PDS among baseball teams heading south in season preparation
By: Bob Nuse
Bruce Devlin is excited about the young players on his Princeton Day School baseball team.
The Panthers, who just returned from a week in Florida, look like they’re building something pretty special. A trio of seniors Dan O’Brien, Colin Johnson and Charlie Bird lead a team that has as much promise for the future as it does for the present.
"The young kids on this team can play," said Devlin, who is beginning his fourth season as the Panthers’ head coach. "And the thing about them is that, even though they’re freshmen, they already have a lot of varsity experience. Clint O’Brien has already been through a season of varsity football and basketball. Mike Shimkin played varsity football for me this fall. Jordan Mickens played a full season of varsity basketball.
"So even though these kids are freshmen, they already know what it’s like to face varsity competition. They know the level of commitment it takes to be successful at the varsity level. I think that is going to help them when they come into the baseball season."
Clint O’Brien was the starting quarterback for the football team and also was a starter for much of the basketball season. For the baseball team, he’ll also be counted on as a starter as well. Shimkin started at running back for the football team, while Mickens was a starter for the basketball team. Those three join a fourth freshman Sam Hamlin on the varsity baseball roster this spring.
The Panthers also have five juniors and three sophomores in the mix, making this a team that should be able to compete for some time.
"We’ve got a lot of good young talent," Devlin said. "The key thing for us will be the pitching, which is how it is for every team. But we feel pretty good about the kids we have. And we already have some kids that are coming to the school next year that are going to help us. So we’re pretty excited."
The Panthers will open the season on April 5 at Rutgers Prep.
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It looks like spring training in Florida isn’t just for the professional teams anymore. Heading to the warm weather to get ready for the season is something a lot of teams are doing now.
PDS and Hun both went to Florida over their spring breaks, while West Windsor-Plainsboro North and WW-P South are in Florida this week in anticipation of the opening of the season.
"With the way the weather is around here this time of year, it helps knowing that you are going to be able to get outside and be able to play," WW-P South coach Don Hutchinson said. "We’ll get to play against some good competition in game situations, which should really help us get ready for the season."
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It seems like coaching turnover is inevitable in a number of high school sports. But when it comes to baseball, that certainly isn’t the case.
Led by Hun’s Bill McQuade, who is entering his 35th season with the Raiders, baseball coaches appear to be in it for the long haul.
Don Hutchinson is in his 10th year at WW-P South, following on the heels of Rex Walker’s long run in the position. Bob Boyce has been at WW-P North all five years of the school’s program, while John Miranda is in his eighth year at Princeton. Peter Mueller is in his fourth year at Montgomery, where Zoran Milich had spent a long run as head coach before leaving the post to concentrate on his head football coach duties. And at PDS, Bruce Devlin is in his fourth year of what he hopes will be a long run with the Panthers.
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The rosters of Packet-area teams are filled this year with players who will likely go on to successful college careers. Hun’s Steve Garrison is already committed to North Carolina, while Gene Pavitt will play at Connecticut next year.
PDS senior Dan O’Brien, Princeton’s Anthony Bernazard and Robby Begin, as well as Montgomery’s Nick Umar are also players who should be able to continue their careers at the college level. And chances are they won’t be the only ones.
This is a season that figures to produce a lot of quality play on the baseball field.