Jack Zyska takes a cut vs. St. Joseph in the North Jersey final.
WEST ORANGE, NJ (updated Friday March 31, 12:58 p.m.) – The Seton Hall Prep varsity baseball team enjoyed one of its best seasons in program history last spring.
The Pirates, under longtime head coach Mike Sheppard Jr., won titles in the Super Essex Conference-American Division and Essex County Tournament.
SHP then won the NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public “A” tournament title with a 6-2 win over St. Joseph of Montvale, and capped the sensational 28-3 season in the next game with a 4-2 victory over St. Augustine Prep to capture the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” championship.
SHP finished ranked No. 1 in New Jersey by The Star-Ledger/nj.com, No. 16 nationally by Collegiate Baseball and No. 20 nationally by USA Today.
This season, the Pirates hope to make another strong run.
Pitching will be a major strength, with six pitchers who have varsity caliber experience.
The piching staff will be led by sophomore righty Nick Maldonado. The Vanderbilt commit went 6-0 with a 1.11 ERA, striking out 33 and allowing six walks in 31 2/3 innings last season. Maldonado also will play shortstop.
Senior twins Jamil and Jermaine Vanheyningen are both headed to Campbell University in North Carolina. Jamil was 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA, while Jermaine was 1-0 with 1.40 ERA last season. They reside in West Orange.
Right-handed pitcher Jack Mahala, who will attend Harvard University, is back with the team after missing all of last season with an injury.
Other key returning players are junior center fielder Jack Zyska and senior outfielder Nico Mottesi.
Zyska, a Notre Dame commit, batted .500 with eight doubles, three homers, 19 RBI and a .570 on-base average last year.
The infield will be led by senior second baseman Kevin Gately, senior shortstop/third baseman Francis Prior, and senior first baseman Eric Vaz. The outfield will consist of Zyska, Mottesi, senior Mike Ukrainskyj and junior Ryan Sheppard.
This year’s roster includes 12 seniors, 16 juniors, three sophomores.
The Pirates’ season opener on Saturday, April 1, against Verona on the road has been postponed. The make-up date is April 25.
Sheppard Jr. is entering his 31st season as head coach of the Pirates, and 32nd overall. His current record is 718-193-4 (.787).
His team have won the following titles:
• 14 Greater Newark Tournament
• 10 NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public state “A”
• 7 NJSIAA Non-Public “A” state
• 5 Super Essex Conference-American Division
Schedule
April 3, Livingston (Home), 4 p.m.
April 5, Newark Academy (A), 4 p.m.
April 7, Nutley (H), 4 p.m.
April 8, Morristown (H), 3 p.m.
April 10, Columbia (A), 4 p.m.
April 13, Bloomfield (H), 4 p.m.
April 15, Randolph (H), noon
April 17, Millburn (H), 4 p.m.
April 19, Verona (H), 4 p.m.
April 20, Roxbury (H), 4 p.m.
April 21, Livingston (A), 4 p.m.
April 22, Old Bridge (A), 11 a.m.
April 24, Newark Academy (H), 4 p.m.
April 25, Verona (A)
April 26, Nutley (A), 4 p.m.
April 28, West Orange (A), 4 p.m.
May 1, Columbia (H), 4 p.m.
May 2, Montclair (H), 4 p.m.
May 4, Mendham (A), 4 p.m.
May 5, Monroe (A), 4:30 p.m.
May 8, Bloomfield (A), 4 p.m.
May 10, Mount Olive (H), 4 p.m.
May 15, Montclair (A), 4 p.m.
May 16, Morris Hills (H), 4 p.m.
May 17, Millburn (A), 4 p.m.
Pitch count rule instituted
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has instituted a pitch count rule. Here are the guidelines:
Pitch Limit
1-30 pitches, 0 day rest
31-50: 1 day rest
51-70, 2 days rest
71-90, 3 days rest
91-110, 4 days rest
• A pitcher who reaches the max while facing a batter may continue to pitch until the batter reaches base, the batter is put out, or the third out is made to complete the half-inning.
• A pitcher cannot throw 3 calendar days in a row.
• A pitcher cannot throw more than 50 pitches in consecutive calendar games.
• For State Tournament games that may be suspended and resumed at the point of interruption, if a pitcher has thrown 1-50 pitches before the game was suspended, that pitcher’s pitch count shall carry over to the next day.
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