Bill Raab has had some tough luck with injuries, which shortened his season on New Egypt High School’s baseball team the last two years.
In his sophomore year, Raab has tendonitis in his elbow. Last season, he missed the end of a 13-11 season and a 3-0 NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I tournament loss to Burlington City High School with a groin pull. Burlington City also beat New Egypt, 3-1, in the second round of the Burlington County Tournament after the Warriors crushed Riverside High School, 12-2, in the opening round.
But Raab is back and healthy thus far this season. He is part of a team loaded with returning starters from last season under coach Jeff Pierro, when it finished 9-2 in the Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division.
Now the team has a deeper pitching staff. It opens at home on April 2 in an interdivisional game against Holy Cross High School. New Egypt lost to Holy Cross, 5-4, in eight innings last year.
“I’m just looking to help the team any way I can,” Raab said. “I want to be out there at the end of the season and help the team in the playoffs.”
“Bill Raab is really important to us. [He is] a hard worker [and] a good kid who hopefully takes over the game when he’s throwing well,” said Pierro, adding that the team “has high expectations coming in.”
Raab’s teammates are glad that he’s back in the lineup. He comes off a solid basketball season that has made him a college recruit for Moravian College, Immaculata University, DeSales University and Delaware Valley College.
“That’s going to help us. It’s a lot more [pitchers] than last year,” said shortstop and pitcher Mike DeAnni, who went 5-2 last season and was a Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division First Team pick. “Our pitchers will have a lot more time to rest. Connor [Lindsay, a senior] and Bill are dominant pitchers and Reid Anderson [a senior center fielder who batted .450 and tied a school record with five home runs] can throw heat. What we need is to be consistent with our fielding and to keep our strikeouts lower.”
Raab agrees.
“At times, we’d make errors. But at [other] times, we’d make great plays and look good,” Raab said.
Second baseman John Fassl graduated along with two backup players. Junior Quinton Hatt is playing second base this season.
“Hitting looks good, and we have guys who can hit for power and hit for singles, which makes our lineup more balanced,” Raab said.
Last season, DeAnni batted .315 as one of two lefty hitters on a team that collectively batted .293.
Many players were on Allentown’s American Legion team that did well last summer. Pierro was an assistant coach.
“Pitching looks good, but we need a more consistent approach to hitting,” Pierro said. “On defense, we’re trying a few things out.”
Left-handed senior Kevin Smith, who also pitches, is a solid player defensively at first base. Junior Austin Lindsay, younger brother of Connor, is the third baseman. Flanking center fielder Anderson in the outfield is senior Kevin Mason in left field and sophomore Trevor Buckelew in right.
Junior Brian Atchley is a utility player who can be a designated hitter and play in the outfield.
“If we keep working in practice and working on our hitting, anything can happen,” Raab said.