MHS SOFTBALL PREVIEW
By: Rudy Brandl
If the Manville High softball team plays to its true potential, it figures to be a very exciting spring that could produce another division championship banner for the school.
While second-year head coach Ed Knapp is optimistic about his club’s chances to win the Sky Division title, he’s apprehensive about the move down to the Mountain Valley Conference’s weakest league. Knapp is counting on his girls to play with a killer instinct at all times with no distractions.
"At a time when we really wanted to measure ourselves, we lost the measuring stick and some of our rivals," Knapp said. "My biggest fear is that we play down to the weak teams. We can’t treat anybody as inferior. We have to play as well as we can every game."
Old conference arch-rivals Bound Brook and Roselle Park are no longer in the same division. New Providence and David Brearley are the only holdovers from the old league. Newark Tech, St. Mary’s, Hillside and Roselle also join Manville in the Sky Division.
"I don’t think it’s going to be a cake walk," Knapp said. "New Providence had a pretty good team last year, so they’ll be our biggest competition. I don’t take anyone for granted."
Senior Amy Ortman returns for her fourth season in the circle for the Lady Mustangs. Ortman’s pre-season outings against Immaculata and Ridge were encouraging. She scattered a few scratch hits and no earned runs in a pair of four-inning stints.
"She can throw the ball through the wall when she wants to," Knapp said. "She’s looking powerful and confident. She challenged the hitters in the scrimmages and she’s looked very solid."
Ortman will be backed up by her younger sister Sarah, a sophomore who made a few varsity cameos last spring. Sarah will probably start in left field most of the time but Knapp occasionally will give her the ball to get ready for next year.
Manville’s entire infield returns intact from the 2002 season when the girls advanced to the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals. Junior first baseman Becky Borawski and junior third baseman Stef Bocchino are back at the corners, while senior second baseman Jenna Breslow and senior shortstop Lisa Lavenia return up the middle. Senior Kristin Jones is back behind the plate with a much-improved throwing arm.
"The key is having that infield back," Knapp said. "That makes you a veteran team. They’ve played together and everyone knows what to do. Just from memory, they do the right thing. That’s a huge advantage."
Senior Kim Kaminski moves from right to center field in her second varsity campaign. Kaminski, also the backup catcher, will be flanked by Sarah Ortman in left and junior Alicia Weaver in right.
Knapp also expects sophomore Dana Delesky to see action somewhere because of her offensive ability. He likes Delesky’s speed and versatility. She could wind up leading off as the designated hitter.
"She can play anywhere," Knapp said. "She hits well and she has great speed. She’s a heady player and I have to find time for her."
Other MHS players who will see varsity action include juniors Ashley Agans, Heidi Paoli and Nicole Mehalick. All three played jayvee last spring.
The Lady Mustangs added three big non-conference games against Somerset County rivals to this year’s schedule. Manville will play at Bound Brook, host Rutgers Prep and travel to Montgomery. Even if some of the Sky teams don’t bring out the best in his girls, Knapp knows that those extra games will be hard-fought.
Manville has the experience and ability at key positions to win the Sky Division title. Many of these same girls made it happen on the soccer field in the fall. Starting with Tuesday afternoon’s home game vs. Newark Tech, the MHS girls hope to bring home another championship.