milford, Lucas Siedlarcyzk of Becton, Jack Focarino of Hasbrouck Heights, Andrew Garcia of Ridgefield Park, Brady Shust of St. Joseph and Anthony Onnembo of Old Tappan for baseball; and Eli Davis of Becton, Patrick Szabo of Wallington and Seven Garcia of Hackensack for track and field.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Record Male Athlete of the Week: Aiden Baird, Hawthorne
Source: “AOL Sports”
