HAMMERING IT OUT: Princeton High baseball player Chase Hamerschlag takes a big swing in a game last year. Junior star Hamerschlag should make an impact on the mind and with his bat this spring. PHS opens its 2025 season by playing at WW/P-North on March 26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton High baseball team started its preseason training for the upcoming season, it hit the ground running.

“I think our first week was probably one of the better ones that we have had in the last five years, especially from like a commitment, an efficiency, and an energy standpoint,” said PHS head coach Dom Capuano, whose team opens its 2025 season by playing at WW/P-North on March 26. “There wasn’t much redirection, everybody knew what was going on. The upperclassmen led by example and we really moved through those first six practices very well.”

The squad’s veterans have incentive to go hard as the Tigers are coming off an 8-16 campaign.

“The last two years have been a bit of a disappointment; I think they are hungry to make it back to states and to compete for a Division,” said Capuano, whose roster includes five seniors and five juniors. “We have Division realignment this year that makes winning a Division title a lot more attainable (PHS will be playing in the Valley Division of the Colonial Valley Conference along with Hamilton West, Hightstown, Princeton Day School, Trenton, WW/P-North, and WW/P-South) It doesn’t mean it is a forgone conclusion, we still have to perform.”

Capuano is expecting junior Chase Hamerschlag to perform very well on the mound.

“He is going to be the No. 1 guy, he has definitely made a lot of strides over the winter and has put in a lot of work,” said Capuano of Hamerschlag, who piled up 34 strikeouts in 19.1 innings with a 4.71 ERA last season. “He didn’t wrestle this year; he concentrated fully on baseball and that is showing in his preparedness. He just really just has to understand how to pitch a little bit and be a little more efficient but the talent is there. He has to understand that he can overpower most people so he doesn’t have to try to make the perfect pitch. He just has to get it in the zone and throw strikes. His velocity probably sits in the high 80s. He has hit the 90s multiple times.”

The Tigers feature depth in the mound corps as seniors James Schiavone, Travis Petrone, Nano Sarceno, Eric Wheeler, and Nathan Nydick all got innings last spring in addition to Hamerschlag.

“I think the first two weeks are going to be a feeling out process and then we will settle in more to roles,” said Capuano. “Those are the big six that I hope to beat most innings. We have some guys behind then who can throw strikes and aren’t bad but with three games a week if we don’t need those other guys that means we are doing good things.”

As for the Tiger hitting attack, Hamerschlag (.308 batting average, 17 runs, 24 hits in 2024), Petrone (.328, 19 runs, 21 hits) and Sarceno (.328, 14 runs, 20 hits) should provide punch at the top of the order.

“It looks like Chase will probably lead off for us to start with probably Travis behind him and Nano behind him,” said Capuano. “They have done some pretty good things so far in our two scrimmages. I think for all of them, it is understanding who they are and what their strengths are and making sure playing to those and not to what the spot in the lineup that says they should be. And then just kind of piecing it together. We are in a position where whoever hits is going to play. A lot of guys are going to play multiple positions.”

As for the PHS defensive alignment, junior Matt Akey is a fixture at catcher and it will be mix and match across the infield with Sarceno, Nydick or sophomore Nick Rizzo at first base, Wheeler, Schiavone or sophomore Charlie Baglio at second, sophomore Will Arns and Hamerschlag at shortstop, Wheeler, Sarceno or Schiavone at third. Petrone will be the starter in center field with junior Elian Duran, sophomore Tyler Fiorentino, junior Max Decker, junior Anders Hedin, and Nydick seeing time in the OF corner spots.

In order for the Tigers to get back on the winning track, Capuano believes his players just need to be themselves.

“The main one is to throw strikes,” said Capuano. “Understanding who we are is important and that is both as a team and as individuals. If we know who we are, then we can be successful. We can’t be who we are not. The boys have been committing to it to a good degree in preseason so we will see.”