By Jeff Appelblatt
The New Brunswick Matrix prepared for its June 10 doubleheader sitting at No. 3 in the standings. The club’s three-game winning streak was second longest in the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League (ABCCL), and it hoped its most recent win against the Ocean Giants would motivate the team against the New Jersey Nationals.
Following the immense amount of rain June 9, the games between the Matrix and the Giants were postponed.
Some good news for the Matrix, though, is they have yet to lose following a postponed matchup or two. When New Brunswick had its first delayed game May 29 against the Giants, the Matrix stepped out two days later and tied the Freehold Clippers, 2-2. When the weather caused the July 5 game between the Matrix and Giants to get postponed, the teams played a day later. New Brunswick won that, 4-1.
Scheduled to face the second-place Monmouth Monarchs at North Brunswick Community Park at 5:45 p.m. July 12, the Matrix could only hope that their streaks stay intact.
The last time the Matrix and Monarchs met was early in the season June 5, when the team’s split a doubleheader. The Monarchs, last year’s ABCCL champion, won the first game against the Matrix, 9-4, while New Brunswick bounced back and tightened its defense, winning the next, 5-4.
To get another win against the Monarchs, the Matrix relied on the bats of Austin Chaszar (Keystone College/Bordentown), Mike Decker (Rowan University/Montgomery), Pat Andersen (The College of New Jersey/Long Valley) and Tyler McNamara (Rutgers University/East Brunswick). Of course, the arms of Hirofumi Kato (Middlesex County College/Edison), Kris Fellin (Kean University/Middlesex) and Scott Durkin (Kean/Colonia) were also relied on.
A year ago, the thought of pitching in big games may have started to fade for Durkin. In the last few years at Kean University, he pitched only one complete inning, spending the majority of his time in the outfield. But the pitcher from Colonia High School has regained his form this summer with hopes he could spend more time on the mound when his senior season at Kean rolls round.
“He gained a lot of traction this year,” coach Glenn Fredericks said about the upcoming senior, who is playing his first season with the Matrix (he spent the last few summers on the now-defunct Middlesex Rays). “He throws four different pitches, and he’s clearly straightened things out.”
With the playoffs quickly approaching, Fredericks, the 12-year coach of the varsity team at Spotswood High School, and his Matrix squad hope everything will be straightened out, starting with the busy schedule of makeup games. But before then, two days after New Brunswick’s matchup with the Monarchs is the ABCCL All-star game. That game will be played July 14 at 6 p.m. at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood.
From there, the playoffs are set to start July 29, with many games for the Matrix (11-8-1) to squeeze in before then.
But no matter how the season plays out, Fredericks always stays focused on the finish line.
“We’re out to compete for a title,” he said.
