New Division, New Look for Griffins

Monsignor Donovan senior Adam Harlan can still recall playing with the varsity baseball team as a sophomore in 2009, during which he and a number of his classmates were part of a run to the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A semifinal.

Harlan remembers both the thrill of the playoff run as well as typical struggles that come with being a sophomore newcomer on the varsity team and that knowledge will come in handy this year as he and fellow seniors Matt Poinsett, Kyle Hoeler, Bob O’Brien and Bobby McGeehan will try to both carry the load on the field and help bring along a talented sophomore class that figures to begin making an impact this season.

“Moving up to varsity can be a big adjustment, but we as seniors know from experience that you can always contribute, no matter how much experience you have,” Harlan said. “Our sophomores are talented and they’re going to be good in a few years, but it’s our job to lead the team this year and help them get better so they can help us win this year.”

Monsignor Donovan finished fourth in the Shore Conference Class B South division with an 8-6 mark in the division to go with a 10-12 overall record. The Griffins escape two of the teams – Central Regional and Manchester – that finished ahead of them by moving to the newly formed Class C Central division, which will also host 2010 Class B South champion Jackson Liberty.

The new division will also feature Wall, Manasquan and old B South rivals Point Pleasant Boro and Lakewood, which gives Monsignor Donovan a stiff challenge despite moving away from Central and Manchester. Jackson Liberty, Wall and Manasquan are all in the discussion for top 10 teams in the Shore Conference so the young Griffins will be thrown right into the fire as they prepare for a championship run of their own.

“We obviously know Jackson Liberty’s a tough team and we’re going to find out about Wall and Manasquan,” Poinsett said. “We don’t know much about them other than they’re good teams, but our focus is to get ready to play our best every game and hopefully we can surprise them.”

Hoeler and Poinsett will anchor the starting rotation, which should be the strength of the team, especially if the Monsignor Donovan defense improves from last year. When one of either Hoeler or Poinsett is on the mound, the other will play second, with Poinsett moving to the outfield if neither is pitching.

“I feel like we’re going to give up fewer runs this year as long as we can catch the ball,” Hoeler said. “That’s going to be the key for us. We’ll find a way to score runs, so we as pitchers just have to throws strikes and get outs.”

O’Brien will handle the aforementioned pitching staff behind the plate, giving the Griffins crucial experience at a key spot on the diamond. McGeehan is an athletic outfielder who will hit in the middle of the order this season. Harlan can play some outfield, but will primary be the designated hitter and bat fourth in the lineup.

Of the talented sophomore class, two have earned opening day positions, both of which are on the left side of the infield. Nick Panissidi will start at shortstop next to classmate James Meyreles, who has impressed coach Paul Murray during preseason.

“They’re going to make some mistakes along the way, but this is a talented group that’s going to contribute this year,” Murray said. “It’ll be up to our seniors to pick them up and if they can do that, we’ll be fine.”

Senior first baseman Eddie Sunday will see plenty of playing time and junior Garrett Hanifan will see an increased role in the outfield along with classmate R.J. D’Anton.

Monsignor Donovan found itself in a lot of high-scoring games last season, but will hope to bring down the run totals as it tries to ride its arms to contention in the new C Central.

“Looking at what we have, I expect us to pitch better and catch the ball more,” Murray said. “We’ll have to find different ways to score runs, but as a whole, I think we have a good group that’s going to be pretty competitive, even in a tough division.”