The West Orange High School baseball team poses together.
WEST ORANGE — The West Orange High School baseball team has enjoyed a solid start to the season.
Under head coach Tim Blumkin, the Mountaineers won four straight games, before losing to Caldwell 12-1 on Monday, April 13, at home to move to a 5-2 record on the season.
They split two games with Verona to begin the season, winning 11-1 at home and losing 6-1 on the road.
WOHS then won consecutive games against Nutley. After winning 6-1 on the road on Monday, April 6, the Mountaineers rallied to win 8-7 in eight innings at home two days later. Trailing 7-1, WOHS scored one run in the bottom of the fifth, five runs in the sixth and won it on a walk-off in the eighth.
The Mountaineers defeated Pequannock 10-0 on Friday, April 10, at home and defeated Hoboken 9-5 the next day on the road for their fourth win in a row.
The Mountaineers have 12 seniors this year, all of whom have been in the program for four years.
Among the key players are senior twins Jay Stevenson and Shep Stevenson, senior pitcher Jack Pimm, seniors Liam Ramos, Ethan Almengo, Jordan Jackson and Alex Alfonso; and juniors Nick Riley and Jordan Rothseid.
The Stevenson twins and Pimm are the captains.
In the comeback win over Nutley, Shep Stevenson delivered the clutch two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded to tie it at 7. Jay Stevenson came in to pitch the seventh and eighth innings and was completely dominant, striking out four in those two innings. Sophomore Aidan Ackermann led off the eighth inning with a walk. With two outs, Ramos delivered the game-winning RBI single to walk it off and complete the comeback.
“It was a total team effort to work our way back from the six-run deficit and ultimately win the game,” said Blumkin. “I was proud that the team never lost their belief and confidence.”
Ramos and senior Hudson Showalter combined on the six-inning, no-hitter with six strikeouts against Pequannock, with Ramos getting the win. Ramos also helped his cause with a single, a home run and three RBIs. Alfonso also had three hits, including a home run and three RBIs.
“So far this is the most fun I’ve had coaching high school baseball in my 12 years experience (10 at WOHS). The group is not only talented and hungry, but they are best friends, on and off the field. You can feel their chemistry each and every day at practice and they are truly fun to be around. We have also started off hot with the bats, which makes it a fun team on the field, as much as off.
“We are without our ace pitcher of the past two years in Matthew Schaefer. He is a senior who has lost his senior season due to a torn labrum. He is hoping to return for the state playoffs in some capacity, but that may be a bit of an overly optimistic goal at this point.”
The Mountaineers hope to win the program’s first Super Essex Conference–Liberty Division title. The team also is working hard to make a strong run in both the Greater Newark Tournament – which is the Essex County tournament – and in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament.
“One important goal we have is to take things day by day and not get ahead of ourselves with expectations of having a senior-heavy team,” said Blumkin. “That said, the empty baseball banner in the gym is looking sad and these boys want to do something about that.”
Photo Courtesy of WOHS head baseball coach Tim Blumkin
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