Winners from the SPFBL Major League Pitch, Hit & Run Competition

This release was submitted by the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Baseball League.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Baseball League (SPFBL) is pleased to announce the winners of the Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run skills competition held at LaGrande Park in Fanwood on Saturday, April 6, 2013.Winners from the SPFBL local competition will have the opportunity to advance to sectional finals, then on to team Championship Finals (hosted at Yankee Stadium), and then onto the National Finals at the 2013 All-Star Game at CitiField.

This marked the fourth consecutive year the event was held in Fanwood.

“We were very pleased with the success as we had just over 400 participants who registered, not to mention the numerous coaches and volunteers who came out to help during the day," said SPFBL Board Member Joe Fitzgerald, the event’s main organizer.  "We have such a large Pitch, Hit and Run competition that we are allowed to send two sets of winners to the sectional finals in some age groups.  We also allow our younger players who are not of the official age (The MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Competition eligible age is 7 as of July 17, 2013) to compete.  It’s always great day when you see the kids coming to the park and having fun playing baseball.”

Pitch, Hit & Run is the official youth skills competition of Major League Baseball. This grassroots program is designed to provide players 7 to 14 years old with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills. Boys (baseball) and girls (softball) competed in four age groups: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14.

All winners will be notified by the event organizer of the date, time and location of the sectional finals when it becomes available.

BASEBALL

Boys Age 13-14  

All-Around 1st Place: Anthony DiNizo

Pitching Champ: Reagan Mooney

Hitting Champ: Brendon Agwu

Running Champ: Anthony DiNizo

Boys Age 11-12 (Pool A)

All-Around 1st Place: William Gale

Pitching Champ: William Gale

Hitting Champ: Charles Widder

Running Champ: William Gale

Boys Age 11-12 (Pool B)

All-Around 1st Place: Joshua Sklarin

Pitching Champ: Joshua Sklarin, Ben Fleischer

Hitting Champ: Joshua Sklarin

Running Champ:  Liam Bennett, Justin Walsh

*Pool A & Pool B - Due to the number of participants in the boys' age groups 7-12, two sets of winners will advance to the MLB PHR Sectional Finals. 

Boys Age 9-10 (Pool A)

All-Around 1st Place: Christopher Ciccarello

Pitching Champ: Ralph Ramos

Pitching Champ: Marco Signorelli

Hitting Champ: Zachary Stagaard

Running Champ: Liam Mahr

Boys Age 9-10 (Pool B)

All-Around 1st Place: Sean Kennedy

Pitching Champ: Sean Kennedy

Hitting Champ: Derek Porter

Running Champ: Jack Masella

Boys Age 7-8 (Pool A)

All-Around 1st Place: Joseph Kowalczyk

Pitching Champ: Joseph Kowalczyk

Hitting Champ: Joseph Kowalczyk

Running Champ: Kyle Brainard

Boys Age 7-8 (Pool B)

All-Around 1st Place: Louie Cerchio

Pitching Champ: Ben Masella, Kevin Cull, Matthew Higgins, Mason DiNizo

Hitting Champ: Michael Agwu

Running Champ: Louie Cerchio

Boys - younger than 7*

All-Around 1st Place: Andrew Sicinski

Pitching Champ: Andrew Sicinski, Jack Sponheimer (tie)

Pitching Champ: Sean Ferrigno

Hitting Champ: Andrew Sicinski

Running Champ: Stanley Cooper

*Winners younger than 7 are not eligible to advance to MLB Sectional Finals.

SOFTBALL

Girls Age 13-14   

All-Around 1st Place: Hannah Prieto

Pitching Champ: Hannah Prieto

Hitting Champ: Hannah Prieto

Running Champ: Hannah Prieto

Girls Age 11-12

All-Around 1stPlace: Nicole Agwu

Pitching Champ: Nicole Agwu

Hitting Champ: Elizabeth Braxton

Running Champ: Nicole Agwu

Girls Age 9-10

All-Around 1st Place: Natalia Nervi

Pitching Champ: Julia DeVizio

Hitting Champ: Natalia Nervi

Running Champ: Aislinn Mooney

Girls Age 7-8

All-Around 1st Place: Alyssa Donovan

Pitching Champ: Alyssa Donovan

Hitting Champ: Ashley Sekiya

Running Champ: Ashley Sekiya

Girls - younger than 7*

All-Around 1st Place: Keira St. John

Pitching Champ   Tie amongst all participants

Hitting Champ      Tie amongst all participants

Running Champ: Keira St. John

*Winners younger than 7 are not eligible to advance to MLB Sectional Finals.

The Scotch Plains Fanwood Baseball League (SPFBL) is a private, non-profit organization providing baseball opportunities to the youth of Scotch Plains and Fanwood aged 5 to 18 years old.  This organization is a product of the merger of Scotch Plains-Fanwood Youth Baseball Association (SPFYBA), formed in 1955, and FYO (Fanwood Youth Organization) Baseball League, formed in 1961, and is comprised of all volunteers, contributing to make the Association a successful operation.