St. Augustine Prep baseball coach Mike Ney pulled Joey Erace from the lineup in the final inning of Prep’s win over Mainland in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament title game because Erace’s Achilles tendon was acting up. Even then, it was difficult to convince Erace that he needed some rest.
You couldn’t get this kid off the field during his career at St. Augustine Prep, and why would you want to, with the way he played?
The Rutgers University commit was one of the top defensive shortstops in South Jersey, and just as impressive with the bat. He hit .395 as a senior, rapping out a career-high 34 hits to go with a career-best 36 runs scored. He also had 14 RBIs, seven doubles and 15 stolen bases. For his career, Erace racked up 88 hits, 92 runs scored, 36 RBIs, 20 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 43 steals, and he hit .353.
