It was April 8 and one of the chilliest days of the spring by far. Andrew Schoenblum was batting second for the High School North baseball team at Notre Dame, and in his first at-bat, he went down swinging against Jarred Graver.
One inning later, he realized he was going against his future college teammate, as he and Graver will both be playing at Alvernia University next year. Graver was in the midst of striking out six straight batters to start the game.
As the top of the fourth rolled around, Graver was working on a no-hitter and a shutout when Schoenblum led off. Just to prove they are not teammates just yet, Schoenblum broke up the gem with an infield hit and eventually scored to spoil the shutout. In the fifth inning, he added an RBI single.
“I didn’t realize who he was until the second inning. He’s a very talented kid,” Schoenblum said. “The first at-bat he was very tough. He locates and uses his curveball very well. I made an adjustment the next time and the time after that. I felt good seeing the velocity.”
He then added, laughing “That gave me promise for the future next year if I see him in practice.
It was a game that pretty much summed up Schoenblum’s high school career. When things go wrong at the start, he manages to adjust.
After a brief career as a shortstop at age eight in the West Windsor Little League, Schoenblum was made into a catcher and immediately loved the position. He also excelled at it and was being counted on to play it for the Knights once he arrived.
After playing behind the plate for the JV squad as a freshman, Schoenblum returned to the basketball court for his winter sport.
“During practice one day, I took an elbow in the head,” he said. “That was pretty much it for my basketball career.”
Not to mention his career behind the plate, as Schoenblum suffered a concussion and coach Michael Santoro did not want to jeopardize his future by putting him back at the toughest position on the diamond.
“We both weren’t really comfortable sending me behind the plate again,” said Schoenblum, whose mom, Francesca Miraglia, is a language arts supervisor in Hamilton and whose dad, Scott, works for Nike. “Just a foul tip could catch me in the head. I didn’t want to risk that. I made the move to second base my sophomore year and before the first game he moved me to short and that’s where I’ve been since.”
What could have been a tough decision for Santoro was made easier by the fact Schoenblum is so versatile.
“After he got multiple concussions in basketball I just could not have him back there,” the coach said. “He’s a better catcher than shortstop but he’s a kid that was one of my most athletic and smoothest fielders I had. We had a situation where we didn’t have any other shortstops.”
Actually, Santoro initially thought he had another shortstop, but that didn’t last.
“We had him at second base and another guy at shortstop,” he said. “After being indoors for two weeks straight and seeing a ton of ground balls we realized we had to make a switch. Then he went from second to short and he’s been pretty impressive since. He’s totally committed himself to that position enough to be recruited by Alvernia.”
Schoenblum did more than just take ground balls at practice. He made a point to work with former North great Scott Kelly, who had an outstanding career at the College of New Jersey and is now with the Somerset Patriots.
“I think I kind of had the hands to play shortstop because I was a catcher, so I was comfortable with my hands,” Schoenblum said. “It was an interesting switch but I adjusted well. I love shortstop now.”
The extra time Schoenblum put in did not come as a surprise to his coach.
“He’s certainly athletic but beyond athleticism, he’s mentally capable,” Santoro said. “He’s an extremely hard worker. He’s 100 percent dedicated and you wish you had more like him around. If you have a team full of that type of player, you’re good.”
Schoenblum did return behind the plate for a brief moment this year when North played a second straight game against Notre Dame. Judging by a tweet he sent out that night, he may not be missing it all that much: “First game behind the plate in 3 years. I have a newfound respect for catchers, the knee pain is real.”
Offensively, Schoenblum struggled as a freshman with just seven hits in 38 at-bats (.184). He improved to a respectable .296 with 12 RBI last year, and was over .300 through five games this season.
“He’s starting to get hot,” Santoro said. “He started off a little slow. I initially had him in the three hole. I think he fits a little better in the two hole and he’s been pretty successful with that.”
Schoenblum was recruited by numerous area colleges. “I felt Alvernia was the best place for me to develop as a baseball player,” said Schoenblum, who will major in secondary education and hopes to become a math teacher.
One thing is certain. His graduation will leave a void, not only in the lineup, but with the intangibles.
“He’s a leader,” Santoro said. “Last year he wasn’t given the captain tag but he certainly was one. He’s a good kid, a hard worker, and we love having him around.”
#b#Letters of Intent#/b#
Two seniors at High School South recently signed national letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the college level. Matt Stein will play soccer at Swarthmore College and Samantha Schattin will play softball at Stevens University.
