Trent, Taber Mongero reflect on 'fairy tale' journey with North Hall baseball team

Father and son have balanced on-field relationship in helping Trojans reach state finals

North Hall baseball coach Trent Mongero will coach his son and Trojans senior Taber for the final time when the team faces Pierce Academy in the Class 3A state championship series Thursday. Trent and Taber, who served as a bat boy for North Hall for five years before he began playing on the team, have strengthened their father-son bond over baseball.

0523Mongero1 — North Hall baseball coach Trent Mongero will coach his son and Trojans senior Taber for the final time when the team faces Pierce Academy in the Class 3A state championship series Thursday. Trent and Taber, who served as a bat boy for North Hall for five years before he began playing on the team, have strengthened their father-son bond over baseball.

When Taber Mongero was about 7 or 8 years old, his father Trent allowed him to hang around the baseball field where he coached at Richmond County High in North Carolina. Taber would sometimes stand in the outfield with the varsity players as they shagged fly balls, only to, as he put it, “chicken out and move” if one ever came near. But Taber didn’t have time to do so when power-hitter and eventual MLB draft pick Kyle Roller crushed a sinking line drive right at him one day during batting practice.

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