Hun’s Applegate, Northern Burlington’s Wyers earn top honors
The Hun School baseball team had waited a long time for this season.
As successful as the Raiders have been through the years, they had never won a Mercer County Tournament title until 2022.
With a lineup talented enough to be the best in the area the last few years, head coach Tom Monfiletto’s squad went 22-4 this spring to hold on to the top spot in The Trentonian’s Top 12.
However, one reward did elude Hun. With a chance to become only the third team to win the county crown and the New Jersey Independent Schools Athletics Association Prep A State Tournament title in the same spring, the Raiders were ousted in that quest by the Pingry School.
That will be a challenge
for another day. Yet, it is hard to believe Hun could compile a better group than it had this season with eight first-team All-Prep picks and six first-team All-Area selections.
Topping that lineup were seniors Ben Romano, Brody Pasieka, Ryan DiMaggio, Jackson Kraemer, Carson Wehner and Carson Applegate, an all-purpose player headed to the University of Kentucky who is The Trentonian’s choice as Prep Player of the Year.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Gene Darling, Northern Burlington also made a run at the area top spot once again this season. The Greyhounds went 17-9, thanks in part to talented seniors C.J. Fredericks, Ryan Boyd and Drew Wyers, an infielder headed to Stetson University who batted .534 and set a school record with 13 home runs this spring.
Wyers, who was also chosen as South Jersey’s Player of the Year, is The Trentonian’s Area Player of the Year.
Along with players from Mercer County front-runners like Notre Dame (177), Steinert (21-9), the Lawrenceville School (13-8) and Hamilton West (18-10), the All-Area first teamers are joined by two from 15-7 New Egypt. Senior all-purpose player Jacob Kramer (headed to Widener University) and junior catcher Zachary Jenkins helped head coach Vince Caiazza’s club become one of only two area teams to reach the sec- tional semifinals this spring.
Equally as impressive as the job All-Prep and AllArea coaching pick Monfiletto did to keep the Raiders as strong as they’ve been was the work of the Peddie School’s Erik Treese and Bordentown High’s Chris Glenn.
After dropping its opener
to Lawrenceville, Treese’s Falcons won their next six (including an upset of Hun) on the way to a 10-7 finish, which earned the 20th-year skipper a piece of The Trentonian’s Prep Coach of the Year honor with Monfiletto.
Meanwhile, 11th-year head coach Glenn turned a young group of Scotties, which began the season 3-5, into a 13-11 club that reached the second round of the state tournament. For his efforts, Glenn joined Monfiletto as The Trenton- ian’s Area Coaches of the Year.
All-Prep Baseball First Team
Position Player School Year Infield Shaun McMillan Lawrenceville Jr. Infield Hawkins Sutter Lawrenceville Sr. Infield Carson Applegate Hun Sr. Infield Mike Carroll PDS Sr. Outfield Ben Romano Hun Sr. Outfield Ryan Ulisse Peddie PG Outfield Michael Chiaravallo Hun Jr. Catcher Jack Moses Lawrenceville Jr. Pitcher Brody Pasieka Hun Sr Pitcher Ryan DiMaggio Hun Sr. Pitcher Hugh Devine Lawrenceville Jr. Pitcher Jackson Kraemer Hun Sr.
Pitcher Andrew Rubayo Peddie PG Pitcher Ronan Hwang Pennington Jr. DH Tyler Tucker Hun So.
DH Will Bercaw Pennington Jr. DH Andrew Stizza Peddie Sr. Utility Ryan Visich Lawrenceville Sr. Utility Carson Wehner Hun Sr. Utility Luke Treese Peddie Jr.
Honorable Mention
Michael Olender, Deacon Bowne, Tre Francis, Michael Smith (Hun); Jackson Sgro, Charlie Rossman, Connor Kilgallon, Chris Trucano (Lawrenceville); Matt Schwartz, Zach Naddelman, Ryan Kats, Alex Stillwell (Peddie); Bryce Meccage, Max Gibbard, Landon Hallett, Luke Kavulich (Pennington); Hunter von Zelowitz, Jackson Bailey, Ryan Vandal, Ryan Babecki (PDS).
Carson Applegate (Hun) Coaches of the Year
Tom Monfiletto (Hun) & Erik Treese
All-Area Baseball First Team Player of the Year
(Peddie)
Position Player School Year
Infield C.J. Fredericks No. Burlington Sr. Infield Dylan Palmer Notre Dame Sr. Infield Carson Applegate Hun Sr. Infield Hawkins Sutter Lawrenceville Sr. Infield Drew Wyers No. Burlington Sr. Outfield Jackson Wargo Notre Dame Sr. Outfield Ben Romano Hun Sr. Outfield Jack Sweeney Allentown So. Outfield Michael Chiaravallo Hun Jr. Catcher Zachary Jenkins New Egypt Jr. Catcher Joe Giori Steinert Sr. Pitcher Brody Pasieka Hun Sr Pitcher Ryan DiMaggio Hun Sr. Pitcher Dylan Parsons Hamilton West Sr. Pitcher Noah Rivera Steinert Sr. Pitcher Ryan Mignogna Notre Dame Sr.
Pitcher Matt Dziubek Steinert Sr. Pitcher Hugh Devine Lawrenceville Jr. Pitcher Aaron Winzinger Hightstown Sr. DH Jack Hughes Notre Dame Jr.
DH Mike Doran Allentown Sr.
DH Michael Boyer Hopewell Valley Sr. Utility Brendan Buecker Notre Dame Jr. Utility Jacob Kramer New Egypt Sr. Utility Ryan Boyd No. Burlington Sr. Utility Jackson Kraemer Hun Sr.
Second Team
Position Player School Year Infield Joey Gmitter Steinert Sr. Infield Tyler Tucker Hun So. Infield Luke Treese Peddie Jr. Infield Ryan Marino Hamilton West Sr. Infield Shaun McMillan Lawrenceville Jr. Outfield Rees Pillik Bordentown Sr. Outfield Lance Eilbacher Notre Dame Jr. Outfield Ryan Ulisse Peddie PG Outfield Chris Nodeland Steinert Sr. Catcher Logan Eilbacher Notre Dame Jr. Catcher Jack Moses Lawrenceville Jr. Pitcher Luke Billings Robbinsville So. Pitcher Caleb Kasof WW-P South Sr. Pitcher Kenny Schiavone Princeton Sr. Pitcher Andrew Rubayo Peddie PG Pitcher Tyler Dunmeyer Nottingham Sr. Pitcher Dom Yarson Ewing Sr. Pitcher Colin Bernhard Florence Sr. DH Rick Trapanese New Egypt Sr. DH Ryan Willever Lawrence Sr.
DH Jimmy Carnival Florence Sr.
DH Will Bercaw Pennington Jr. Utility Ryan Visich Lawrenceville Sr. Utility Carson Wehner Hun Sr. Utility Ronan Hwang Pennington Jr. Utility Luke Guire Bordentown Fr.
Player of the Year
Drew Wyers (Northern Burlington)
Coaches of the Year
Tom Monfiletto (Hun) & Chris Glenn
(Bordentown)