Printer Friendly Version - Neri Dominated On the Mound for Morgan

Recent Morgan graduate Chad Neri finished with a career record of 19-2, as well as a 1.75 earned-run average, while helping the Huskies make the Class S state final the past two years. Photo courtesy of Chad Neri

Morgan baseball fielded one of the best teams in the Shoreline Conference and Class S through the past two seasons and Chad Neri was right at the forefront of the Huskies’ success as he progressed into one of Connecticut’s most-dominant pitchers.

Chad, who recently graduated from Morgan, finished with an impressive record of 19-2, plus a 1.75 earned-run average for his high school career. The last time Chad lost a game was his sophomore year and, in the two subsequent seasons, the Huskies played their way to the Class S state championship game.

However, even though Chad was at the center of much of Morgan’s success, he was quick to credit the guys around him for helping him thrive on the hill.

“I always had a great defense behind me, plus you always want to work on what you aren’t good at. My velocity was my big issue as a sophomore, but this year, I was throwing 10 [to] 12 miles per hour faster,” says Chad. “My catcher Dylan Ketch was also great behind the plate, as well. With a great defense and catcher, it was on me if I messed up.”

The Huskies won 21 games on their way to the Class S final in each of the past two years. Although Chad wanted to come away with a title, he still felt thrilled to compete on the state’s biggest stage behind the backing of his community.

“Being on those two teams was a lot of fun and an incredible experience. When you are winning, everything flows so much better,” says Chad, who won two games in this year’s State Tournament and pitched nine complete games on the season. “The first final was very nerve-wracking because you didn’t know what to expect and I think we played better in the second final in a way. Being with all those fans, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we got to experience twice.”

Morgan skipper John Litevich says that one of Chad’s greatest strengths is his ability to stay on an even keel in the toughest of situations.

“The last time he lost a game was his sophomore year. I don’t think there are many pitchers in the state of Connecticut over the past couple of years who can match that. Chad never gets rattled. You get the same demeanor from Chad winning or losing, which is a tribute to his mental toughness. He has incredible command of his pitches. His fastball is in the low 80s, but his best pitch is his cutter and, when that pitch is going, the opposition has no chance,” says Litevich. “This year, he had four starts where his pitch count was in the 80s, which were all complete games. All of his success can be attributed to his work ethic as he loves the game of baseball and it shows through his approach to the game on the practice field. Chad is a great kid who leads by example and is loved by his teammates. In my opinion, he is the most-successful pitcher Morgan has ever had.”

Chad, who also pitched for the Clinton Huskies AAU team this summer, kept things simple from a mental perspective on the mound. On the physical side, he often minimized his pitch count by throwing to contact.

“Whether they are the biggest or smallest situations, you can’t over-think them. I’ll even have conversations with myself about anything but the game and situation to help me. I just try to space out and it gets me through,” says Chad, who will attend Southern Connecticut State University as a chemistry major and try out for the baseball team. “I get a lot of double plays and I have a good infield around me. Things like that make my innings shorter and my pitch count lower. I’m a ground and fly ball-type pitcher. One complete game this year, I had 67 pitches, which is less than 10 per inning. I also had a good pitching staff with me, so I didn’t have to pitch every day and my arm felt great all year.”

One of the biggest factors behind Chad’s success is that he uses a variety of pitches to keep the opposition guessing. Looking back at his career with the Huskies, Chad knows that he and his teammates learned what it takes to develop strong character that will help them for years to come.

“When I was younger, I used to throw the curveball a lot more, but now I rely more on my cutter and changeup. I avoid using my curveball until every batter has seen me once in a game. I use the cutters and changeups to get the hitters off-balance,” says Chad, who thanks his father Bob, along with his Morgan teammates and coaches. “I grew so much while at Morgan. Our coaches have given out plenty of life lessons and everyone on the team has grown as a man.”