For Moon Baseball, The Sky's The LimitDefending State Champs Have Another AcePOSTED: 8:15 a.m. EDT April 18, 2003 Moon Area has won consecutive PIAA Class
AAA baseball titles. With the emergence of Nathan Nery as one of
the state's top players, the Tigers are readying for what they hope
will be another run to the title.
A 6-foot-4, 210-pound left-hander, Nery (6-0) has caught the eye
of a number of scouts.
Nery tossed a two-hitter in a 12-0 victory against Montour and
struck out 17. Against West Allegheny, he threw a two-hitter with
13 strikeouts in a 7-0 victory. Nery struck out 11 and allowed four
hits in a 9-5 win against Hopewell.
"There were probably nine or 10 scouts at our game the other
night," Moon Coach Tom Hoffman said. "Nathan wasnt at his best;
he walked seven. That's unusual for him because he rarely walks
anybody, but he made up for it."
Nery, who plays first base when he isnt pitching, homered twice
and drove in four runs against Hopewell. He is hitting above .500
and has four homers.
What helped make Nery a must-see player for scouts is his added
strength. He has added about 20 pounds since last season and is an
avid weight lifter.
"I think the added strength has helped him add some speed to
his fastball," Hoffman said. "He looks faster than he did last
year."
Nery has signed to attend Stetson University in Florida, but
could have a tough decision to make if he is selected in the major
league June draft.
Moon is 8-5, a record comparable to a year ago, when the Tigers
got hot late in the season and went on to defend their PIAA title.
"All we want is a chance to defend our state title," Hoffman
said. "That means we have to get to the semifinals of the District
7 playoffs. We seem to get better as the weather heats up." Copyright 2003 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | National Sports Pics |











