On the surface, an 11-15 record might be considered a down year in the annals of Nutley High's tremendous baseball reputation.

But that's far from the case for the Raiders, who lost 13 seniors to graduation in 2016 but came back to play quite well against a tough Super Essex Conference American Division schedule.

Coach Bob Harbison, in his usual low-keyed, yet direct approach, saw a lot of potential for future greatness.

"It's asking a lot to put kids in varsity positions for the first time, especially against the pitching we see in the SEC American," said Harbison. "But I saw a lot of kids really develop over the course of the year. It was encouraging."

The Raiders qualified for the state tournament where they lost to Pascack Valley, the eventual champion in North 1, Group 3. Pascack Valley went on to the Group 3 semifinal, before losing a 3-2 decision to Cranford.

As the season wound down, Nutley was starting freshmen in the No. 4 and 5 spots in its lineup, as Kevin Hogan and Trevor Santos made big-time contributions.

"We had a lot of holes to fill," said Harbison. "And a lot of young kids did filled them well. Our sophomore class, which will be juniors this fall, is very athletic. A lot of them play other sports, as well."

Marty Higgins was a first-team All-SEC player for the Raiders. A sophomore, Higgins also excelled on the basketball court. He, along with Josh O'Neill, also a sophomore, will be playing in the Essex-Union Underclassmen baseball game at Kean University.

"Marty and Josh are obviously a big part of our future," said Harbison.

O'Neill, who also plays football for the Raiders, was a second-team All-SEC player, while Sean Bernardo and Pete Lopez were named honorable mention by the SEC.

Nutley won three of its last five games this spring, including a 12-2 win over Hasbrouck Heights. Higgins had three hits, including a homer, and Seth Antonicello, Bernardo and Lopez had two hits each.

The season concluded May 23 with an exciting 6-5 win over Belleville at Yogi Berra Stadium.

While the high school season is completed, there's plenty of baseball ahead.

"Most of our guys will be playing regularly over the summer," said Harbison. "We'll be in an Essex County Developmental League (starting this week). Our baseball players are playing regularly during the off-season. Some will be on traveling teams, as well."