Look for Union City to be competitive once again this season

 Veteran Union City head baseball coach Chipper Benway (center) looks for his team to be improved

Senior right-hander Juan Marichal hopes to pitch a lot like his namesake

It was certainly an uncharacteristically poor season in 2019 for the Union City High School baseball team.

The Soaring Eagles were 7-13 a year ago, but veteran coach Chipper Benway knew that he put a very young team on the field. So if and when the 2020 season is to begin, Benway knows that his team will rise back to respectability.

“I am expecting this is a year that we can make some noise,” Benway said. “We have some kids that have been playing varsity for three years now. We took our beatings the last two years and now we should reap the benefits of playing these kids for two years.”

The Soaring Eagles have a deep and talented pitching staff, spearheaded by junior right-hander Kevin Villares, who spent a lot of the offseason working on his game.

“He’s gotten bigger and stronger,” Benway said of Villares. “He went to a lot of camps and was clocked throwing anywhere between 82 and 85 (miles per hour on the gun) at the Wladyka Baseball Camp. He’s a battler. He plays hard all the time. I’m expecting real good things from him.”

Senior Juan Marichal (yes, just like the old San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer) is another pitcher that Benway can call upon.

Senior Justin DeMoya is a tall, lanky left-hander who stands about 6-foot-2.

“We didn’t use him much on the mound last year because he had an injury to his bicep,” Benway said. “But he’s healthy now.”

Senior righty Jair Vidal is a three-year starter on the mound for the Soaring Eagles.

“He lost eight starts as a sophomore, but was 4-0 last year,” Benway said. “He’s not going to overpower anyone, but he gets outs. He changes speeds and hits his spots.”

Junior Gabe Rosado is a transfer who will be eligible when the season begins.

“He’s a tough kid who is going to help us,” Benway said.

The catching duties will be shared by senior Joel Javier and junior Carlos Cedeno.

“The two split time last year behind the plate,” Benway said. “They are both good defensive catchers.”

DeMoya will play first base when he’s not on the mound. When DeMoya is pitching, then junior Adrian Contreras will man first base.

Second base duties will fall on the shoulders of a rotation of Villares, Vidal and senior Matthew Perez.

The same players will see time at shortstop, with Rosado becoming a fixture at third base.

In the outfield, senior Aaron Lorusso returns for his final season with the Soaring Eagles. Lorusso has been a three-year varsity player and will be the starter in centerfield this year.

Marichal and senior Randy Sanchez will also hold down a position in the outfield. Sanchez returns to the Soaring Eagles after sitting out last season.

Needless to say, if and when the Soaring Eagles return atop the roof of the high school, also known as Pep Novotny Field at Roosevelt Stadium, they will be a vastly improved team.

“I expect a complete opposite from last year,” Benway said. “These kids played all summer together in a few leagues and developed even more chemistry. This is something that has been built over the last couple of years. I expect us to have a real good season, be right back at it.”

Like the Soaring Eagles have always been since Union City High School was formed a decade ago.

Marist looks to have one last memorable baseball season

Pictured as a football player, Marist sophomore outfielder Darius Neal

Pictured as a football player, Marist sophomore pitcher/first baseman Edward Kelleher

It’s been a long time since Fernando Fuentes was a standout baseball player at Weehawken High School, a catcher with no peers who was eventually drafted by the New York Yankees.

It was a long road for Fuentes to go from player to head baseball coach, almost 20 years of bouncing around, trying to find a place to call his own.

That opportunity finally came last year, when Fuentes was named as the head coach at Marist High School. It was like a dream come true, finally getting the chance to be a head coach in his native Hudson County.

The Royal Knights were competitive in his Fuentes’ first season, posting a 9-10 record. But Fuentes was looking and pointing toward the future. That future first took a hit when the school announced it was closing in June.

“I started thinking about the history of Marist and all the great players and coaches they’ve had,” Fuentes said. “I was thinking about getting the program going again.”

