Winning pitcher Lucas Sheehan is pumped up after wining the 2026 Somerset County Tournament, greeting his coaches as he comes off the field. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
“We’re built to play.”
Those four words from Watchung Hills head coach Joseph Tremarco sum up perfectly his Hustlin’ Warriors.
The certainly came to play Friday night, as the second seed in the Somerset County Tournament, with a tall task at hand: beating not only the top-seed and defending champion Immaculata, but doing it with Ryan Auten on the mound for the Spartans.
Because, heck, all he’s doing next year is going to play in the ACC at Wake Forest.
But a funny thing happened as he and Warriors’ starter Lucas Sheehan – just a sophomore by the way – locked up in a pitchers’ duel.
They made Auten work, and worked out several deep counts, eventually chasing him as the game went to extra innings, with two out in the eighth, already up 1-0.
Turns out that was all Hills would need.
And behind it all was Tremarco. He is never too up, never too down, and his team feeds off that. Even if they were very, very up when the final out was recorded, a force play at second base to end the game with Immaculata threatening.
While the win gave the Hustlin’ Warriors their sixth SCT championship overall – and first since 2009 – it was the very first for Tremarco, and well-deserved.
Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Watchung Hills head coach Joseph Tremarco:
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