WEST ORANGE – Baseball came alive in West Orange this past spring season. In its second year since the West Baseball Committee tasked the Police Athletic League with overseeing the Travel Baseball program, the PAL continued to provide a competitive and educational experience for its talented young athletes.
Tryouts were held in January, followed by practices beginning indoors in February with trainers and volunteer coaching staff. There was also guidance and assistance from West Orange High School head coach Stephen Zichella and assistant coach Tim Blumkin, as well as many varsity players.
The teams played in the Montville Little League, known for its competitive philosophy and town-based team organization.
The youngest team was the 8U team, coached by Lou DePasquale, Phil Portuese, and Brian DePaul. They finished the regular season with a 9-1 record. The team included outfielders Andre Adames, Henry Sacks, and Kevin Malone. Patrick Cassels, Max Kelly, Andrew DePaul, and Miles Burton commanded the mound.
Catching duties were shared between Riley Gnecco and Miles Burton.
The infield was kept on point by twins Jay and Sheppard Stevenson, Savion Carson, Jordan Rothseid, and Alexander Alfonso.
Through team effort, an eagerness to learn, and player contributions, the 8U had a successful season.
Everyone loves a fighting team. The 10U team was just that team. No matter the score, the boys practiced and played with heart. Members of the team included Bobby Duff, John Shadwell, Randy Stevens, Amir Stewart, Ryan Boyle, and James Malone in the infield. Jackson Lee and Nick Matos were behind the plate; and Sean Harrington, Matthew Salmeron, and Devin Wyche protected the outfield.
The pitching staff was made up of Ethan Young and Matthew Orabona, as well as James Malone.
Coaching the 10U team were Dominic DePasquale, Mark Gaeta, and Jagger Garguilo.
The team competed in the annual Mount Olive Memorial Day Tournament and had great exposure to many town teams. The players showed improvement in their play from the beginning to the end of the season.
The 11U team was led by coaches Curtis Battle, Chris Moses, and Jose Soto.
Jackson Ward led the team with super pitching, along with Riley Moses and Daniel Aguilera. Curtis Battle Jr., Daniel Daughtry, and Nathaniel Rodgers demonstrated the powerful bats behind the hits. Catching by Dylan Gnecco and Joseph Narduzzi helped the team, along with the defensive plays by Charlie Handelman, Tyler Harwood, Elijah Matos, and Cristian Soto. The team expects to see continued greatness from these players. They made tremendous strides as a team, developing a pride in themselves and the baseball program.
With a .700 record of 8-3, the 12U team finished second in the Montville League. Coached by Rob Kost, Edwin Johnson, and Andrew Mazurek, the players worked hard, both on and off the field. This was their first regular season on a 50/70 diamond.
A tight infield defense was led by Matthew Bove, Michael Cassels, Andrew Merklinger, and Adam Ashby. Owning “the hill” was Malachi Jones, Owen Hagstrom, Noah Stennett, and Chance Garguilo. Splitting catching duties were Noah Stennett, Niles Luke, and Chance Garguilo.
The outfield was led by Jalen Fulton, Ty Kelly, and Shakhi Carson.
The team placed third in the Mount Olive Tournament. The team continues to build off its previous successes and is looking forward to the upcoming seasons.
The 2016 Spring 13U season was a learning experience. For many of the players, this was their first experience on a 60/90 field and were placed in positions they never played before. With each game and practice, the team improved and became comfortable with the true baseball experience.
The season ended with a very close playoff game that ended in 6-5 loss to Park East. The pitching staff was led by Aidan Healey, Owen Murphy, Andrew Orabona, and Joshua Shapiro. Behind the plate was Luke Stennett, with Scott Lillis platooning as well.
The outfield was anchored by Julian Lee, Jayson Raines, Sajid Quraeshi, Joey Dresdner, Tai Mair, and Marcus Morales.
The infield was cemented down by Owen Murphy, Joshua Shapiro, Andrew Orabona, Julian Lee, Aidan Healey, and Scotty Lillis.
The team was led by Coach Tom Orabona, Gio Loreto, and Mike Loreto.
The players and parents not only committed a great deal of time, but brought with them an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and West Orange pride to each game.
The 2016 Spring season wrapped up with a Hit-a-thon which raised funds for the building of batting cages at the PAL field. Work is well underway to install the cages.
Next up are 2016 Fall Baseball tryouts, which will take place the week of August 15. The PAL Annual Golf Outing will also take place August 29. Visit the PAL website at www.wopal.org or Facebook page (West Orange PAL) for additional details regarding its Football, Travel Baseball, and Cheerleading programs.
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