MAKING STRIDES: Asa Collins heads to first base in a game this spring for the Princeton High baseball team. Rising PHS sophomore Collins has been starring this summer for the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team, batting leadoff and playing shortstop. Last Monday, Collins scored one run with a walk and stolen base as Post 218 fell 8-5 to Allentown to move to 5-12. Princeton will wrap up regular season action by playing at Hamilton Post 31 on July 16. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Asa Collins got off to slow start this spring in his freshman season foe the Princeton High baseball team.
But getting into a groove, shortstop Collins emerged as a standout for the Tigers, batting .316 with 24 hits, 12 runs, and 11 RBIs.
“At the beginning of the season, I had trouble just thinking that I belonged there,” said Collins. “As I got more experienced in the level of play, I just felt more comfortable and I was able to produce.”
Building on that progress, Collins has proved to be a catalyst this summer for the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team.
Batting leadoff and playing shortstop for Post 218 last Monday as it hosted Mercer County American Legion League (MCALL)-leading Allentown, Collins worked a walk in the bottom of the first inning as Princeton aimed to rally from a 2-0 deficit.
“I was looking for my pitch to hit,” said Collins, who ended up stealing a base and scoring on two-run single by Casey Daigneault. “I didn’t get it after my first pitch so I just took it and then I was trying to steal.”
Princeton went on to score three runs as Nate Nydick chipped in a run-scoring single to cap the rally.
“That first inning was really important for us,” said Collins, noting that Post 218 was coming off a tough weekend, having been swept 10-0 and 10-0 by Bordentown Post 26 in a doubleheader on Saturday before falling 7-1 to North Hamilton on Sunday.
While Allentown forged ahead 8-3 by the fifth inning on Monday, Post 218 battled back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
“The sixth inning was pretty nice,” said Collins. “We just all kind of banded together and tried to get together and score some runs.”
While Post 218 ended up losing by that 8-5 score in moving to 5-12, Collins believes that Princeton is making progress this summer after going 3-16 in 2025.
“I think we are just fighting more,” said Collins. “We know we are the underdogs. We have got nothing to lose. If we can give it to teams like this and make sure they have to fight to win games, we cause trouble. We can maybe win some more games.”
Building on his freshman season for PHS, Collins is developing bonds through fighting those battles.
“Legion ball is a lot more relaxed, I do get to build some great relationships with my teammates,” said Collins. “I think that will help me strengthen our team and just do better in the season.”
Post 218 first-year manager Judd Petrone liked the way his team started against Allentown.
“We struggled hitting all weekend,” said Petrone. “We wanted to work counts which we did in the first inning. We got a lot of runners on and movement on the base paths and good things happened. That was the focus, we did that well today. We just came up short in a couple of situations. We had a couple of runners on and we didn’t push them in.”
Post 218 did push in a pair of runs in the sixth inning as Roy Bellace ripped a single and later scored and Daigneault contributed an RBI single.
“That was good to battle back,” said Petrone. “We preached all week that we wanted to be within striking distance at the end and we did that. That is a really good team.”
Princeton has been getting good play this summer from Collins.
“Asa is one of our youngest guys and he is probably one of our most skilled guys,” said Petrone. “He controls the infield and he has great plate discipline. He has been really good.”
Chase Lau, who went 2 for 3 with two runs, and Daigneault have been showing offensive skill.
“Those are two of our best players, they are two of our better hitters,” said Petrone. “They are fast when they get on the base paths and they make things happen. They steal a lot of bases. A couple of big hits by them today kept us in the game.”
On the mound, Matt Brophy came on in relief of Bellace and went six innings, striking out five and giving up four earned runs.
“Matt pitched really well, he has been pitching really well for us all year,” said Petrone.
With Post 218 having nearly doubled its win total from last season, Petrone believes the program is headed in the right direction.
“I think we have just been playing as a team more,” said Petrone.
“We have been more involved. The past couple of seasons we have gotten down on ourselves because we lost so many games and it just spiraled from there. This year we have kept it together we have pushed a couple of win streaks together. They have stayed into it, we do have a lot of fight.”
Princeton will wrap up regular season action by playing at Hamilton Post 31 on July 16, hoping to stay in the mix for a spot in the district playoffs.
“I think this game is going to carry some momentum into Thursday which is going to be a must win if we are looking to get a playoff spot,” said Petrone, whose team is currently in eighth place in the MCALL standings and could have a shot at the playoffs if it moves into seventh. “I am excited to go down to Hamilton,
it is always good games
with them.”
Collins, for his part, is looking to build momentum going into his sophomore season for PHS.
“I want to try to be a good leader for the team next year,” said Collins. “I want to produce more so I can give my teammates more chances and then we can win some more games.”