Baseball Team Has High Goals for Spring Season

The last team to repeat as Union County Tournament baseball champions was Cranford in 2000, with the Cougars also winning again in 2001.

This year's Scotch Plains-Fanwood High squad could be the first to capture back-to-back UCT crowns in 10 years.

That's just one team goal the Raiders have in store for the 2010 season.

"We have a good group back, with 14 seniors on the roster," said head coach Tom Baylock, who is in his seventh year at the helm and who has guided Scotch Plains to the last two of its four UCT titles in 2004 and 2009. "We have one junior starter back and all the rest are seniors."

Returning senior starters include Joe D'Annunzio in left field; pitcher, second baseman and right fielder Gary Binkiewicz; John Maxwell at first base; Mike Ridge at shortstop; Ricky Shevlin in center field; and Lou Mazzella at catcher. Returning at second base is junior Marcus Rivera, who also pitched last year.

"We picked up senior Taylor Schon, who is a transfer from St. Joe's (Metuchen)," Baylock said.

Schon played center field during the latter stages of Scotch Plains' scrimmage against Hillsborough Friday afternoon at Park Middle School.

"Hitting the baseball-wise, I think we'll be okay, we have a lot of our guys back," Baylock said. "We have seven guys in the lineup back from last year. I'm pretty confident in our hitting in the beginning of the year."

Back to lead the pitching staff is right hander Binkiewicz, who had a dream junior season that included a 9-1 record and 2.70 earned-run average. He was the winningest pitcher in the county.

"He throws three pitches for strikes, those being fastball, changeup and curveball," Baylock said.

Binkiewicz struck out 48 in 49 innings last year and walked just 15, which pleases not only the coach, but his players behind him so they can stay sharp.

"He's a leader on the mound," Baylock said.

In 10 decisions Binkiewicz allowed only 19 earned runs. He pitched the final five innings in relief to improve to 6-0 when Scotch Plains came back to defeat Union Catholic 11-8 in a UCT quarterfinal played on the field turf surface at Summit.

"The team is very confident behind him," Baylock said. "He works quick and keeps the fielders into the game. He just knows how to get guys out and he knows how to pitch and keep guys off balance."

Binkiewicz can't start every game on the mound, so others will have to step up.

"Our biggest concern right now is getting enough arms," Baylock said. "The guys who pitched today (vs. Hillsborough) did a great job for us."

Those pitchers were senior righthander Alan Dlugosz, who started, and junior lefty Sean Reilly.

"They both did a very good job for us today against a good team," Baylock said. "I think (Hillsborough) coach (Norm) Hewitt said they have eight guys already set up to play in college next year, so they will be battling for a Group 4 state title I'm sure. Alan got hit a little bit in the beginning and then re-grouped and settled down. Sean did a great job, I thought. We have some other arms in Maxwell and Ridge. If we can get some of these younger guys that were on the JV last year to come up and contribute, we should be all right."

There's no doubt that Scotch Plains will hit this year, which has been the case the past several years as the Raiders have challenged for conference, county and sectional titles.

Consistent pitching from other than Binkiewicz might be what sets this team apart from the rest in the county.

"We have some work to do," Baylock said. "The kids are all focused on the year and they all want to get better."

D'Annunzio will be the leadoff batter for the third year in a row before he continues playing baseball at Rutgers.

"It's great," Baylock said. "We also have Lou Mazzella going to Division 2 Molloy College in Long Island. John Maxwell is going to Johns Hopkins to play next year. Mike Ridge is going to William Paterson to play next year and Gary Binkiewicz is the only one that is undecided right now."

In addition to his pitching prowess last year, Binkiewicz had a healthy .340 batting average. He batted second in the lineup against Hillsborough and hit a couple of long shots off a pretty good left hander.

"He has some Division 3 schools looking at home and Monmouth has a little bit of interest in him still. They said they're going to come by to a couple of scrimmages and a couple of games to see him play. I think if he can go there, that's where he'll wind up."

NOTES: Key players lost to graduation included third baseman Frank Bonadies, who is now playing at Division 2 West Chester University in West Chester, Penn.; first baseman-pitcher Kevin Maroney, who is now playing at Division 1 Monmouth University in West Long Branch; and right handed relief pitcher Jon Kosenick.

