BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer
Shortstop Rob Hine and catcher Nick Mullins, who started on Brick Township’s baseball team two seasons ago, are teammates again this spring at Brookdale Community College in what has become a memorable season for them.
Hine, an All-Region selection last season, is the starting shortstop, and Mullins, a freshman, alternates at catcher with a second-year player and also is the designated hitter in many other games.
Brookdale, which has reeled off 20 straight victories in a 21-1 season, is ranked No. 4 in the junior college national poll.
“This is awesome. It’s a great bunch of kids,” said Mullins, a .400 hitter who is batting leadoff, just like he did in his senior year when Brick Township went 13-10 and reached the NJSIAA Central Jersey semifinals. “I never played on a team like this. Everybody’s good. This is some program.”
Hine does not appear pressured about the national ranking.
“It’s good. Things are not bad for us. You just try to win,” said Hine.
Mullins said he enjoys catching Brookdale’s pitchers and said he has improved as a catcher.
“The game’s a little faster and I’ve learned more about the mental aspects of the game,” said Mullins. “It took a little while to adjust but when you play a whole lot of games like this, you get used to things.”
It has helped Mullins take charge behind the plate for the talent-laden staff, as he did in high school.
“It’s a great pitching staff, really deep,” he said. “A lot of the guys would be No. 1 pitchers anywhere else. Everyone hits and the team plays sound defense, not a lot of errors.”
That includes Hine, who said he has improved on defense after struggling at the start of the season.
“Pitching’s been holding up real good and we’re hitting the ball and not making errors,” said Hine.
After working with a private hitting instructor during the off-season, Hine has fine-tuned his swing for more power as he spices his .400 batting average with eight doubles and two home runs batting fifth in the order. He has 15 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
Their efforts have helped Brookdale set its sights on advancing beyond the region tournament this season in what has become a reachable goal these days.