(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) NICK THE QUICK: Princeton High baseball senior star Nick Miranda makes contact with the ball in action this spring. Center-fielder Miranda’s speed and production at the leadoff spot helped provide some highlights in a tough spring that saw PHS go 5-18.

Senior Standout Miranda Hoped for Better as PHS Baseball Failed to Come Together

Bill Alden

Nick Miranda entered this spring with high hopes for his final season with the Princeton High baseball team.

“One of our expectations was to improve on what we did last season; we have been struggling in the past,” said center fielder Miranda.

“We had a good group of seniors; a lot of us have been playing together since freshman year.”

Unfortunately, the struggles continued for Miranda and the Little Tigers as PHS posted a 5-18 season this spring, exceeding the 2009 win total by only one.

In reflecting on the team’s losing record, Miranda acknowledged that it was a frustrating campaign.

“We had the players but we never jelled as a team,” said Miranda. “When we pitched well, we didn’t hit well. When we hit well, the pitching wasn’t there. The defense never really came together.”

While Miranda was among the Colonial Valley Conference leaders this spring in hits (26) and stolen bases (14), he wasn’t overly happy with his production.

“I was disappointed; I had some big stolen bases and some multi-hit games that helped the team but I wasn’t as good as I had hoped,” said the speedy Miranda, who batted lead-off and compiled a .351 batting average. “As a team captain, I didn’t have the year I wanted.”

Although things didn’t turn out as Miranda had hoped in his PHS finale, he still enjoyed coming to the diamond everyday.

“The seniors were used to struggling,” said Miranda. “We looked to keep it fun and not let the losses get to us.”

Miranda was able to glean some lessons from the setbacks that he experienced in his PHS career.

“I definitely learned how to deal with the ups and downs,” said Miranda, who will be continuing his baseball career at Haverford College.

“One second things are going well and the next, things aren’t going your way. It was a good experience. The good competition in the CVC helped me improve as a player.”

Before he starts his college baseball career, the multi-talented Miranda is going to compete one more time in football as he plays in the Sunshine Football Classic All-Star Football game on July 1 at The College of New Jersey.

“It was definitely a real good honor,” said Miranda, a star receiver and kick returner for the PHS football team.

“I was not sure whether I should do it at first but I talked to some of the guys who had done it in the past and they all said it was a blast. It is a chance to play football one more time with a bunch of my teammates.”

After that one last night on the gridiron, Miranda will turn his focus back to baseball. “I definitely wanted to continue to play baseball in college,” said Miranda, who is playing in a college-level baseball league this summer in Pennsylvania.

“I went to Haverford and I loved the place. One of our former players, Colin Serafin, goes there and he likes it. I am really excited to play at the next level. I know it’s going to be tough; I need to better myself.”

As Miranda heads off to college, he will be better for having persevered through some tough times with PHS baseball.

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