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Barrons hurler Rutkowski shines on New Brunswick’s AAABA team

By Jeff Appelblatt

As much as Glenn Fredricks would have preferred to watch his New Brunswick team play in the championship game Aug. 6 at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he was happy with the All-American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) season his boys achieved.

“The season went pretty good,” the coach from Spotswood High School said. “We won 20 games again. We went 3-1 in the tournament. We did pretty well.”

One of his biggest takeaways from the season had to do with one of the team’s youngest stars: Woodbridge High School’s Harry Rutkowski.

“Harry Rutkowski is in a different bracket,” Fredricks said about the pitcher. “In the tournament game he won against New York, he was the most dominant I’ve seen. In eight innings, he threw only 80 pitches.”

The upcoming Woodbridge senior shutout New York, 8-0, on the field of Mount Aloysius College. He struck out eight while giving up only four hits.

“There are no high school kids on that New York team,” Fredricks said, pointing out that it was the young one that took over the game.

But age has never meant a thing for Rutkowski.

As only a sophomore in 2015, Rutkowski carried an admirable 1.95 ERA. He struck out 79 in 60 innings on the mound.

That was the season that had Rutgers University eager to bring him to New Brunswick. And luckily for the baseball team there, it was a mutual attraction. In June 2015, Rutkowski gave a verbal agreement to the university.

Despite the future arrangement, Rutkowski avoided any complacency in 2016. Before the AAABA summer season with New Brunswick, he had a junior season with Woodbridge that was even better than his sophomore campaign. Rutkowski struck out 101 with a low ERA of 1.83.

Add in the fact that Rutkowski refuses to fit the role of a stereotypical pitcher in this day and age, as he also hits. As a junior, he was arguably one of the Barrons’ best hitters. In 56 at-bats last season, Rutkowski circled the bases with three home runs.

Fredricks also has fond memories of Rutkowski at the plate and on the base path from the summer.

“This year, he had a game-winning RBI,” the coach said. “And he stole home one game.”

As a result of everything Rutkowski accomplished in 2016, Fredricks is also certain that many schools have noticed him. But the student-athlete looks like he’ll stay close to home at Rutgers.

“[Rutkowski] picked Rutgers because it’s a great fit for him. Harry’s going to stay true to what’s good for him and his family,” Fredricks said.

But the coach, while saying Rutkowski is one of the best on the field in the state, isn’t hesitant to talk about Rutkowski the star away from the game.

“He’s a good kid,” Fredricks said. “When he was done with his performance against New York, he went back to the stadium for batting practice. When the other guys were getting in the pool, he went to the gym to work out.

“All of the returning college players this year were immediately asking about him. I’ve not seen work ethic like his at this age. But it’s who he is. He’s as good as we have in New Jersey.”

The 72nd AAABA Tournament was won Aug. 6 by the Zainesville Junior Pioneers. The Ohio team defeated the local club from Johnstown, the Paul Carpenter Capital Advisors, 8-2. It was the first championship ever for Zainesville.

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