Marist had the distinction of being the only school in New Jersey to win baseball state championships with three different coaches, namely Tom Baxter, Mike Hogan and Marist alum Ron Hayward. It’s the school where Joe Borowski pitched and led the Royal Knights to a state championship before Borowski made his incredible climb to the major leagues.

Fuentes went out and purchased a pitching machine to help the Marist players with their hitting. He was in for the long run.

“I really love coaching,” Fuentes said. “I love teaching. I love working with this group of kids. When I heard the school was closing, my mind went out to the current group of kids, who really busted their tail during winter workouts and study hall.”

Then, the second major obstacle took place, the outbreak of the coronavirus, shutting everything down for an indefinite period.

“We have a total of 14 guys,” Fuentes said. “We were ready to go. We had six practices and were going to have our first scrimmage and everything was shut down. We had immersed ourselves in everything and we were ready to go.”

Fuentes knows he cannot change things he cannot control, like a school closing or a national pandemic.

So Fuentes gave his kids some drills to do at home and is keeping in contact with his team via text messages, waiting for the word to get back onto the field for the final season of Marist baseball. He knows it wasn’t supposed to end like this.

When the season resumes, Fuentes will count on senior right-handed pitcher Mark Everett, Jr. The son of the former St. Anthony and Marist star catcher and Jersey City high school baseball and football coach, Mark Everett, Jr. is a standout in his own right.

“He’s a great player,” Fuentes said of Mark Everett, Jr. “He can play anywhere. He’s really a fun player to have. He’s a big kid who just wants the ball in tough situations. He just goes out there and plays his butt off.”

Senior Manny Alvarez is also a fine right-handed pitcher. He’s also the starting catcher.

Senior Jeremiah Hernandez is another righty who can throw quality innings for the Royal Knights.

“He’s a smart baseball player,” Fuentes said of Hernandez. “He is a great kid and a good role model.”

Sophomore Bakari Murrain is an excellent athlete who was on the Royal Knights’ football team in the fall. He’s also a fine pitcher.

Sophomore Edward Kelleher is another pitcher who was also a member of the Marist grid team last fall.

Freshman A.J. Martinez is a lefty who has a ton of potential.

Freshman Timothy Hilliard is another promising right-hander.

“He’s a big kid, about 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds,” Fuentes said. “He’s a physical freak, a great specimen. When he hits the ball, it makes a different sound. He has great physical ability.”

That’s a solid pitching staff that Fuentes gets to work with.

Alvarez and Hilliard will share the catching duties, with Alvarez doing most of the work.

Martinez will do most of the work at first base, with Hilliard and Kelleher getting time there as well.

Everett is the second baseman, but will likely see action at several positions, with Murrain at shortstop.

The third baseman is freshman Christian Weening, who is also a pitcher.

Cory Manger is a sophomore infielder who got a late start with the team, but has been working hard to crack the lineup.

In the outfield, Hernandez will be in centerfield and batting leadoff when he’s not pitching. Junior Joaquin Cepeda is another player getting into the mix in the outfield, along with senior Angel Ortiz, sophomore Daniel Camacho, sophomore Darius Neal and freshmen Alan Holley and Chris Reed.

Fuentes was impressed with Cepeda’s approach in the offseason.

“He can to every single winter workout,” Fuentes said. “He comes on time and never has an excuse. He’s also becoming a good student of the game.”

After the break caused by the coronavirus, Fuentes is raring to go. It’s the last season of Marist baseball and he wants to make it memorable for everyone.

“Of course, I’m ready,” Fuentes said. “If we have to go into July or August, then let’s do it.”

When you wait your entire lifetime for a chance like the one Fuentes has received, a few more days or weeks won’t cost too much.

Memorial baseball looks to forget all about 2019

 Junior Ernesto Polanco is perhaps the best two-way player (pitcher and hitter) in Hudson County

Senior first baseman/pitcher Tomas Martinez will be one of Memorial's top pitchers

It’s safe to say that everyone involved with the Memorial High School baseball program would want to forget that 2019 ever existed.

