By Dan Hirshberg

For many Hackettstown High School baseball players who never got the chance to put on their high school uniforms this spring, the Last Dance baseball tournament is an opportunity to get some diamond thrills this year after all.

The independent tournament, which is not affiliated with any high school, is scheduled to begin this week on July 14. In the first round of the tournament, the Hackettstown team is slated to play in the 4-team Flanders Regional that also includes squads from Mount Olive, Mendham and Long Valley. That round takes place in Flanders (Mount Olive). The winner there, and in other regions throughout New Jersey, continue on with eventually a concluding championship game at the end of the month.  

Although looped into a tough regional start, the Hackettstown team is hoping for a solid run behind a host of athletes who were expected to lead the Tiger high school in the spring. including Tyler Kirkpatrick, SS, Michael D’Aconti Jr., 3B, Tyler Dauchert, CF, Nic Curcio, 1B/P, and David D’Dolivo, LF/P.

Hackettstown will also be looking to several other players to contribute to the cause: Mac Curcio, C, Nick Struble, 2B, Charlie Russel, P, Alex Freda, IF, John Alitz, P/OF, Philip Faust, OF, Jon Arcona, OF, Ethan Prymak, C, Devin Feeney, 2B, and Matt Schlegel, P/1B. 

In all, 222 high school aged teams are slated for the tournament. Teams that move on from the early rounds eventually will have chance to play in several minor league baseball stadiums. with the final game scheduled for the New York Yankees Double-A park in Trenton.