Bengals Baseball Team Poised for a Strong Season

Barnegat junior Mark McCoy estimates that he found himself as a pitcher last summer on his American Legion team, which makes sense, considering the coaches at Wake Forest University took one look at him during a bullpen session on campus this winter and offered him a baseball scholarship.

While it did not take McCoy long to convince an Atlantic Coastal Conference coaching staff that he was ready to pitch in one of the most competitive conferences in Division I college baseball, dominating the Shore Conference with his Bengals varsity team has not been an instantaneous process for the 6-foot-3 left-hander.

If McCoy and the Demon Deacons coaches are right, the left-hander is poised for a breakout high school season, which is slated to open today when Barnegat plays Point Pleasant Boro, weather permitting. After two strong varsity seasons considering his age, the Bengals ace is ready to take the next step as a player and leader in the program.

“Before we started practices, (head) coach (Brett) Hardie sat me down and told me what he wanted from me this year,” McCoy said. “He said he wanted to see more intensity and that I needed to develop that attitude that I’m going to do everything it takes to win and nobody is going to stop me. And that’s what I expect from myself, so that’s advice I definitely want to take and use to get better and to help make our team better."

While McCoy has not yet established himself as a top starter in the Shore Conference – which is a rare accomplishment for a sophomore – he has still shown signs of promise in his first two seasons.

Last year, McCoy posted a 2-5 record for a 5-15 Barnegat team and struck out 42 batters in 48 1/3 innings with a 4.06 earned run average. McCoy’s troubles were in his control as he walked 38 batters last year, but his summer success has him certain that throwing strikes won’t be a problem.

“Last summer, it all just started clicking for me,” McCoy said. “I got ahead of batters 0-1 and 1-2 and I learned that if I could throw the pitches I want to early in the count, then that allowed me to throw anything I want to put them away.”

In addition to his prowess on the mound, McCoy was one of Barnegat’s best offensive players in 2010. He hit for a .414 batting average with six doubles and 13 runs batted in while playing first base on his non-pitching days.

“I still want to hit, I still want to play the field, run the bases and all that,” McCoy said. “If I could pitch for the rest of my life, I’d love to do that. But I’m not ready to just pitch right now. I want to be an all-around baseball player while I still have the chance.”

Barnegat will look to a roster heavy on juniors and sophomores to help stay afloat in a competitive Shore Conference Class B South division, but a couple of seniors will help lead the way along with the junior McCoy. Senior shortstop Kyle Anderson and classmate and third baseman Michael DiCandia will be key players for Hardie, who is in his second year as head coach of the Bengals.

Senior designated hitter and part-time catcher Calvin Cardillo showed power last year and will look to give the Bengals some offense in the middle of the order.

Junior David Smithman is another versatile player who like McCoy will contribute at the plate, in the field and on the mound after getting a dose of work on the mound last year. Ray Waszkiewski is a junior pitcher with some experience who will look to contribute on the larger scale this year.

A trio of Bengals sophomores appears ready for varsity time, with Rob DeSanti set for time at second base and on the mound. Pat Moran can also give Hardie innings on the mound and in the field while Justin Chasmar is another promising sophomore who could get some time.

Class B South is a strong division with a lot of senior talent, so Barnegat could still possibly be a year away from making an impact at the top of the standings. However, with a few key seniors and a talent like McCoy heading the staff, the Bengals won’t wait around in trying to open some eyes.

“We’re young, but we got a lot of experience last year,” McCoy said. “We’ve been playing together for a long time and we know what we can do. It’s going to come down to consistency, because no team is going to run away with the division.”