MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The Columbia High School varsity baseball team, under first-year head coach Jim Whalen, has enjoyed a good start to the season while competing in the Super Essex Conference-American Division, which is the toughest division in the conference.
The Cougars had a 5-4 record through April 20.
Dan Lawall went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Christian Pierre had a solo homer, but the Cougars lost to Newark Academy, 10-4, April 18, at Underhill Field.
Newark Academy broke a 4-4 tie with five runs in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh.
The loss ended the Cougars’ three-game winning streak.
CHS then fell to Millburn, 9-0, in a divisional game at home on April 20.
The Cougars hope to make a strong run in the Greater Newark Tournament. The seeding meeting was scheduled for April 25 at Columbia HS.
Cougars to take part in Pediatric Cancer Awareness game
This Saturday, April 29, the Cougars will play Caldwell at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University at 11 a.m. As part of Pediatric Cancer Awareness and Research, each player from both teams will wear gold laces that they purchased for a $5 fee. The fees will be donated to Pediatric Cancer research.
In addition, Whalen has a friend whose 8-year-old son is battling cancer and who will throw out the first pitch. Whalen hopes to have the boy and the boy’s younger brother serve as honorary bat boys for the day.