Seton Hall Prep head coach Mike Sheppard Jr. talks to his players after winning his 900th career game this season.
WEST ORANGE — The Seton Hall Prep baseball team went 4-0 last week to raise its record to 10-2 on the season. After the Pirates defeated Millburn 14-2 on Monday, April 13, at Millburn to give head coach Mike Sheppard Jr. his 900th high school coaching victory, winning pitcher Angel Salcedo said, “Pitching for coach Shep’s 900th win is a great honor. To be able to be a part of such a special moment with coach means a lot. He has been a great mentor to me as a player and a man. To be able to pitch a complete game and to do it on the coach’s 900th made it even more special for me.”
Senior first baseman Jordan Burwell said, “It’s a blessing to be on this team and I am so grateful to play for coach Shep and one day to be able to say that he was my high school head coach. I will never forget when he took a chance on me my freshman year to be on this team and be part of this great program.”
Senior pitcher/second baseman JJ Drennan said, “Today felt awesome because we put in so much hard work each day. Coach Shep has been there for me since I was a freshman varsity player and he taught me how to be a young man and to be a good person, on and off the field, which is what it is really all about.”
On Wednesday, April 15, Millburn made the return trip to Porcello Field and the Pirates shut out the Millers 5-0. Drennan threw six innings, allowing no runs on one hit with 12 strikeouts and one walk. Ryan Edson pitched the seventh with one strikeout. Senior Devin Aiken drove in two runs with a single and an infield groundout. Senior Joey Maiella and Drennan each had RBI singles.
On Friday, April 17, in a wild affair, the Pirates defeated Morris Knolls 9-7 at Porcello Field.
Trailing 4-0 going into the bottom of the third, the Pirates tied the score on a three-run home run by Burwell and an RBI single by Maiella. Trailing 7-4 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Pirates took an 8-7 lead when Burwell and freshman Noah Vargas each hit a two-run homer.
In the sixth, Aiken drove in an insurance run to make the final 9-7. Senior Joseph Pontoriero (3-0) picked up the win, going the final 3 1/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
The next morning, the Pirates hosted Old Bridge in a nip-and-tuck affair, as the Pirates won 3-2. Ole Bridge took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second before the Pirates tied the score on a squeeze bunt by junior Jack Webber. Old Bridge retook the lead at 2-1 in the top of the third inning, before the Pirates tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Aiken hit a sacrifice fly down the left-field line. With the score tied in the bottom of the seventh, McKnight led off with a walk and went to second when Burwell singled to left field. Aiken was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. On the second pitch to Maiella, the Old Bridge pitcher uncorked a wild pitch that brought home McKnight with the winning run. Junior Bryce Bradley (1-0) picked up the win in relief throwing 4 1/3 innings with 2 strikeouts and one hit batter.
Photo Courtesy of PJ Candido/Seton Hall Prep
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