Picture the ideal catcher, and you’re probably envisioning Jack Fitzgerald.
The Monroe Township High School senior is the baseball team’s backstop, captain and “adult on the field,” said the Falcons’ coach, Sean Field.
Fitzgerald understands his pitchers, frames their pitches and studies opposing lineups. Field and his assistants even trust Fitzgerald to call pitches throughout the game, which most high school catchers don’t do.
The senior embodies the core characteristics of the position in every way, and he will have to for the Falcons to be successful in 2019. Monroe has some really good hitters, including Fitzgerald, back from a 2018 club that finished 12-9.
But it is also depending on two inexperienced starting pitchers, Matt Fopeano and Anthony Bruno, to anchor the rotation. Fitzgerald’s pitch calling and talk therapy will play a major role in their success.
It already did on April 1 at Spotswood High School, which was Monroe’s season opener. The Falcons won, 12-0, and Fopeano struck out six batters in five scoreless innings.
Monroe is 3-0 after three games.
“Jack is dynamite,” Field said. “He has a great relationship with his pitchers.”
“He’s a big help,” Fopeano added. “He’s always thinking and he knows the game well.”
Fitzgerald didn’t have to be a Molina brother to succeed in his role last spring, because he had a ridiculous talent for an ace in Nick Payero. In his last high school season, Payero posted a 1.88 earned run average and fanned 65 batters in 56 innings.
The senior, who now plays for Seton Hall University, pitched in 75 percent of Monroe’s games, including all of its biggest contests. Payero’s success helped the Falcons enjoy a successful season, but it also prevented Fopeano and Bruno from getting a lot of reps.
But both hurlers have advanced repertoires from playing outside of school. Fopeano throws a fastball, a cutter and a changeup, and his heater clocks in the high 80s. Bruno can throw four pitches with movement and for strikes.
“It looks like a Wiffle ball game when he’s pitching,” Field said. “The ball is moving all over.”
Each pitcher also has a deceptive delivery. Fopeano hides the ball by keeping it behind his body until he releases it, which prevents hitters from picking up on the seams.
“It looks like it shoots out of his shoulder,” Field said.
Bruno, who stands a lanky 6-3, executes long strides that make him feel close to the batter, forcing rushed, awkward swings.
So Fitzgerald is not working with nothing. His guys have the stuff. They just need to get used to varsity baseball.
“Having a strong 1-2 will be helpful,” Field said.
“We already have great trust and chemistry,” Fitzgerald added.
A strong 1-2 punch in the rotation is the key for the Falcons, because their lineup can already rake.
Junior Bryant Skurbe batted .424 and made the All-Greater Middlesex Conference First Team in 2018. Field bats Skurbe in the leadoff slot so he can get as many chances as possible.
“I’m confident at the plate,” Skurbe said.
Fitzgerald (.356) and Johnny Albrecht (.327) both hit above .300 last year as well. Albrecht is Monroe’s cleanup hitter and Field expects him to bash four or five home runs.
“The lineup is strong,” Field said.
If the pitchers thrive, the Falcons can achieve their goals of advancing past the first round in the GMC Tournament and in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament. They lost in the first round of both tournaments last spring.
“Hopefully we can get to the semis and have a shot to win,” Field said.
