THE RIGHT STUFF: Princeton High baseball star Chase Hamerschlag fires a pitch in a game last spring. Senior star Hamerschlag figures to spark the team with his arm and bat this year. PHS gets its 2026 season underway by hosting South River on March 28 and Robbinsville on March 31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Although the rough winter weather that hit the area has forced the Princeton High baseball team inside for much of the preseason, the squad still made progress.
“We have only been outside on the field three times including our scrimmage,” said PHS head coach Dom Capuano, who guided the Tigers to a 9-12 record in 2025. “We are working with what we can. It has been going well, they worked hard in the winter. They ran some captains’ practices this winter with the help of the booster club. They did a nice job. It has definitely helped, especially with the challenges of being indoors. The things they accomplished in the winter really helped.”
Senior star pitcher and Elon University commit Chase Hamerschlag (58 strikeouts and 4.38 ERA in 2025) is poised to accomplish a lot this spring.
“Chase has been looking real good,” said Capuano, whose club gets its 2026 season underway by hosting South River on March 28 and Robbinsville on March 31. “He changed his training this winter and it has definitely paid off. He looks good. His control is better, his off speed pitches are better, his velocity is up to around 94. He has to be focused. You can’t get distracted by what your commitment says you are. It is just do what you can do.”
Rounding out the PHS mound corps, junior Charlie Baglio (4 strikeouts, 2.74 ERA), junior Matt Brophy, junior Nick Rizzo, freshman Noah Prete, senior Anders Hedin, and junior Will Arns should be getting innings.
“There are five or six that are going to be all mixed and matched,” said Capuano. “It is kind of Chase and everybody else. They are very similar. We had a scrimmage yesterday and Noah pitched well. Charlie and Anders also did well.”
Hamerschlag (.397 with 25 hits and two homers in 2025) brings punch to the batting mix.
“Freshman Asa Collins led off for us yesterday, he is swinging the bat well,” said Capuano. “Chase will be up there along with Anders (.179, 7 hits) and Rizzo. Those guys will sit in the top of the lineup for at least what I foresee. Those four guys have all looked good.”
In addition to those four, Brophy, Baglio, Arns (.250, 13 hits), senior Matt Akey (.107, 3 hits), and freshman Aiden Davidson are looking to step up offensively.
“It is going to be mixing and matching just like the pitching, it is who is hitting,” said Capuano. “Brophy has shown flashes and Baglio has shown some flashes. Akey knows who he is and is just really good at doing his job and what he is supposed to do. He is going to do a good job in his role. Aiden is going to play so we have to make sure that he works through the freshman growing pains.”
Akey will anchor the defense at catcher. Around the diamond, Rizzo will be at first base along with Hedin and Brophy, Second, shortstop and third will feature some combination of Collins, Arns, Brophy, Baglio, and Hedin depending on whoever is hitting and whoever is pitching. In the outfield, Hamerschlag will be in center when he is not pitching. Others who could see time in the outfield include senior Elian Duran, junior Tyler Fiorentino, senior Andrew Foreman, senior Ellington Hinds, and Davidson.
In order to improve on last year, the Tigers need to stay within themselves and execute the basics.
“We have to know who we are, I know Chase is a D-I pitcher but we are not a bunch of D-I hitters,” said Capuano. “We can be a good team if we understand our role and what the situation dictates and do that — nothing more, nothing less. If we try to be people we are not, that is when we get into trouble. It is make the routine plays, do our job at the plate. Baseball is a funny game, if you do all of that the other team is going to make mistakes. It is easier said than done to perform like that. Last year, walks and errors were a problem for us.”