Bloomfield 18U baseball team has good start to the summer

Photo by Jerry Simon.
Robert Gilmore fires a pitch for Bloomfield High this spring.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ (updated Tuesday July 10, 9:56 a.m.)  – The Bloomfield 18U baseball team has enjoyed a good start this summer. The team competes in the High School Development League in the Essex County Division.

League play began June 11. Bloomfield had a 4-2 record through June 27. The Bengals defeated Verona, Caldwell, Glen Ridge and Montclair Kimberley Academy. The losses were to Nutley and West Essex.

The head coach for Bloomfield is 2015 BHS graduate Danny Furbeck, who will be a senior at Kean University. The assistant coaches are  assistant coaches Tom Gilmore and Jerry Guadabaco,

Furbeck and Carter also are the BHS freshman team coaches in the spring.

Each team plays 14 games. The league ends July 12. The first-place team receives an automatic bid to the state tournament. The teams that finished second through 11 will play in the league playoffs, with the winner receiving the second league bid to the state tournament.

Furbeck has been pleased with his team’s development this summer.

“We’ve made a lot of progress,” said Furbeck of the team. “We’ve played well at the end of games. They have gotten better as the season progressed.”

Bloomfield has 17 players this summer. Leading the Bengals have been third baseman/pitcher Guillermo Gonzalez, first baseman Rob Reboa and second baseman/pitcher Rob Gilmore, all rising seniors, noted Furbeck.

Most of the players will comprise the BHS varsity team next spring.

The Bengals, under head coach Mike Policastro, are looking to improve on a 12-12 record during the high school season this spring. Policastro, a 1989 BHS graduate, completed his 12th season at the helm.

Bengals Baseball Camp to be held

Policastro also will direct his 12th annual Bengals Baseball Camp, which will be held for three weeks at Bloomfield Middle School field: July 16 through July 20; July 23 through July 27 and July 30 through August 30.

The camp is offered for boys in grades 2-8 (ages 7 to 15).

Camp highlights:

  • Instruction in all phases

of the game

  • Highly Qualified Staff
  • Free Camp T-shirt
  • Camper evaluation sheet
  • Games and challenges
  • Awards and prizes
  • Pizza daily (two slices and water for $5)

What To Bring?

  • Cleats (outside) and Sneakers (inside)
  • Baseball Glove and Baseball Hat
  • Baseball Bat and Sun Screen
  • Bag Lunch and Medication(s)
  • Drinks and Snacks (drinks and snacks will also be available for purchase daily)

The camp is charged a fee.

For more information call Policastro at 973-809-2086 or email polibomb25@yahoo.com