Just take the entire year and rip the pages right out of the calendar. Take the school yearbook and destroy any and all remnants of the usually powerful baseball campaign. For all intents and purposes, try to pretend that the year just didn’t take place in the first place.

You see, an unfortunate and terrible hazing incident involving several of the Memorial baseball players took place right before the 2019 season was about to begin.

The extent, the seriousness of the incident has never been reported. Like any other rumor that gets circulated around Hudson County, about 75 percent of the rumors were indeed true. The bottom line is this: A younger player was indeed hazed by some older players. The coaching staff was not present at Miller Stadium when the incident took place.

The West New York Board of Education decided to suspend head coach Danny Marroquin and his assistants for the entire season. Some of the players were removed from the roster for the entire year, while others served sporadic suspensions throughout the course of the campaign. Ready for some incredible numbers? A total of 20 different players manned a position for the Tigers last year, while 12 different players took the mound. For high school baseball, those numbers are astronomical.

The end result was a completely uncharacteristic 9-13 record for the Tigers. It was supposed to be a year of high promise, with the Tigers challenging eventual county champion Bayonne and runner-up St. Peter’s Prep for top honors. It turned out to be a season of ruin – with the hope that a lesson was learned by everyone involved.

“I feel really bad for our kids, especially our seniors,” Marroquin said. “I thought we were going to have a good year, but then the incident happened and it killed our year. It’s just a thing that went bad for us. We could have challenged for a county championship.”

The nightmare of 2019 was put in the rearview mirror. Marroquin was brought back to maintain his position as head coach. He didn’t deserve to lose his job over the ridiculously stupid incident. The players are the ones who pulled the prank – and they ultimately paid the price by having an embarrassing lost season.

Now, the Tigers were poised to begin their 2020 season this weekend with a game against Elizabeth – a tough way to kick off the new season – and bam! The coronavirus has put a stop on all athletic activities in the state, so the Tigers have to wait even longer to wash the bad taste of last season out of their mouths.

Whenever the season begins, the Tigers have to be considered one of the favorites to contend for the county tourney title, just because of the amount of talented depth they possess on the bump.

“We have a lot of arms,” Marroquin said. “We were ready to go. We had six practices and had our scrimmages lined up. Whatever kind of season we will have, we will be ready.”

Leading the way on the deep pitching staff are two hurlers who earned All-Hudson County honors last year as infielders.

Junior right-hander Ernesto Polanco is the Tigers’ ace. Polanco pitched in a ton of hard luck last year and lost a slew of games because of poor defense behind him. But Polanco has a litany of excellent pitches.

“He’s going to be our No. 1,” Marroquin said. “He can throw a fastball in the high 80s and has a good change-up and good curve. He’s going to be very good. He’s a good pitcher.”

The other is senior Tomas Martinez, who earned All-County honors as a first baseman last year.

“He wasn’t used much as a pitcher, but he can throw,” Polanco said of the lefty-throwing Martinez.

Sophomore left-hander Sebastian Martinez (no relation to Tomas) is a pitcher with a lot of potential.

“He has a lot of promise,” Marroquin said of Martinez. “He’s going to see some big innings this year. We’ll see what he has.”

Sophomore Samir Lopez was tossed into the fire right away last season and will grab the ball again this year.

“He pitched a lot of big innings for us last year,” Marroquin said. “He’s a bulldog. He takes the ball, goes out to the mound and throws strikes. He’s not going to overpower you, but he gets outs.”

Junior righty Edison Gonzalez “has the potential to throw really hard,” according to Marroquin.

Junior righty Juan Alberto has joined the program from his native Dominican Republic. “I think he’s going to do well,” Marroquin said of Alberto.

Without question, that’s a deep pitching staff.

The main catcher is returning starter Ricky Tuero. Tuero, obviously a righty, is also a pitcher.

“He’s a good defensive catcher,” Marroquin said of Tuero. “We will see who we’ll have out there on the mound.”

