STARTING WITH A BANG: Hun School baseball player Chris Pontrella takes a cut in a game last year. Senior star outfielder Pontrella helped Hun get the 2018 season off with a bang, going 3-for-5 with a run and three RBIs as the Raiders topped Lawrenceville 12-1 last Thursday in its season opener. Hun is slated to host the Hill School (Pa.) on April 4 before playing at St. Augustine Prep on April 6 and the Peddie School on April 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though it has won two straight state Prep A titles, the Hun School baseball team still believes it has something to prove.

“We are definitely fired up but we are pretty hungry which is great and it is not just coming from the coaching staff,” said second-year head coach Tom Monfiletto.

“There is an overall feeling in the entire program that we want to get better and we want to take another step. We want to hang with some of the better teams in the state. It is not only the state, but our county is incredible too. The Mercer county Tournament is something that has always been important to us. Unfortunately as a coach, I haven’t experienced anything past the second round in the MCT. It is a goal of ours to get past that and break that barrier and see what we can do in the county.

The Raiders took a good first step in 2018, starting the season by defeating Lawrenceville 12-1 last Thursday in its season opener. Chris Murdock got the win on the mound, going 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts. Chris Pontrella powered the offense, getting three hits and three RBIs with Adam Zucatti adding a three-run triple and Danny Melnick knocking in two runs.

“I think there is still a lot of room to improve, but I like where we are at right now,” said Monfiletto going into the opener. “I like the prospect of us getting better by the end of the year.”

Hun has assembled what appears to be one of the better and deeper pitching staffs in the area, featuring senior Murdock, junior Jack Erbeck, senior Thomas Ramsay, junior Blane Soper, senior co-captain Justin Dirk, senior Alex Cukier, post-graduate Frank Del Guercio, and freshman Rick Erbeck.

“Our pitching was great; that was a highlight in Florida on our spring trip,” said Monfiletto. “Everyone threw well.”

Hun also thrived offensively down in Florida. “I would say seven of our hitters swung the bats well against great pitching and some younger pitching as well,” added Monfiletto. “They were really able to adjust and do the things that we are teaching them. We hit a lot a lot of line drives down there which I was really happy about.”

Junior co-captain McGwire Tuffy, senior Pontrella, junior Jack Erbeck, senior Adam Wijaya, senior Zucatti, and junior Melnick figure to be at the heart of the batting order for the Raiders.

“If we are able to hit with runners in scoring position and we are able to score those runs consistently, we will be in good shape,” said Monfiletto.

The Raiders should get consistent play defensively with Melncik at catcher, DelGuercio and Jack Erbeck at first base, sophomore Ben Petrone, a Princeton High transfer, at second, Tuffy at shortstop, and Wajiya at third with Pontrella, Zucatti, and Soper, among others, in the outfield.

With Hun running a gauntlet of tough foes this spring, it will need to maintain a good approach on a daily basis.

“We have a really difficult schedule as we did last year,” said Monfiletto, whose team is slated to host the Hill School (Pa.) on April 4 before playing at St. Augustine Prep on April 6 and the Peddie School on April 7. 

“I think, this year, it is ramped up even a little more, so another thing that will be a key for us is staying positive throughout the season. It will be taking whatever lumps hit us and growing from them and getting better the next day. Hopefully as the season goes on, we will improve. That has always been the goal.”