BELLEVILLE, NJ — After the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic, the Belleville High School baseball team, under longtime head coach Joe Sorce, returned last spring with very little experience. The Bucs mostly featured a strong group of relatively inexperienced juniors who could have used time on the junior varsity level to gain more development, Sorce said.
The Bucs are now senior heavy, which bodes well for this spring as they try to recover from a tough 2021 campaign.
Belleville will open the season on April 1 when they visit Bloomfield.
The team will be led by several talented seniors.
Mike Napolitano will be the team’s No. 1 pitcher. Last year, Napolitano was a hard-luck pitcher who threw some great games, said Sorce, entering his 16th season as the Bucs’ head coach.
The top returning hitter is shortstop Matt McCann, who hit about .320 a year ago.
Victor Bian, a first baseman who can pitch out of the bullpen and has good size, will hit in the middle of the lineup.
Colin Cook will be used mainly as a pitcher and can play third base.
The Bucs have other solid contributors.
Jacob Mauricio, a junior, has good quickness as an outfielder. Santiago Nunez, a sophomore left fielder, also shows promise. Sorce is also high on sophomore starting pitcher Josh Abramson.
The Bucs are excited about the season.
“Everybody works hard,” Napolitano said. “We’ve been playing together since we were 9 or 10 years old. Everybody gives 100 percent. Good group of kids, and hopefully we can have a good season out of it. We just need to keep practicing, bring each other up when we have to, swing the bats and (show) team spirit.”
McCann agreed. “We’re really looking forward to the season,” McCann said. “I strongly believe we can make a run this year. Our talent has increased. Last year was more of a rebuild session because of COVID and everything. This year, we have a lot more experienced players and I believe we can make a run.”
The Bucs visited Scotch Plains and Edison for their first two preseason scrimmages on Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19, respectively.
After hosting scrimmages against Rutherford on Tuesday, March 22, and Governor Livingston on Friday, March 25, the Bucs will have their final scrimmage against North Arlington on Tuesday, March 29, at home.
John Kondel is the varsity assistant coach, Vinnie Orrei is the junior varsity coach, and James Rovell is the freshman coach.
Here is the varsity roster.
Seniors:
- Andre Barroso, catcher/pitcher/third baseman.
- Victor Bian, first baseman/pitcher.
- Matt Cardone, catcher/outfielder/second baseman.
- Jimmy Cicchetti, outfielder.
- Colin Cook, pitcher/third baseman.
- Matt McCann, shortstop/pitcher.
- EJ Molina, catcher/second baseman/outfielder.
- Mike Napolitano, pitcher/third baseman/first baseman.
- Isaiah Tejada, catcher/outfielder.
- Chris Vitale, outfielder.
Junior:
- Jacob Mauricio, pitcher/infielder.
Sophomores:
- Josh Abramson, pitcher/infielder.
- James Monroig, first baseman/pitcher.
- Santiago Nunez, outfielder/pitcher.
The Bucs visited Scotch Plains and Edison for their first two preseason scrimmages on Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19, respectively.
Belleville also had three scrimmages against good teams last week. Though they went 1-2, the team made a lot of progress, Sorce said. They defeated Rutherford, 7-4; and lost to Governor Livingston, 7-0; and Johnson Regional, 10-0.
McCann returned from an injury and went 6-for-8 at the plate and 4-for-4 on stolen bases during the week. “Matt is going to be a great table setter for us in the leadoff spot,” Sorce said.
Abramson has been showing his versatility as the team moves him around the infield. “He’s also been having good at-bats and looks good on the mound,” Sorce said.
Molina, who split time at catcher last season, has been working in the outfield. “EJ is getting good reads on the ball and looks smooth out there,” said Sorce.
Mauricio is playing a good center field and had four hits during the week. Cook, a right fielder, and sophomore righty Monroig have continued to improve on the mound. “Colin has come a long way with his command,” said Sorce. “He pitched three strong innings against a powerful GL team on Friday. He only allowed one unearned run. Colin is going to be one of our key starting pitchers. Monroig has effectively thrown strikes and displays confidence on the mound. James looks like he’s going to give us valuable innings this season.”
The Bucs’ final pre-season scrimmage will be on Tuesday, March 29, at home against North Arlington.
Schedule:
- April 1: at Bloomfield, 4 p.m.
- April 4: at Columbia, 4 p.m.
- April 6: vs. West Orange, 4 p.m.
- April 8: at Glen Ridge, 4 p.m.
- April 11: at Cedar Grove, 4:15 p.m.
- April 13: vs. Verona, 4 p.m.
- April 16: vs. Newark East Side, 11 a.m.
- April 18: at Caldwell, 4 p.m.
- April 20: at Payne Tech, 4 p.m.
- April 22: vs. Columbia, 4 p.m.
- April 25: at West Orange, 4 p.m.
- April 27: vs. Glen Ridge, 4 p.m.
- April 30: vs. Montclair Kimberley Academy, 11 a.m.
- May 6: vs. Rahway, 7 p.m.
- May 9: at Cedar Grove, 7 p.m.
- May 12: at Kearny, 4 p.m.
- May 14: at Lodi, 7 p.m.
- May 16: at Verona, 4 p.m.
- May 20: vs. Caldwell, 7 p.m.
- May 21: at Linden, 11 a.m.
- May 23: vs. Nutley, 7 p.m.
- May 25: vs. Kennedy, 5 p.m.
Photos by Joe Ragozzino
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