Raiders baseball looks to cap year
By: Justin Feil
Andrew Baxter’s first varsity baseball season at The Hun School ended with him on the mound in the Prep A state final loss.
"We had no pitching left," recalled Baxter, who was a sophomore then. "We had thrown everybody."
Baxter’s role has grown since then even if he still doesn’t stand among the aces of the Raiders staff, 6-foot-4 Mike Russo and 6-foot-6 Matt Welsh.
"I never looked that intimidating," Baxter said. "You can’t let that bother you."
Now a senior who has added almost 15 pounds to his frame, Baxter is looking forward to possibly returning to the mound for a happier finish to the state final as Hun takes on Blair in the winners’ bracket final of the double-elimination tournament 1 p.m. Saturday. With a win, they would reach Sunday’s championship.
"I want to pitch," Baxter said. "I love pitching. I think Saturday, Russo will pitch most likely. If he doesn’t go all seven, me or Sean Pucciarelli will come in relief. Then we’ll have Welsh, me and Sean again the next day."
The Raiders certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Baxter on the mound. He has forged a 3-0 record and made numerous relief appearances.
"I have no fears, if it goes to the last game on Sunday, he’s pitching," said Hun head coach Bill McQuade. "That’d be the guy I want to pitch. I want Russo or Welsh to finish it off in the first game, but if it came down to him, I’d have no fears."
The Raiders sit poised to make a run at their first state crown since 2002 after walloping St. Benedict’s, 16-0, in five innings in the Prep A opener Monday. Before that win, the Raiders hadn’t won a state title since 1989. But this Hun team already has shook up the history books.
"It’s been the most remarkable team that I’ve coached," said McQuade, who has been at the helm for three decades. "We’ve already broken almost every record at Hun most wins in a season; most hits in season with Mel Williams; RBIs, already broken; runs scored. We’ve broken almost every record."
It takes a quick glance of just the last two weeks to see how. In wins in seven of its last eight games, the Raiders outscored opponents, 121-12. In the 16-0 win over St. Benedicts, Pucciarelli drove in five runs on a pair of hits and Munley tripled and drove in three runs. "There’s kind of some pressure because a lot of times I come up with runners on base," Baxter said. "But I do believe, like Coach said, hitting is contagious."
When not pitching, Baxter usually plays second base for the Raiders. His batting average is hovering near .380, yet he bats seventh in the lineup.
"He’s batting seventh because the top six are incredible," McQuade said. "I have Mike Russo, who has 37 RBIs, batting fifth. This team has been prolific in the number of runs they score. Top to bottom, this is probably the most dominant offensive team Hun has had in the 30-some years I’ve been here."
Between the offense and the established pitching, Hun believes it has the pieces in place for a state crown. The Raiders already have a Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship, courtesy of an unbeaten run through their conference. The state title though is something that has eluded every player on the team.
"The last couple years, it kind of fell through," Baxter said. "I think this year, we work together more. All the guys are closer than previous years and we play as a team."
Baxter is one of the captains charged with keeping the team together, helping the newcomers understand the standards and work ethic previously established, all while bringing a steady bat and glove. And this year, his pitching has proved more important than ever before.
"He’s done a great job for us," McQuade said. "He’s a wonderful kid overall. He’s a great person. He’s given his most for three years. He pitches and he goes at you with this energy level. You want to slow him down, and you can’t. He plays at a high level all the time. If you watch him pitch, he jumps at the batter. He’s all baseball. He’s an incredible kid, an incredible person."
Baxter previously had just a few appearances for the Princeton Post 218 American Legion team and a rough outing against Rutgers Prep as a junior. This year, he has performed like a seasoned veteran on the mound.
"I feel a lot more confident," noted the Flemington resident. "I feel a little stronger, and I’m throwing a little harder. My best days are when I have command of my off speed and curve ball. That gives you confidence which is a big thing when you’re pitching."
Confidence is something that is running high among the Raiders. Though they lost in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals on Saturday, Hun can end its year with a championship of the Prep A variety.
"We’re real confident," Baxter said. "We want to win real badly. The first game is real important, then we go into the championship only having to win one. It would just cap a great season."