Seniors poised for move to Skyland Conference
By: Rudy Brandl
Most of the players will be the same, but the challenge they’ll face is something very different.
The 2006-2007 baseball season figures to be very interesting and exciting for Manville High, which will put a veteran team on the diamond to battle its new Skyland Conference competition. This team would have been favored to win the old Valley Division title in the Mountain Valley Conference, but it’s difficult to handicap this season’s race with the many unknown entities in the new league. Some opponents, such as Opening Day rival Bound Brook, are familiar, but Manville hasn’t faced a few schools in the Skyland.
Veteran skipper Steve Venuto believes his club is well-
equipped to handle the Skyland schedule, which includes division foes Bound Brook, South Hunterdon, North Warren and Belvidere.
If ever there was a time for the Mustangs to move into a tougher league, this is it.
"I’m excited and a little bit nervous," said Venuto, whose team went 10-7 last spring and qualified for the state playoffs for the 10th consecutive year. "I don’t know a lot about some of these teams and their coaches. We’ve been playing the same people for years and we know what they do. We don’t know what we’re up against. There are different locations, different facilities, different teams. It’s a very high-class league and it’s very competitive. I’m looking forward to the challenge."
The Mustangs welcome back eight returning starters to the diamond this spring. Senior right-
hander Tommy Rock will be the key player. He’s the ace of the pitching staff and leadoff hitter. Rock, also a football star and basketball starter, has a chance to complete a fabulous scholastic athletic year with a big baseball season.
"Tommy Rock has the ability to go as far as Tommy Rock wants to go," Venuto said. "He had a good football season and a good basketball season. He’s a senior and he’s talented. He’ll be more challenged and he’ll be facing better hitters, but he can do it."
Venuto has other arms returning with experience. Senior Robert Wood, who will also play shortstop, is returning from
injury but should be ready soon. When healthy, Wood will be the team’s No. 2 pitcher and starting shortstop. Rock will also see action at short when Wood pitches.
Other pitchers who saw action last year and will contribute innings this spring include junior right-handers Anthony Palovick and Chris Weber, sophomore righty Joe Burnett and senior righty Kyle Sopko. Junior lefty Brian Rock and senior right-
hander Pat Horner will also see action.
"We’ve got some arms, we’ve got some ability," Venuto said.
Venuto is high on Sopko behind the plate. Sopko, who played second base in a breakout offensive season last year, takes over for graduated starter Jeff Opachinski. Sopko will also inherit Opachinski’s No. 2 spot in the batting order behind Tommy Rock.
All those listed as pitchers will start elsewhere on the diamond. Palovick and fellow junior Dennis Petrone will play first base and designated hitter. Burnett returns as the starting third baseman. Weber, Horner and Brian Rock make up the team’s best outfield, from left to right.
Manville’s defensive alignment will change depending on who’s pitching. Junior Aaron Janner and senior Jon Andrade will also see action in the outfield.
The middle infield features junior Shane Jurkowski at second base and freshman Brendan Nurnberger at shortstop. Andrade and Weber will also play second, while Wood and Tommy Rock figure to see more action at short.
Junior utility players Mark Kulick and Billy Fisher round out the roster.
"I want to try to keep people at set positions," Venuto said. "We want to get consistency, but when we have different pitchers, we’ll have to move people around."
The Mustangs had a mixed bag of results from their two scrimmages. Venuto was pleased with the performance vs. Pingry but not as happy with last week’s results against Middlesex. The St. Patrick’s Day ice storm kept the Mustangs off the diamond for most of the preseason. Venuto was hoping last week’s nice weather would help prepare his squad for Monday’s opener at Bound Brook.
"The guys still need to see more live pitching," he said. "We still have to work on our defense. We can’t make silly mistakes. It’s good to make the mistakes now. It gives me an understanding of what we need to work on."
Venuto hopes the Mustangs learn quickly because they were set to open the season with four games in eight days. After Monday and Tuesday games at Bound Brook and North Plainfield, respectively, the Mustangs host North Warren Thursday and Delaware Valley Saturday.
Manville must play well early to extend the program’s streak of state playoff appearances. The tougher competition figures to prepare the Mustangs for the state playoffs if they get in.
Another nice bonus of the move to the Skyland is the positive impact on the entire MHS baseball program. In previous years, Venuto said the jayvee team averaged only five or six games per season.
This year, the Manville jayvee baseball team has 17 games on its schedule.
"At least the kids are playing baseball," he said. "That’s the bottom line."
All games, including those against the teams from the larger Raritan Division, count toward the league title. It won’t be easy, but Venuto’s pre-season goals remain the same qualify for the state playoffs and win the division.
"You always try to win the division," Venuto said. "All the games count and we have to play everybody. We want to be in the hunt."