The weather in March has limited the Middlesex County College softball team to just two games as the schedule turns to April.
Fortunately for Middlesex, both of those games were wins. Middlesex handled Westchester Community College, 16- 8 and 11-7, in a March 24 doubleheader played on the Blue Colts’ home diamond in Edison.
Head coach Carey Monkowski heads into the 2015 season with only two players returning from last year’s 11-10 team. Infielder Nathalia Arocha (Piscataway) and pitcher/infielder Brittany Murray (Carteret) are the Blue Colts’ only returnees.
Murray pitched 32.1 innings in 2014 and went 2-3. Arocha batted .240 and was third on the team in runs scored (16).
The remainder of the Blue Colts are all freshmen. Completing the team are catcher Brittany Clayton (South Amboy), outfielder Shana Anderson (South Amboy), outfielder Marisa Daniels (Edison), outfielder Jillian Reed (Milltown), infielder Kathryn Dovidauiskas (Sayreville), outfielder Karianne Galvin (Old Bridge), utility player Gabrielle Cassiere (Sayreville), catcher Ashley Keduk (Woodbridge), pitcher/infielder Erin Stvan (Sayreville), utility player Kaitlyn Johnson (Old Bridge) and utility player Madison McNally (Piscataway).
Middlesex plays its home opener on April 4 against Rowan College at Gloucester County in a doubleheader starting at noon.
The Blue Colts will host defending Region 19 champion Brookdale Community College on April 9. Brookdale is ranked No. 3 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association poll.
Middlesex’s baseball team has been much more active. The Blue Colts are 6-6 overall and 2-2 in Region 19. They are currently on a two-game winning streak.
Middlesex played its first six games at Ripken Experience in Albemarle, Maryland.
Jonathan Bonczyk (Eatontown) is leading the Blue Colts offense. He is batting .400 and leads the team in hits (12) and coleads in runs scored (seven). The freshman plays second base and pitches.
Alexis Peguero (Hoboken) is leading the Blue Colts in RBIs with nine. He’s batting .278. Peguero, a freshman third baseman, and freshman catcher Jack Dalrymple (Spotswood) share the home run lead with two boundary blasts each.
Brandon Sheh (Somerville), who is batting .400, has the best slugging percentage on the team at .680. Of his 10 hits, two have been doubles, one a triple and one a home run. He is tied for the team lead in runs scored with Bonczyk. He is a sophomore outfielder.
Sophomore Matt Lavan (South Amboy) is batting .333 and has the best on-base percentage (.545) on the team
Freshman Angel Rodriguez (Perth Amboy) is batting .345 He is a catcher/third baseman.
Michael Gonzalez (West New York) has been the team’s ace thus far. He’s 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts in 18 innings of work.
The Blue Colts’ closer has been Vincent Enea (Sayreville), a sophomore. He has pitched in five games and has two saves.
Matthew Ramandi (Hillsborough), Bonczyk and Thomas Hagerty (Milltown) each has one win,
Completing the 2015 Middlesex baseball team roster are outfielder Kyle Savoia freshman, Fords), infield Andrew Tupper (freshman, Old Bridge), infielder Anthony Spinelli (freshman, Cateret), catcher Kevin Bock (sophomore, Edison), outfielder Kyle Crothers (freshman, Monroe), outfield/pitcher Daniel Gregor (freshman, Monroe), pitcher Pete Han (senior, Short Hills), infield/pitcher Thomas Burnejko (freshman, Rahway), pitcher Fabian Navarro (freshman, Edison), pitcher Anhtony Flores (freshman, Carteret), pitcher Luis Ramos (freshman, Perth Amboy), outfielder Dean Roventini (sophomore, Old Bridge), pitcher Waldo Diaz (freshman, New Brunswick), outfielder Emilio Gonzalez (freshman, Middlesex), outfielder Bobby Gramer (freshman, Allentown), outfielder Chris Gonzalez (freshman, West New York) and shortstop Anthony Parente (freshman, Monroe).
Middlesex’s next home game is April 9 against Globe Institute of Technology. On April 12, the Blue Colts play a doubleheader against Region 19 foe Cumberland County College. First pitch is at noon.