If and when Tuero throws, then senior Emanuel Zapata will step in and do the catching. Zapata will also see time at first base, in the outfield and designated hitter.

“Emanuel will be in the lineup somewhere,” Marroquin said.

First base will be manned mostly by Martinez, who batted .320 with two homers and 13 RBI last year.

“He has some good pop in his bat,” Marroquin said. “We’re expecting big things from him.”

The second baseman will be Samir Lopez, with Polanco moving over from second to play shortstop. Polanco had an unconscious season a year ago, batting an astounding .579 with six doubles, three triples, one homer and 14 RBI. Polanco has already drawn interest from 2016 NCAA Division 1 World Series champion Coastal Carolina.

Third base is owned by junior Yasiel Alvarez, with Tuero seeing some time there.

The left fielder will be Edison Gonzalez, with his brother Anderson Gonzalez in center field and junior Saul Rosado in right field. Zapata will also see time in right.

Sophomore Sairon Reyes is a versatile player who can catch and play third.

“I think this is the year that he comes along and plays a big role,” Marroquin said.

Sophomore Jesus Santos is a pitcher/outfielder.

“He still may do something special,” Marroquin said of Santos.

Senior Hunter Sauerborn, the West New York Little League darling a few years ago, can play second base or the outfield.

“He plays all over the place,” Marroquin said. “He took a hiatus from baseball and ran track. Now he wants to come back and play baseball one last time.”

Needless to say, if there is a season this year, then Marroquin is ready for a total transformation.

“I think people may think we’re down because of what happened last year,” Marroquin said. “But that is not the case. Our goal is to win the county championship and make some noise in the state tournament.”

Sounds like business as usual for the Memorial baseball program.

Memorable trip to Duke for Hudson Catholic's Sellers

From left, Keith Sellers, Antonio Sellers and Felicia Harris Sellers enjoy a laugh after Antonio spoke to media at the recent "Make-A-Wish" presentation at Hudson Catholic

At first, the “Make-A-Wish” sponsored trip to Durham, N.C. was supposed to be just for tickets to see the Duke-North Carolina game for Jersey City resident Antonio Sellers.

The Hudson Catholic basketball star, battling the effects after several surgeries to combat brain cancer, received the gifts of his “Wish” from New Jersey Chapter of “Make-A-Wish” President and CEO Tom Weatherall, at a special assembly inside the Joe “Rocky” Pope Gymnasium at Hudson Catholic.

A week later, Antonio, his mother Felicia Harris Sellers, his father Keith, his good friend and Hudson Catholic teammate Zion Cruz and other family members made the drive down to North Carolina before Antonio’s beloved Duke Blue Devils took on their archrival Tar Heels.

Can anyone even fathom the thought if there were quarantines and shutdowns before the Sellers family made the journey south? It would have been so disappointing, so heartbreaking and brutally unfair.

But they were able to make it to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the pep rally on Friday night and the game on Saturday night.

And it’s safe to say that the trip far exceeded anyone’s expectations of the “Make-A-Wish” request.

“It sure did,” said Felicia Sellers, who was the New York Metropolitan Writers’ Association’s Player of the Year in 2002, leading the Peahens to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title, a league that the former Felicia Harris won Player of the Year in both the regular season and MAAC Tournament. “We knew that we might meet some people, but they took us in like we were family.”

Before they made the trip to Duke, it was unclear whether the Sellers family was going to meet with the legendary man simply known in college basketball circles as “Coach K,” namely Duke’s Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski, and the players on the team.

Well, “Coach K” more than simply embraced Antonio and his family. He took them all in. Krzyzewski addressed the 5,000 or so attending the pep rally, telling them all about what is called “the Duke Brotherhood.”

“Anyone who plays for Duke is welcomed into the Duke Brotherhood,” Coach K said. “Well, the players all agreed that Antonio could be adopted into the Duke Brotherhood tonight.”

