Manalapan bounces
back in Legion baseball
Young team looks to overcome slow start
When the American Legion baseball season began, it looked liked Manalapan was continuing the downward spiral of the Braves baseball team.
After a red-hot start, the Manalapan High School’s baseball team struggled in late May and June, finishing the year at 11-11, although they did make the Central Jersey Group IV and Shore Conference tournaments.
The Manalapan American Legion team, made up of underclassmen from the Braves varsity, appeared headed for disaster this summer when they started off 0-4. The negative momentum seemed to be carrying over.
But Manalapan would bounce back and with seven wins in their next eight games to improve to 7-5, and make themselves one of the hottest teams in the league. Coach Andy Sliwoski attributed the comeback to some hot bats.
"Our pitching has been pretty good all year and our defense is solid," said Sliwoski. "We’re hitting the ball pretty good right now.
"We don’t have a lot of team speed – we rely more on the hit on run," he added. "We bunt runners over and hit behind runners to move them up. Our offense has picked things up with our hitting coming around."
Manalapan has improved its team’s batting average to .374, which is very respectable in the wooden bat league.
Rich Allen has been the team’s table setter, hitting leadoff (he’s getting on base at near a .500 clip) while Tim George, Evan Sliwoski and Chris Legiadre have been the team’s RBI producers in the middle of the lineup.
Allen is battling .419 and has scored eight runs and rapped out 13 base hits. George is hitting at a .333 clip. He has three doubles and two triples, and has six RBI and six runs scored. Sliwoski has been the team’s most productive batter. He has a .378 average and leads the team in hits (14), runs (10) and RBI (10), and is co-leader in doubles (three). Legiadre is batting .323 and leads the team in base-on balls with nine. He is the only Manalapan hitter to clear the fence with the wooden bat. He has 10 hits and has scored nine times.
Andre Langlais has also helped with his .381 average.
Manalapan doesn’t have a lot of depth on the mound, but they do have quality, led by Legiadre, Allen and John Hennessy (who plays for St. John Vianney). Coach Sliwoski has been able to use them on a rotating basis depending on the schedule. Either might go the full seven innings, or three or four so they can pitch again that week.
If a closer is needed, it is Legiadre (providing, of course, that he wasn’t starting).
Defensively, Manalapan can play with anyone, led by Evan Sliwoski’s play behind the dish. He’s handy with the glove and has a strong arm that keeps teams honest on the basepaths.
Versatility marks the infield with Langlais at first. Legiadre starts at third base and Allen at second, although, depending on who is pitching, they can rotate at shortstop.
George and Greg Andrisack start in left field and right field respectively, while Steve Graziano and Mike Gaeta play center field.
Legiadre and Evan Sliwoski were selected to the Monmouth County American Legion All-Star Team.

