Seton Hall Prep baseball team opens season with three straight wins

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep baseball team opened the 2025 season with three straight victories last week. 

On Tuesday, April 1, the Pirates traveled to Tangorra Field at the Park Oval in Nutley and defeated Nutley, 7-2. Senior right-handed pitcher Roman Baldwin picked up the victory, allowing no runs on two hits with two strikeouts and four walks in his three innings. 

At the plate, senior first baseman William Garrett was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while senior Michael Bravette and junior Patrick Cassels were each 2-for-3 with one RBI. Senior Kaden Frei was 1-for-3 with an RBI and junior JJ Drennan drove in a run with an infield groundout.

On Thursday, April 3, the Pirates traveled to the Livingston Oval to take on Livingston High School and defeated the Lancers, 4-0, behind an outstanding performance by senior Marcelo Harsch and Cassels. Harsch pitched six innings, allowing just one hit with seven strikeouts and one walk. Cassels had two strikeouts in his seventh-inning appearance. 

The Pirates opened the scoring in the fifth inning, when Cassels drove in Drennan with an infield groundout. In the seventh inning, senior catcher Henry Ayers singled and courtesy runner David Lovato advanced to second, when senior outfielder Will Mahala reached on a bunt single. They moved to second and third, when Drennan bunted them over. Frei drove in a run with a sac fly to right field and Cassels drove in a run with a triple to deep center field. 

Pinch runner David Makowka scored when senior Santino Czarecki singled to center field.

After the game, Harsch commented on his performance. “I had a lot of nerves going into this game. But as soon as I went out there, it kind of just all settled down and I honed in on the strike zone.”

Harsch’s velocity was firmly in the 90s, touching as much as 95 early on.

 “One of the biggest things I worked on in the offseason was throwing strikes, because I had 21 walks last year, and that is not really where I want to be.” Harsch said.

SHP head coach Mike Sheppard Jr. said, “He had a big contingent of scouts, a lot of pressure, but he doesn’t feel the pressure. He has done that all summer long and he is our leader and we go as he goes. What helped to turn the game was the sacrifice bunts. We work a lot in practice on bunting, so it was nice to see it work today when I called for it.”

On Saturday, April 5, the Pirates traveled to Randolph and defeated the Rams, 13-3. At the plate, Frei was 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Czarecki, Garrett and Mahala were each 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mahala hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Sophomore catcher Joseph Maiella also drove in two runs with a sac fly and an infield error. Drennan picked up the victory, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks.

Notes – The Pirates are currently ranked No. 4 in the NJ.com state Top 20 poll.

The following SHP players have made their college commitments:

• Harsch, Wake Forest (Division I).
• Mahala, Virginia (Division I).
• Bravette, George Washington (Division I).
• Nick DeSena, senior right-handed pitcher, Lafayette (Division I).
• Frei, Purdue (Division I).
• Baldwin, St. Peter’s (Division I).
• Henry Ayers, senior catcher, Middlebury (Division III).
• Garrett, Bates (Division III).
• Christopher Cerwinski, senior RHP, Moravian (Division III).
• Mack Lipari, senior left-handed pitcher, Stevens (Division III).
• Jordan Burwell, junior first baseman, West Virginia (Division I).
• Cassels, junior RHP, Rutgers (Division I).
• JJ Drennan, RHP/infielder, Boston College (Division I).

  Seton Hall Prep baseball