Braves’ Mike Santoro will play ball at Seton Hall When Mike Santoro signed his letter of intent to attend Seton Hall University on a baseball scholarship, he said it was "like hitting a home run." Santoro, a senior catcher at Manalapan High School, was fulfilling his lifelong goal. "It is a dream come true," said Santoro. "I always wanted to play at the next level (Division I)," he said. "Baseball is my passion." More than 40 schools recruited Santoro, but he narrowed his choices down to two: Seton Hall and Rutgers. "I thought the opportunity was better at Seton Hall," he explained. "When I visited the campus I liked the players. It’s a program that is very traditional. It’s a very good program to be part of. I’ve always wanted to play in the Big East." There’s another reason for Santoro’s decision — location. "I wanted to stay close to home," he noted. "I made a promise to my father that I’d play close enough to home so that he could come to the games and watch. "My father (Andy Santoro) was an all-county catcher in high school at East Side and he’s the reason I’m a catcher," he added. Santoro said that he did not set out to make an early decision on college (the signing period is Nov. 13-22). It’s just the way it worked out. "It’s much nicer to have the school picked out," he said. "Now I can concentrate completely on my senior season." Santoro left no stone unturned in his effort to be the best baseball player that he can be and earn an athletic scholarship. He gave up football ("it was a big change after 10 years," he said) to play fall baseball with the Baseball Warehouse Academy in Highland Park where college and pro scouts were at every game. "I just wanted to concentrate on baseball," he said. Playing at the next level will be a step up in competition and Santoro knows that. "It’s going to be a challenge," he remarked. "The speed of the game is so much different. "I feel real confident," he added. "I will work as hard as I can to be as good as anybody else." In addition to his athletic talents, Santoro has been equally productive in the classroom, receiving an academic scholarship to Seton Hall as well.