Baseball Names 2013 Newcomers
10/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - With fall practice in full swing, the Seton Hall baseball team has announced the addition of eight newcomers for the 2013 season. Entering his 10th season as the SHU skipper, head coach Rob Sheppard and the Pirates will welcome Sam Burum, Luke Cahill, Chris Chiaradio, Derek Jenkins, Steven Lombardi, Alex Tuccio, Nate Vahedi, and Zack Weigel to the squad for the new year.
Sam Burum, a right-handed pitcher from Robbinsville, N.J., comes to South Orange after four years as a standout for Robbinsville High School. In 2011, he turned in the first 7-0 season from a Ravens' starter in school history, garnering First Team All-Area, All-Conference and All-South Jersey honors and a Third Team All-State selection. He also received All-Conference recognition in 2010.
SHU adds more depth up the middle, as infielder Chris Chiaradio comes on board after starring for St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale. A native of Teaneck, Chiaradio traveled to Arizona prior to the 2012 season to participate in the Under Armour All-American camp. He also played summer and fall ball for Wladyka, where he teamed with fellow newcomer Steven Lombardi and a number of other Division I commits.
The 2012 Star-Ledger Monmouth County Player of the year, Luke Cahill will step onto campus as a dual threat. As a senior, the right-handed Cahill went 8-3 from the bump for the Falcons, boasting a miniscule 1.76 ERA and allowing less than one baserunner per inning. In 64 innings, the Tinton Falls native fanned 76 and handed out just 12 free passes. Cahill, who doubled as a third baseman for Monmouth Regional, is just as dangerous with a bat in his hands. The 6-3, 220-pounder hit at a .403 clip while belting three home runs and driving in 21 runs last year, finishing with an impressive .598 on-base percentage.
An outfielder from North Hunterdon High School, Derek Jenkins has proven his versatility on the playing field. As a junior, Jenkins earned First-Team All-West Jersey honors after posting an average of .434 from the lead-off spot, scoring 23 runs and driving in 21 more. A threat on the base paths, Jenkins also swiped 15 bags in 2011. Jenkins is a gifted all-around athlete who also lettered in football and basketball at North Hunterdon.
Following two years as a part of the varsity squad at perennial power Don Bosco Prep, Steven Lombardi adds another quality arm to a deep SHU staff. Through his junior and senior years, Lombardi compiled an 8-0 record for the Ironmen, striking out 70 batters in the process. No stranger to success or the big stage, Lombardi was a part of teams that powered their way to a 52-5 total record, back-to-back county championships, and a #2 ranking in the state following the 2012 season.
A catcher and first baseman from Salisbury School in Connecticut, Alex Tuccio was a four-time Western New England Prep Baseball League All-Star in his career. As a senior, he captained the squad to an undefeated 23-0 record, a Western New England championship and a number 26 ranking in the nation. He had previously been a part of another Western New England championship squad as a sophomore, when he hit .465 with two home runs and 32 RBIs for a team that went 16-1-1 and was rated as the 23rd best team in the country. For his career, Tuccio amassed a .461 average while belting five home runs and knocking in 88 runs for teams that went a combined 56-3-1.
In 2010, he produced the most memorable moment of the Perfect Game WWBA National Championship. With his team trailing 10-7 in the seventh inning, Tuccio hit a game-winning grand slam.
Nate Vahedi, an All-League and All-City pitcher from Masterman High School, will join the Pirates after being named to the Public League Division A First-Team in Philadelphia as a senior. Vahedi also represented the Philadelphia Public League in the Carpenter Cup, a showcase of players from all around the tri-state area that is recognized as one of the finest baseball tournaments for high school students. Earlier this spring, the Philadelphia native threw three hitless innings and struck out three in a Carpenter Cup game just hours after his graduation commencement ceremony.
The reigning Illinois Player of the Year, lefty Zack Weigel doubled as a pitcher and outfielder at Oak Park-River Forest High School. Weigel also earned his second consecutive All-Conference and All-State selection in 2012. Over his final two seasons, he produced over 100 hits, more than 80 runs scored and drove in 75 RBIs. More than comfortable with a bat in his hands, Weigel also posted a 29-game hitting streak and launched nine home runs during that stretch. From the mound, he accumulated an 11-2 record as junior and senior while registering a 1.71 ERA for a state championship team in 2012.
The Pirates are coming off their second consecutive 34-win season, a ledger that included 17 BIG EAST victories, the team's most since 2000. A 10-man senior class will lead a team that features a multitude of experienced returnees and these eight talented newcomers when play begins in February.
