Ocean Township High School’s 16U Mickey Mantle summer baseball team won the Greater Middlesex Coaches Summer Baseball League’s (GMCSBL) Surf Division and went on to win the New Jersey Don Mattingly title.
The Spartans went 7-4 in the Surf Division, which includes teams from Monmouth County, and qualified for the playoffs as the sixth seed. Ocean Township downed Middletown High School South and Red Bank Catholic High School to earn a berth in the finals against Monmouth Regional High School. The Spartans won the championship, 6-2.
Next up came the Mickey Mantle State tournament. Ocean Township downed North Bergen High School, Old Bridge High School and Piscataway Township High School to reach the championship game against South Plainfield High School.
Trailing, 1-0, heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, Ocean Township appeared on the brink of defeat after its first two hitters went up and down. Shortstop Max Winters belted a double, and coach Tom Siciliano inserted Matt Samalo to run as Michael Cascaes stepped to the plate to a left-hander.
Prior to his at-bat, the lefty-hitting incoming freshman told Siciliano he would come through — and he did by singling in the tying run. After Mark Butler walked to load the bases, Will Callano delivered the game-winning single to complete the comeback and give Ocean Township the title.
“It was a very exciting game, but our guys never gave up,” Siciliano said. “Since Monmouth came out of the loser’s bracket they would have had to beat us twice, but our guys really didn’t want to go to another game.”
The team went on to the Mickey Mantle regional tournament in Troy, New York, where it won its first two games, including a 4-1 win over South Plainfield in 11 innings. Ocean Township lost its next two games and was eliminated.
“It was a good summer for our guys and our program overall,” Siciliano said. “Our guys got some very important experience against good competition. They got to try some things, and they won some important games.”
Winters and Butler were the team’s top pitcher and hitter, and Evan Arbeeny turned in a fine job as the everyday catcher.
Other members of the team included Jack Adams, Jack D’Auria, Brian Davis, Max DeGilio, Ian Delaney, Brent Gabor, J.T. Giannotti, Steve Hagerman, Ryan Jenks, Mike Kardane, Shane Kelly, Brenden Kipnis, Jack Mostow, Matt Nguyen, Jake Papa, Josh Pickelney, Matt Redbord, Matt Samilow, Erick Schoenberger, Tommy Stuppi and Mike West.
Cleary the future is bright for Ocean Township baseball, as the 17U summer team, led by varsity coach Cip Apicelli, also won its division and went on to win the overall GMCSBL 17U title, downing the Middlesex County representative, Old Bridge, in the championship series.