WW-P catcher is self-made all-star
By: Justin Feil
Matt Marini quietly has made himself into one of the top catchers in Mercer County.
The unassuming senior from West Windsor-Plainsboro South was sure that he was quiet enough that no one had noticed what a season it had been for him with the Pirates. But at the end of the season, he discovered that someone had noticed as he made the Mercer County all-star team for the Carpenter Cup for the first time.
"Coach (Don) Hutchinson brought us in a huddle after we lost to Notre Dame," Marini recalled. "He said, ‘I want to congratulate (Chris) Ruiz and Matt for making the Carpenter Cup.’ I looked around to see if there were any other guy named Matt on the team. I know I had some good competition with guys like (Eric) Woodrow from Hamilton West. I was extremely excited."
Marini and the Mercer all-stars bowed out of the Carpenter Cup in the second round with an 18-11 loss to Lehigh Valley (Pa.) on Tuesday afternoon. The Mercer all-stars had won their opening-round game, 4-3, over Delaware North on Saturday.
Marini appeared in nine innings combined between the two games and Mercer opponents never scored while he was catching.
"I caught a couple good pitchers," he said modestly. "It was fun."
It’s the sort of fun that he was surprised to be selected for, but hopes will pay off in the future.
"It was good," he said. "Getting to play against competition like that opens your eyes to what else is out there. I’ve played in Mercer so long. The Delaware kids were great. It was good to see other competition. And Coach (Jim) Maher helped me on a couple pointers, so I took that away from it."
Marini hopes the experience helps as he prepares to try to make the William Paterson College baseball team in the fall. He is continuing his preparation by playing for the WW-P American Legion baseball team, and Hutchinson, who also manages the Legion team, is happy to see a proven asset behind the plate.
"I’ve been lucky to have good catchers," Hutchinson said. "With Matt, I really credit his work ethic. He made himself into a good catcher. He was on Legion two years ago and he caught bullpen only and last year he caught some. He’s always had a good attitude about it. He made himself into a good catcher."
Marini, who played in nine games last summer, knows his last two summers weren’t wasted on the bench. He was preparing for this year, when he had to take over the regular catching duties.
"That bullpen stuff really helps," said Marini, who was 1-for-3 in WW-P’s 9-5 win over Bordentown Post 26 on Wednesday. "Sitting there in the last two Legion seasons, I actually kept my own book. I jotted down things on hitters I’d face. I’m one of the few catchers around here to call my own game. Coach Hutchinson feels safe with me calling it. It helps me get thinking and be more a part of the game."
Marini has long been among the rare breed of high school catchers entrusted to call his own game. As a freshman at WW-P South, he called the pitches and did so again last year when he did play.
"It becomes second nature," he said explaining, "how to work the hitter, how to produce ground balls and get those double plays."
Hutchinson added: "He calls a nice game. He understands the game well. He knows hitters and he remembers things. That’s an aspect of catching that goes unnoticed. It’s a big part of it."
Marini’s job is more important this summer as he works with pitchers who attend WW-P North High. He has to learn to work with them as well as the regulars he caught in the spring with WW-P South.
"Facing them in the regular season helps a little bit," Marini said. "I’ve caught one or two of them a little, like Jono Chirumbolo and Dan Margiotti. Other guys, I would warm them up in the bullpen and you talk to them between innings and say, did you like that or should we change it. We have good communication lines."
Marini is also doing his best to boost his offensive production this summer. He’s batting close to .300 after Wednesday’s effort, fifth on the team among regulars.
"I’m not the type to hit home runs," he said. "With guys in scoring position, though, I get the job done, either by moving them over or getting them in. I hit for high .200s this year. I was hitting in the low .400s at one point."
He’d like to move his average back up there, but it’s defense and handling of the WW-P pitchers that may be most critical to the Legion team’s success.
"He’s not going to mash the ball all over the park, but he holds his own at the plate," Hutchinson said. "He’s valuable back there. Pitchers have confidence in him. It doesn’t matter what you throw. If you throw it with confidence, it’s a good pitch. I know the kids from South trust him and I think the kids from North feel the same way."
Trust and confidence are both key as WW-P looks to return to the top of the Mercer County American Legion League. With Wednesday’s win, WW-P moved back to .500 at 4-4.
"I think we have a lot to prove to the rest of the league," Marini said. "We lost a lot of guys with Tim Woodhull, J.T. (Hutchinson) and (Rich) Gawlak going. We have some good leadership though. And we’ve got a pretty good team. What one (WW-P) school had, the other didn’t, and what one didn’t, the other did. It was good to combine the two teams’ talents."
Topping that WW-P talent behind the plate is Matt Marini, who quietly has become a trusted catcher and dependable hitter. And a Mercer County all-star.