Baseball team repeats as division champ

Not only did the High Point Regional High School baseball team reach the enviable 20-win plateau, it won the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division for the second year in a row.

“We had many contests that were important in the season,’’ head coach Ryan Ellis said. “The games that always stick out to me the most are the ones we battled back in after we were down in the game. We love playing good competition so when we can battle back against teams like Madison, Mahwah and Pascack Hills, it really motivates the team.

“If I had to pick the one game from this season that I will remember, I would say Pascack Hills. It was such a solid team effort with loads of energy. The game shifted back and forth a few times before we finally took the game. There were many pivotal points in the game where we could have packed it in, but we refused to back down.’’

Strong leadership helped propel the Wildcats to another solid season.

“Our senior group of Jake Henningsen, Brayden Franko, Matt Sabato, Reed Peterson and Gordon Pristash really brought a consistent atmosphere to the team,’’ Ellis said. “They showed their leadership especially in the middle of the season when we had back-to-back losses to Phillipsburg and Hackettstown.’’

Several players steadily improved during the season.

“I wouldn’t say it was a surprise to us because we knew what this team was capable of, but from the start of the season, each player upped their game,’’ the coach said. “A few did stand out though. Austin Mitchell and Kyle Morsell had great offensive years. Kyle was also able throw a lot of quality innings on the mound as well.

“Defensively this year, we were very impressed with Jake Henningsen and Ayden Ellis. Jake had his best season fielding the ball and made many game-changing plays. He made a few mechanical adjustments in the preseason and had a tremendous senior season at third.

“Ayden was stellar behind the dish. He did not allow a stolen base in 22 of our 27 games. Having Matt Sabato and Reed Peterson at full strength for us certainly helped out. The two of them definitely gave us a lot of confidence knowing they were on the mound.’’

The Wildcats won the Freedom Division with a 9-1 record.

They also advanced to the semifinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament, where they lost to Lakeland, 11-5. Lakeland was defeated by Pascack Valley in the finals.

Looking ahead

“We are losing a tremendous amount of talent with our senior class, but with that said, we look forward to next season,’’ Ellis said. “We are returning a strong group of underclassmen.

“Ayden Ellis will be back for his fourth year behind the plate. He hit .351 this season with five home runs and 32 RBIs.

“Austin Mitchell, Erik Wiley, Ethan Rasmussen and Will Van Puttinvink will all be back in the lineup as well. Each one hit well over .300 and had over 20 hits each.

“On the mound, we lost three game-changing arms. Coming back we are excited to have Kyle Morsell, Ethan Rasmussen, Aiden Carlson, Brad Sabato and Erik Wiley to be front-end rotation guys.

To plug the holes in the rotation, we have numerous arms that will be battling for innings. As a program, we are really excited about our younger levels. There is a lot of talent in each of the classes. We also have a strong group of incoming freshmen.’’

The coaching staff again played a pivotal role in High Point’s success.

“Noah Klimas, Bob Olsain, Nick DiCarlo, Ernie Conklin, Noah Prout and Tom Mitchell have been a tremendous group of coaches to work with,’’ Ellis said. “Varsity assistant coach Mitchell has really helped us to develop a great winning culture at HP.’’