TJ Hunt
Director of Scouting, New Jersey 

High School: Memorial (W.N.Y.) Tigers (Hudson Co.)
2015 record: 16-8, lost in HCIAL Championship
Head Coach: Dan Marroquin

 

There is a lot of buzz coming out of Hudson County about the Memorial Tigers this spring.  Impact transfer, 2017 RHP/IF Justin Willis (Vanderbilt), brings an already impressive resume (2^nd team All-State, 1^st team All-County, 2 varsity letters) from St. Joe’s Metuchen in his first two years of high school ball, and enters Memorial as one of the top players in the state as well as the country.  Willis is an extremely athletic pitcher that runs his fastball into the low 90’s, and uses a devastating slurve-like out pitch that gets up to 75 MPH, to get numerous swings and misses.

But Willis is only a piece of the puzzle, and the Tigers return a slew of big time players from a team that came up just short of an HCIAL Championship last season.  The Palos boys return to a line-up that is one of the most feared in the entire state.  2016 OF/1B Mario Palos was 1^st team all county last season while 2016 OF Gio Palos was 2^nd team all county.  The two are major threats, and are joined by 2017 INF Laz Lopez who was honorable mention all-county as a sophomore, and 2017 C Albert Munoz who was 2^nd team all county.  The stacked line-up will also be aided by the bat and athleticism of Willis.

Coach Marroquin has never shied away from a challenge, and the Tigers will welcome Gloucester Catholic to North Jersey on April 2 in a possible marquee pitching match-up of Willis and GC’s Tyler Mondile.  Hudson County is routinely stacked with good pitching, and Memorial has its share.  2016 Chris Rey will look to follow up his 2015 2^nd team All-County performance, and will be counted on to take the ball in big games.  The #3 starter will be 2016 Kevin Mojica who will have to step up this year as there are no off-days on the Hudson River.

Keep an eye on sophomore, slick-fielding SS, Dauri Genao.  The transfer from the Dominican Republic will make the defense even stronger up the middle, and the strong senior-laden line-up will allow for him to advance at his own pace.

Memorial should be right in the mix for the HCIAL crown as well as a Group IV title this year with such a loud line-up, and some top-notch pitchers.  If everything comes together, this is a team that can definitely challenge for the #1 ranking in the state.

 

Fun facts:
+The Memorial High School Tigers won the 1988 USA Today National Championship after posting a 28-1 record.
+Miller Stadium is MUST-SEE location for a high school baseball game.  It has an old-time sandlot feel, and takes you back in time.  In fact, most of the HCIAL fields are great locations to catch a ball game (as long as you can find parking!)

Biggest Rivals:
+Bayonne
+St. Peter’s Prep

Program Highlights:
+Since 1971, Memorial has won 16 HCIAA County Championships
+The Tigers will travel out-of-state for the first time when they go to the Super Prep in Louisville, KY
+Coach Dan Marroquin is an alumnus of Memorial where he was an All-County RHP, and later went on to star at Montclair State University

Notable Baseball Alumni:
+Rob Montalvo- class of 1988 Blue Jays (AAA)
+Jayson Rodriguez- Class of 2000 Blue Jays (A)
+Santiago Chi- Class of 2000 Seton Hall University