Young players looking to build for HHS program
By: John E. Powers
The primary aim of the Hillsborough American Legion baseball team is to provide assistance for the Hillsborough High School program.
Winning games isn’t such a bad thing either.
Hillsborough’s entry in the Legion 19U South Division started this week with a 6-3 record after starting the summer season at 6-0.
Head coach Jim Schwalje and assistant Mike Hansford are happy with the results, but there is a more tangible objective and that is to ready their players for play for the Hillsborough Raiders next spring.
As an example, Schwalje’s son, Rick, who played second base for the Raiders this past spring is playing shortstop where he’ll likely be next year. Left-handed pitchers Mike Hansford the assistant coach’s son, Ronald Guido, Ryan Lukach and Justin Kessler and righties Sean MacDonald, Corey Katzelnick and Matt Mosko are throwing innings as they prepare to compete for vacancies left behind by graduated seniors Corey Swickle, Mark Andrews and Matt Zygmund.
"Our goal is to win, but the objective is to develop players," Jim Schwalje said. "Sometimes we might get a little over our heads, but we’ve been very pleased with the way the team has competed and how they’ve bounced back from losses."
Hillsborough lost to the Alpha Braves 10-9 Sunday afternoon in Alpha. Kessler pitched five innings and drove in two runs. Lukach also had two RBI. Both went 2-for-3. Hillsborough lost to Bridgewater 8-1 Saturday as Mosko took the loss. Kevin Curran singled home Lukach, who’d doubled in the bottom of the seventh.
"I think our pitching has been very good," Schwalje said. "We really haven’t been walking anybody and the kids have been throwing strikes. The high school team is going to be replacing virtually its entire staff. Mike (Hansford) was the only one to have varsity inning and they were limited."
Hillsborough doesn’t allow players who have graduated to play on its Legion team. So players like Swickle, Zygmund, Corey Towey and Matt Sadin have been playing with the Flemington club.
"We really have a lot of young talent here," Schwalje said. "It’s been a very pleasant surprise the way they have competed and bounced back."
The Raiders lost to Franklin 6-4 last week at Rutgers Prep and were scheduled to have a rematch Monday night at Hillsborough High School. The Raiders also beat Immaculata 13-3 at HealthQuest Park during the week. Lukach went six innings for the win and Ricky Schwalje had three hits.
While Ricky Schwalje has moved over to shortstop, Chris DelMaestro and Peter Smilowitz have been playing second base. Mosko, who had his varsity debut behind the plate in Hillsborough’s Central Jersey Group 4 final at Hamilton East, is doing the bulk of the catching. Jon Fessak, Bobby Peck, Curran, Lukach and Joe DeLeo are in the outfield. Justin Worden and John Marcsisin have been getting innings.
"We’ve been very pleased with the defense," Jim Schwalje said.

