There were at least a few times in the 13-year coaching career of New Jersey City University’s veteran baseball mentor Ken Heaton when he wanted to pack it in. The frustrations of trying to build a winning program at NJCU seemed next to impossible.
"I’ve had moments when I wanted to jump off the Turnpike extension bridge," said Heaton. "Just stop the car right there and jump off. But then, I listened to my better sense and thought better of it. Those were fleeting moments."
Heaton must have had those thoughts rush through his head a few times last year, when the Gothic Knights struggled through a dismal 10-24 season. Nothing seemed to work for the Knights and Heaton.
"I just wanted to back up the truck and start all over again," Heaton said. "I was not ready to accept that it wasn’t going to work. Although we had a tough season, we had a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the team who were willing to work. So I knew we had a nucleus. I wasn’t ready to wave the white flag."
Added Heaton, "I also knew that I had to go out and get other guys to play with the guys we had returning. Recruiting has always been a difficult task at our school. We had to find kids who were quality students that perhaps other schools overlooked."
Heaton had a feeling that things were about to change. The youngsters who were on the team a year ago came back with a sense of purpose. The newcomers were ready to contribute right away.
While other people considered the Gothic Knights to be once again the doormat of the highly competitive New Jersey Athletic Conference – easily the best NCAA Division III baseball league in the nation – Heaton felt like he finally had a team that could compete.
"A year ago, these kids were thrown to the lions," Heaton said. "But they came back more mature and much further along than I thought they would be. These kids made it a goal to turn this program around."
Which is exactly what happened. The Gothic Knights own a 17-15 record with one week to go in the regular season. The school record for wins in a season is 19. They have a good chance to actually win 20 games and post a final record better than .500.
That’s not just turning things around. That’s almost performing miracles.
These days, if Heaton took that plunge into the Hackensack River that he was talking about in the past, he just might end up walking on the water.
Heaton is enjoying a successful season with a roster filled with players that no other school wanted, a roster packed with Hudson County products who were willing to stay close to home.
One of those players is Union Hill graduate Darlin Pena, who was a virtual unknown in high school. The freshman Pena has emerged as the Gothic Knights’ leading pitcher, with a 5-2 record and an ERA under 4.00. Former St. Peter’s Prep hurlers Dan Sweeney and Pete Amadeo have also contributed to the pitching staff right away, each winning three games.
Other local products include Secaucus native Neal Czechowski, former Dickinson product Carmine Napolitano, former Hoboken infielder Mike Pellecchia and former Hudson Catholic pitcher/outfielder Matt Deslonde.
These are all guys who might not have had a chance to play collegiate baseball anywhere else, but are making the most of the opportunity to play for Heaton and the Gothic Knights.
"Let’s just say that we have a group of talented overachievers," Heaton said. "If there’s one term to describe this team, that’s what it would be. We’ve overachieved with talented kids who are willing to work and learn."
And the season has brought a little bounce to the step of the veteran coach.
"It’s a pleasure to go to the field, to practice and play," Heaton said. "The spirit and the attitude are good. When we lose, we don’t get too low. We just come back the next day and come right at them again. The difference is night and day from last year."
Heaton is really happy for a guy like Czechowski, who had to endure three tough losing seasons, yet stuck through it to return for his final campaign.
"Neal has been with us through the bad, so now he’s enjoying us with the good," Heaton said. "He’s come out and had a good season for us."
Czechowski is batting .337 as the team’s starting right fielder. Napolitano leads the team in hits with 31. Pellecchia is batting .333, filling in a variety of roles.
"Every kid we’ve used has stepped in and got the job done," Heaton said. "It’s been a blast. It’s nice to wake up and want to come to the ballpark."
And not plunge into the icy waters of the Hackensack for a change.
"I don’t even think of those days anymore," Heaton said.
Here’s to hoping that Heaton remains with his feet solidly planted on the ground. He’s a good baseball guy and good overall guy who deserves the success he is experiencing this season. – Jim Hague