HILLSBOROUGH: Baseball team feels it’s ready to make a run in county tourney

By Justin Feil, Packet Media Group
Pitcher Jeff Serin was happy to be around the Hillsborough High School baseball team last year, but he couldn’t contribute on the mound due to an elbow injury.
“I was still working out, still training with the team,” said Serin, now a senior. “I’d still take ground balls. It was a lot of fun to be around the team. It’s hard to watch at times your team struggle when you can’t go help. You just try to support them as best you can.”
Serin is having a lot more fun this year as a regular contributor. The pitcher came on in relief Saturday to finish what Asher Masten had started — a no-hitter in a 7-1 win over North Plainfield in the first round of the Somerset County Tournament.
“To be honest, I wasn’t aware it was a no-hitter until after the game,” said Serin, who pitched the final four innings. “I was thinking about it during the game. I didn’t think they had gotten any hits yet. I try not to pay attention to it.”
Masten went the first three innings, striking out three and walking two. He could have continued, but felt some muscle soreness. With ‘Boro up, 3-0, he gave way to Serin.
“I’m proud of those guys,” said Hillsborough head coach Eric Eden. “Both been very, very solid on the mound.”
North Plainfield manufactured a run off Serin’s only walk (he also struck out five). That runner was balked to second and came in on a throwing error.
“It’s definitely extremely rare,” Eden said. “It’s a testament to our defense as well. Guys are making some very good plays, and our pitchers are locating. That’s our thing — being able to throw multiple pitches for strikes and being able to locate. We have a lot of power arms. We have guys that can hit 80 and Jeff is a mid-80s guy. But guys will eventually time it up and catch up. You have to be able to locate and mix in other pitches.”
Serin, who will pitch at Drew University next year, has been adding to his repertoire of pitches. He had them all on display Saturday.
“I felt well,” Serin said. “I’ve been working on some off-speed pitches and I thought I got them down. They were moving and I was able to throw all of them for a strike.”
He also was able to pitch from the lead, assuming a 3-0 cushion. After one inning of work, it was up to 6-1.
“We had a couple of doubles in the gap,” Serin said. “Kyle Wengryn (3-for-3, with two two-baggers) had a big game. Mike Engelhardt (single and double) scored the first two runs. He had a big game. We kept chipping away. We had runners on and kept trying to get them home. We had a couple sac flies.
“Getting an early lead is always big,” he said. “You can sit back and relax and play your game. You don’t have to force things and worry . . . As a pitcher, when you’re scoring, you’re getting more of a rest between innings.”
Serin had plenty of time last year when he couldn’t pitch. He tried to rejoin the team several times but kept feeling the effects of the overuse injury on his elbow.
“I kept missing more and more,” Serin said. “I was able to see the New York Yankees doctor and he set me up on a week-by-week schedule to rehab it. I was finally good to go this year.”
Serin returned to the mound for fall ball and worked himself back into top shape for the spring season. He has had full outings and thrown 100 pitches in an appearance. He hasn’t seen lingering effects of his year off.
His return has boosted the pitching rotation for the Raiders, who were 8-6-1 overall (they tied East Brunswick in a game called because of darkness that will not be completed) before Tuesday’s scheduled game against Immaculata.
“It’s huge,” Eden said. “He’s one of those guys when you put out there you know you have a chance to win every time. He’s a great kid. He’s been working hard and making adjustments. He started off a little slowly, but he’s been doing extremely well.”
The Raiders are in a similar boat as they have come on after a 2-2-1 start. They have shown signs of the team that it can be with an 11-1 win over highly ranked Barnegat after an 8-5 win over powerhouse Ridge.
The Raiders are feeling the importance of that as they head into the final month. They were to play at Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday in a rematch of a 6-3 loss that Hillsborough led, 3-2. Then they return to Bridgewater tomorrow (Saturday) for the SCT quarterfinals as they try to stay on track for what would be their third straight county crown.
“I think there’s always that little bit of excitement,” Serin said. “This was my first time playing in it. You try to treat it like another game, but there are more people in the stands and you can tell the excitement is there.”
The Raiders are confident that they can prevail even as a No. 5 seed. Last year, they were the No. 6 seed and won.
“Our conference is the best conference in the state of New Jersey,” Eden said. “Every year, you have multiple teams ranked in the top 20. Last week, they put us 19, which is a sign of respect for our program after we knocked off Ridge and 10th-ranked Barnegat. We’re starting to make a bit of run and come together. We have to get the guys to buy into what we need them do. This year, our motto has been to do your job.
Eden believes that pitching will play a significant role in who wins the county title. That suits the Raiders well because they have a deep pitching staff and are starting to see the offense come to life after thus far facing every opponent’s ace pitcher. The Raiders are focusing more on being better situational hitters.
“We have to take more advantage of what other teams are giving us,” Eden said. “We’re leaving too many runners on base, and guys are trying to do too much.”
If they are all working together and doing their job, however, the Raiders are confident.
“I really think the pitching staff is doing a great job,” Serin said. “Sometimes we walk a few too many guys. We’ll work on that. Sometimes the bats have been a little cold. Mike Engelhardt is on fire hitting right now. Max Guidice and Jimmy Suseck knock in all our runs. Our fielding has been great. (Eric) Zickert and (Zach) Tackach have been great up the middle. And our catchers have been great — Phil Sabatino and Zach Maggio — have only allowed two passed balls.”
Serin is looking forward to pitching in the big games.
“It is definitely great to be out there with the pressure on,” he said. “I’m getting back in the swing of things. I’ve at times left the ball up. I’m getting that control back and getting the velocity back. I’m right on track.”
Jeff Serin was able to be around the team, but he missed pitching last year. He has returned to full strength, and that has boosted the chances the Raiders can repeat as county champions.
“That would absolutely be the best,” Serin said, “especially because I get to play in it, and some other seniors are getting to play more this year. If we could pull it off, that’d be phenomenal.” 