John Lawton
NUTLEY – The Nutley High School varsity baseball team traditionally has produced successful seasons.
This Raiders, indeed, enjoyed one of their best seasons this spring.
Under longtime head coach Bob Harbison, the senior-laden Raiders finished with an impressive 20-10 record, including finishing runner-up in the Greater Newark Tournament, which is regarded as the Essex County tournament.
The Raiders also advanced to the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 tournament semifinals where they lost to eventual champion Cranford, a perennial state power.
Harbison praised his team, particularly the seniors, for recovering from an 0-3 start to the season.
“I thought they did well,” said Harbison, who completed his 13th season at the helm. “I was happy with the seniors. They really showed up after we started 0-3. They rallied a little bit and did a good job.”
In the GNT semifinals, the third-seeded Raiders upset second-seeded Millburn, which was the No. 2 team in the state at the time. They then beat Seton Hall Prep, 5-4, in nine innings in a Super Essex Conference-American Division game at the Park Oval. SHP also was the No. 2 team in the state at the time.
The Raiders faced SHP in their next game three days later in the GNT final. But this time, SHP won, 11-1, to win its fourth straight GNT title. SHP went on to win the rest of its games, capping the season with the state Non-Public A title to finish as the No. 1 team in the state at 28-3. The Raiders turned out to be the last team to beat SHP this season.
The Raiders boasted outstanding players, led by Anthony Condito. The senior right-fielder became the program’s all-time hits leader during season and finished his Raiders’ career with 144 hits. This season, the lefty-hitting Condito batted .438 with 42 hits, including 10 doubles, four triples and eight homers. He also had 34 RBI, 32 runs scored, 13 walks, a .542 On-Base Percentage and .875 Slugging Average to earn Worrall Media First Team All-Area. Condito, who will continue his baseball career at Rutgers University on an athletic scholarship, also is a Worrall Media All-Area Player of the Year. The other All-Area Players of the Year are seniors Ryan Toohers and Brendan Shamieh, both of SHP.
Other Raiders who have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors are senior center fielder Andrew Connor, senior third baseman Andrew Santos, freshman shortstop Marty Higgins,senior pitcher John Lawton, senior pitcher Nick Senatore, senior pitcher Ryan McGrath, senior left fielder Nick Miller and sophomore catcher Raul Ortega, all on the First Team; junior first baseman/pitcher Jake Ramezzana, senior second baseman Matt Butler, senior relief pitcher Nick Santoriello and freshman pitcher Josh O’Neill, who are on the Second Team.
Harbison is the Worrall Media co-Coach of the Year, along with West Orange HS head coach Stephan Zichella.
Connor batted .327 with 32 hits, including six doubles, one triple, one home run, 19 RBI, 24 runs scored, 16 walks, a .422 OBP and .439 SA.
Santos had 35 hits for a .368 batting average, including seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 25 RBI, 21 runs, seven walks, .411 OBP and .526 SA.
Higgins had a strong freshman year with a .358 batting average. He had 34 hits, including seven doubles and two homers, 18 RBI, 25 runs scored, 17 walks, .465 OBP, and .495 SA.
Ramezzana had 21 hits, including two doubles and two home runs, for a .263 BA with 15 RBI, 17 runs scored, 14 walks, .392 OBP and .438 SA. He also had a 3-2 record in seven starts on the mound with 29 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched and a 4.48 earned run average.
Butler had 21 hits in 93 at-bats, 24 runs scored, and 12 RBI. Miller batted .329 with 26 hits, including eight doubles, two triples and a home run, 14 RBI, 21 runs scored, .436 OBP and .519 SA. Ortega, who joined the team a few weeks into the season, batted .342 with 25 hits, including three doubles, 14 RBI, and .437 OBP.
Lawton went 5-1 with a 3.15 ERA in eight starts and three relief appearances. In 40 innings pitched, Lawton allowed 36 hits and 24 walks and had 33 strikeouts. Senatore had nine starts and two relief appearances with a 4-3 record and 3.41 ERA. He struck out 53 and allowed 57 hits and 20 walks in 49 ⅓ innings. McGrath had eight appearances, including five starts, boasting a 4-0 record and 3.71 ERA. Santoriello went 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA in 13 relief appearances. O’Neill went 1-2 in eight appearances, including one start, with a 4.20 ERA, striking out 24 in 21 ⅔ innings.
Though they will graduate 13 players, the NHS program expects to reload, instead of rebuild, thanks to a Nutley community that produces great baseball talent.
“There’s a lot of good players around here,” said Harbison.
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