By: Bob Behre

As part of its three-day 2019 season preview, shupirates.com has highlighted former Diamond Jack and Super 17 player Matt Toke of Three Bridges, N.J.

Toke, a junior, will help lead Seton Hall University as it opens its season with a three-game series in Port Charlotte, Florida against Ohio State on Friday. The website gave its take on the Pirates’ infield, taking the opportunity to detail Toke’s collegiate career to date.

The Pirates will have a nice blend of new and old faces in their infield in 2019.  Although overcoming the losses of starters Mike Alescio, Rob Dadona and Al Molina won’t be easy. Here is the snippet on Toke from the preview.

Matt Toke (Three Bridges, N.J.) is back for his third season as the everyday first baseman. The junior was slowed by a nagging (hamstring) injury in 2018, which interrupted a hot start.  Once he got going again, Toke put up impressive numbers, batting .299 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. He was also perfect in the field, not committing a single error in 157 chances.  Toke batted .316 with a home run and six RBIs during the 2018 BIG EAST Championships and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Pirates spend much of the first month of the season in the south. The team follows its season opening series against Ohio State with three-game series against Dayton, Feb. 22-24 in Cary, North Carolina, and Virginia, March 1-3 in Charlottesville, Virginia.