Jackson Memorial High School’s Eric Sousa throws a pitch to a Central Regional batter during the Jaguars’ preseason scrimmage against the Golden Eagles on March 17 in Jackson. The Jaguars will open the 2011 high school baseball season on April 2 vs. Hamilton West High School of Mercer County. ERIC SUCAR staff Ryan Guarino has been part of the foundation on teams building for the future while at Jackson Memorial High School and currently at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania.
His efforts set the tone for the Jaguars, who won the Shore ConferenceASouth Division title the last two years and last season played in the NJSIAA Group IV, Shore Conference and Ocean County championship games, the latter for the second straight year.
Guarino, a junior second baseman, is seeing his efforts pay off these days at East Stroudsburg as the school has its first national ranking (No. 11) in the National College Baseball Writers Association Division II poll and a 16-4 start as of March 28.
Ryan Guarino “It’s awesome. It feels good, but there is a lot of season left,” Guarino said. “We won’t prove anything until we win something.”
That championship feeling is something Guarino has never experienced and is a big challenge for the Warriors, who last won a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference division title 25 years ago. That year they lost in the conference tournament championship game. The school’s last tournament title came in 1971. The Warriors face a crucial set of games this weekend against Mansfield.
“When I was at Jackson, we started the winning tradition with great records, but didn’t have a championship yet. and then I came here and felt we’re getting pretty good,” Guarino said. “Before I end my career here, I want to win something. It’s nice to help build a program and a winning tradition, but I would feel better to say that I brought a championship to my school.”
Guarino is doing his part again this season, batting .273. In the field, he has 18 putouts, 24 assists and only one error at second base in 14 games (12 starts). He did not seem concerned about the quiet start this season or about sharing time at second base.
“I have not started the way I wanted. I’ve always started slow,” he said. “I always start the first half of the year splitting time and then I play a lot more.” In his first two seasons at East Stroudsburg, Guarino ended with .300 batting averages, hitting .301 as a freshman after batting in the low .200s around mid-season and a blistering .364 after batting .284 with two weeks left in the season. By the end of those seasons, he became an everyday player.
“I am definitely stoked about this season. I’m glad I’m contributing day in and day out,” Guarino said.
Third-year coach John Kochmansky, the PSAC Coach of the Year last season, said, “Ryan is one of the hardest workers we have on our team and has gotten the most out of his ability. He is a fantastic onbase percentage guy and we can count on him when we need someone … to get a rally started. He was thrown into the fire as a freshman and is a solid [NCAA] Division II and PSAC baseball player, both offensively and defensively, and is a fantastic teammate for the guys on our club.”
Guarino said he concentrated on his defense last summer after the college season had concluded. “I knew I had not played as much because my defense was a little off. I’ve always hit the ball,” he said.
That includes his last two seasons at Jackson Memorial when he hit .430 as a junior as the Jaguars went 20-8, and .383 as a senior when he earned a berth in the Shore All-Star game.
This season, East Stroudsburg won its first 10 games. The final game in that win streak featured a seven-run comeback against Urbana (Ohio), an 11-
10 victory during a Florida trip.
“That’s when everything came together and we started thinking, ‘We’re pretty good,’ ” Guarino said. “Confidence is everything.”
Just like during his high school career, Guarino said the difference has been pitching this season as the ESU staff had a collective 2.73 ERAwith a 2- to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. As a team, ESU is batting .327.
“It’s mainly pitching and defense, which has been outstanding,” Guarino said. “We have always had hitting, but with our pitching, it’s been a great record and good outcome.
“In the past, with our pitching we felt on the team, ‘Maybe this game is not ours.’ Now it’s nice to see when you have great pitching on the mound and feel you can win the game. … Pitching and defense wins championships; the hitting will come.”