If you don’t keep senior Tim Younger and junior James O’Rourke off the bases, you could be in trouble.
That’s because senior A.J. Murray will be primed to produce another one of his run-scoring hits, while senior cleanup batter Dan Kerr waits on deck, ready to continue a potential big inning with an extra-base hit himself.
That’s what the opposition must challenge when facing the beginning of the Westfield baseball lineup.
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“We’ve been hitting the ball well so far and Tim does such a great job for us at the top,” Murray said. “He’s patient and can bunt for hits.
"James O’Rourke has a lot of speed and also a lot of power.”
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Westfield went 18-9 last year behind the stellar play of Younger in the leadoff spot and Murray and Kerr in the 3-4 slots.
Murray and Kerr were First Team selections and Younger a Third Team choice on The Star-Ledger All-Union County Team.
“Everyone on the team swings the bat pretty well,” said Kerr when specifically citing hitting as the team’s No. 1 strength.
Head coach Bob Brewster, in his 29th season at the helm of the Blue Devils and the owner of an impressive 474-255-3 mark since 1983, believes this team can set itself apart.
“No. 1, they’re one of the hardest-working groups I’ve ever had,” Brewster said. “That’s a tribute to Murray and Kerr.”
Murray will continue at Georgia Tech and Kerr at Brown.
“The kids see two superstars working as hard as they do and realize that they should too,” Brewster said. “They (Murray and Kerr) lead by example.”
Although Westfield lost talented all-county pitchers such as Aiden Scanlon and Rob Anderson to graduation, the Blue Devils have replenished with several standout players that helped guide the program’s junior varsity team to back-to-back county championships the past two seasons.
Pitching in Wednesday’s final scrimmage against visiting Hudson Catholic were junior right hander Mike Mondon, junior righty Jonathan Gribbin, senior right hander Justin Erickson and junior lefty James O’Rourke, who Brewster said was also one of the JV’s top hitters last year, along with fellow junior Matt Varakian, an outfielder who is on the varsity for the first time.
“Between them they have only one inning of varsity experience, but there’s a lot of potential there,” Brewster said. “My pitching coach Brian Sloan does an excellent job with them.”
O’Rourke is the only lefty hurler on the varsity roster at present, but that doesn’t mean there are not a few more southpaws on the way up.
“We have a total of seven lefties on the freshman and JV teams,” Brewster said.
Returning starters include Murray behind the plate, Kerr at first base, Younger at shortstop and senior Steve Forgash, who is now in right field after starting last year as the designated hitter.
“Younger is coming back from a sprained ankle,” Brewster said. “He finds ways to get on base, as he did today twice for us.”
NOTES: Brewster is the only coach to guide a team to four straight Union County Tournament championships, doing so from 1994-97. Westfield has lost the last three UCT finals and doesn’t want to become the first team to lose four straight should the Blue Devils be fortunate enough to reach the championship game once again.
“We definitely want to redeem ourselves by winning the county this year,” Kerr said. “We’ve come so close the past few years.”
“Winning the county tournament would be a nice accomplishment to look back on,” Murray said.
Weather permitting, Westfield is supposed to open Friday at Scotch Plains.
The Blue Devils are then scheduled to play Old Bridge Sunday at 1 p.m. at Somerset Patriots Stadium in Bridgewater.
WESTFIELD BLUE DEVILS
BASEBALL 2011
PITCHERS:
Mike Mondon, junior right hander
Jonathan Gribbin, junior right hander
CJ Meyer, senior right hander
James O’Rourke, junior left hander
Justin Erickson, senior right hander
Justin White, senior right hander
Zach Archambault, senior right hander
CATCHERS:
A.J. Murray, senior
Will Riggs, senior
FIRST BASEMEN:
Dan Kerr, senior
Mike Coletta, junior
SECOND BASEMEN:
James Barry, senior
Ben Kraus, senior
THIRD BASEMEN:
Will Riggs, senior
Brett Ryan, junior
Matt Rivera, senior
SHORTSTOPS:
Tim Younger, senior
Brett Ryan, junior
LEFT FIELDERS:
Matt Varakian, junior
Jonathan Gribbin, junior
CENTER FIELDERS:
James O’Rourke, junior
Matt Varakian, junior
RIGHT FIELDERS:
Steve Forgash, senior
John Randazzo, senior
UTILITY:
Aris Psyhojos, senior
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE:
April 1 at Scotch Plains, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 3 vs. Old Bridge, 1 p.m.
At Somerset Patriots Stadium, Bridgewater
April 4 at Hillsborough, 4 p.m.
April 5 Union, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 7 at Cranford, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 9 at Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.
April 12 Linden, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 13 Elizabeth, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 14 at Dayton, 4 p.m.
April 15 at Gov. Livingston, 4 p.m. –Watchung Division
April 18 South Plainfield, 4 p.m.
April 21 Scotch Plains, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 23 Union City, 11 a.m. – FIELD DEDICATION
April 25 Ridge, 4 p.m.
April 26 Cranford, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
April 28 Rutgers Prep, 4:30 p.m.
May 2 J.P. Stevens, 4 p.m.
May 3 at Union, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
May 10 at Linden, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
May 12 Gov. Livingston, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
May 17 at Elizabeth, 4 p.m. – Watchung Division
May 19 Summit, 4 p.m.
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE
BASEBALL FOR 2011
WATCHUNG DIVISION (7 schools):
Cranford, Elizabeth, Gov. Livingston, Linden,
Scotch Plains, Union, Westfield.
Newcomers: Cranford, Gov. Livingston.
Left: Plainfield, Rahway.
Defending champion: Scotch Plains.
MOUNTAIN DIVISION (8 schools):
Brearley, Dayton, Johnson, Plainfield,
Rahway, Roselle Catholic, Summit, Union Catholic.
Newcomers: Brearley, Dayton, Plainfield, Rahway.
Left: Cranford, Gov. Livingston, Hillside, Roselle.
Last year’s champion: Cranford.
VALLEY DIVISION (7 schools):
Hillside, New Providence, Oratory Prep, Roselle Park,
Roselle, St. Patrick, St. Mary’s, Elizabeth.
Newcomers: Hillside, Roselle.
Left: Brearley, Dayton.
Last year’s champion: Dayton.
