St. Augustine's Alex Weingartner Dominates CBA to Capture Section Title

RICHLAND - This week has been extraordinary for Alex Weingartner, a senior at St. Augustine Prep. On Monday, he earned the title of Gatorade New Jersey Baseball Player of the Year, and just a day later, he delivered a walk-off grand slam that clinched a thrilling victory for the Hermits against Red Bank Catholic in the NJSIAA Non-Public South A semifinals. Weingartner continued his impressive performance on Thursday, pitching a complete-game shutout while also making significant contributions offensively, leading his team to a 6-0 triumph over Christian Brothers Academy in the Non-Public South A championship game.

With this latest win, St. Augustine (22-7) secured its eighth sectional title in the last decade of state tournaments. They are now set to compete for their fourth state championship on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Delbarton (27-4) at Rutgers University. Weingartner, who is signed to play at Penn State and is a strong candidate for the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft, expressed his pride in his achievements. "I'm super proud of myself," he stated. "It was a long road to get to this spot. I'm proud of myself, proud of these guys. All I care about is just moving on to the next game and finishing my season with a win."

Weingartner's presence on the field is a game-changer for St. Augustine, whether he's pitching or playing center field. In Thursday's match, he struck out nine batters, walked two, and hit two others while maintaining a no-hitter for four innings. He also contributed offensively, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. "They had Alex Weingartner. We don't," lamented CBA coach Marty Kenney Jr. "That kid is a monster. He's got great power and great velocity. He just disrupts everything at the plate and on the mound."

Weingartner's impact was evident from the start of the game, as he led off the bottom of the first with a single, stole second and third, and ultimately scored due to a throwing error. "I have a fun time out there," he remarked. "Being able to steal and take extra bases is definitely fun." His offensive contributions included crucial hits that set up scoring opportunities, helping his team pull ahead.

Despite CBA's (18-9) earlier success, including an 11-game winning streak, they struggled against Weingartner's dominant pitching. Even when CBA threatened in the sixth inning with two runners on base, Weingartner managed to extinguish the threat with two groundouts. "If there's an award for Comeback Player of the Year, I think Brady would absolutely be in the contest for it," Weingartner said, praising teammate Brady Jackson's return from injury. "To see him come back from the struggles he had throughout the season is just awesome to see."

Weingartner's remarkable performances this week and throughout his career have solidified his reputation as a true difference-maker. "He's a difference maker for sure," Kenney acknowledged.