Baseball Announces 2014 Newcomers
8/8/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 8, 2013
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall head baseball coach Rob Sheppard announced on Thursday the addition of 11 newcomers for the 2014 season. The Pirates will welcome Joseph DiBenedetto (Staten Island, N.Y.), Brett Ender (Skillman, N.J.), Matthew Fortin (Nashua, N.H.), Thomas Kelleher (Wantagh, N.Y.), Jackson Martin (Collegeville, Pa.), Mikael-Ali Mogues (New York, N.Y.), Anthony Pacillo (Lyndhurst, N.J.), Joseph Poduslenko (Glen Mills, Pa.), Zachary Prendergast (Horsham, Pa.), Anthony Scafidi (Flourtown, Pa.) and Ryan Testani (Shelton, Conn.) to the squad for the new year.
DiBenedetto comes to Seton Hall after leading Tottenville High School to the top seed of the PSAL playoffs in 2013. A former teammate of current Minnesota Twins minor leaguer and former Pirate Zack Granite, he is a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher who went 6-0 without giving up an earned run in the regular season. A First Team All-New York City selection, he struck out 46 batters in 37 innings as a senior, while giving up just six walks.
A dual threat, Ender has excelled as both a right-handed pitcher and outfielder at both Montgomery High School and The Hun School in New Jersey. A two-time First Team All-Somerset County selection, he threw a no-hitter against Peddie on May 6. A Skillman, N.J. native, same hometown as current Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguer and former Pirate Jon Prosinski, Ender ranks second all-time at Montgomery with a .416 career batting average.
Widely considered the best hitting and fielding catcher in the State of New Hampshire, Fortin is a three-time All-State selection and led Nashua High School North to its first-ever state title in 2012. A two-time team captain, he batted .351 with 10 RBIs in 2013. A participant in the prestigious Lynn Invitational All-Star Game in 2012, Fortin is also a High Honor Roll student.
A power left-handed bat to all fields, Kelleher will add depth to the Pirates' infield in 2014. A dual sport star at General Douglas MacArthur High School in New York, he earned All-County honors in both baseball and football. A Renaissance Scholar, Kelleher batted over .400 and helped lead the Generals to three straight conference championships.
A left-handed outfielder, Martin twice earned All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition and was selected to play in the 2013 Voices All-Star Game. A good batting average hitter with plus speed, he led Perkiomen Valley in batting in 2012 and twice received the Academic Excellence Highest Honors Award. Highly active in the community, Martin was named to the 2013 PAC Citizen/Athlete Team.
Mogues was a three-sport standout athlete at Trinity-Pawling School in New York, the same school that produced former Pirate Mo Vaughn. At 6-foot-3, 260-pounds, he served as a defensive lineman for football, a center for basketball and a first baseman for baseball. A 2013 Rawlings New England Region Preseason Honorable Mention, Mogues possesses a power left-handed bat and also served as a left-handed pitcher.
A two-time All-Hudson County selection, Pacillo was a standout starting left-handed pitcher at Saint Peter's Prep in Jersey City, N.J. Named Second Team All-State in 2013, he pitched to a 7-1 record with a sparkling 1.38 ERA. Biology honors student, Pacillo was the #5 ranked 2013 prospect at the Mid-Atlantic Showcase and pitched in the New Jersey Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Classic.
A standout shortstop at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania, Joe Poduslenko is a three-time First Team All-League selection, while leading his school to three straight league titles. Named Inter AC League MVP in 2013, he 381 with six home runs, 36 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a school record 54 runs scored in only 36 games. A three-time participant in the Carpenter's Cup Classic All-Star Game, Poduslenko is a First Honors Student and a member of the National Honor Society.
An honor roll student, Prendergast played as both a pitcher and infielder for Hatboro-Horsham High School in Horsham, Pa. An All-League pitcher and second baseman, he made an appearance in the Carpenter Cup All-Star Game and threw a no-hitter in 2012.
Named Bicentennial Athletic League Player of the Year Runner-Up in 2012, Scafidi starred for Springfield High School for four years as a right-handed pitcher. An All-League selection and Carpenter Cup All-Star Game participant, he helped guide his school to the 2013 District I Class AA Championship. Possessing a career batting average of well over .300, Scafidi struck out 103 batters in just 66.1 innings in 2012.
A 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher, Testani has been dominant for Shelton High school in Shelton, Conn. A two-time All-State and All-Southern Connecticut Conference selection, he struck out 50 batters in 2013 and owned a miniscule 0.82 ERA. A CAPT Scholar and member of the World Language National Honor Society, Testani was also the captain of the basketball team.