“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Felicia Sellers said. “It was really nice and showed they cared for Antonio. They all went out of their way. It wasn’t all about basketball.”

Krzyzewski told the “Cameron Crazies” that he had worn a special pin on his lapel on his suit jacket for every game since 2002 in honor of a 7-year-old boy named Rory Deutsch who was battling brain cancer and eventually passed away from the hideous disease. Since that time, the Rory Deutsch Foundation has raised more than $8 million to be used for brain cancer research

Well, Krzyzewski took the pin off his lapel and gave it to Antonio.

The crowd then chanted “Antonio, Antonio, Antonio,” as Keith Sellers wheeled his smiling 15-year-old son off the floor in his wheelchair to the rhythmic clapping and dance gestures to the upbeat tune “Everytime We Touch,” by Cascada.

“It was just great for me,” Antonio Sellers said. “I was just happy, because I had never been there before. It was better than I imagined.”

A day later, it got even better for Antonio, who sat in the third row behind the basket with his father. The two were spotted talking about the game as former Duke greats like Carlos Boozer and New Jersey native Alaa Abdelnaby came up to greet him.

After the Blue Devils won the game, 89-76, Antonio was on the floor with his victorious Brotherhood. There were pictures taken with Antonio and the players, like Vernon Carey, Jr,, who had a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds and Tre Jones, who had 21 points and 11 assists.

The players, Antonio’s new Brotherhood, presented Antonio with the game ball. As it turned out, because of the growing concern involving the coronavirus COVID-19, it was the final game of the season for Antonio’s Blue Devils.

Duke did not get the chance to play in either the ACC or the NCAA Tournaments. Jones has already declared his intentions to leave Duke and become an NBA player next season. Carey has not announced his plans for next year.

Just imagine if that trip wasn’t made right there and then?

“It was so great,” Antonio Sellers said. “I only cried once. The team and Coach K, they were so great to me. They took care of me and my Dad. And Duke won.”

Sellers knew the importance of the game.

“We had to beat them,” Sellers said, already using the possessive pronoun. “We just had to. I loved it after the game. I gave Coach K two hugs. It was just great for me, my Mom, my Dad, my friends.”

And before Antonio left Cameron, the “Crazies” gave him one more salute, chanting “Antonio, Antonio, Antonio,” once again.

“After we won, they were all calling my name,” Antonio said. “That was really cool.”

The trip wasn’t over yet. On Sunday morning, the Sellers family met with some of the top neurosurgeons in the world that work at the Duke Medical Center, to discuss Antonio’s prognosis and prospects of recovery.

“It was more enlightening and educational,” Felicia Sellers said. “They told us about different options that we have. We told them about what we had already been through.”

All in all, it was a great trip for the entire family.

“It was a moment with a lot of unexpected moments,” Felicia Sellers said. “I got to relax a little, because I saw Antonio smile and be happy with his friends. He was doing something that he always wanted to do. Some of it was a little overwhelming at times, but it was still a relief to see him so happy.”

Every single picture taken, every video recorded, had Antonio flashing that bright, wide smile. For a teenager who has endured so much since his diagnosis a little over a year ago, seeing the smiles on his face was so heartwarming and invigorating.

“It was just how everyone treated us, how the whole coaching staff went out of their way, people like Debbie K (the coach’s daughter), who took us all over the school,” Felicia Sellers said. “They embraced our family and we felt so comfortable with them right away. They opened up and showed us where it all happens. It made the trip so much more than basketball. We’re going to remain in touch. We made friends for life.”

All totaled, it’s a weekend that Felicia Sellers and her handsome 15-year-old son won’t soon forget.

“It was amazing for me,” Felicia Sellers said. “I appreciate everyone who had a part in it and made it all possible.”

