Brookdale Surges Into Postseason Playing Its Best Ball Of The Season

LINCROFT – Brookdale baseball (39-10-1) - ranked eighth in the country in NJCAA DIII competition – is hitting its stride at the perfect moment. After an up-and-down start to the season due to a number of factors, including the loss of arguably its best player, Declan Sheehan, for the year, and some sketchy defense, the Jersey Blues are now playing their most complete baseball of the season, with the NJCAA Region XIX DIII playoffs set to commence Saturday.

Brookdale now looks like a team that has found its identity, its confidence, and its best version of itself right when it matters most – playoff time.

The Jersey Blues went 2-3 out of the gate and 12-7 in their first 19 games of the season. They then reeled off 17 wins in a row, with a tie sandwiched in between, before losing to their Region XIX nemesis, Gloucester. They rebounded the next day with a convincing 14-8 win over the Roadrunners, the defending national champions and currently the No. 1-ranked team in the country. They then closed out the regular season, going 10-2, with those two losses coming against DII competition.

“What happened was we lost our best player, Declan Sheehan, in the second game of the year,” said long-time Brookdale head coach Johnny Johnson. “He was an All-American and Region XIX Player of the Year last season, and he blew his knee out. He’s the kind of guy who could cover for the younger guys until they got their feet wet, so we had to play these young guys right away, and we had our ups and downs. Now they’ve gotten a whole lot better.

“We’re playing well, we have confidence now,” added Johnson. “All through high school, they’re (players) trained to play 20-25 games. Now we play 25 games in the first month. So, they’ll hit a wall around 25 games and get tired. Now they're getting their legs back and getting a second wind. This break before the playoffs is going to really help us rest up a little bit.”

Brookdale has always been known for its hitting, and this season is no exception. It boasts a combined team batting average of .416, which is ranked No.1 in the country in NJCAA DIII play. Their first eight batters in their starting lineup have an OPS over 1.000, and their number nine batter holds a 0.928 OPS. An OPS of .800 is considered above average, and a .900 OPS is considered elite, so put that into perspective. Shortstop Dawson Smail leads the team with a jaw-dropping 1.374 OPS. He’s also hitting .525 – third in the country - with four home runs, 54 RBI, and 76 runs scored, and bats second in the lineup.

“Oh yeah,” replied Johnson when asked if this team can hit. “We always hit, and this team hits one through nine. They feed off of one another and swing the bat pretty good; one through nine are solid. Smail is on fire and getting one clutch hit after another; he’s a DI hitter.”

Leading off for the Blues is centerfielder Ray Mulhern, who Johnson says is the catalyst for the team. He gets on base, very rarely strikes out, and makes things happen, and he’s a gold glove centerfielder too, says Johnson. Mulhern was recently named the GSAC DIII Player of the week. He’s batting .455 with 44 RBI, 1.124 OPS, and 86 runs scored – No.1 in the country in DIII competition.

“I think we’re in a really good spot going into the playoffs,” said Mulhern. “Earlier this year, it was kind of a struggle. Our pitchers would show up, and our hitters didn’t, and vice versa. Now we’re working together well and picking up each other when we need to. I think our coaches did a great job creating this team this year.

“Any time I step up to the plate, I’m thinking how I can get on first base and come around and touch home plate again,” Mulhern added. “My 44 RBIs show just how strong every part of our lineup is. There’s no real weak point; I always come up to the plate with runners on, no matter what. One word to describe our lineup, one through nine, is relentless. There are no easy outs in our lineup.”

Nicco Maribo is the No.3 batter who plays a smooth left field and swings a potent bat. He’s hitting .436 with two home runs, 54 RBI, and a 1.157 OBS. “Nicco was a big surprise after transferring in from Gloucester,” said Johnson. “He’s one of the most clutch hitters I’ve ever had. When the games on the line with two outs, Nicco comes through.”

First baseman Thomas Diffley bats cleanup and is hitting .365 with one home run, 28 RBI, and a 1.039 OPS. According to Johnson, Diffley is a gold glove first baseman who can swing the bat. Diffley also pitches, so the Blues rotate at first base with Owen Parillo, who is hitting .411 with five home runs, 34 RBI, and a 1.305 OPS. Parillo is a freshman and has been banged up, but hopefully he’s good to go for the playoff run.

Anthony Pizzuti bats fifth and mans the hot corner at third base. He’s hitting .422 with a home run and 57 RBI – 13th in the country – along with a 1.127 OPS. “He’s a gamer and has a knack for playing baseball,” says Johnson. After struggling early on, he’s getting hot now and starting to come into his own.”

Catcher Ryan Adams bats sixth and leads the team with eight home runs. He’s hitting .333 with 44 RBI and a 1.165 OBP. Brookdale rotates its catchers with Gabriel Tomei (.492, three home runs, 25 RBI, and a 1.360 OPS) and L.J. Santiago (.439, three home runs, 23 RBI, and a 1.199 OPS) also in the mix. With three quality backstops, it's a challenge for Johnson to find playing time for all three.

