MHS hardballers could be good or bad

By: Ken Weingartner
   Greg Beyer wouldn’t be surprised if his Monroe High baseball team wins the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division this year.
   He also wouldn’t be shocked if the Falcons finish in the middle of the pack, or worse.
   That’s because as good as Beyer feels about his squad, which returns a number of experienced players entering their third seasons of varsity ball, just about everyone else in the White Division is feeling the same way.
   "The division is going to be very strong this year," said Beyer, whose team opens today (Friday) by hosting South Plainfield, and visits Allentown 11 a.m. Saturday. "Everybody has got everybody back. It’s not one of those years where we have the experience and everyone else is bringing kids along. I can see us winning the whole thing, and I can see us finishing fifth or sixth — and not because we’re playing poorly. It’s going to depend on the weather, a little luck here or there, and injuries."
   Weather always seems to be a factor early in the season. It can wreak havoc on a team’s pitching staff, especially when rescheduling games means playing four or more times a week.
   "One advantage we might have when we get to the middle of the season is we have a lot of arms," Beyer said. "That will help us out. We have kids that can give you innings and keep you in ballgames. A lot of times, it’s the luck of the schedule. You might see someone’s number three pitcher every time you face them while someone else sees their number one every time they play. A team is only as good as the guy who is standing on the mound."
   Leading the way on the mound for the Falcons will be senior Scott Basarab, who was 5-5 with a 2.83 earned-run average last season. Basarab gave up just 10 walks while striking out 48 in 64 1/3 innings last year en route to being named a White Division all-star.
   "He’s one of those type kids that has a rubber arm," Beyer said. "He could throw seven inning every day if he was allowed to."
   Sophomore Ryan Cushman, who struck out 21 in just 19Ð innings last year, will miss the season because of an elbow injury. Senior Mike Sweeney, who was hurt last year, will see his first varsity action. Also expected to see mound duties are senior left-hander Nick Tauriello and juniors Mike Leatherwood, Mike Doros and Mark Povlosky.
   "Sweeney is probably going to surprise people," Beyer said. "He probably throws the hardest on our team; he’s a good one. Tauriello has experience and gives you that lefty presence. Leatherwood is a control-type pitcher. Doros, if his arm is healthy, throws hard and has a nice hook. Povlosky probably has the liveliest arm. He has a decent fastball and curve, he can cut the ball in and out, and has a changeup. The biggest question is who will play shortstop when he’s pitching."
   As indicated by Beyer’s comments, Povlosky will be the Falcons’ regular shortstop. Junior Jarred Jimenez, a third-year starter who batted .338 with two homers and a team-best 13 runs-batted in last season, will be the catcher. Mike Lezzo, a junior, will be the backup.
   Senior A.J. Morabito, another three-year player, will play first base, as can Sweeney. Senior Dan Brancatella and junior Jerry Spiga will see time at second base while sophomore Rich Feldhan and Doros will see action at third. Junior Adam Liebross provides depth in the infield.
   Anthony Viani, a senior and third-year player, will be in left field while junior Nick Alberino will be in center and Tauriello will play in right. Also expected to see time in the outfield are senior Ron Chmura and junior Eddie Klecan.
   Tauriello hit .333 last year while Viani batted .324 with 10 RBI and Doros hit .306 with two homers. Alberino tied for the team lead with 11 runs last season.
   "Two years ago, we were extremely young, and last year we were very young," Beyer said. "This year, we can play on a level field with everybody. We’re pretty strong at all three levels pitching-wise. We’ve got some pretty good kids on the junior varsity level that in past years would have been up with the varsity to start. We’re fairly strong overall on the jayvee level, so if we do have injuries we have guys we can plug in."
   Monroe went 2-19-1 in 2003 and 6-17 last season. However, the Falcons closed the campaign by going 6-10, won a preliminary GMC Tournament game and took a one-run lead into the final inning of their second-round contest before faltering defensively and giving away the game.
   "One thing about last year, we continuously got better as the season moved on," Beyer said. "We were a much better team by the end of the year. The next step is believing in our ability. We weren’t confident. We have to take it a step further and finish people off. I think we can do that."
   Beyer was buoyed by the players’ work in the offseason, which included record numbers participating in summer workouts and lifting in the fall.
   "You’re always cautiously optimistic at the beginning of the season," Beyer said. "If you can get on a roll early, you can really ride a streak. If you get on a bad roll, it can sour your season. But you have to be optimistic. I think we should be pretty good."