And to think, the entire trip became possible with one simple phone call from an old sportswriter to a long-time friend of almost 50 years and an old Little League teammate who has never once forgotten his Jersey City and St. Paul’s of Greenville roots. Seeing that boy smile was so very much worth it. – Jim Hague

Defending softball champ Secaucus looks totally different

Secaucus junior pitcher Sydney Ianuale

Secaucus senior infielder Caroline Andriani

Defending Hudson County softball champ Secaucus looks to reload again

The 2019 high school softball season represented as a lot of firsts for Secaucus head coach Cory Roesing.

For one, it was the first year that Roesing, one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the school, got to be a head coach. And for another, Roesing got to work on the same coaching staff with her younger sister Danielle, who in her own right was an incredible athlete as well during her days at Secaucus.

So the Roesing sisters were together, taking over the Patriots’ program, hoping for a successful initial campaign.

It sure was – as the Patriots, the No. 7 seed in the tournament, stormed back to capture the county crown. Not bad for a rookie head coach. What does Roesing do for an encore? She never once worried herself with her public perception as either a high school or college (Caldwell University) athlete.

Now, as Roesing is set to begin her second campaign as the head coach at her alma mater, coaching with her little sister by her side, all of Hudson County -- and the nation for that matter – has come to a complete halt. Once again, Roesing is facing an adversity as a head coach.

“It really doesn’t change how we approach the season,” Roesing said. “Our goals are always the same. We want to win the county and win the states. We told the girls that nothing is going to be handed to them. They have to work very hard every day for it.”

But there is one problem. The Patriots graduated most of the team that finished 16-9 last year, but came away with the county’s top honors by defeating Kearny, Union City, Weehawken and finally Bayonne in the title game by a 5-4 final score.

“We graduated eight of our nine starters,” Roesing said. “We have only two returning players and neither is playing the position she played last year.”

Three of the graduated players, namely Gianna Zena, Gabby Samarelli and Alyssa Perez, earned All-Hudson County honors, with Perez being named Hudson County Most Valuable Player. Those are crushing losses to the Patriots.

But Roesing is not overly worried.

“We have a strong young group,” Roesing said. “And our leaders are great leaders. I have no doubt in any of them.”

Leading the way is junior pitcher Sydney Ianuale, who was the backup to All-County pitcher Jessie Gohde last season.

“Sydney has some experience,” Roesing said of Ianuale.

In a total oddity, the Patriots’ other pitcher is also named Sydney – namely senior Sydney Fourier.

“I’m really confident in both of them,” Roesing said.

The team’s catcher is junior Grace Angulo, who was the team’s designated hitter last year.

“She’s so solid,” Roesing said. “She’s a great leader. She’s very vocal with the girls. She has a lot of poise at the plate.”

The first baseman is freshman Taylor Hartung, who is the daughter of former Secaucus All-County player Mike Hartung, who played a few years of professional baseball, ending his career with the New Jersey Jackals.

“She’s a solid pitcher as well if we need her,” Roesing said. “She actually can go anywhere we need her, but she’s playing first base for now.”

The second baseman is senior Caroline Andriani, who started in right field last year for the Patriots.

“She’s a solid infielder and a solid leader,” Roesing said.

The shortstop is freshman Daniela Pischetti, the younger sister of Julia, who had a great soccer career at Iona College.

“She’s very quick on her feet,” Roesing said. “She has a great arm. She has the instincts that you just can’t coach.”

The third base position is being shared by two sophomores in Nurisha Ferati and Kaitlyn Fernandez.

The outfield is led by senior Skylar Eccles, who Roesing considers “a great leader with experience.” Junior Marietta Angulo, the twin sister of catcher Grace, is in the outfield mix. Junior Brianna Guzman, junior Gianna Pischetti and senior Jazmin Bujari, who came out for softball for the first time since she was a freshman, will all see time in the outfield.

Look out for freshman Emily Fearon, who will eventually play somewhere. Fearon is too good of a hitter to leave out of the regular lineup.

“She’s our wild card,” Roesing said of Fearon. “She can go anywhere.”

Roesing said that the Patriots were just hitting a regular stride when the entire year has been put on hold.