Right fielder Gary Perone III bats seventh when he’s not pitching and is hitting .339, with four home runs, 41 RBI, and a 1.165 OPS. He’s figured out his swing and is a gamer, according to Johnson.

Casey Gardiner is the DH but plays right field too, and bats eighth. A .367 hitter, he has four home runs, 43 RBI, and a 1.044 OPS. He’s also starting to get hot after a slow start and starting to carry the team, says Johnson.

At the bottom of the order is second baseman Ryan Tan, who is hitting .355 with 48 RBI and a 0.928 OPS. What a luxury it is for Brookdale to have your number nine batter driving in 48 runs. “Tan came out of nowhere and has been our most consistent hitter all year long,” says Johnson. “He’s our best infielder and a clutch hitter as well.”

In past years, Brookdale’s pitching has been treated like the “redheaded stepchild” of the team, but this year's staff is making a name for itself and is one of the deepest staffs top-to-bottom they’ve fielded in years.

The combined team ERA is 3.63 – the third-lowest in the country - and opponents are hitting just .218 against them; phenomenal numbers.

“This is the deepest staff we’ve ever had,” said Johnson about his pitching staff. “We have quality from one through five. We don’t have any “top line” guys per se, but we have guys straight through who can get the job done, including the freshmen.”

STARTERS:

Jeffery Barham is 8-1 (7 starts, 2 CG). He boasts a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 IP with 32 strikeouts and just nine base on balls.

Xavier Cortez, 4-1 (6 starts) with a 4.19 ERA in 34 IP with 36 K’s and only 11 walks.

Luke Roccesano is 2-2 (8 starts) with a 4.50 ERA in 38 IP with 28 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Gary Perron III is 7-0 (10 starts) with a 5.44 ERA in 41.1 IP with 46 strikeouts and 45 walks.

Matty Koenig is 4-2 (7starts) with a 5.58 ERA in 30.2 IP with 42 K’s and 27 base on balls.

T.J. Legere is 4-2 (5 starts,1 CG) with a 1.34 ERA in 40.1 IP with 39 strikeouts and 16 walks

RELIEF PITCHERS:

Jack Kelly is 2-0 (6 G, 2 starts) with a 1.50 ERA in 12 IP

Michael Zena (0-0) (12 G) with a 3.12 ERA in 17 IP with 16 K’s and only five walks.

Matt Desiderio is 1-0 (12 G) with a 1.74 ERA with 36 K’s in 20.2 IP and 10 base on balls.

Thomas Diffley (0-0) (11 G) with a 2.08 ERA in 13 IP with 16 K’s and five walks.

Nick Hardy is 2-1 (9 G, 3 starts) with a 2.42 ERA in 22.1 IP with 15 K’s and 13 walks.

Vinny Zaffarese is 4-0 (11 G, 2 starts) with 4.21 ERA in 25.2 IP with 21 K’s and 19 base on balls.

Dylan Swanson is 1-0 (8 G) with a 5.68 in 12.2 IP with 13 K’s, opponents' BA against him is .146

“Absolutely,” said Mulhern when asked if this pitching staff can take them on a run in the playoffs. “Every guy who steps on the mound has the complete confidence of every player behind him in the field. We know they’re going to throw strikes and get outs and give us the opportunity to get back in the dugout and put some more runs on the board.”

Part of Brookdale’s up-and-down start to the season was fueled by costly defensive lapses in the infield. However, they’ve appeared to have flipped the script by tightening things up in the infield and playing clean, fundamental baseball as of late.

“The key to us winning comes down to our infield defense,” said Johnson. “They hurt us earlier in the season, making errors at the wrong time, but they have since gotten it together. If we can make the routine plays, we have a shot to beat anybody. They’re really doing a good job of tightening up the defense now.”

Weather permitting, Brookdale will play a doubleheader Saturday at home against Salem in a best-of-three series in the first round of the NJCAA Region XIX DIII playoffs. If needed, game three will be played on Sunday at Brookdale.

Perrone III is scheduled to pitch game one on Saturday, with Legere set for game two. If there’s a game three, Barham gets the nod.

“We’re hungry—really hungry,” Mulhern said when asked about the team’s mindset heading into the playoffs. “We want to win badly, and we want to do it for Coach Johnson, Coach Blackwell, and Coach Gerry. That’s what everyone is thinking. We want to get them a ring."

Johnson is optimistic Brookdale can move on to next weekend's final four in Gloucester, and from there, it’s wide open.

“They’re a good team, they run well, put the bat on the ball and have decent arms,” said Johnson of Saturday’s opponent, Salem. “If we play our game for nine innings, not many teams can beat us. We just can’t make errors and give them extra outs. We play our game; we should come out on top.”