IN THE HUNT: Princeton Day School baseball player Hunter Von Zelowitz takes a big cut in a game earlier this season. Senior infielder Von Zelowitz is primed to have a big final campaign for PDS this spring. The Panthers, who fell 6-5 to the Blair Academy last Monday to move to 0-3, plays at the Peddie School on April 14 and at the Lawrenceville School on April 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Jeff Young is determined to make this a special spring for the seven seniors on his Princeton Day School baseball team.

“The good news is that we have a ton of seniors,” said PDS head coach Young, who guided the Panthers to a 2-13-1 record last spring in his first season at the helm of the program.

“The motto for them is just to make sure that they play the game in a way where they can look back at it and really enjoy their last year of high school baseball. I am going to promote an atmosphere where they can be as competitive as they want but I want them to realize that their love for being on the field and being with their teammates comes first this year.”

Heading into his second year coaching the squad, Young believes the Panthers are ahead of where they were last year in the early stages of the season.

“Once I knew I was the baseball coach, my job was to be prepared everyday on the baseball field and that is really the easy part,” said Young, whose squad opened its 2022 campaign by falling 18-1 to the Hill School (Pa.) on April 1, 11-7 to New Hope-Solebury (Pa.) on April 4 and 6-5 to the Blair Academy last Monday.

“I already had an idea of how I wanted to organize practices. It was easy for me to see in games that this needed to be adjusted and worked on. That is the easy and the fun part for me. This year, it is business as usual in that regard. We have just hit the ground running; the biggest advantage for me is that I know the players better.”

Young believes his squad has the punch to score a lot of runs, led by one of those seniors, infielder Hunter Von Zelowitz.

“I look at him as getting some accolades this year, he is definitely going to put up numbers,” said Young.

“He worked with a guy named Dan Hennigan this offseason at Brain and Barrel Hitting. He spent the
offseason there and dedicated himself so much. Guys are going to start noticing him this year a lot.”

Junior Ryan Vandal, senior Michael Carroll, and senior Connor Topping are guys who should also contribute with the bat.

“Getting Vandal on base is key, he can run,” said Young.

“It is going to take Vandal a couple of weeks and he will start getting the hang of it. Most of our guys are multi-sport athletes. Michael played basketball this year and Vandal played hockey. Connor is a basketball player, it will take a couple of weeks for him to settle in. It is going to take him some more at-bats, he will be there by the end of the year.”

Young is looking for senior Jonah Soos, freshman Dylan Powers, Topping, and senior Jacob Roitburg to lead his mound staff.

“It is still pitcher by committee; if we throw strikes, we will be in every game that we are playing this year,” said Young

“There is not going to be a guy that doesn’t see some time on the mound. I think Jonah is going to see a lot of innings. He shows the most arm strength on the team. He pitched really well in our last game. Powers came in and he competes really well on the mound. That was big to find out. He is going to get innings on the mound for sure. Connor is going to pitch quite a bit. Roitburg is going to pitch, he had a rough first outing but he might have pitched the most innings for us last year. He will be right at it.”

Around the diamond defensively, PDS will also be mixing and matching players.

“We are going to play defense well enough where if we throw strikes, we are going to be in every game,” said Young, noting that Von Zelowitz and Carroll will hold down middle infield spots, senior Jackson Bailey will see time at first base, Topping will be a constant in center field, Vandal will play all over the field, and freshman Luke Haan will get innings at catcher, third base, and outfield.

With PDS playing at the Peddie School on April 14 and at the Lawrenceville School on April 18, Young is confident that his players will be on their game.

“Our motto is just to take it one day at a time and move on quickly,” said Young.

“We are moving forward from things and being in the present moment. The seniors are fully committed to making this year memorable for them.”