The Upper Freehold Regional Middle School baseball team got off to a fast start this season, and just kept gathering steam.
The squad, coached by Rick Freccia, finished 10-3 overall, and 9-1 in the Tri-County Conference. They won their last six conference games, avenging a 3-2 loss to the Pond Road School with a 4-1 win later in the year.
“These young men displayed outstanding character and leadership skills,” Freccia said. “They showed a desire to discipline that allowed them to come together as a team, and they play very unselfishly.
“They’re just a great group of kids, on and off the field.”
With a solid mix of ages (the team featured eight eighth-graders, seven seventh-graders and three sixth-graders), Freccia was especially please with how well the youngster played as a team, particularly late in the year.
“On April 29, we were soundly defeated by the Applegarth School in Monroe, and had lost two of three games,” he said. “Facing our biggest rival, Millstone, on May 3, I really felt like we were at a crossroads for the season. After the Monroe loss, the season could have gone either way.
“As is turned out, we beat them, 7-3, and we won our last six league games to win the championship.”
Leading the Upper Freehold team were co-MVPs, and three-year team members Danny Wood, a standout pitcher with a 6-0 record, and shortstop Josh Howell, who also pitched.
Tom Koontz caught most of the games, but also played some shortstop, while Alex Francescone was a defensive star at first base, when not pitching, and also had a good season at the plate, according to Freccia.
Among the other eighth-graders who set the tone for the team were Brandon Bush, Adam Kwietiak, Rian Donoher and Joey Warner, who was the team manager for two years before making the team this year.
“We also got some clutch play from our seventh-graders,” Freccia said, pointing to Jeff Hensley, who played second base, shortstop and third base, Dan Bailey, a second baseman/center fielder, infielder Mike Cox and a quartet of outfielders that included Jake Burgin, Joey Fowler, Roger Smith and Mic Sowa.
The team’s sixth-graders, Andrew Lysy, Jonathon Auston and Bret Wallsten, also contributed and got some valuable experience.
Jeff Roberts was the team’s assistant coach.
— Doug McKenzie