BLOOMFIELD, NJ – The Bloomfield High School varsity baseball team, under head coach Mike Policastro, returns nearly everyone from last year’s squad that won only six games, raising hopes for a successful 2018 spring season.
Returning players
- Manny Corporan, senior right-handed pitcher, first baseman (three-year varsity starter).
- Craig Dittrich, senior catcher (three-year varsity starter).
- Eddie Abplanalp, senior left-handed pitcher, center fielder (four-year varsity starter).
- Dylan Piacenza, senior right-handed pitcher, third baseman (three-year varsity starter).
- Elliot Urgent, senior left fielder, right-handed pitcher (two-year varsity starter, third varsity letter).
- Jamir Ramos, senior second baseman, right-handed pitcher (two-year varsity starter, third varsity letter).
- Kyle Tice, junior right fielder, right-handed pitcher (two-year varsity starter, third varsity letter).
- Robert Reboa, junior catcher, first baseman, designated hitter (two-year varsity starter, third varsity letter).
- Vincent Torrisi, sophomore shortstop (two-year varsity starter).
- Kyle DiMatteo, junior right-handed pitcher, outfielder (two-year varsity starter).
Key newcomers
- Brandon Kelly, senior right-handed pitcher, third baseman.
- Darmany Rivas, junior right-handed pitcher, third baseman.
- Guillermo Gonzalez, junior right-handed pitcher, third baseman.
- Jonathan Guglielmino, junior second baeman.
- Jonathan Gonzalez, junior outfielder.
- Kamran Khan, junior first baseman, left-handed pitcher.
The Bengals, who open the season April 2 at Verona, have strong experience as they return eight positional starters and the entire pitching staff. The lone graduation loss was Danny Carter, who was the team’s leading hitter the past four years and is currently off to a strong start for the William Paterson University baseball team.
This season, the Bengals have moved down to the Liberty Division of the Super Essex Conference. The Liberty is the second highest division of the conference.
Though they bring much experience, Policastro wants to see his players raise their level of play if they hope to make strong runs in the conference, Greater Newark Tournament and state sectionals.
“We must have guys step up this year and play to their capabilities if we want to compete for the league title, GNT, and section of the states,” Policastro said. “We were dropped a division this year to the Liberty, so hopefully this veteran group can take the next step forward this year. Two years ago as sophomores, we went 10-17 with 10 losses by three runs or less, so we were very competitive with a non-experienced team. Last year the expectation was that we would be better, but that was not the case, finishing 6-21. The veteran group of kids on the team are very hungry and have worked hard all off-season to prepare, so hopefully things change this year.”
The team’s pitching staff will be a strength, led by Corporan, who signed a letter of intent with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Teaneck. Piacenza, Abplanalp, DiMatteo and Gilmore are the other starting pitchers. Urgent, Kelly, Tice, Rivas, Guillermo Gonzalez, and Khan are the relief pitchers, while Ramos returns as the closer.
“Last year our pitchers did a great job of keeping us in baseball games,” Policastro said.
The Bengals will look to improve on their hitting. The team’s biggest motto is “quality at-bats,” Policastro said. The goal is to get runners on base, move them over and score with less than two outs, he said.
Overall, the Bengals hope to play all-around as a team and avoid mental mistakes and routine errors, as well as “put the ball in play as pitchers throw strikes and utilize our defense,” Policastro said.
The brutal weather conditions in the pre-season haven’t help matters, but the Bengals were trying to make the best of it.
“The key to building continuity with the team is practicing hard and building through scrimmages, but this weather is taking its toll on all of us,” Policastro said on March 21, the day of the winter storm. “I’m sure everyone is in the same boat. It’s hard to build continuity without getting on the baseball field or playing scrimmages. We haven’t been on a baseball field yet this preseason and have only played two scrimmages. So, hopefully we continue to work hard inside and believe in each other.”
Schedule
April 2, at Verona, 4 p.m.
April 4, at Glen Ridge, 4 p.m.
April 6, East Side, 4 p.m.
April 7, Cedar Grove, 11 a.m.
April 9, at West Essex, 4 p.m.
April 11, Belleville, 7 p.m.
April 14, Mendham, 11 a.m.
April 16, Science Park, 4 p.m.
April 18, Verona, 4 p.m.
April 20, Glen Ridge, 7 p.m.
April 21, Bayonne, 7 p.m.
April 24, at West Orange, 7 p.m.
April 25, at Cedar Grove, 4 p.m.
April 27, West Essex, 4 p.m.
April 28, at Demarest, noon
April 30, at Belleville, 7 p.m.
May 1, Nutley, 7 p.m.
May 3, at Morris Knolls, 4 p.m.
May 7, Montclair Kimberley Academy, 4 p.m.
May 8, at Roxbury, 4 p.m.
May 14, West Orange, 4 p.m.
May 15, at Wayne Valley, 4 p.m.
May 16, at Science, 4 p.m.
May 18, at Montclair Kimberley Academy, 4 p.m.
May 22, Old Tappan, 4 p.m.
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