Kosenick saved UCT wins over Elizabeth 8-5 in the semifinals and vs. Westfield 1-0 in 10 innings in the final – both games played at Elizabeth's Williams Field.

In the semifinal, Kosenick pitched 2 and 1/3 innings of scoreless and hitless relief, retiring seven of the eight batters he faced and allowing only a walk. Rivera pitched the first 4 and 2/3 innings and earned the mound victory, which was his first decision of the season.  

In the final, Kosenick pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to allow Binkiewicz to improve to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in UCT games last season.

Binkiewicz and Westfield 6-7 senior righty Chris Jenkins – now playing at Stanford – both tossed nine shutout innings. Binkiewicz allowed six hits and Jenkins one.

Whether Binkiewicz pitches or not at the next level will depend on where that exactly will be.

"I think at Monmouth he might be in the rotation or in the bullpen somewhere and I think if he goes Division 3, I think he could play infield and then swing it," Baylock said.

Last year Scotch Plains became the second consecutive top seed to win the UCT. Elizabeth in 2008 became the first top seed to win the UCT since Westfield in 1995. Elizabeth defeated Scotch Plains on an extra-inning walk-off home run in the semifinals in 2008 and then downed Westfield in the final to win the UCT for the first time since 1991.

On May 22 of last year, Scotch Plains defeated South Plainfield 8-6 at home in a North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal. That was Baylock's 100^th win. He begins his seventh season at the helm with a record of 102-49-1 (.676).

One day later, Scotch Plains defeated Elizabeth 13-1 at home, with D'Annunzio going 2-for-3 and picking up his 100^th career hit.

Scrimmage schedule: at Immaculata March 16, Hillsborough March 19, at Woodbridge March 20, Somerville March 23, Belleville March 24, at Millburn March 26, at Monmouth Regional March 27, Roselle Park March 29. Home scrimmages are at Park Middle School.

UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE

Watchung Division (7 teams): Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Plainfield, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Rahway.

Mountain Division (8 teams): Governor Livingston, Cranford, Johnson, Roselle Catholic, Union Catholic, Summit, Hillside, Roselle.

Valley Division (7 teams): Brearley, Roselle Park, New Providence, Dayton, St. Mary's of Elizabeth, St. Patrick, Oratory Prep.

UCT CHAMPS THE PAST DECADE:

2000 - Cranford

2001 - Cranford

2002 - Westfield

2003 - Cranford

2004 - Scotch Plains-Fanwood

2005 - Roselle Catholic

2006 - Westfield

2007 - Cranford

2008 - Elizabeth

2009 - Scotch Plains-Fanwood

RETURNING STARTERS:

7-Joe D'Annunzio, left field, senior

40-Gary Binkiewicz, RH pitcher-second base-right field, senior

3-John Maxwell, first base, senior

12-Marcus Rivera, second base, junior

44-Mike Ridge, shortstop, senior

11-Ricky Shevlin, center field, senior

34-Lou Mazzella, catcher, senior

REGULAR SEASON

SCHEDULE:

April 1 at Plainfield, 4 p.m.

April 3 J.P. Stevens, 11 a.m. – at Park Middle School

April 5 at Bridgewater-Raritan, 3:45 p.m.

April 6 Piscataway, 4 p.m. – at Park Middle School

April 8 at Elizabeth, 4 p.m.

April 10 vs. Edison, 6 p.m.

at North Brunswick's Community Park

April 11 vs. Dayton at Somerset Patriots Stadium, 1 p.m.

April 14 Roselle Catholic, 4 p.m. – at Park Middle School

April 16 at Westfield, 4 p.m.

April 17 at Union City, noon

April 18 vs. Bloomfield at Roselle Park, 11 a.m.

April 19 at Franklin, 4 p.m.

April 20 Roselle, 4 p.m. – at Park Middle School

April 22 at Union, 4 p.m.

April 24 at Johnson, noon

April 27 at Rahway, 4 p.m.

April 29 at Linden, 4 p.m.

April 30 Plainfield, 4 p.m.

May 4 Elizabeth, 4 p.m.

May 7 Westfield, 4 p.m.

May 11 Union, 4 p.m.

May 13 Rahway, 4 p.m.

May 14 Linden, 4 p.m.

May 18 Union Catholic, 4 p.m.

May 20 Woodbridge, 4 p.m.