“It’s been very tough,” Roesing said. “I feel bad for the seniors. I also feel bad for the freshmen. I had a talk with them all and told them about things to work on while we’re out. I know they were working hard before we went out, even for a little workout, they went hard. We’re going to try to make the season a memorable one for the seniors and stay as positive as possible.”

The Patriots will contend in the NJIC-Liberty Division and will be in the hunt for the North Jersey Section 2, Group II sectional title as well. -- Jim Hague

Bayonne baseball: Ready to make another run

Bayonne senior pitcher Justin O’Connor should be the ace of the Hudson County pitchers

It was a mystical, magical season last spring for the Bayonne High School baseball team, posting an astounding 25-3 record, including the championship of the Ed “Faa” Ford Memorial Hudson County Tournament, defeating St. Peter’s Prep in the title game by a 4-3 decision.

It was also the first county title for head coach Dave Hoffmann in his six seasons at the helm of the team he once played for. Now, as preparations were being made for his seventh season guiding the Bees, Hoffmann believes that his team should certainly be among the contenders for the distinction of being the county’s premier team come sometime in June.

“It’s something that we always aspire to be,” Hoffmann said. “We always want to be county champions. To be able to achieve that goal was something special. And we’re going to strive to hold onto that crown and embrace that title. We take it very seriously.”

As the Bees were making plans for the 2020 season when the season was shut down and immediately halted by the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus that has engulfed the world, Hoffmann realized that repeating as county champions would be a tall order to achieve.

“We lost eight position players from last year’s team,” Hoffmann said. “But we have kids that were waiting in the wings, players who were role players who helped us in different aspects. Those kids are now able to assume their responsibilities and play major roles this season, if and when we play.”

Gone from last year’s champions include catcher Shane Paradine, the Hudson County Most Valuable Player, and Jonathan Lee, the Hudson County Most Outstanding Pitcher, who pitched to a 7-1 record and a 1.27 earned run average. Paradine is now at Stony Brook University.

So even with the major losses, Hoffmann is basically saying that he expects the Bees to be right in the thick of things once again this season.

“I’m absolutely confident in what we have returning,” Hoffmann said. “We’re excited about that.”

The Bees did get six practices in before the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association placed the decree to halt all spring activities until Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, ordered all scholastic activities to cease for the time being.

The Bees were scheduled to scrimmage top rivals Bloomfield, Toms River North and Toms River South last week to get ready for the start of the season.

“That was going to be the challenge,” said Hoffmann, who was preparing to begin his seventh season as the head coach of the Bees. We wanted to catch these guys up to speed. If and when we are able to come back, we’re going to force feed things on them.”

So while Hoffmann was unable to conduct practices with his team, he was holding viral get-togethers online.

“We are doing virtual things online,” Hoffmann said. “I think these have been helpful, just to keep in contact with the players. We needed something to lift their spirits a little. By doing these virtual things, it has helped their mindset a little. By doing these virtual things and showing them what they should be doing, we have to be ready to go when we get the green light to get back out there.”

Hoffmann has no idea what the NJSIAA or the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League has planned for the Bees regarding the schedule.

“We have to be ready to start the season right away,” Hoffmann said. “If we have to, we’ll plaey doubleheaders, We can work out a season and be able to get a certain number of league games in.”

If and when the season kicks off, the Bees will have a deep and talented pitching staff, led by snior right-hander Justin O’Connor, probably the county’s best returning hurler from a year ago. O’Connor was a First Team All-Area selection in 2019, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.09 earned run average, striking out 47 batters in 35 innings, surrendering just 21 hits.

“He’s had some career for us,” Hoffmann said of O’Connor. “He’s our No. 1 guy and he thrives under that role. I know he’s the best returning pitcher in the county and I know a lot of people would agree with that. We’re counting on him to be our ace this year.”

Senior right-hander Julian Gonzalez also returns. Gonzalez pitched to a 5-1 record and a 1.70 ERA last year.

