Seton Hall Prep baseball team boasts stellar players during season

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WEST ORANGE, NJ – The Seton Hall Prep varsity baseball team featured several outstanding players during another terrific season.

The Pirates finished with a stellar 26-3 record, including winning the Greater Newark Tournament title for the fifth straight year and the Super Essex Conference-American Division championship for the sixth time in the eight-year existence of the conference. The defending champions Pirates fell to Delbarton, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” North Jersey state tournament to end the season. The following are notable SHP statistics:

Batting

• Eric Vaz, senior first baseman, 26 games, .339 Batting Average, 19 hits (3 doubles), 7 RBI, 18 runs scored, 10 walks, .449 On-Base Average.
• Mike Ukrainskyj, senior left fielder, 26 games, .333 BA, 19 hits (2 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run), 16 RBI, 17 runs scored, 6-of-9 stolen bases, 11 walks, .474 OBA.
• Jack Zyska, junior center fielder, 29 games, .329 BA, 27 hits (5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs), 23 RBI, 22 runs scored, 10-of-12 stolen bases, 23 walks, .486 OBA. Zyska made All-SEC-American Division Honorable Mention.
• Nico Mottesi, senior Designated Hitter, 13 games, .318 BA, 7 hits (2 doubles), 6 RBI, 5 runs scored, 3-for-3 stolen bases, .464 OBA.
• Francis Prior, senior third baseman, 28 games, .309 BA, 21 hits (4 doubles, 3 home runs), 27 RBI, 19 runs, 22 walks, 4-of-7 stolen bases, .485 OBA. Prior made All-SEC-American Division Second Team.
• Eric Raio, senior catcher, 28 games, .302 BA, 19 hits (2 doubles), 11 RBI, 1 run scored, 18 walks, .500 OBA.
• Nick Maldonado, sophomore shortstop, 29 games, .288 BA, 21 hits (3 doubles, 1 triple), 13 RBI, 13 runs scored, 18 walks, 4-0f-6 stolen bases, .495 OBA. Maldonado also made All-SEC-American First Team.
• Kevin Gately, senior second baseman, 28 games, .263 BA, 20 hits (6 doubles), 17 RBI, 14 runs scored, 19 walks, 8-of-9 stolen bases, .436 OBA. Gately made All-SEC-American Division Honorable Mention.
• Ryan Hebert, junior outfielder, 28 games, .208 BA, 17 hits (2 doubles, 1 home run), 11 RBI, 22 runs scored, 15-of-17 stolen bases, .364 OBA.

Team overall: .268 BA, 185 hits (6.4 hits per game), 164 runs (5.7 runs per game).

Pitching

• Jack Mahala, senior righty, 10 games (7 starts), 6-1 record, 0.62 Earned Run Average, 3 complete games, 45 Innings Pitched, 18 hits allowed, 16 walks, 48 strikeouts.
•  Maldonado, righty, 9 games (6 starts), 7-0 record, 0.68 ERA, 3 complete games, 2 saves, 41.3 IP, 21 hits allowed, 7 walks, 35 strikeouts.
• Kevin Young, senior righty, 7 games (6 starts), 5-0 record, 0.63 ERA, 2 complete games, 33.3 IP, 20 hits allowed, 5 walks, 32 strikeouts. Young made All-SEC-American Division First Team.
•  Jamil Vanheyningen, senior righty and West Orange resident, 7 games (6 starts), 5-1 record, 1.01 ERA, 1 complete game, 34.6 IP, 17 hits allowed, 5 walks, 35 strikeouts. Vanheyningen made All-SEC-American Division First Team.
• Christian Bascunan, senior righty, 8 games (2 starts), 2-0 record, 1.24 ERA, 2 saves, 17 IP, 16 hits allowed, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts.

Team overall: 0.84 ERA, 200 IP, 112 hits allowed, 53 walks, 189 strikeouts. Opponents BA: .169.

Sheppard Jr. has been the coach at SHP since 1987. He was previously the head coach at West Orange High School for one season in 1986. His overall record is 744-196-4 in 32 seasons.

  Seton Hall Prep