By Jimmy Allinder
It’s rare for a high school sophomore to receive a four-year scholarship offer from an NCAA Division I college, but that’s exactly what happened to Eric Heatter.
The rising senior at Monroe Township High School established himself as one of the up-and-coming pitchers in New Jersey as a freshman with his imposing physical stature combined with the ability to do things with a baseball others can’t. Those and other reasons were why Rutgers University promised Heatter a full ride, even though he had two more years of high school eligibility.
The prospect of playing for his state university was just too enticing for Heatter to not make a verbal commitment shortly after he received the invitation.
“What really convinced me Rutgers was the best place was speaking to the coaching staff,” he said. “I felt this was a program headed in the right direction, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Heatter recognized Rutgers is highly regarded for its academics, which is also important to him. He also firmly believes the Knights’ entry into the Big Ten Conference will make them more competitive because of the aggressive approach the program has taken in recruiting quality players.
“I know and have played with several of the current players on the roster,” he said. “And based on those experiences, I am confident I can play at that level, too.”
As for the academic challenges Heatter is sure to face when he enters Rutgers, he is well prepared for what’s ahead.
“I’ve achieved a 3.0 grade-point average and am fortunate to have had great teachers who sat down with me after school and helped me complete my assignments,” he said. “In addition, my coaches allowed me the time to finish my schoolwork. I know there is a similar program in place at Rutgers, so I’m confident I will receive the necessary support.”
Growing up in Monroe, Heatter enjoyed the advantages of playing multiple sports on the recreation level besides baseball, including basketball, soccer, ice hockey and cross-country. However, he knew he made the right choice to stick to baseball following a series of successes early in his baseball career.
The first was as a member of the township recreation team called the Dirty Birds, which placed third at the Cal Ripken World Series in Colorado when he was 10 years old. Three years later, Heatter played for the Dirty Birds 13U team at the World Series in Washington, where again they finished third.
Perhaps his most impressive achievement occurred in his final appearance on the mound as a Monroe sophomore. That’s when he turned in arguably the top pitching performance of his life, considering the circumstances, when he tossed a three-hitter and went the distance in an eight-inning, 1-0 victory over Sayreville War Memorial High School. It was the Falcons’ first Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament championship.
Heatter finished 8-1 that season in 58 innings of work, allowed nine earned runs and struck out 74. Last year, his record was 4-1 when he hurled 44 innings and yielded just two earned runs with 69 strikeouts. Just as impressive was his .522 batting average with 12 hits and 12 runs scored.
Heatter’s fastball has been clocked by major league scouts at 87 miles per hour and promises to increase as his 6-foot body fills out. Among his postseason honors was being named to the 2016 All-GMC First Team, and he was one of four New Jersey players tabbed for the Rawlings and Perfect Pitch All-American Underclassman Team.
Besides his imposing physical attributes, Heatter unleashes a pitch with a follow-through that looks daunting to the batter — the product of years of coaching.
“I think about nothing except the pitch I’m about to throw,” Eric said about his thought process on the mound. “The thinking takes place before I step on the rubber. I re-evaluate the constantly changing situation, and that determines what kind of throw I’ll make. It then becomes all about mechanics.”
Heatter says he has been supported by his parents, James and Stephanie, and sister, Jackie. He also has fond memories about playing with the Dirty Birds, who are coached by Mike Peto, the father of his former Monroe teammate who goes by the same name is now headed to pitch for the University of North Carolina.
“Coach Peto and my father were instrumental in my early development and helped me become a better person,” Heatter said. “They then handed me over to Greg Short of Bio Pitch, Coach [Pat] Geroni and Coach [Shawn] McCorkle, my high school coaches, and John Wells of Baseball U. They have all helped take my ability to the next level.”
Exactly what the top level will be for Heatter is still to be determined.
