Maroon and Silver lefty Matt Moreira was a solid hurler in the Last Dance World Series, a tournament where the local team won four games. Photo by Jim Hague
By Jim Hague
It was an emotionally trying season for the St. Peter’s Prep baseball team, long before a pitch was even thrown.
Back in March, when there was still a slight hope that there would be some semblance of a season to take place amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the Marauders’ coaching staff was leveled, after three members of the staff tested positive for the coronavirus.
Then, the season was totally wiped clean, when the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) canceled the entire spring sports season. The Marauders’ hopes of a spectacular 2020 were squashed by the pandemic.
But in early June, plans for a summer tournament called The Last Dance World Series were introduced, a tourney that would begin after the NJSIAA’s exclusive rights were no longer in play.
Of course, the Marauders wanted to be a part of the tourney in whatever fashion it would be. It would be a chance for the team’s eight seniors to bid farewell to their high school careers as well giving the program’s younger players the opportunity to get a jump start on a possible 2021 season.
The team, called Maroon and Silver, was coached by Joe Doren, who has been in charge of the Marauders’ fall ball squad for the last five years.