Maria Riegel

By: centraljersey.com
The South Brunswick High School Varsity Baseball Team is looking forward to a promising 2011 season. The team has seven returning seniors and 11 underclassmen combining for a total of 18 players this year, according to head coach Timothy Sweeney.
Three of the returning seniors; Zach Gildenberg, Craig Cleffi, and Jonathan Yurecko were promoted to team captains, Mr. Sweeney said.
"We have graduated a lot of experienced players but we do have some senior leadership," Mr. Sweeney said. "This year we have a lot of underclassmen who will be expected to play a lot of important roles."
At the end of the 2010 season, the team finished the season with a 16-11 record and won both the GMC and State Championships. This year the team strives to win the Red Division, County and State Championships, Mr. Sweeney said.
To attain the realistic goal of winning all three championships, Mr. Sweeney said the inexperienced players would need to work extra hard this season. The key is to stay focused and to keep practicing. However, the players have already shown dedication to the team by attending strength and conditioning workouts after school during the winter months, Mr. Sweeney said.
"As a team, we have a lot of inexperienced pitching and we need to work on keeping composure on the field, but our team definitely has a lot of talent," Mr. Gildenberg said.
Mr. Yurecko, who plays in the outfield, said not only does the team need to gain experience, but also they must build chemistry.
Mr. Yurecko said that when you develop a friendship with the other players and bond with them, the team will win more often.
All three team captains said they feel it is important that as individuals, they each need to become more vocal and show more team leadership to the younger players. All three agreed it is essential that they lead their team to victory.
Through Mr. Sweeney’s three years of coaching the team, he has noticed a trend of St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen and Edison High School being the team’s two biggest rivals. It is a result of the player’s friendships with students on the opposing teams, which allows the games to be a lot more competitive, Mr. Sweeney said.
Even with the budget cuts this year, the number of players on the team have increased, Mr. Sweeney said.
In general, the baseball program raises a great deal of money each year through fundraisers such as selling magazine subscriptions.
A new Pay to Participate policy started at SBHS at the beginning of the school year and any student wishing to play a sport, must pay a $75 fee, according to the district’s web site.
Despite the youth of the team and the fact that underclassmen players need to acquire more skill, both Mr. Sweeney and the captains said the team has an abundance of potential and they are determined and dedicated to having a successful and satisfying season.
They all believe that winning last year’s State Championship allows them to have the same confidence to win again this year.
"It is a great experience when you win and work to obtain one goal," Mr. Yurecko said. "When you do (win), it is the best feeling."