AIMING HIGH: Ben Amon delivers a pitch this spring in his junior season for The College of New Jersey baseball team. Former Princeton High standout Amon emerged as the ace this year for TCNJ, going 4-4 with a 2.51 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 61 innings. Amon earned All-NJAC Second Team honors and was also named as Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region Team and D3baseball.com All-Region performer. (Photo provided courtesy of The College of New Jersey Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Ben Amon began his sophomore season with The College of New Jersey baseball team in 2021 as a relief pitcher, but injuries thrust him into the starting rotation.

“We had two of our top starting pitchers get hurt, they both had shoulder and arm injuries,” said former Princeton High standout Amon. “I was thrown into that first game on Saturday role — that helped me take a big step. I got very used to coming out and facing the ace.”

After going 1-3 with a 4.06 ERA and 37 strikeouts on 44 1/3 innings over the rest of that season, Amon emerged as the ace for the Lions in 2022. The lanky 6’5, 170-pound right-hander posted a 4-4 record with a 2.51 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 61 innings.

Amon’s heroics helped him earn a slew of honors, including getting named to the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Second Team and earning Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region Team and D3baseball.com All-Region recognition.

Last summer, Amon built confidence by enjoying a big season for the Matrix in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL).

“I made the All-Star game, that felt really good,” said Amon. “I took some time off and gave my arm a chance to recover a little bit.”

This spring, Amon got off to a good start in the season opener against Ursinus, going 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts, yielding two runs and two hits to get the win as TCNJ prevailed 13-3.

“It is always a confidence builder when you can come out and throw really well to start the season,” said Amon. “In high school I always had trouble finding my groove early in the season. So it was great being able to come out and throw a game against Ursinus and get a win and start 1-0 to the season.”

Two weeks later, Amon hit a bump in the road as he only lasted 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Franklin & Marshall.

“I thought I was throwing well; they were just able to put the ball in play and worked counts,” recalled Amon. “They got me out of that game pretty early so that was a rough one. But I had the entire team around me saying like, ‘hey look, you are going to be our guy to go to when we need to win big games and keep your head up. We are all going to pull for you no matter what.’ Just having that confidence and having the team behind me no matter what really helped me to throw strikes when I needed to, knowing they would make plays behind me.”

In early April, Amon enjoyed a major confidence builder as he hurled a shutout against New Jersey City, giving up five hits and striking out five with one walk.

“It was pretty awesome, we went in there with a strategy to pitch them backwards,” said Amon, reflecting on the shutout. “They like looking fastballs and it absolutely worked. We swept them without allowing a run in the doubleheader.”

Facing fourth-ranked Rowan in the NJAC tournament, Amon produced an awesome effort, giving up no runs in seven innings with four strikeouts as TCNJ rolled to a 9-0 victory.

“Our seniors had never beaten Rowan since they had been there,” said Amon. “Just to give them that final win, especially in the playoffs, and send Rowan home was a pretty awesome feeling. They have been our biggest rival.”

Over the final stretch of the season, Amon raised his game as the Lions ended the spring with a 20-18 record, falling 10-7 to No. 23 Kean in the NJAC playoffs in their finale.

“I definitely had the mentality for my last five games that nobody is going to beat me but myself,” said Amon. “I attacked every hitter with a game plan that I am going to throw whatever pitch I want to throw and I am going to dictate the tempo of the game. It worked really well. I had a good five last starts of the year.”

While Amon is proud of the honors he garnered as a result of his stellar campaign, his focus is more on team goals.

“Obviously it is awesome to win those awards,” said Amon, who was also named to the NJAC All-Academic team this season. “You want to have a lot of guys that win those awards. I would have loved to win an NJAC title.”

Currently, Amon is pitching for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Northwoods League, an elite collegiate summer league in the Mid-West.

“I am just continuing what I ended the year with, working at my tempo with a lot of confidence and being able to throw any pitch in any count,” said Amon, who is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and seven strikeouts in 12 innings for the Rapids Rafters.

“It really helps when you have guys off balance and they don’t what is coming on 2-0, 3-0 counts and you can throw any of your pitches. I had a fastball, changeup, and curveball, and a two seam as a freshman and now I have a harder slider and a slower curveball. I top around 91 on my fastball and I sit in the high 80s.”

Looking ahead to his senior season for TCNJ, Amon is confident that the Lions can do some big things.

“It is building on how strong we finished as a team and hopefully just continuing that success,” said Amon. “We have a lot of great freshmen, great sophomores, and then a bunch of guys that are good in the upper classes. We have a bunch of guys coming in that should make an impact immediately.”