Every school athletic team has a captain, the leader of the team, but more often than not, there is an important leader without the “C” on their chest. In the case of the boys baseball team, senior TJ Ritter is that leader. Who got the call to take the mound on opening day? TJ Ritter. Who is the ace of the pitching staff? TJ Ritter. Who by far is the active leader on the team in almost every hitting category? No need to even guess.

Entering his twelfth athletic season at Townsend Harris, TJ has the same thing he had on his mind for the last eleven: winning.  If one asks TJ which season is his favorite, the answer comes out as quick as his fastball: “Being on the baseball team at THHS has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and that I will never forget. Baseball is the one sport that has always been there for me…and it gives me an outlet to get my mind off the school work.”

With the popularly recognized tough workload greeting Ritter freshman year, baseball helped him out in other ways as well. “Being on the baseball team also helped me meet new people and become friends with the seniors, especially freshman year.”

Not only are people in the athletic department well aware of Ritter’s valuable contributions to past and present Harris successes on the field, but students throughout the school are as well. Senior Sukhdeep Singh had nothing but praise for the star senior: “TJ’s insatiable work ethic has driven him to be one of the premier athletes of THHS. Being on the basketball, baseball, soccer, and track teams, I ask, is there any sport TJ can’t play?” With students in every high school community dreaming to make one varsity team, Ritter shines on many, including track, basketball and soccer, showing that hard work truly does pay off.

This sentiment is echoed by members of the baseball team and prospective members alike. Senior Antonino Scaturro was at tryouts, and he was thoroughly impressed by the leadership of the senior star: “At baseball tryouts this year, TJ Ritter had shown a lot of leadership. He was a good influence on everyone trying out.” Senior captain Ameer Kazmi agreed, saying, “TJ has always stood out as a skilled team player and is a great addition to any team he plays on.”

Having already started the Hawks on a positive track with an opening day win on the mound, Ritter graduates in June with a passion for baseball that will never end. With pending scholarships to multiple universities, Ritter will continue to play travel baseball for the RGMVM Aces and the Knights before college. Further emphasizing his captain-like role, he said, “I feel that it is my job to help my teammates whenever I can. Whether it is with their hitting, pitching, fielding, or even attitude towards the game I enjoy helping them and teaching them everything I’ve learned since I started playing at 3 years old.”