MONMOUTH REGIONAL
T he Monmouth Regional High
School baseball team is forgoing the beach to get more time on the field this summer.
After a promising start to the season, the Falcons’ bats cooled off against some of the best pitching staffs in the Shore Conference. Monmouth Regional advanced to the second rounds of the conference and state tournaments, finishing the year with a 13-13 record.
Monmouth Regional hopes to get a step ahead for next season by keeping the team together for the summer. The Falcons are fielding a senior and junior team for the first time since 2005, and games are scheduled three days a week. The summer baseball season wraps up during the third week of July.
So far, Monmouth Regional’s senior league team has faced Shore Conference rivals like Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Christian Brothers Academy, Freehold Township High School and Holmdel High School, getting five wins through the first seven games. The junior team was 3-2-1 at the start of the week.
Monmouth Regional head coach Paul Crivello, who completed his first season at the helm, said losing three seniors makes it even more important to work on improving the team for next year.
“It’s good for the young kids who are going to take those spots,” Crivello said. “The bottom line this summer is to get the kids prepared for next year. We’re returning seven out of nine batters in our lineup. The kids are getting a lot of at-bats, which is huge.”
Infielder Dan Valerio wrapped up his final season at Monmouth Regional with three home runs and 24 RBIs, leading the team with an average of .369. Fellow senior infielder John Bonczyk hit .356 and went 3- 5 on the mound. Bonczyk had a 4.86 ERA and a team-high 41 strikeouts in 37 innings of work.
Senior pitcher Zach Centrella led the pitching staff with a 2.74 ERA, striking out 26 batters and walking just nine.
For coaches, summer baseball is a great opportunity to begin shaping the 2015 roster.
“We see what could fit next season. As coaches, we can learn something new,” Crivello said, noting how one pitcher from the junior varsity team has already become a candidate to play third base.
Crivello had conversations with each of his players to discuss what needs some work during the summer. Some players may need to focus on hitting to the opposite field. Pitchers may need to make adjustments based on which pitches were less effective last season.
“Each individual has different areas of the game to work on,” Crivello said.
Monmouth Regional has plenty to build on when they return to the field next spring. The team was atop the Shore Conference in runs scored early in the season. The Falcons even beat three of the six teams that went on to win state titles, including Non-Public A champion St. John Vianney High School.
“That’s a big positive,” Crivello said.
The head coach also expressed the importance of having everyone on board for the summer, considering the number of baseball teams and tournaments that compete for a player’s time. Monmouth Regional’s players know that Falcons baseball is the top priority, he said.
“It’s amazing how many teams they play on now. When I was in high school, we played American Legion baseball, and that was it,” Crivello added.