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Brennan Fires SHP past Hanover Park 2-1
Wednesday, April 30, 2003  BY BOB BEHRE for  the Star-Ledger
[photos by RCM]

A pair of undefeated and highly ranked teams clicking in state tournament mode collided yesterday.
   Steve Brennan, efficiently mixing in a curveball and change-up, outdueled fellow right-hander D.J. Cunningham of Hanover Park as Seton Hall Prep secured a 2-1 victory before 400 in West Orange.
   Brennan (4-0) limited Hanover Park (12-1), No. 8 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to five hits, struck out two and walked one in a tidy 85-pitch outing. Chris Cancro provided the winning run for No. 1 Seton Hall Prep (13-0) on an opposite-field double to left in the bottom of the sixth that scored Rob Clark from second with the go-ahead run.
   I got ahead 2-0 and I was sitting dead-on fastball, the lefty-hitting Cancro said. He gave me one on the outer half of the plate and I went with it.
   Left fielder Joey DeRosa nearly caught Cancros shot, but was disrupted when he backed into the wall as the ball arrived and couldnt make the grab.
   Hanover Park had tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the inning when Mike Ocejo (2-for-3), nursing a hamstring pull, singled to the base of the wall in left to score Brian Rawson, who had reached on an infield error and advanced to third on two fielders choices.
   Cunningham (3-for-3) kept Hanover Parks hopes alive when he reached on a two-out infield single in the top of the seventh, but Brennan got Mike Ficacci to bounce to shortstop Rob Clark for an unassisted force-out to end the game.
   Cunningham (3-1), who struck out 18 West Essex batters on opening day, surrendered five hits and two runs over six innings and struck out eight, including Eric Duncan three times. Duncan, bound for LSU, has a state-leading 30 RBI.
   But the Seton Hall University-bound Cunningham, a cousin of Seton Hall Prep coach Mike Sheppard Jr., struggled a bit with his control. He permitting five walks, hit two batters and threw 107 pitches in his six innings of work.
   I usually dont walk more than one or two a game, Cunningham said. They just took advantage of my bad pitches.
   Seton Hall Prep opened the scoring in the fourth on Matt Halligans two-out single through the right side that score Cancro from second.
   Despite committing an error, only its seventh in 13 games, Seton Hall Preps defense was outstanding. Second baseman Ryan Clark ranged far into the 3-4 hole and fired to Brennan covering at first for the second out of the sixth inning.
   You dont see that play at any level, Sheppard Jr. said.

Baseball photos—
photos—
1-6 vs Columbia  [April 25, SHP 13-Col 1]
7-20 vs Lawrenceville [April 24, SHP 14-Liv 2]
21-25 vs St. Peters [April 22. SHP 6-SP 1]
[photos by RCM]

Merklinger leads No. 1 Seton (8-0) by Roxbury, 12-2
Thursday, April 24, 2003      BY BOB BEHRE for  the Star-Ledger

A tidy outing from its No. 4 starter, typically strong defense and plenty of clutch hitting proved to be the right formula for Seton Hall Prep yesterday.
    In conditions more fitting for a football game -- temperatures in the high 30s and blustering wind -- Seton Hall Prep, No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, defeated Roxbury, 12-2, in six innings before about 100 in Roxbury.
    Junior left-hander Dan Merklinger (1-0) limited Roxbury to three hits and no runs in four-plus innings, striking out seven and walking three.
    Two of those walks were issued to the first two batters of the fifth inning when Seton Hall (8-0) was leading, 10-0, and trying to dispense of Roxbury via the 10-run mercy rule. Ace Steve Brennan relieved, but permitted a run to score, forcing another inning.
    "Dan complained about a pain in his collarbone," Seton Hall coach Mike Sheppard Jr. said. "It happened when he threw a curveball the inning before."
    Senior catcher Matt Halligan provided some of the thunder for Seton Hall, lining an RBI single to right-center field during a seven-run second inning. The lefty-hitting Halligan's solo home run over the right-field wall in the fifth gave his team a 10-0 lead.
    "I started out slow this year, but I'm seeing the ball better," Halligan, the No. 8 hitter, said. "I pulled the ball well today. On the home run I got a fastball inside, kept my weight back and turned on it good."
    Shortstop Rob Clark had two singles and two RBI and Steve Fordyce (2-for-4) had a two-run single in the big second inning for Seton Hall.
    Mike Shiposh had two singles for Roxbury (3-5).

photos—
1-18 vs Ridge [April 12, SHP 4-Ridge 1]
19-33 vs Livingston [April 15, SHP 7-Liv 1]
[photos by RCM]

