After pitching a two-hitter to lead his team past Glen Ridge, 10-2, in the opening round of the Greater Newark Tournament last Monday, Nutley High School senior baseball standout Nick Senatore was informed that he was going to get the ball again Saturday, only this time against the state’s No. 2-ranked team Millburn in the tourney semifinals.
Having already suffered a setback against the Millers on April 27, Senatore was eager for another chance to pitch against them one more time.
“I almost beat them the first time,” Senatore explained. “It was 1-1 going into the sixth inning and things sort of fell apart there. But I definitely felt confident about facing them. I knew it was going to be a tough one, but I thought we might be able to pull it off if I stayed focused and composed on the mound.”
Composure is definitely a key for Senatore, who at times can tend to get himself a little too wound up before pitching.
“He’s an emotional kid,” Nutley head coach Bob Harbison said. “We work on him trying to control his emotions. But when he settles down, he’s as good as there is out there.”
Senatore throws the ball hard and down in the strike zone. He also has great control.
“I just try to hit my spots and keep my head out there,” Senatore said. “If I didn’t, I knew that I would have some trouble out there.”
Facing the Millers is no easy task. After all, the defending Group III state champions owned an impressive 17-2 record entering the GNT semifinals Saturday, a game that was played at Belleville High School.
Not to mention that the Maroon Raiders had locked horns with the Millers twice prior this season _ and lost both times. It had to be a little tough for Harbison to swallow, considering that Millburn is coached by Brian Chapman, who not only was the National High School Coach of the Year in 2015, but was also Harbison’s friend, roommate and teammate when they were both baseball players at Fairleigh Dickinson University in the 1980s.
This time was going to be just a little different, thanks to the man with the pill in his hand.
“I was a little nervous right before the game,” Senatore said. “I had a little case of butterflies right before the first pitch. But anyone is going to have butterflies going into a game like this.”
“He’s our most talented pitcher,” Harbison said. “Nick knew what he had to do Saturday and he was never better. He hit his spots. Senatore just stuck it to them. He was that good.”
Senatore fired a gem against Millburn, scattering eight hits, allowing one earned run and striking out three without walking a batter, leading the Maroon Raiders to a 3-1 upset win.
Senatore’s pitching allowed the Maroon Raiders (16-7) to punch their ticket to this Saturday’s GNT title game where they will face another highly ranked and regarded team in Seton Hall Prep. The Maroon Raiders will take on the No. 5-ranked Pirates at Verona High School at 3 p.m.
Senatore also got the win against Glen Ridge, so he improved to 4-2 on the season with the two wins. Combined, Senatore pitched 11 innings for the week, allowing 10 hits and just two earned runs, with 13 strikeouts and most importantly, only one walk.
“He let nothing bother him,” Harbison said. “He just continued to roll through hitters and stood out as a leader. He accepted what was needed of him and just kept going. He really has been getting better as the season has gone on and Saturday, he was better than ever. He trusted us and what we said to him before the game. He went right after them and threw strikes. I’m very happy for him. He was our No. 1 pitcher last year, but he’s even better now.”
Senatore, who is headed to Montclair State in the fall to play football, is glad to be performing in what essentially are his last baseball games of his career.
“I like getting the ball in big games,” Senatore said. “I want to do well for the other seniors on the team, because they want to win just as much as I do. I want to get the ball to show my teammates what I can do, but also to prove to myself that I can do it. I want to give 110 percent for my team every time I’m out there. I was a little shocked with how well I did. In fact, I was speechless at first, like ‘Did this really happen?’”
Now, Senatore will get another chance to shock the world on Saturday. No question, he will be on the mound against Seton Hall Prep.
“As long as I give our team a chance to win,” Senatore said. “That’s all I try to do.”
But Senatore admitted that he will remember his performance against the state’s No. 2 team for a while to come.
“It’s a great feeling,” Senatore said. “Maybe someday, I can tell my kids this story.”
Or perhaps, Senatore can show his children a faded copy of this article instead.
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Jim Hague | Observer Sports Writer
Sports Writer Jim Hague was with The Observer for 20+ years — and his name is one of the most recognizable in all of sports journalism. The St. Peter’s Prep and Marquette alum kicked off his journalism career post Marquette at the Daily Record, where he remained until 1985. Following shorts stints at two other newspapers, in September 1986, he joined the now-closed Hudson Dispatch, where he remained until 1991, when its doors were finally shut.
It was during his tenure at The Dispatch that Hague’s name and reputation as one of country’s hardest-working sports reporters grew. He won several New Jersey Press Association and North Jersey Press Club Awards in that timeframe.
In 1991, he became a columnist for The Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers — and he remains with them to this day.
In addition to his work at The Observer and The Hudson Reporter, Hague is also an Associated Press stringer, where he covers Seton Hall University men’s basketball, New York Red Bulls soccer and occasionally, New Jersey Devils hockey.
He’s also doing work at The Morristown Daily Record, the very newspaper where his journalism career began.
During his career, he also worked for Dorf Feature Services, which provided material for the Star-Ledger. While there, he covered the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.
Hague is also known for his announcing work — and he’s done PA work for Rutgers Newark and NJIT.
Hague is the author of the book “Braddock: The Rise of the Cinderella Man.”