Union Catholic Baseball Team Looks to Build Back Up This Season

Short on players with varsity experience, the Union Catholic High baseball team will seek to improve - game-by-game - as the season progresses, with an eye toward the future.

The lone returning starters are senior shortstop Rey Lopez, sophomore third baseman Dave Schanz and junior Vinnie LaRocca, who started last year in right field and will be the first baseman this season.

"Rey hurt his hamstring in practice," head coach Jim Reagan said after Union Catholic's home scrimmage against Linden on March 18. "We're hoping he'll be back for our first game."

This is Lopez's third year on the varsity. He batted .320 in 2009.

"He has real good hands," Reagan said. "He's a good hitter. He's a big loss for us right now."

Sophomore Dave Schanz started at third base last year as a freshman and did a fine job, batting .350. LaRocca is a solid lefty bat in the lineup.

"He hit the ball real well last year," Reagan said. "He's more of a doubles hitter - a gap hitter."

To say that the Vikings were hit hard by graduation following a 7-11 season in which they did not make up a lot of rainouts would be an understatement.

Reagan reported that 12 players from last year's squad graduated, including standout left hander Matt Canales, who is at Kean University now.

Canales was one of the top pitchers and hitters in Union County last year, batting third in the lineup. He played center field last season after he was not able to pitch because of his injury. 

"He's still injured, so he's still rehabbing that out," Reagan said. "It was nice when he was on the mound for us."

Although the Vikings won only seven games last year, they managed to win at conference rival Governor Livingston 4-2 in eight innings in the first round of the Union County Tournament. They then led eventual champion Scotch Plains 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth before falling to the Raiders 11-8 in a quarterfinal played on Summit's field turf diamond.

GL went 20-8 last year and Scotch Plains 22-5. Those two squads start the 2010 season as – perhaps – the two best teams in Union County.

Despite not having a large group of returning players, the Vikings are still looking forward to producing a promising season.

"We're excited," Reagan said. "This team won the junior legion counties. They're just getting varsity time now. It's a whole big jump. We have a full schedule this year, all 25 games, so we're excited."

The Vikings are also pretty happy to be playing on a brand new field turf surface for the first time after having to go through what they did with rainouts in the past.

"It's been great, we've been outside every single day and the kids love it," Reagan said. "There's been a lot of enthusiasm from the whole school. Softball is on one side, lacrosse is out here, track has been running – it's really been a huge boost for our community to be able to be out here every day."

Union Catholic opened at conference foe on Thursday. The team is set to host Morris County rival Mendham Saturday, April 3, at 1 p.m., with a field ceremony also in the works.

Although the Vikings are playing on a much smoother surface that drains really well, there are still adjustments to be made for performing on it.

 "It's true, there are zero bad hops," Reagan said. "I thought it (the ball) skipped a little bit one day when we came out here when it was raining. When it got a little wet the ball was faster. That was the only time I thought the ball was faster. It was a little wet on top and the ball really took off. Other than that, when it's been dry, it's been fair."

Dugouts are also being built and should be ready by Saturday. A scoreboard, a bullpen, bleachers along the side and lights are also in the works.

"Softball is getting dugouts as well," Reagan said. "It's a whole complex here, so it's not one sport against another – it's everybody."

NOTES: Union Catholic was swept by GL in Mountain Valley Conference-Mountain Division play last year, falling 11-7 in Berkeley Heights before beating GL in the UCT and then falling 8-1 in Scotch Plains after the UCT contest.

Cranford repeated as MVC-Mountain champions last year.

Union Catholic, GL and Cranford are in the Union County Conference's Mountain Division this year along with Roselle Catholic, Johnson, Roselle, Hillside and Summit.

This year's alignment was based on enrollment. Next year's alignment will change and will be based on which teams are more successful than others.

In the UCT win over GL last year, Lopez went 2-for-4 and had two RBI. His two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth was the game-winning hit.

Lopez, Schanz and LaRocca all hit safely in the UCT game against Scotch Plains. Lopez and Schanz also scored one run, while Schanz drove in a run and LaRocca two.

UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE BASEBALL FOR 2010

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.

UNION CATHOLIC

REGULAR SEASON

SCHEDULE:

April 1 at Roselle, 4 p.m.

April 3 Mendham, 1 p.m.

April 6 Hillside, 4 p.m.

April 8 Holmdel, 4 p.m.

April 9 Summit, 4 p.m.

April 10 Rahway, noon

April 13 at Cranford, 4 p.m.

April 15 at Gov. Livingston, 4 p.m.

April 17 vs. J.P. Stevens, 1 p.m.

at Roselle Park – Dads Club Invitational

April 19 at Bernards, 4 p.m.

April 21 Plainfield, 4 p.m.

April 22 at Dayton, 4 p.m.

April 23 Roselle Catholic, 4 p.m.

April 27 at Johnson, 4 p.m.

April 29 Roselle, 4 p.m.

April 30 at Hillside, 4 p.m.

May 4 at Summit, 4 p.m.

May 6 Cranford, 4 p.m.

May 7 Gov. Livingston, 4 p.m.

May 11 at Roselle Catholic, 4 p.m.

May 13 Johnson, 4 p.m.

May 14 New Providence, 4 p.m.

May 17 Linden, 4 p.m.

May 18 at Scotch Plains, 4 p.m.