(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) HIGH VELOCITY: Hun School star pitcher Mike Russo fires a delivery last spring. The Raiders will be depending on another big year from junior Russo, who has developed into one of the top pitchers in the area.

Hun Baseball Boasts Good Balance; Pieces in Place for Banner Season

Bill Alden

Although Bill McQuade is in his 37th year coaching the Hun School baseball team, he still looks forward to practice everyday.

"You may be getting old but you feel young for the two hours you're out in the field," said McQuade, whose team was slated to start 2007 play by hosting Peddie on April 3 before playing at Lawrenceville on April 5. "You come to practice and feel good about getting to work with the kids that we have."

McQuade certainly feels good about working with stellar junior pitcher Mike Russo. "Russo has been unbelievable; he has such an upside," asserted McQuade. "As a sophomore he deve-loped into our ace and he pitched against most of the tough teams. He's beginning to locate his pitches; he's changing speeds. His curve and change-up are light years ahead of where he was a year ago. He's a pitcher in every sense of the word."

The versatile Russo, a key reserve on Hun's boys' basketball team, brings a lot more than pitching to the team. "He's one of the best athletes on the team," added McQuade, whose club posted a 13-8 record last spring. "He's a good hitter; he's probably our best outfielder in terms of chasing down the ball. He plays for the love of the game."

Hun's two other starting pitchers, post-graduate Matt Welsh, a former star for Princeton High, and junior David Putman, also have game.

"Welsh is out right now with a tendon, he should be back in a couple of weeks," said McQuade, who plans to take Sean Pucciarelli, Andrew Baxter, Anthony Freda, and Shane Davis out of the bullpen. "He's a big kid who throws hard. David is a tough kid with a great arm. He has an unbelievable curve ball when he can get it over; it just drops off the table. He's not polished yet but when he's on, he's terrific."

The Raiders have a terrific one-two punch in the middle of their batting order in seniors Shane Davis and Sean Munley. "Shane is a switch-hitter which gives us flexibility," said McQuade. "Munley rarely strikes out. They both have good gap power."

Hun also boasts some good table-setters at the top of the line-up. "Mel Williams is a transfer from Ewing, he was one of the best hitters in Mercer American Legion last summer," said McQuade.

"Andrew Baxter is a tough kid; he knows the game and plays it well. Pucciarelli will bat second in the lineup. He can play anywhere, catcher, second, outfield, or pit-cher."

McQuade is confident that his defense will be able to hold the fort. "The middle of the defense should be good right from the catcher to shortstop/second to centerfield," said McQuade, who plans to use post-graduate Chris Griffin at catcher with Williams, Pucciarelli, and Baxter handling things in the middle of the infield and Russo playing center when he's not on the mound.

In McQuade's view, Hun has the weapons and menta-lity to produce a big spring. "I think our pitchers have to stay within themselves and not overthrow," maintained McQuade.

"They can let the kids behind them play defense. I think our top five or six in the batting order can match up with just about anybody around. The expectations the kids have for themselves are high."

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