WILL TO WIN: Hun School baseball player Will Kraemer takes a cut in a 2024 game. Last week, senior shortstop Kraemer went 3 for 4 with a triple, four runs, and three RBIs to help power Hun to a 12-2 win over Allentown. The Raiders, who topped the Blair Academy 11-0 last Saturday in improving to 12-5, host Archbishop Spalding (Md.) on May 7, play at Poly Prep (N.Y.) on May 9 and then host King’s Christian on May 10. In addition, the Raiders will be starting play in the Prep A state tournament on May 12. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

Playing for Great Britain last summer in the U18 Baseball European Championship in Regensburg, Germany has helped Will Kraemer star this spring for the Hun School baseball team.

“I think the European thing definitely helped me a lot, just playing in bigger moments helped me be ready for every single game this year,” said Hun senior shortstop Kraemer. “I took last year as a learning experience. I went though some struggles at the plate. It is my senior year, so it is play with a lot of fun and confidence. I think I have done a pretty good job so far.”

Kraemer did a very good job last week in a 12-2 win over Allentown, going 3 for 4 with a triple, four runs, and three RBIs.

“I am in a good groove, this year it has been a lot different as to what pitchers are throwing me,” said Kraemer, reflecting on his performance in the April 29 contest. “The entire coaching staff has been helping me with seeing the ball and seeing spin early. I haven’t seen a lot of fastballs this year so it is being able to take the curve ball the other way. I thought I did a pretty good job today of putting the barrel on the ball.

The Raiders haven been putting the barrel on the ball collectively.

“We have been working hard all year, we knew the scouting report we were going to get today,” said Kraemer. “I think we want to trust our at-bats. We have been putting barrels on this whole entire season and today they fell off really well. It was good to see the boys top from bottom finish well.”

Coming off a 7-3 loss to Seton Hall Prep a day earlier, Hun was primed to get back on the winning track against the Redbirds.

“This was a big confidence booster, yesterday we fell short a little bit,” said Kraemer. “This was a good win for us. Later in the week, we have two big Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) games so hopefully that puts us one step closer to winning another MAPL championship.”

As Hun has piled up wins this spring, Kraemer believes that the squad’s unity has been a key factor in its success.

“I would say that of all of the teams, I have been on here for the last four years, this team is the closest of all of them,” said Kraemer of the Raiders, who topped the Blair Academy 11-0 last Saturday in improving to 12-5. “I think [it is] the chemistry we have and we really care about each other. I think that is what wins us games when we get into closer games down the stretch in May. We have the pitching staff, the fielders, and the hitters. Everyone is ready to compete.”

As a battle-tested senior, Kraemer has looked to enhance that chemistry.

“Last year, I think the biggest thing for me was just learning from the whole senior class,” said Kraemer, this is now batting .404 with 24 runs, 21 hits, 16 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. “Guys like Deacon Bowne and Tyler Tucker took me under their wing and showed me what it is to help guys. This year my role is just helping out anyone here.”

Kramer will be looking to help another team next year as he has committed to attend Pepperdine University and play for its Division I baseball program.

“I was thinking about just staying home and going to Penn State but I kind of wanted to look out west,” said Kraemer. “Right when I stepped on campus, I loved coach [Tyler] LeTorre and everything about it. It is a beautiful school, but the reason why I went out there was because of the coaching staff. They want to win and they believe they can do it. I can’t wait to get out there.”

Hun head coach Tom Monfiletto loves the work ethic that Kraemer has displayed in becoming a top hitter.

“Will is seeing the ball really well, he has been excellent for us,” said Monfiletto. “He has been able to hit all pitches. He is very, very diligent about his at-bats. He keeps a pretty detailed notebook for every at-bat that he has taken and over the years against teams he has played. He puts a lot of work into it, he has really developed into a complete hitter.”

The Raiders showed an attention to detail as they rolled to the win over Allentown.

“We usually score early, we have been pretty good at that all year,” said Monfiletto. “It is the middle innings where we have trouble. I think there was a little point of emphasis to take advantage of those middle innings. I was happy that we got out to the start that we did but I was even happier that we built on it.”

Monfiletto is very happy with junior leadoff hitter John Rossman who went 3 for 4 with a homer, three runs, and three RBIs against Allentown.

“The power is nice; he has put a lot of work in and it is showing,” said Monfiletto. “His hard hit ball percentage is very, very high so he has been getting the barrel on the ball pretty frequently. We are trying to get him to be just a little more patient in the leadoff spot because he is a weapon on the bases. But we will take the home runs and the doubles too.”

The Raiders got some excellent mound work from junior lefty Aidan Heaphy in the win as he didn’t yield a hit in four innings of work with six strikeouts.

“Heaphy was great, he is an expert at getting out of jams, that is for sure,” said Monfiletto. “He started 11 batters off with first pitch strikes which is something we have really been trying to emphasize with him. I don’t know what the stats show but it seemed like after every ball, he would respond with a strike. That is what we needed out on him and we are obviously going to lean on him big time as the season goes along.”

As the season has gone on, Hun has been getting key contributions from a number of players.

“Yanni [Moraitis] has been a horse on the mound; TJ Tiff has come on the past couple of games at third base, we really like seeing that,” said Monfiletto. “Antonio [Destribats] has been getting huge hits for us. He had a really clutch hit in the beginning of the game today. When we played Immaculata on Saturday (a 5-0 win) he hit a home run in a really big spot to put us up by three, so he has been excellent. Today was the first outing for Zain [Majeed] on the mound and it looked excellent. Kerrick [Shannon] threw really well the other day. Our pitchers are starting to fully develop.”

The Raiders have also developed some grit over the course of the spring.

“I think we are a pretty resilient bunch — we are building that as the year is going on and that is probably what I am most happy with,” said Monfiletto.

With Hun hosting Archbishop Spalding (Md.) on May 7, playing at Poly Prep (N.Y.) on May 9, and then hosting King’s Christian on May 10 before starting play in the Prep A state tournament on May 12. Monfiletto believes his squad has steeled itself for a big finish.

“The focus is that this is an intentionally challenging stretch of games, so hopefully the way that we prepare for games and for the season is going to prepare us for that stretch,” said Monfiletto. “We have had three weeks in a row with four games each week. It is an extremely difficult and challenging stretch with league games and some other really tough opponents too. It is embracing and accepting the challenge. That is the focus.”

Kraemer, for his part, is focused on making the most of his last month playing for the Raiders.

“I think in the next couple of weeks, whatever happens, happens; I will be ready to play my last couple of games,” said Kraemer. “It is going to be a little emotional, but at the same time I can’t wait to play with my guys and have one last ride of high school baseball.”