These days Bryan Soloman is starting to look ahead to an NCAA Division I college baseball career at Eastern Kentucky University.
Jackson Memorial High School’s Matt Thaiss connects with a pitch during the Jaguars’ victory over Washington Township during the NJSIAA Group IV state tournament semifinals on June 2 at Rider University, Lawrenceville. Jackson Memorial won the game, 8-6, and advanced to the Group IV championship game, where the Jaguars fell to Randolph High School. ERIC SUCAR staff “They are losing their third baseman [completed eligibility], and their coach said I’ll be starting as a freshman. It’s my position to lose,” said Soloman, who noted that he also may do some pitching in relief.
And Mike Folk can start thinking about playing soccer as the goalie for the Jackson Memorial High School team and watching the World Cup matches as that tournament unfolds in South Africa this month and into July.
“It’s incredible watching it,” said Folk, who also is playing club soccer for Tri-State Arsenal out of Voorhees. “We’ve started already and we’re looking pretty god. I haven’t played any soccer in three months.”
Both student-athletes devoted their time this spring to playing baseball for Jackson Memorial, which had the longest season of any high school team in the state as it reached the championship games of three tournaments.
Although Jackson Memorial fell short of winning the Ocean County, Shore Conference and NJSIAA Group IV tournaments, it was a memorable ride for the three seniors in a 25-7 season and set the bar high for Folk, a first baseman, and the other players returning next season.
“Losing Soloman is a big hit,” said Folk, referring to New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year. “The main thing is defense. We’re not losing that much. We should be sound there. We should be really good.”
Soloman is continuing his baseball activities with the Fairbuilders Orioles Black team and also is on a select team that will play in a showcase in Georgia at the end of the month.
“It definitely will be tough next year [for Jackson Memorial] with us graduating,” said Soloman, referring to shortstop BrandonAdams, designated hitter Ian Booth and himself.
“But it’s easy to see these guys in the running. They worked so hard and love this game as much as the seniors. They have as good a shot, and I definitely see them going to the championship game and winning every single tournament,” he said. “These guys saw what it’s like so it’s not a new thing for next year. Some of the younger guys got big hits, so that’s pretty good for them at a young age. We had the best younger kids in the state.”
Many of the Jackson Memorial diamond men are playing summer baseball, most of them on Jackson’s American Legion team that opened its season on June 14 with Jackson Memorial coach Frank Malta as the coach.
Folk said he sees Joe Ogren, who played third base and left field for the Jaguars this spring, moving over to shortstop.
“That’s really his position,” said Folk.
Matt Meleo, who had some game-winning hits, is expected back in center field, and Alex Herceg at catcher will look to steady a seasoned pitching staff that loses Soloman, but returns Dan Falvo, who won six games, and reliever Nick Schulman, among others.
Andy Lopez is expected to be back at second base, and Matt Thaiss, another underclassman, played in right field.
They Jaguars from 2010 will carry many memories of a power-hitting lineup that surged from a 1-2 start and won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV state sectional tournament championship and a Group IV state tournament semifinal game before losing to Randolph, 8-5, in the Group IV state championship game.
Soloman also accomplished a milestone that no high school player in New Jersey may do again for a long time — hitting a home run in nine consecutive games.
His achievement was one game shy of the national high school record set this season by senior catcher Ethan Bennett of Knoxville (Tenn.) Farragut.
“I was not trying to hit home runs, but took something off my swing when I hit the ball and it took off,” said Soloman.
Although he hit a number of home runs on the Jaguars’ home field, Soloman explained that most of the shots went to right center field, a respectable 365 feet deep.
“It was definitely tough [hitting balls out there],” he said. “I only pulled one home run. The others were opposite field to right field and right center.”
Soloman found himself getting more intentional walks with runners on base as the season unfolded.
“I got a bunch of them this year, but I scored three-quarters of the time I got on with intentional walks,” he said.
Soloman finished the season with 12 home runs and 23 home runs for his career, two shy in both categories of the Jackson Memorial records held by Marc Fink.
Soloman said he is concentrating this summer defensively on getting off better throws and to get them out of his glove quicker from third base when he ranges to the right and offensively to get a quicker start when he is on base.
“He’s great. He does incredible things,” said Folk.
And it reminded Folk, as he works to improve all levels of his game, to focus on specific areas as well.
“I’m working on hitting, keeping the pop-ups down,” said Folk, who said he will squeeze in baseball with soccer workouts and games over the summer. “I’m looking to hit more line drives and ground balls, getting on top of the ball.”
Many of the Jaguars’ players will be fine-tuning their games this summer to prepare for what they expect will be another memorable campaign next spring.