“He pitched some big games for us,” Hoffmann said of Gonzalez, who has a gaudy 10-1 record over two seasons with the Bees, posting a 5-1 record, including a no-hitter against Ferris. He has some really good stuff and mixes it up well.”

Gonzalez has already given a commitment to Keystone College, an NCAA Division III institution in Factoryville, Pennsylvania.

O’Connor and Gonzalez form a nice 1-2 pitching punch for the Bees, but in reality, the team can go an incredible nine deep on the mound.

“We have a lot of pitchers,” Hoffmann said. “We’re going to need them with whatever schedule we play.”

Chances are that the pitchers will be called upon to throw in three-inning stretches maximum when the season resumes, so having a deep staff will be imperative.

Right-hander Brian Baranok returns. The All-Hudson County third baseman was a quality hurler when called upon last year.

“I’m expecting a lot from him,” Hoffmann said of Baranok. “He has to be a leader.”

The rest of the staff is relatively unproven on the varsity level.

Junior left-hander Quincy Mitchell is a transfer from Union High School. Senior Liam Doherty-Burke is a right-hander who pitched in limited innings last season. Sophomore Richie Bukowski is a right-hander who just got his feet wet a little last year. Senior Isaiah Olmo is a left-hander and a transfer from Hudson Catholic. Senior right-hander Nick Valencia was basically a pitcher on the junior varsity last year. Junior Ian Malone is another righty. So is senior Aidan Calcaterra, who just got clearance to return to action after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee,

So the Bees have basically 10 kids who can grab the ball and head to the mound this season. That’s depth.

“We’re okay with that,” Hoffmann said.

The Bees have a huge hole to fill behind the plate, but they have Paradine back there -- namely freshman Aidan Paradine, Shane’s little brother. The Bees also have sophomore Rob Geisler to maintain the pitching staff.

“Both are competing and both will play,” Hoffmann said.

Senior Carlos Miranda was off to a fine season, but he suffered a concussion in the early stages of last season and missed most of the season. Miranda batted .338 before being relegated to the bench after the injury, Miranda is getting a chance to play first base this season. Miranda started there as a sophomore.

Senior Brian Cotter is a three-year varsity player, will get the chance to start at second base. Senior Gonzalez is the shortstop and a solid defensive player. Baranok, a four-year varsity player and three-year starter at third base, will settle the infield down. Baranok, an All-Hudson player last season, hit .394 with 18 RBI last season. Baranok is a player to watch. He’s 11 hits shy of reaching the impressive 100-hit plateau for his career.

Hoffmann is convinced that Baranok can be the leader that the Bees had with Paradine the last two seasons.

“I really do think he can do it,” said Hoffmann of Baranok, who has already committed to play at Ramapo College next spring. “He’s best friends with Shane, so we’re hoping some of what Shane did for us rubbed off on him. I think he’s excited to do what he could do and have the same kind of year he’s enjoyed the last two years.”

Junior Tyler Johnson is a very athletic kid who can cover left field. Mitchell can cover a lot of ground in center field.

“He’s smooth,” Hoffmann said. “He’s very quick. It was limited, but I liked what I saw in the first week of practice.”

Valencia will see a lot of time in right field, but look for sweet-swinging junior Santiago Jimenez to make a difference somewhere in the lineup, either in the outfield, first base or designated hitter. Jimenez can flat out hit the ball. If he was stuck in phone booth, Jimenez could hit his way out of it. Calcaterra will also get a chance to play once he gains medical clearance.

“He can help us,” Hoffmann said of Calcaterra, the son of soccer coach and former athletic director John Calcaterra. “He can swing the bat.”

Senior Anthony Klick is another who will see time in the infield, on the mound or even catcher.

So don’t cry for the Bees. Don’t forget, the Bees buzzed their way to 25 wins last year. It wasn’t a fluke. They’ll be back.

“We hope so,” Hoffmann said. “Winning is part of our culture. So for us to finally win the county crown was huge. It meant a lot. We want to keep it moving forward.”