Alumnus Brian Andersen gives high praise to Mendham baseball
MENDHAM, N.J. — It had been nearly 700 days since the Mendham Minutemen varsity baseball
team played their last game. The boys finished up their 2019 run with an unfortunate loss to Millburn in the NJSIAA sectional quarterfinals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, little did seniors know at the time it’d be the very last game of their high school careers, while others still had to wait as long as they did to return to the diamond. But April 2021 finally arrived and the Minutemen were able to have themselves another winning season, placing as the number four seed in the North II Group III division.
This was the team’s first time stringing together winning seasons since 2013 and 2014, and their first time making the fourth seed since 2016. Although once again for Mendham, the season did end in disappointing fashion come the state tournament. During his fifth and final year with the team, head coach Brian Weingart and his ballclub could not make it past the quarterfinals. The Minutemen were able to prevail against Nutley 11-3 in the first round but then ran into an extremely challenging Millburn team next, being held to only two hits in a 4-1 defeat.
After another early exit this past summer, it made seven consecutive seasons failing to advance into the state tourney semis for Mendham. But while the club hasn’t been getting it done lately during tournament play they have certainly developed a ton of individual talent over the years, so there is still plenty of hope. In the last decade, the varsity program has had multiple players make All-Conference honors each season.
Most recently, Matt McFadden (1st Team All-Conference), Brian Andersen (2nd Team), Ben Seminara (2nd Team), Tim Winters (2nd Team), and Andrew Richter (Honorable Mention) took the honors in the 2021 season. Alumnus Brian Andersen’s versatility really stood out for Mendham this past season. He was second on the team with 20 hits, batted 12 runs in which was also second, and led with six doubles, 14 stolen bases, and 19 runs scored. Andersen also played a very good outfield, supporting an efficient .971 fielding percentage for the Minutemen, also pitched an inning, and played some catcher.
Some of Andersen’s most impressive performances were his three-hit games in the victories against Whippany Park and Sparta, both on the road. But even two days after his effort versus Sparta, the slugger followed up with a season-high three runs batted in versus Parsippany Hills. And in the Minutemen’s final victory of the year against Nutley in round one, Andersen picked up each a single, a double, a run batted in, and a run scored. His productive 2021 campaign played a huge factor to the Minutemen having a winning record, but Andersen says the team first bond that Coach Weingart implemented played an even more important role.
“Coach also used a phrase that is well known around Mendham Baseball, and it is ‘Sweep the
Shed,’” Andersen said. “What ‘Sweep the Shed’ meant was no matter win or lose, no matter where they’re playing, every player helps the team and has their own role to create a special bond between
players and coaches.”
Andersen graduated from West Morris Mendham High in the summer and is currently attending Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, playing ball for the Bullets. When asked if the Mendham varsity program is still in good hands despite losing a talent like his, Andersen had plenty of positives to add.
“Overall the Minutemen will be in place once again for a conference championship run, in what
looks like a mostly senior dominated lineup with underclassmen eager to step onto the field,” Andersen said. Mendham baseball is in fantastic hands going forward and definitely will put themselves in the
right spot to win.”
Andersen also believes both the pitching staff and lineup have potential to make Mendham elite all around.
“Look out for Tim Winters, Jonah Swarts, and Conor Viola as top starters with lots of varsity experience from last year,” Andersen said. “I expect them to only get bigger and stronger as the year goes on and be in great condition as far as giving up runs. Last year’s offensive lineup was mostly senior dominated, but with kids like Jack Warman, Frank Kontely, Noah Ashker, and Connor Villalobos, these kids will look to dominate the front end of the lineup and produce plenty of runs for many of the games.”
If going forward the culture is anything like it was in Brian Andersen’s years at West Morris Mendham High, the baseball program is going to be just fine.
“Mendham High School Baseball was such a blessing of an experience and I wouldn’t trade it
for any four years at any other school,” Andersen said.
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