Ball in hand, pitcher Jonathan Tao ’23 steps up to the mound. He heaves a slider, the

famous pitch of his favorite player, Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani. The ball spins

and dips abruptly as it reaches home plate, leaving no time for the batter to get a swing

off. The umpire announces, “Strike three, you’re out!”

Tao’s grandfather inspired him to begin playing baseball, and talking to him inspired

Tao to keep playing over the years. From Little League games to varsity baseball, Tao’s

grandfather has had a major impact on his

baseball career.

“My grandpa was a catcher,” said Tao. “I visited him every year... [and he’d] ask, ‘How

are you doing [with baseball]?’’’

As a pitcher, Tao is the face of the defense. Every play begins with his pitch, so it is

important that he throws a good one. He has a few types of pitches

to choose from, including the fastball and several off-speed

pitches. The speed he gets on his fastball makes it difficult

for batters to hit it, as his aim is to confuse batters as to

where the ball is headed.

Tao tries to have pitches such as the curveball and slider

come off with more spin and variability, which adds to

Tao’s extensive toolbox while on the mound.

One of Tao’s biggest assets is his

communication and leadership role on the

team. It’s common to see Tao shouting out instructions

and relaying information from the coach to the

rest of his teammates. Dominic Capuano, head

baseball coach, talked about his admiration for

Tao’s

leadership.

“Jon has done a good job of being a voice for the

coaches,” said Capuano. “He [gets] the message

across that we are delivering and keeping the

team in line. Being a captain is an extension of

the coaching staff and he has done a good job

with that.”

Through his supportive words, Tao’s leadership has

carried the team to greater heights and provided a

sense of empowerment for all of his teammates.

Jai Justice ’25, the third base player and pitcher for the

boys varsity team, expressed his admiration for Tao

as well.

“Jonathan is a great captain for the team. He keeps the

team motivated and is an excellent communicator,”

Justice said.

Tao’s path to his current spot on the varsity roster

wasn’t without difficulties. A series of shoulder

dislocations early on in his high school career set Tao

back, including one in eighth grade and another in

his sophomore year. But no matter how many times

he got injured, he would always come back to playing

baseball as a result of his dedication and love for the

sport.

“[Jonathan] has done a good job of putting the

injury out of his mind and just playing free,” said

Capuano. “He’s been a mainstay at the top of our line

up and he could be most vulnerable to reinjury, and

it hasn’t affected him at all.”

While Tao has always bounced back from his low

points, his baseball career almost came to an early

end.

“Around ninth grade I was really hard on myself. I even considered quitting

[baseball],” said Tao. “I didn’t quit because I knew that failure was always a part of it,

and so if I wanted to keep playing I had to deal with it.”

So far, this year’s baseball season has been going well, with Tao and Wes Price ’23

as the co-captains of the PHS boys varsity baseball team. They won their first game

against West Windsor Plainsboro North with authority; the final score was 14–4.

“Our win against West Windsor North shows that when we put the pieces together,

we play really well,” Tao said.