MAKING HAY: Princeton High baseball player Hayden Reyes, far right, gets congratulated by his teammates in a game earlier this season. Senior shortstop Reyes, a four-year starter, came into the week with 95 career hits. Last Monday, he helped PHS edge Lawrence High 6-5 in 10 innings. The Little Tigers, now 8-7, play at WW/P-N on May 12 and at Ewing on May 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

From April 28 to May 7, the Princeton High baseball team had five out of six games postponed due to rain or wet fields. 

So when PHS did get the chance to hit the field, playing at Steinert in the first round of the Mercer County Tournament on May 2, it was ready to battle hard.

Losing pitching ace and senior star Joaquin Hernandez-Burt to an injury after he was was hit in the face with a pitch in the fourth inning, the 13th-seeded Little Tigers put a scare into No. 4 Steinert, falling 3-1.

“It was a great team effort,” said Roberts. “Mike Ramirez came in and did a great job shutting them down. We just couldn’t get anything going offensively.”

Roberts is proud that his team has kept its head above waster this spring.

“It is tremendous to be at 7-7 this late in the season,” said Roberts, whose team improved to 8-7 with a 6-5 win over Lawrence High in 10 innings last Monday.

“It looks like we have qualified for states for the second time in three years, which is awesome. It has been a great year; we have left some wins on the table even still.”

In assessing his team’s play, Roberts likes the way it has taken care of business on the mound and in the field.

“I would say pitching and defense have been the strengths,” said Roberts.

“The emergence of Mike Ramirez is definitely a highlight; he is 3-0 as a sophomore. He has done a real nice job, he works quick, he throws strikes. He has a nice breaking ball he throws for a strike and he pitches to contact. I think he has thrown a couple of complete games with 80-85 pitches.”

Roberts acknowledges that Little Tigers need to make better contact at the plate.

“I think offensively we are a little down,” said Roberts, noting that the team is hitting around .250 this spring after batting at a .339 clip in 2015.

“We are not really where we want to be offensively this year. Our team batting average is subpar but our pitching has kept us in games. We have had our rough spots on defense there is no doubt, but we definitely look good overall.”

Senior shortstop Hayden Reyes has been a very good contributor for PHS, as he is closing in on 100 career hits and is in his fourth season as a starter.

“I don’t know where to begin; I remember when he was a freshman, I think everybody knew he was going to be good but I don’t think any of us ever imagined this,” said Roberts of Reyes who came into this week with 95 hits.

“He has been tremendous. I still remember the double play he turned when he was a freshman against PDS. Offensively to accumulate this many hits is amazing, not a lot of guys do it. We have never had a guy do it.”

The Little Tigers are slated to play at WW/P-N on May 12 and at Ewing on May 16 as they tune up for the states later in the month.

“I am kind of looking at it as a new start; we just need consistency and hopefully a little bit of improvement in the offense,” said Roberts.

“We are going to have to patchwork some pitching together, that is for sure. We are going to have to have some guys step up into the the No. 2 and No. 3 roles now that Joaquin is down. If we can take the lead and get to the sixth inning, we can get an inning out of Colin Taylor and an inning out of Hayden and close the door. We have done that a few times this year. They both throw hard, they both throw strikes, they are experienced.”