Blog Single

Before we know it, the 2024 season will be here as the Princeton Baseball Team makes the trip to Wilmington, N.C. to take on UNC Wilmington (Feb.23-25).

 

In the meantime, here are some new faces for fans to look out for in 2024!

 

Tommy Googins

Cincinnati, Ohio

Saint Xavier HS

 

Saint Xavier HS: A three-time PBR Ohio Top Prospect Games Invitee …. 2022 East Coast Pro Participant … 2022 WWBA Ohio Valley Qualifier All-Tournament Team … 2023 Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention …  Won Most Improved Player and Coaches Award …   Lettered in basketball … GCL leader in assists and was second in assists in 2023 … GCL All-Defensive and Second-Team All-League in 2023 … Captain for baseball and basketball teams … Member of the National Honor Society … Model UN … Student Ambassador … Big Brothers community service …. Physics Department Award …. National Merit Scholar Honorable Mention … P.E./Heath Award …. 2022 UC Math Bowl Champion …

 

Personal: Son of Jody and Scott Googins … Has a sister, Ellie, and brother, Charlie … Mother, Jody, played volleyball at Indiana and Xavier.

 

Jake Kernodle

Charlotte, N.C.

Charlotte Catholic

 

Charlotte Catholic: Two-time All-Conference player who also earned Greater Charlotte Area Hot Stove Leadership Award … Named captain as a senior … Lettered in basketball … Member of the National Honor Society … Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society … Multiple time Honor Roll Student.

 

Personal: Son of Sarah and John Charles Kernodle … Has a sister, Maggie, and brother, William.

 

Dylan Zdunek

Gabriel, California

Maranatha

Maranatha: Finished top five in the state in RBI … Set the school record for RBI … All-CIF three years … Team Offensive MVP … Named to Boras Classic Invite …. Highest Honors all four years.

 

Personal: Son of Doris and Marcin Zdunek … Has a brother, Eric.

 

Jay Mentink

Lake Tapps, Wash.

Sumner

 

Sumner –

Baseball: Three-time All-SPSL selection including two first-team honors … Coaches’ Poll All State and First Team All-Area in 2022 … Team MVP in 2022 … Team captain that helped squad to 4A State Title game.

 

Football: Senior captain who was First-Team All-SPSL and First-Team All-Area as a defensive back and was the Special Teams Player of the Year … First-Team All-SPSL as defensive back and Second-Team All-SPSL as a returner in 2021 … Defensive MVP that recorded eight interceptions as a junior … Team won the 4A SPSL championship … Most Inspirational Award … Lettered in baseball … Full IB-Diploma Graduate.

Personal: Son of Rachelle and Justin Mentink … Has a sister, Taylor, and brother, Trey … Father, Justin, played baseball at Washington State … Aunt, Angie, played softball at Washington and played baseball for the Colorado Silver Bullets.

 

Elliot Eaton

Washington, D.C.

St. Albans

 

St. Albans: All-IAC in 2022 … Collected the Coaches’ Award … Team won the 2023 DCSAA State Champions which led to Washington Post final ranking of No. 8 … Became the first eighth-grader to play JV.

 

Personal: Son of Doris and Geoffrey Eaton … Has a brother, Clyde … Uncle, Richard Schulze, rowed at Princeton.

 

Kasey Gilman

Staten Island, N.Y.

Monsignor Farrell

 

Monsignor Farrell: Threw the first no-hitter in school history … Struck out 106 in 92 career innings … CHSAA First Team All-League … Perfect Game 2023 Preseason All-American Northeast Region Honorable Mention … Perfect game Top 500 National Rank … Perfect Game Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher … National Honor Society … Michael J. Petrides Excellence in Mathematics and Science Award … AP Biology First in Merit Award … AP Chemistry First in Merit Award.

 

Personal: Son of Dr. Anne Stillwell and Tim Gilman, Esq. … Has two sisters, Abbey and Liv, and a brother, Jake … Cousin, Jackson, plays soccer at Pittsburgh … Father played baseball at the University of Rochester …. Uncle, Steve, played baseball at UNC Ashville … Is a licensed EMT in state of New York.

 

Charlie Wolf

Chicago, Ill.

St.

Gonzaga College: Played baseball who was a senior captain …. Team won the Washington Catholic Athletic conference and state title in 2022 … Earned Honor Roll and Excellence in Social Sciences.

 

Personal: Son of Dr. Christine and Brian Baldrate.

 

Bryce Gayan

Seattle, Wash.

Lakeside School

 

Lakeside: Two-year captain who was also two-time All-League … AP Scholar … National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

 

Personal: Son of Jackie Gayan and Ben McKinley.

Ignatius College Prep

 

St. Ignatius College Prep: Two-time First-Team All-Conference … Three-time CL All-Academic … Team won two IHSA Regional titles … Helped squad to 2022 IHSA Sectional crown and two CCL White Conference championships … Team MVP twice … National Honor Society … School’s Business and Economics Club … Classics and Peer Tutoring Clubs … Arrupe Mentor Corps … Three-time National Latin Exam Cum Laude Award … 2021 National Latin Exam Maxima Cum Laude Award … Illinois State Scholar … Honors with Distinction.

 

Personal: Son of Jennifer and Art Wolf … Has a sister, Ellie, and a brother, Henry.

 

Sean Episcope

Chicago, Ill.

Latin School of Chicago

 

Latin School of Chicago: Senior captain who had a 0.00 ERA with 70 strikeouts and four walks … Two-time All-Conference player that helped team win two regional titles … Lettered in swimming.

 

Personal: Son of Michele and Michael Episcope … Has two brothers, Ethan, and Sammy.

 

Jackson Baldrate

McLean, Va.

Gonzaga College HS

 

 

Kyle Bonicki is a new assistant coach for the Princeton Baseball Team, coming over after four years at Amherst College.

 

In 2023, Amherst had an offense that was first in the NESCAC in hits, batting average, runs, on-base percentage, doubles, extra-base hits, walks, RBI and was last in strikeouts. Over his time with Amherst, Bonicki helped develop nine All-NESCAC selections including Daniel Qin, the 2021 NESCAC Player of the Year and five D3Baseball.com All-New England honorees.

 

The Mammoths won the 2021 NESCAC Tournament leading to the coaching staff being named conference Staff of the Year. Bonicki constructed three consecutive Perfect Games Division III Top-10 ranked recruiting classes including two that was ranked No. 1.

 

Prior to Amherst, the Tigers’ assistant played two years of professional baseball at the independent level for the Utica Unicorns of the USPBL and the Bakersfield Train Robbers of the Pecos League.

 

He played his college baseball at Clark University where he was a three-time First-Team All-NEWMAC selection at shortstop, along with being the first All-American in program history and the 2017 D3 New England Player of the Year.

 

He graduated from Clark with his bachelor’s degree in business management in 2017 and earned his MBA in management with a marketing concentration in 2018.

 

KJ Hallgren is also a new assistant coach with the Tigers.

 

Hallgren was recently an instructor/assistant coach with the All-Star Sports Academy after graduating from Drew University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies.

 

Hallgren was a team captain for the Drew Baseball Team and collected the team’s MVP Award in 2022. He earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team twice while also collecting the Landmark Conference All-Sportsmanship Team honors and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top NCAA D-III Players Spotlight.

 

The Tigers’ assistant was also a social media associate for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, capturing in-game, promotional and special event content for social media platforms while also collaborating with various departments to create content, cover games and promote news on social media.