By Jeff Appelblatt
Brian Boyce wasn’t too excited thinking of last year’s sub-.500 baseball season at Manalapan High School.
“We were 12-15,” the 12-year coach said. “It might have been our only losing season.
“Unfortunately last year, we never jelled as a team. We have seven kids playing in college [from that team], so we should have been more competitive than we were.”
Boyce knew he would have a young team on the field this year after last year’s graduates went to schools throughout the east, like the University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina Upstate, Iona College, Montclair State University, Alvernia University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“We have a young team. We only have two returning starters and one returning varsity pitcher,” the coach said before what wound up being his club’s first regular-season game April 4 vs. Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), as the originally scheduled opener was washed out April 1. “John Pudder is going to be our senior guy with the most experience on varsity. I think he logged near 50 innings [pitched] last year. Our shortstop and our center fielder, [Dan] DeBlasio and Giovanni Ciaccio, are returning.”
With those players leading the way, Manalapan’s coach refuses to think his current team won’t be competitive this year.
“I don’t want to call it a rebuilding year because I don’t think that’s what it is,” Boyce said.
With focus and camaraderie on the field, Boyce hopes his team is able to contend.
“They’re an energetic group. They work hard. They’re talented,” the coach said. ”And so far, so good. We’ve been playing well. They were successful as freshmen. They were successful as junior varsity players and sophomores. [I] hope it translates to the varsity level.”
From prior years and from the preseason, Boyce has a number of players he had high expectations for on the mound.
“Pudder is our pitcher. Then we have some juniors [like] John Michael Sabatino. He got a couple of innings last year. He’s looked good,” the coach said. “EJ Melendez and Rob Gargano have done very well in scrimmages. Then we have to piece it together with the new pitching rule.
“Vin Lanza has done a nice job on the mound. Then we have guys that are still competing for that sixth and seventh spot.”
The new pitching rule states that pitchers will be required to rest a specific number of days based on how many pitches they throw: 91-110 (that is the limit), four days; 71-90, three days; 51-70, two days; and 31-50, one day.
Also, the rule states that pitchers who throw fewer than 31 pitches can enter a game the next day but cannot have thrown more than 50 pitches on consecutive days. Finally, no pitcher can throw three calendar days in a row, and no pitcher can throw more than 140 pitches over a “rolling” five-day period.
Boyce anticipates some of his players getting on base regularly to provide run support.
“I think it’s going to be Giovanni Ciaccio [hitting often]. I think Chris Pizano has hit well in scrimmages. Rob Gargano has done well. Steve Bullen, who will start at first [base] has done exceptionally well. Jack Schweitzer is a catcher and outfielder that’s done well,” the coach said. “They’ve had good plate appearances, have had some success, and I think that’s been a positive.”
A positive that Boyce hopes carries into the season is that he hopes his players are ready to take on a number of division rivals early.
“We [open Shore Conference] A North [play] with Colts Neck High School, CBA and Howell High School,” he said.
Then competition will branch out.
“We will play in the autism awareness against Red Bank Catholic. Then we’ll go down to Myrtle Beach for five days,” Boyce said. “We usually go to Florida — Port St. Lucie. This will be our first year in Myrtle Beach.”
Manalapan has traveled south each year Boyce has been in charge. There are certain reasons he loves it.
“It’s good team building — builds camaraderie. [We] face some good competition. Hopefully, the weather’s a little nicer [than it’s been around New Jersey],” the coach said looking ahead to the spring break trip. “We get to get out there. We practice. [And] overall, it’s been a good experience for the kids.”
Before Boyce and his players take off for South Carolina, Manalapan will play CBA for the second straight day in Manalapan April 5 at 4 p.m. Then two days later, the Braves will play at 3:45 p.m. at Howell High School. Manalapan will then finish off its pre-trip run at Red Bank Catholic April 8 at 10 a.m.
