Never too late to go long

MHS’ Weingart homers twice in state tournament win

By: Bob Nuse
   Peter Mueller never had to worry about whether or not Kevin Weingart would catch balls in the outfield.
   And, for the last two years, he hasn’t had to worry about whether or not Weingart would be productive at the plate.
   "When he was a sophomore and we won the Somerset County Tournament, he played the outfield and we would usually DH for him," Mueller said. "He took care of business in the outfield and caught every ball. That’s what we needed him for, to catch fly balls and play good defense.
   "The last two years he has become a real productive hitter for us. I think he’s the best outfielder to come out of Montgomery since I’ve been here. He’s solid in every way. He hit .330 last year and he’s hitting .360 this year. And he’s still a great defensive outfielder."
   On Monday, Weingart also showed he has come a long way as a hitter. He belted a pair of home runs, two of the six the Cougars hit in the game, as Montgomery topped New Brunswick, 10-5, in the opening round of the North Jersey, Section 2 Group III tournament.
   In other opening round state games, West Windsor-Plainsboro North dropped its Central Jersey Group III opener to Ocean, 7-6, despite home runs from Zach Weale and Kevin Maselli, who each drove in two runs. WW-P South dropped its CJ IV opener to Middletown North, 7-1, as Steve Odachowski and Eric Voigtsberger had the only hits for the Pirates.
   Montgomery wasn’t hitting all that well Monday on its home field through the first four innings. The Cougars trailed, 5-0, before scoring four times in the fifth and six times in the sixth. In addition to the two home runs from Weingart, Dale Hering hit two home runs, while Brian Cahill and David Mohns also went deep.
   "It was a pretty big win for us," said Weingart, who plans to play baseball at Delaware Valley College next year. "It was kind of a strange game the way it came together for us all of a sudden. It was a crazy game. For four innings we couldn’t do anything, but then we had two great innings in a row hitting the ball.
   "That’s the kind of season it has been for us all year long. We’ve been up and down. Maybe it was just a matter of us realizing that we didn’t want our season to end like that and everybody just picked up their play."
   Weingart is one of a group of seniors who are trying to cap their Montgomery careers on a positive note. He’s been starting since he was a sophomore, although that first year saw little chances to produce at the plate.
   "I think the thing for me is that I started getting a chance to show what I could do at the plate," Weingart said. "When I was a sophomore, we had a lot of good seniors on the team, so I was just happy to be able to help however I could in the field. I was still developing as a player. As I have had more chances to hit, I feel like I have improved.
   "My fielding has always been there. I feel like I have always been a fundamentally sound player. I just try to do whatever I can to help the team win games."
   After Monday’s win, the fifth-seeded Cougars will next travel to fourth-seeded Mendham for a 4 p.m. game today.
   "We just want to keep the momentum going from the first game," Weingart said. "It would be nice to be able to make a run in the state tournament. We know we have the talent to do it. This team has a lot of talent. For some reason, we just have not been able to put it all together for long stretches. Maybe we can do that in the states."
   And if they do, a run through the section is not out of reach.
   "It was nice that we were able to put it together and score runs like that," Mueller said. "It was pretty amazing because for the first four innings, we could not do anything. We were down, 5-0, and not playing our best baseball. And then, out of nowhere, it was like we turned a switch. Maybe they realized we were in a situation where if we lose, we go home.
   "We hit six home runs in two innings after doing nothing for four innings. And they were all legit shots. It was pretty amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it."
   But he knew his team was certainly capable of that sort of offensive display.
   "I have no doubt that we can play with anybody when we play the way we are capable of playing," Mueller said. "It’s just been a strange season the way we have been so up and down. We’ve struggled a lot this year, but we certainly have the talent. I have no explanation other than we have not really taken good care of the baseball."
   Monday’s power display put Montgomery into the sectional quarterfinals. And the Cougars hope the run does not end there.