NO DOUBT: Princeton Day School baseball player Santino Cignarella takes a swing in a 2024 game. Last Thursday, senior shortstop Cignarella went 1 for 2 with a run as eighth-seeded PDS edged top-seeded Montclair Kimberley Academy 2-1 in the Prep B state quarterfinals. The Panthers, who fell 17-0 to Notre Dame last Saturday in the first round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) tournament to move to 7-12, were slated to play at fourth-seeded Pennington in the Prep B semis on May 13 with the victor advancing to the final on May 15 at Diamond Nation in Flemington. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
In 2024, the Princeton Day School baseball team started 0-9 but produced a late surge, winning four of its last five games, including the program’s first-ever victory in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament.
History is repeating itself this spring as the Panthers lost their first nine games only to respond with a 7-3 run, earning a spot in the Prep B state semis along the way.
PDS head coach Eric Schnepf is proud of the resilience displayed by his squad for a second straight year.
“It is really easy when that happens to check out,” said Schnepf. “We talk about overcoming adversity and battling though those tough times and the kids have shown that. The kids are not willing to just throw in the towel, they want to go out and compete. They want to win. They want to play hard for each other and for themselves.”
A 1-0 win over a strong Hightstown team on April 30 gave the Panthers a big lift. Sophomore Mason Roitburg produced a mound gem in the triumph, striking out four and giving up just three hits as he went the distance. Freshman AJ Doran belted a homer to provide the Panthers with the margin of victory.
“The kids played really well; Mason threw a great game for us and the defense played really well behind him, it was a nice, clean game,” said Schnepf. “AJ hit that homer which was real nice. He is big, strong kid — the ball comes off his bat real hard. We are relatively young and there were some growing pains and it was just going to take some time. I think a win like that against a really strong team just boosts the kids’ confidence. That win did a lot for our guys for the locker room and for our confidence. It was really good to see.”
Last Thursday, PDS built on that win in the Prep B quarterfinal round as the eighth-seeded Panthers edged top-seeded Montclair Kimberly Academy 2-1.
“We had some good chances offensively — it took a lot longer than we would have liked to break through,” said Schnepf. “We scored in the top of the first. AJ Doran hit another homer later in that game. Mason came out and threw six great innings. We brought Keegan [Fullman] in to shut the door. They are a very strong team, they had a chance in the seventh. They had the bases loaded with one out with tying run on third and the winning run on second. They put the ball in play and our third baseman Vince [Filis] made a really nice play on it to dive and keep it in front of him. He had a fielder’s choice, throwing the guy out at home. Not only did that save a run but if the ball gets through they probably win the game. Keegan got the next batter to fly out to right to win it.”
The win earned PDS a matchup at Pennington in the Prep B semis slated for May 13 with the victor advancing to the final on May 15 at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
“Going into any game, I don’t think the goals change,” said Schnepf, looking ahead to the clash with the Red Hawks. “You want to come out and compete and you want to be able to handle adversity. It should be a good game. They are having a great year, they are a well-coached team. The chips are going to fall where they may and we will see what happens.”
In reflecting on his team’s recent surge, Schnepf believes it is due to a combination of growth in his freshmen and sophomores along with veteran leadership.
“Our younger guys are getting comfortable and confident with the speed of the game but also our upperclassmen are stepping up,” said Schnepf. “They are leading these guys. It is not just what happens physically in the field, it is the mental battles, the competitiveness and the ability to overcome adversity. We have a really good mix of our older guys pulling the wagon and our younger guys are starting to feel comfortable pushing the wagon It is all of them working together to elevate the standard and the level of play.”
Senior Santino Cignarella has given PHS a high level of play at the bat and on the mound.
“Santino is swinging a good bat, he can get on base and is really a table-setter for our guys,” said Schnepf of Cignarella, who is batting .339 with 20 hits and 13 runs and has pitched to a 3.05 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 18.1 innings “He has been throwing the ball really well. He is competitive and is around the zone. He can throw two pitches for strikes. He relies and trusts the guys behind him to make plays.”
As PDS, now 7-12, heads into the final weeks of the season, Schnepf is confident that his players will keep playing well.
“I think from top to bottom we are really happy with what they are doing,” said Schnepf. “We hope to continue to see more growth out of them.”