TAYLOR MADE: Princeton High baseball player Colin Taylor heads around the bases in a 2015 game. Last Wednesday, senior third baseman Taylor went 3-for-3 and two triples, four RBIs, and a run scored as PHS defeated Notre Dame 5-1. The Little Tigers, now 1-3, play at Trenton on April 13, before hosting Trenton on April 15 and WW/P-S on April 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

In his first three seasons with the Princeton High baseball team, Colin Taylor batted at or near the top of the order, looking to be a table setter for the squad.

This season, senior third baseman Taylor has been moved to the middle of the order to No. 4 and he is relishing the cleanup role.

“I love it there, it is my first time in the four spot,” said Taylor. “I am comfortable. You get guys on and a  chance for RBIs.”

Last Wednesday against visiting Notre Dame, Taylor displayed his comfort level, going 3-for-3 and two triples, four RBIs, and a run scored as PHS prevailed 5-1.

“I was struggling earlier so coming up I have to stay confident and know I can do it,” said Taylor, whose first triple came in the bottom of the first inning and put PHS ahead 2-1 and his next three-bagger came two innings later and stretched the lead to 4-1. “With guys on, you just have to get them in; it is just doing the job.”

Taylor’s classmate, Joaquin Hernandez-Burt, did a very good job on the mound, going the distance in the win, striking out six and scattering seven hits.

Every time Joaquin is out there, we know we have the edge to win,” said Taylor. “He likes it the more the game goes on. He gets into the games so it is nice to have him in there.”

The team’s group of seniors, which includes Hayden Reyes, Matt Lambert, Micah Daley-Harris, Joey Studholme, and Aaron Lichtblau in addition to Taylor and Hernandez-Burt, have a sense of urgency this spring.

“We are all getting ready for the last year and we are all still together so this is the year for us,” said Taylor, who is planning to do a post-graduate year at Peddie and hopes to ultimately play college baseball.

“We are excited, We have some good seniors, juniors, and sophomores all stepping up. We are confident this year also. We all have experience at varsity level.”

PHS head coach Dave Roberts saw Taylor’s first-inning triple as the key blow of the contest in the win over Notre Dame.

“It changed the course of the game to answer back that quickly,” said Roberts.

“It changes the confidence of the offense, it changes everything. His offensive day was tremendous, what more can you ask from him. He had a rough preseason and I pulled him aside and said look I don’t need you to hit triples, I don’t need you to hit doubles, I just need you the hit singles from that spot. The idea is to get the fastest guys we have up at the top of the order so we can steal. He does have some pop and I think it is a good spot for him.”

Having ace Hernandez-Burt on the mound gave PHS confidence in the match-up against perennial power Notre Dame.

“Any time Joaquin goes out there, we have got a chance,” said Roberts. “He is working in a new arm slot and I think he got a little tired and I think that was to our benefit. I think he spotted up his fastball better and the breaking stuff started coming a little bit easier for him, especially that curve ball working at the end of the game got a lot better. He was probably a little excited. It was a big game. He got better, any good pitcher gets stronger as the game goes on.”

The Little Tigers played some strong defense behind Hernandez-Burt.

“I love the infield, those guys are great,” said Roberts. “Alec Silverman did a great job at catcher. I thought that was a big thing; in years past, we would get those third strikes in the dirt and let them go to the backstop and that strikeout would turn into a guy on base. Alec dug it out of the dirt three times today. He stepped and threw, bang, out, it was so big.”

Beating Notre Dame was big for the Little Tigers. “We should have the attitude that we can play with Notre Dame, we beat them two years ago,” said Roberts, whose team fell 12-2 to Hightstown on Monday to drop to 1-3 and will play at Trenton on April 13, before hosting Trenton on April 15 and WW/P-S on April 18.

“This is what it is all about; our goal is to win our division this year, Notre Dame is in it and it was a huge step forward.”

In Taylor’s view, the win over the Irish shows that goal is attainable.

“This year we are going for the division, so to beat a team like that who is always in contention gives us a lot of confidence the rest of the year,” asserted Taylor.