Seton Hall, Nutley receive top seeds for 22-team GNT
Thursday, April 17, 2003    BY BOB BEHRE  for the Star-Ledger

Seton Hall Prep has enjoyed a recent run of success in the Greater Newark Tournament that is unparalleled, reaching the past six titles games.
      The West Orange school has won four titles in that time, but at least one team isn't intimidated by those accomplishments. Nutley has pulled off back-to-back upsets against Seton Hall in the 2001 and 2002 GNT finals.
    Seton Hall earned the top seed for the 71st edition of the state's oldest baseball tournament when the coaches' committee completed seeding yesterday. Nutley will attempt the rare GNT three-peat as the No. 2 seed.
   The 22-team tournament opens with preliminary-round games to be completed by April 24. First-round games follow on Saturday, April 26, and the quarterfinals are May 3. Each game in the preliminary, first and quarterfinal rounds will be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.
   The tournament continues with the semifinals May 10 at Doc Goeltz Field in Verona at 12 and 2:45 p.m. The championship game is May 17 at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark at a time to be determined.
   Seton Hall, No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, still must prove it can beat nemesis Nutley (2-3), which bounced back from a slow start with a 6-5 victory over Bergen County power Don Bosco Prep on Tuesday.
   "I don't think I have to address it with our players," coach Mike Sheppard Jr. said of Nutley's hold over his club the past two seasons. The Seton Hall players have taken matters into their own hands, plastering a poster on the wall of the team's lockerroom.
   On one side of the poster is a photo of Nutley celebrating its 2002 GNT championship. The other side shows Delbarton deliriously enjoying its victory over Seton Hall in the NJSIAA Parochial A North Jersey final last year.
   "The guys want to show that those loses are unacceptable to them," Sheppard said. "So, I really don't have to point it out."
   Seton Hall (5-0) is off to a strong start, sporting a team ERA of 0.97 and a .409 team batting average. R NEWARK TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS

SETON CRUISES BY MORRISTOWN
April 3, 2003 by Bob Behre, the Star-Ledger
[photos- RCM]

The names and faces have changed drastically for Seton Hall Prep since last spring, but the results appear strikingly familiar.
   The Essex County school pounded out 12 hits, including a grand slam by senior first baseman Chris Cancro, on the way to a stunning 17-0 victory over Morristown yesterday in West Orange.
   Morristown was coming off a victory over Morris Hills and All-State pitcher Dan McDonald on Tuesday, but Seton Hall Prep unloaded on its nemesis in the highly competitive Iron Hills Conference.
   The Villanova-bound Cancro was 3-for-3 and knocked in six runs to spearhead a lineup that is without five starters lost to graduation last spring.
   Right-hander Javier Martinez complemented the Seton Hall Prep bats by limiting Morristown (1-1) to three hits in the five-inning contest. He struck out three and walked none.
   I felt good, but I was a little flat, the Fordham-bound Martinez said. But with our good defense, I was able to challenge them.
   Center fielder Jim Mackin backed up Martinez in the second inning when Morristown was threatening Seton Halls 2-0 lead. Back-to-back singles by Gary Osborne and Shawn Hirsch set up Morristown with none out. A fielders choice putout at third base and a strikeout put Martinez on the verge of escaping the rally. Then Mackin ensured it.
   Kyle Noonan slashed a sinking liner toward short right-center field, but Mackin sped in, dived and snared the ball for the third out.
   Jim came up big on that one and Rob Clark made a nice play earlier on a line drive to short, Martinez said.
   Rob Clark and his twin, Ryan, Eric Duncan and Joe Russo each drove home two runs for Seton Hall Prep (2-0), which put the game away with a 10-run outburst in the fourth. That big inning featured Cancros grand slam and Duncans two-run double.
   We didnt hit well in the preseason. We werent aggressive, taking too many pitches, Seton Hall Prep coach Mike Sheppard said. So I was real pleased with our approach at the plate now.
   Duncan, who committed to LSU in the fall, drew 16 professional scouts to the game and they hung around afterward to watch the lefty power hitter take batting practice. The 6-2, 205-pound Duncan is 4-for-6 with seven RBI in two games. s

Lacrosse-
1-21—  SHP 20- St. Peters 3 [April 23]
[photos- RCM]

Lacrosse-
1-29—  SHP 10- Morristown 6  [April 16]
[photos- RCM]

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Lacrosse- initial '03 victory, over Boonton, 8-6
[photos- RCM]

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