Ramapo Grad 'Shooting' for the Big Leagues

When Shooter Hunt got picked as the 31st overall pick of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, his voyage to the majors officially began. But his journey to the big leagues was set in motion years ago, when he was just a boy playing catch with his dad and brothers.

Shooter credits his father, Ramapo coach Mickey Hunt, with helping prepare him for success. When he was drafted, Shooter called the moment "ours to share together."

The road to the draft was paved with standout performances at the high school and collegiate levels.

The pitcher achieved the scouts' attention with his junior campaign at Ramapo High School, when he went 8-0 with a 0.55 ERA and 75 strikeouts in a breakout year. In his senior season, Shooter went 11-2 with 146 strikeouts and a 1.59 ERA for the Raiders, helping them win a Group III state sectional title.  He called his years at Ramapo some of the most memorable and fun times he has had over his playing career.

Coming out of Ramapo as the reigning Gatorade and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year in New Jersey, Shooter was selected in the 34th round of the 2005 draft by the Texas Rangers. Thinking he could still grow as a player, Shooter did not sign with the Rangers, but instead moved on to play at the University of Virginia.

Shooter spent just one year at Virginia before transferring to Tulane. He dominated Conference USA hitters in two years with the Green Wave, putting up great numbers as a starting pitcher. He was a first-team All-Conference USA selection both years at Tulane and was the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

During his summers while in college, Shooter played summer ball in the Cape Cod League with the Falmouth Commodores. His best year came in 2006, when he led the league in strikeouts and helped the Commodores make it to the league championship game.

Projected by some to be a top 10 pick in the draft coming out of Tulane, Shooter slipped to the Minnesota Twins with the first pick in the supplementary round. 

"Everything happens for a reason," Shooter said about slipping in the draft. He believes he ended up in a good organization that will provide the necessary support to one day make the big leagues.

After starting his minor league career in short-season A ball, four dominant starts quickly got him promoted to full-season, low A ball in Wisconsin.  It was there that Shooter hit a bit of a bump in the road because of injuries. 

Like all good players do, Shooter got through it and eventually worked his way up to high A ball in the Florida State League. 

"It's a different lifestyle," said the Wyckoff native. As a young player hoping to advance, much of his life is consumed with baseball, and it can get lonely being away from family and friends. But he wouldn't trade it for anything.

"I could easily be working a 9 to 5 desk job, instead I do 2 to 11 at the field," he said.

This season, Shooter is pitching relief for the Fort Meyers Miracle in Florida. When asked if he thinks he is close to the bigs, Shooter stated, "You know when you're ready." The Sporting News believes he is close to being ready, naming him as the Twins #2 minor league prospect last year.

Another indication of his development is a fastball that is now touching 96 to 97 mph on the radar gun. He credits his increased velocity as well as an increase in flexibility and agility to his workouts with both Jay Lally and Silvio Censale. 

During the off-season, Shooter works out three times a week in Franklin Lakes doing weight-training with Lally and three times a week with Censale working on mechanics at Fastball University in Garfield.  Steady doses of Lally in the morning and Censale in the afternoon have benefited Shooter's game while beefing up his 6'3" frame. The formerly tall, thin right-hander is now at a more muscular 210 pounds.

Ramapo has another tall, thin righty who looks awfully similar to how Shooter looked when he wore Raider green: his brother TJ. The younger Hunt is fresh off his "coming out party" so to speak, when the junior worked his way to the front of the Raider rotation, winning six games this past season.

Shooter said that a strong junior campaign opened up opportunities for him, and he thinks the same will happen for his brother. "He's just scratched the surface of how good he can be," Shooter said. "The college that gets him will be very lucky."

Some of Shooter's fondest baseball memories were the days that he, TJ, his youngest brother KC, and his dad would play together. He said that even now, every time he goes home his dad breaks out the glove to have a catch with his flame-throwing son. 

Recently, Shooter had an experience to remember when he faced Mets slugger Carlos Beltran, who was rehabbing in the minors. Shooter got him out his first time up surrendered a bloop single in Beltran's next at-bat. When asked who was the toughest hitter he's ever faced, Shooter chuckled and jokingly said, "They're all weak."

Whether he is pitching great or getting knocked around, Shooter stressed how it is important to always keep working.

"No success is ever final, and no defeat is ever fatal," he said. "You have to learn from your mistakes and go out and get better."