Pennridge graduate returning to Monmouth
Pennridge grad returning to Monmouth after virus stopped senior season
Danny Long’s senior season at Monmouth University was cut short due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, the 2016 Pennridge grad was granted another year of eligibility and will get another shot at a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in 2021.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Long said. “I’m fortunate enough that I have the opportunity to redo my senior season, while high school athletes don’t get that opportunity. I’m fortunate and grateful for that.”
Long, the 2016 Reporter Baseball Player of the Year, stepped right into a starting role as a freshman after impressing coaches with his play and leadership during the fall season. He believes the competition he faced in the Suburban One League Continental Conference helped prepare him for Division I college baseball.
“Our conference, our district is always very competitive and doing well when it comes to the state tournament,” he said. “You just look at all the guys you’re playing against — they’re also heading on to good college programs. (The competition) definitely helped and definitely helped prepare me for the next couple years of my career.”
As a freshman in 2017, the Sellersville native was the only Monmouth player to start all 48 games. He earned MAAC Rookie of the Week honors twice while hitting .207 with eight doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs. Highlights from his freshman cam
paign included a threeRBI performance with a double, triple and home run against Florida Atlantic and a three-hit, threeRBI game with three runs scored against Canisius.
During his sophomore year, Long started 53 of 55 games to help the Hawks win the MAAC regular season title. He hit .286 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 21 RBI. One highlight of his college career came in the MAAC tournament when he hit a three-run home run in a win over Quinnipiac.
“That was the year we won the regular season so we had high expectations going into the conference tournament,” Long said. “The tournament was held in Staten Island, beautiful ballpark. It was a cool atmosphere and for it to happen in the conference tournament in a big game, in a big situation, it’s definitely one of my better memories in my college career.”
As a junior, Long played in all 57 games with 55 starts at shortstop. He hit .239 with 13 doubles, two home runs and 20 RBIs.
Throughout his career he has been a dominant defender. He anchored the infield with fielding percentages of .936, .947 and .971 across his first three seasons.
Long was known as a winner during his time at Pennridge. He helped the Rams basketball team win back-to-back SOL Continental titles as a junior and senior and led the team to its first state playoff win in school history during his 11th grade season. On the diamond, he was a key piece in Pennridge winning the 2016 District 1-4A championship, the program’s first district crown in 29 years. Through three seasons at Monmouth, the Hawks have mostly hovered around .500 and won the MAAC regular season title his sophomore year.
“I’ve been a winner and in a winning culture, winning mentality my whole life,” Long said. “That didn’t change at Monmouth, obviously it’s a highly-regarded program and the expectations are high and we play in a very competitive conference. We were fortunate enough to win the 2018 MAAC regular season championship, which was cool to experience. We have had success in my four years there.”
Long, who majored in Business Management and will be adding Business Marketing next year, views bringing a MAAC title to West Long Branch, NJ as a key factor in returning to school.
“(Returning for a fifth year) was a tough decision,” Long said. “Ultimately it came down to I’m fortunate enough to earn my scholarship again next year. It will give me an opportunity to further my education and try to win the conference tournament and try to make it to a regional.
“The biggest goal I had both personally and as a team was just to win a conference championship, honestly. That’s a big reason why I want to go back — try to obtain that, which I haven’t been able to do. I’ve been lucky to play all four years. I’ve had some ups and downs stepping in there right away, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”