MHS teams set for busy month of May

All teams sport winning record

By: Rudy Brandl
   Manville High’s spring athletic teams already have made their fair share of headlines this season.
   April has been good to the Mustangs for the most part, with all three varsity teams sporting winning records entering the final week of the month. After no MHS teams in either the fall or winter finished with a winning record, the spring squads are making quite a statement so far.
   The MHS softball squad entered the week at 5-0, while the baseball team (4-1) and track and field unit (4-3) also checked in over .500. While it’s nice to start the season well, it’s even better to finish strong.
   It’s fair to say the MHS baseball, softball and track and field teams have set themselves up for quite a big month of May. County and conference championships will be up for grabs, With the two diamond teams closing in on qualifying for the states, there will also be plenty of post-season action in the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs.
   Here’s a team-by-team look at what’s on tap for Manville High’s three varsity teams:
   Baseball – Steve Venuto’s club has been spanking the ball, hitting double figures in all four of its victories and scoring five runs in its only loss. That one setback, a disappointing 7-5 home loss to St. Mary’s of Elizabeth, has put the Mustangs in a series of must-win situations in Sky Division play.
   Venuto expected Oratory Prep to be the front runner in the division but now may have to beat the Summit school twice to take the division banner. The veteran skipper has been eager to see how his team will hit against a top-notch pitcher and likely will find out when the Mustangs face Oratory ace Chris Zagyi.
   "He’s the best pitcher in the conference and we’re going to have our hands full with him," Venuto said. "I want to see what we do against a little more quality pitching."
   Manville’s first meeting vs. Oratory was slated to take place this past Tuesday but the game was postponed indefinitely because of a conflict with a rescheduled Somerset County Tournament game vs. Somerset Vo-Tech. If the Mustangs got past Vo-Tech, they’ll travel to seventh-ranked Pingry for Saturday’s second round county game.
   While the Mustangs don’t have any grand illusions about their participation in the county tournament, they do remain confident and focused on competing for the division crown. If they can win enough games to keep the pressure on Oratory, the Mustangs will have a shot in May. They’ll also be looking to win enough games to qualify for the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs and extend Venuto’s streak to 11 consecutive years of post-season qualification.
   Softball – Ed Knapp’s club remains one of the favorites to win the Sky Division, especially after four dominant victories in the league. Manville was rolling over second-place Hillside when a lightning storm forced the game to be postponed and still needs to play Roselle and divisional contender Jonathan Dayton before starting its second run through the Sky schedule.
   After rolling over their first four opponents without being scored upon, the Lady Mustangs proved they could win a close game under pressure in last Friday’s 5-4 victory at North Plainfield in the county tournament. The victory was thrilling but it earned the MHS girls a tough assignment in the second round of the tourney.
   Manville will travel to No. 5 Mount St. Mary for an 11 a.m. start Saturday. The Mount pounded Manville twice last year, so Knapp’s club will be seeking revenge.
   Christine Bradley, who has two perfect games, will need to be at her best to hold off the mighty Mount St. Mary bats. Cassie Searls is a talented pitcher and dangerous hitter for the Mount.
   "Their coach said last year was the best team they ever had and this year’s is better," Knapp said. "We’ll have our work cut out for us."
   No matter what happens in the county tourney, the Lady Mustangs are more focused on the Sky Division and qualifying for the state playoffs. They should clinch their second straight state berth this week. Thursday’s home date vs. Dayton is a key game in the team’s quest for the Sky crown.
   Track & Field – Michelle Mongillo’s squad is coming off a big 3-0 week that propelled it over .500 for the first time all season. The second-year head coach is hoping her athletes will continue to soar and finish with a positive record after they fell short by one measly point last spring.
   The Mustangs expect to finish with 10 regular season meets by the end of this week. They’ll be looking to avenge last year’s one-point loss that kept them from a winning record in Thursday’s dual meet finale vs. Sussex Tech.
   May will be all about championship meets, starting with the Mountain Valley Conference Relays in the first week of the month. Manville will also compete in the Mountain Valley Conference Championships and Somerset County Championships before getting set for a series of state meets at the end of May.
   This will mark the last time MHS competes in the Mountain Valley meets. Starting next year, the Mustangs will face even tougher competition in the Skyland Conference meets. Of course, they will remain in Somerset County.
   Mongillo plans to get most of her athletes involved in the May championship events, including a promising group of girls who have competed in several regular season meets this spring.
   One athlete to watch this month is junior Mike Knitowski, who continues to chase the 20-foot plateau in the long jump and 6-foot mark in the high jump. Knitowski set the school record in the triple jump and broke his own standard later in the same week. He should score in the big meets.