By Jeff Appelblatt
The Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) all-star baseball doubleheader fulfilled its role. Both the GMC Underclassmen Showcase and the GMC Senior All-Star Game raised funds for the families of Ben Lepisto and Shane O’Donnell — more than $3,200 poured in for the cause from those at the games, not including the $3,000 South Amboy High School and Saint Joseph High School of Metuchen added from their own fundraisers.
The games were played June 12 at the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School in East Brunswick.
Lepisto, a freshman at Woodbridge High School, and O’Donnell, the 17-month-old son of Middlesex High School’s Athletic Director, Mike O’Donnell, were each diagnosed and are currently being treated for pediatric cancer.
“The baseball community knows what it’s all about,” said Woodbridge volleyball coach Jayson Calhoun, who coached baseball for 10 years before focusing on volleyball.
Calhoun anticipated seeing a lot of help from those in attendance at either of the baseball games. Many people from Woodbridge alone had already donated toward Lepisto even before the games rolled around.
Woodbridge’s athletic director, Joseph Ward, had big expectations, too.
“As big as [New Jersey] and Middlesex County [are], [Middlesex] is actually a small community that is happy to jump in and help each other at a time of need,” Ward said when the doubleheader was first setup.
Lepisto’s original plan when it came to baseball involved playing it, like he did prior to high school. He made it onto Woodbridge’s freshman baseball team, but the effects of what wound up a large, cancerous brain tumor pulled him off the field.
But thanks to the doubleheader, Lepisto, along with “Baby” Shane O’Donnell, were the two most talked about boys on the field.
“I don’t see a lot of the younger kids,” said Calhoun, who, in addition to coaching, is one of Woodbridge’s physical education teachers. “But I got to meet [Lepisto]. He seems to be in good spirits at all times.”
Lepisto and O’Donnell wholeheartedly enjoy watching baseball. Well, maybe they’re not prepared to just sit back and watch it, yet. While Lepisto was on the field preparing for the game with the athletes, O’Donnell began the day throwing out the first pitch.
From that point, the players on the field were ready to put on a show for O’Donnell, Lepisto, the fans in the crowd and the scouts scattered around Raymond J. Clipperly Field.
Metuchen High School had Kyle Harry, Matt Volpe and Mike Lapczynski playing in the first game. Volpe knocked in a run for Ben’s Battlers.
Woodbridge’s ace pitcher, Harry Rutkowski, also had an RBI in the game. Of course, he didn’t need to impress anyone. The junior already gave a verbal agreement to Rutgers University prior to his dominant junior season. But his teammates, Justin Silva and Zach Joe, were on the field playing for Ben’s Battlers. Joe was certainly noticed, even if only for a sacrifice fly. It was his sacrifice to center field that brought home what ended up the game-winning run. Ben’s Battlers defeated Shane’s Sluggers, 6-5.
With the field full of different student-athletes playing for teams by the same names, Ben’s Battlers pulled out another victory in the senior all-star game, 8-7. Woodbridge had Nick Bradshaw and Kyle Mortensen taking part in their final high school games, playing for the Battlers. Bradshaw will be at the University of Delaware in the fall, while Mortensen will go to a Penn State University satellite school.
Edison High School had Brandon Radd, Justin Hernandez and Lenin Gomez playing in the senior game.
But it was John P. Stevens High School senior Zach Marzano that locked up the win for the Battlers. In the top of the ninth inning, he came up with the game-winning base hit.