New Batting Cage Honors Cliffside Park Coach Killed By COVID

CLIFFSIDE PARK, NJ — There's a new batting cage in the Cliffside Park High School Baseball Field opening May 22, built in honor of a former Cliffside Park High School teacher and coach who died after getting COVID-19 back in March 2020.

Ben Luderer was only 30 years old, and an educator beloved in the community, according to the Cliffside Park Education Association. He coached the Red Raiders baseball team and had long wished for a batting cage for his players.

In 2008 Luderer played as the starting catcher for the Don Bosco Prep baseball team, in Ramsey, the year they were crowned national champions, finishing 33-0.

He left his mark on the Red Raiders, the Cliffside Park High School baseball team.

"He revitalized the Red Raiders (...), his enthusiasm and energy giving the program a much-needed boost," Cliffside Park Education Association said in a statement. "In his last season with the team, they finished undefeated."

To get the batting cage up and running, the organization applied for a PRIDE grant from the New Jersey Education Association.

There's an opening ceremony on May 22, at 1:30 p.m., to commemorate the opening of the new batting cage.