GROSS PROFIT: Princeton High baseball player Dan Gross follows through on a swing in a game earlier this spring. Last Monday, senior outfielder Gross went 3-for-4 with a triple, four runs, and an RBI to help PHS defeat Trenton 18-7 and improve to 2-4. The Little Tigers host Nottingham on April 19, South River on April 20, play at Allentown on April 21, host Princeton Day School on April 22, and then play at Hightstown on April 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With the Princeton High baseball team getting four games postponed in the first week of the season, Dan Gross had trouble finding his hitting stroke.

“I started out pretty cold in the beginning of the season, we only played two games in the first week,” said PHS senior outfielder Gross.

Last Saturday at Pennington, Gross warmed up, slamming a two-run double in the sixth inning as PHS tried to rally from a 9-1 deficit.

“I was just looking for something to hit, he was going outside on me for a few pitches,” said Gross, who added a single earlier as PHS ultimately fell 13-3.

“I was really looking for a fastball out there and when it came I just took it to the other field.”

For Gross, who was sidelined much of his sophomore season due to injury, coming through in his final
campaign means a lot to him.

“I think it is the second year in a row that I have been in the cleanup spot so I have grown into it,” said Gross, who kept up his hot hitting last Monday, going 3-for-4 with a triple, four runs, and an RBI to help PHS defeat Trenton 18-7. “It feels good to get back into the swing of things.”

In reflecting on the loss to Pennington, Gross acknowledged that the Little Tigers need to swing the bat better when they have runners on base.

“I think that is something we need to work on for this season,” said Gross. “That is really going to make or break us.”

PHS head coach Dave Roberts likes the work he is getting from Gross in the cleanup spot.

“Dan is doing well for us in the No. 4 hole; he always works good at bats,” said Roberts.

“He has a really good approach. He stands on top of the plate and he is tough to throw strikes to. They are not going to get the ball inside on him. He really puts together good approaches and has been all year.”

Roberts is looking for his pitchers to sharpen up their approach on the mound.

“It got away from us a little bit, we are really harping on the pitching staff about not putting people away and leaving breaking balls over the plate,” said Roberts.

“Guys are getting on base all over the place. They are leaving pitches over the plate. They are not getting ahead or staying ahead.”

With PHS coming off a 6-1 win over Trenton last Thursday to get its first victory of the season after three losses, Roberts is seeing some bright spots.

“Ben Amon looked good against Trenton on the mound; I am happy with that performance, his first varsity start,” said Roberts. “Jaedyn Paria has been pretty good as well at leadoff.”

“It looks like we are going to cruise through the early half of this week with the weather,” said Roberts, whose team improved to 2-4 with the second win over Trenton and will look to keep on the winning track as it hosts Nottingham on April 19, hosts South River on April 20, plays at Allentown on April 21, hosts Princeton Day School on April 22, and then plays at Hightstown on April 24.

“I am hoping we can get into a rhythm. I thought the Thursday win against Trenton might help us out.”

Gross, for his part, is confident that PHS will heat up. “I really do feel like we are making progress; it is just the minor things that we really need to work on,” said Gross.

“If we really fix those things, we will come up on top in a lot of the games.”