Baseball: These 13 two-way Morris/Sussex players get it done for their teams
The ability to both pitch and hit and have success all at the same time are valuable assets for any high school baseball team.
Known as two-way players, Morris and Sussex counties has its share of multi-talented athletes.
Here’s a look at 13 two-way players who are helping their teams down the stretch.
Stats are through May 7
Rocco Albano
Randolph senior
With 15 wins, the Rams have already surpassed last year’s win total, and Albano is a big reason why. At the plate, the senior is batting .377 with 20 hits, 21 RBIs, three doubles, two home runs and nine walks through 19 games.
On the mound, he sports a 5-2 record with a 2.30 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 24 ⅓ innings pitched. He's allowed 23 hits, 19 runs, 8 earned runs, and 11 walks.
Alex Cheringal
Hanover Park junior
In eight appearances, the junior has 53 strikeouts in 35 ⅓ innings while giving up 14 hits, 16 walks, and 9 earned runs for a 1.73 ERA. Cheringal has gone the distance twice, both times giving up no runs and issuing a combined 28 strikeouts and three walks. His best performance came against Parsippany Hills in a 2-1 win in which he struck out a career-high 16 batters in a complete-game, 111-pitch effort on April 16.
A .442 hitter, Cheringal has 19 hits, 14 runs, 15 RBIs, 9 walks and 7 extra base hits in 16 games.
PJ Coffey
Butler junior
A three-sport athlete, Coffey is batting .352 with 19 hits, 19 runs, 12 RBIs, three doubles, three triples and a home run in 15 games.
A workhorse on the mound, the junior has exceeded 100 pitches in four of five starts, striking out 40 batters in 24 innings, and 12 earned runs for a 3.50 ERA.
Eddie Deckert
Kittatinny junior
The Cougars are having their best season in years and Deckert is right in the middle of it all. The junior is hitting .435 with 20 hits, 11 RBIs, five doubles, two home runs, and six multi-hit games.
In six starts, Deckert has 38 strikeouts in 30 ⅔ innings of work, while giving up 30 hits, 20 runs, 19 walks and a 3.88 ERA.
Aiden Dill
Delbarton senior
A three-year starter on one of the state’s top-ranked teams, Dill is hitting .353 with 18 hits, 28 runs, 13 RBIs, 15 walks and nine stolen bases for the 16-2 Green Wave.
The Seton Hall signee is perfect in six starts to go along with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings. He's given up 18 hits, 9 earned runs, 12 walks and a 2.42 ERA.
Shane Hoover
Sparta sophomore
The Spartans are thriving under first-year coach Justin Matyas and Hoover, a two-year starter. The sophomore is batting .356 with 21 hits, 17 RBIs, four doubles, 19 stolen bases and 8 multi-hit games.
He's pitched 22 ⅓ innings and has surrendered nine earned runs to a tune of a 2.82 ERA.
Trent Jenks
Chatham senior
The Hofstra commit is batting .355 with 11 hits and 14 RBIs, two doubles and three home runs in 14 games.
In limited action this season, the right-handed pitcher has 21 strikeouts in 18 ⅓ innings and has only given up 11 earned runs. Last week, the senior helped 12th-seeded Chatham reach the MCT semifinals with a 8-7 win over fourth-seeded Mendham. He tossed 5 ⅓ innings, giving up four hits and striking out three in his first appearance since April 16.
John Langeraap
Sparta senior
Langeraap has been able to get the job done for Sparta on both sides, but it’s his arm that has been able to go the distance. The senior has thrown two complete games and has racked up a team-high 33 innings to go with 19 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA.
At the plate he’s batting a hot .422 with 19 hits to go along with 15 RBIs.
Tommy Martin
Randolph senior
A big-game pitcher, Martin has struck out 47 batters in 39 ⅓ innings and has surrendered just eight walks and eight earned runs for a 1.42 ERA. His best performance came in last Saturday’s MCT quarterfinals, when he tossed eight innings, striking out eight on two hits and allowing one earned run on 97 pitches in a 3-2 win over West Morris.
The Maine commit is batting .304 with 14 hits, 12 runs and seven RBIs.
Matt Sabato
High Point senior
The utility player is batting .451 with eight multi-hit games and has a team-high 23 hits, 24 runs and 18 swipes for the NJAC Freedom leaders.
Sabato has given up just five earned runs in 24 ⅓ innings for a 1.44 ERA and has 44 strikeouts. He struck out 12 batters in a game twice this season, in wins over North Warren and Wallkill Valley.
Cody Sherrer
North Warren senior
Sherrer does it all for the Patriots and leads the Blairstown school in several categories, including hits (22), doubles (7), home runs (2), and batting average (.468).
The Monmouth commit has struck out 71 batters in 37 ⅔ innings and has given up just five earned runs, 13 walks and a microscopic 0.93 ERA. His best performance came in the opening round of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament last week when he hurled a complete game, striking out 18 batters in the Patriots’ 2-1 win over South Hunterdon. In six starts, Sherrer has given up just five earned runs and held opposing teams scoreless in four outings.
Dylan Swarts
Mendham senior
The middle infielder leads the Minutemen in hits (22), RBIs (17), doubles (7), triples (2) and average (.458).
Swarts, who will play at Union College next year, has 39 strikeouts in 33 innings to go along with a 1.91 ERA.
Jack Veith
Wallkill Valley senior
Veith leads the Rangers with 30 hits, 29 runs, 23 RBIs, nine doubles, three triples, three home runs, 12 stolen bases and a .545 average.
A four-year starter, he has 112 career hits and strikeouts. This year, he has 27 strikeouts in 23 ⅔ innings.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ baseball: These two-way Morris/Sussex players get the job done
