By Jimmy Allinder
This could be the spring the South River High School baseball team puts it all together.
After losing seasons in 2012 and 2013, the Rams finished with winning records in each of the last two campaigns, including 17-11 overall and 8-4 in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Blue Division a year ago.
Perhaps the most impactful player will be first-team Group I All-State Tyler Higgins, who pitched to a 6-3 record and played third base while batting .346 with a team-leading 32 hits, including 10 doubles. Higgins kicked off this season with a complete-game four-hitter, as the Rams knocked off Spotswood High School, 7-2.
Higgins is the team’s unquestioned stopper, but he’s not the only quality hurler. Dalton Doughery is another go-to guy who recorded a 5-2 record in 2015 and led the conference in strikeouts with 81. Doughery will alternate with Higgins at third base and is also a potent hitter (.321, 26 hits, 26 RBIs). Finally, sophomore R.J. Fischer was impressive as a freshman, recording a 4-0 mark, and brings additional experience.
Coming on in relief are juniors Nick Errico, Billy Marlow and Nick Morris. Armed with multiple pitchers, South River will be one of the favorites to win its first division title since 2008.
Higgins and Doughery aren’t the only offensive threats. Senior catcher Matt Leviton is back for his fourth year behind the plate, and the two-year All-Division player has 78 career hits and hopes to eclipse the century mark sometime this spring.
The rest of the lineup includes two-year starting seniors Khalil Everett in left field and James Hart (.329, 24 hits) in center field. Sophomore Kyle French returns to first base after starting as a freshman, sophomore Brandon Szerszen is at shortstop and Fischer will play second base along with senior Michael Marino.
“We feel we have the talent to compete for the division title and the state Group I championship,” coach Mike Lepore said. “However, as is always the case, there is a lot talent throughout the Blue Division, and this year is an exceptional case with as many as seven teams capable of winning the title.”
One of the unique aspects at South River is that Lepore has been able to become familiar with his potential players because of his longtime association with the borough Little League.
“My [current] players and assistant coaches have conducted clinics and camps for kids of all ages throughout the year, and that helps make them fundamentally better before they join the high school team,” Lepore said.
“In addition, most of our players know what to expect and how things are run on the high school level when they arrive here. It’s great to see how the kids develop from Little League to high school players.”
South River faces a week with three games against two division favorites. The team was scheduled to play Middlesex High School April 6 before facing Carteret High School April 8 and 9.
