While the HCIAA Coviello baseball scenario is in a complete state of flux and confusion, the exact opposite is taking place with the softball race.
It has clearly become a year of North Bergen and everyone else.
The Bruins rolled through the regular season totally unblemished with a perfect 16-0 record, defeating every other team in the league twice.
After falling in the HCIAA finals in each of the last four seasons, the Bruins head to the league playoffs this year as a clear-cut favorite to rid themselves of the demons that plagued them for so long.
“But being undefeated in the league puts so much pressure on you,” veteran North Bergen coach Tom Eagleson said. “Everyone now expects you to win. It’s definitely not easy.”
But as the playoffs commence, Eagleson loves the way his team is playing. The Bruins are getting great pitching from sophomore hurler Carla Arismendi, who has been downright dominant of late, both in the circle and at the plate.
Arismendi has won her last eight decisions headed into the playoffs and now leads the Bruins with 30 RBI in just 20 games.
“Carla is really focused on her pitching, but she’s been producing a lot for us,” Eagleson said. “Everyone is enjoying a good year, up and down the lineup.”
One of the biggest surprises has been the play of junior first baseman Tiffany Lorincz, who is hitting a team-high .510.
“She struck out quite a few times last year, but this year, she’s hitting the ball all over,” Eagleson said.
Another key performer has been centerfielder Ashley Heredia.
“As a long-time Met fan, she is like Tommie Agee,” Eagleson said of Heredia, bringing back images of the hero of the 1969 World Series. “She hits for power, plays the field well, has speed. She’s just like Agee out there.”
Another reason why the Bruins have been so dominant this season has been the overall team defense.
“Last year, we made 46 errors as a team,” Eagleson said. “This year, it’s 15 and only six in the infield. So we’re playing great defense behind Carla and she’s been pitching great.”
It looks as if everything is in place for the Bruins.
“But you never know what can happen,” Eagleson said.
If the weather cooperates, then the HCIAA Coviello title game is slated for Sunday, May 17 at 11 a.m. at New Jersey City University’s Athletic Complex near Society Hill off Route 440 South in Jersey City. If rain holds up the playoffs, then the finals will be played next Wednesday at Caven Point’s softball complex. If form holds up, the Bruins will face either St. Dominic Academy or Bayonne in the final HCIAA Coviello title game.
“The girls are playing just great and they’re really calm,” Eagleson said. “I’m definitely more nervous than all of them put together. I knew that this team was built to win this year and so far, we’re on track.”…
The HCIAA Seglio Division softball race should come down to High Tech and Hoboken once again and it would be very hard to think that the Lasercats of High Tech can’t repeat, especially with the roll that standout hurler Erica Colon is on of late.
Colon has pitched seven no-hitters this season, including two in a row last week. It will be next to impossible beating her in the county playoffs…
The HCIAA Seglio baseball playoffs will feature County Prep holding off contenders Hoboken and St. Mary’s of Jersey City. The Hurricanes have been dominant this season, thanks to sluggers like Evan Pimentel and Rey Rivas. It’s almost as clear-cut that County Prep is the team to beat when the smoke clears in the Seglio playoffs…
CREATE Charter, which is scheduled to initiate football in the fall, is already looking for a new head coach.
Bill Sullivan, who was hired by the school soon after his dismissal from St. Anthony for allegedly using a grammar school player in high school games, also received his pink slip from CREATE Charter as well recently.
School officials would not elaborate as to the reasons why Sullivan had to leave before he even got started at CREATE, but his stature didn’t elevate after an advertisement was placed in the local daily paper, appearing to recruit future high school students to come play football for CREATE, which is a no-no, especially in the eyes of the NJSIAA.
The school is now actively pursuing other possibilities to head the program, but the plans are to field at least a junior varsity team in the fall…
The local sports scene lost two giants in a span of two days last week.
First, Norman Greenhill, who was Mr. Hudson County softball for more than 40 years, coordinating and organizing several leagues in the county throughout that time, passed away. Greenhill was also a respected high school umpire, but will forever be remembered as the man who was the driving force behind all those recreation softball leagues for so long.
Next, Carl Martin, a legendary sportswriter from his days at the now-defunct Hudson Dispatch, who later became a fixture at Madison Square Garden as a publicist and public address announcer, passed away.
Martin, a West New York native, made a name for himself with his great work at the Dispatch in the 1950s and 60s, then was involved with all the great Knicks and Rangers teams in the 1970s.
Martin was also very active in the New Jersey Sportswriters Association and once served as the association’s president.
Ironically, after he retired, Martin moved to western New Jersey and Washington Township and became a regular at a bar and restaurant owned by my late brother, Jack.
When Martin first entered The Backstage and found out the owner’s last name, he asked if he was related to “the famous sportswriter.” It was the first time my brother was asked if he was related to me and not vice versa.
Carl Martin was a great writer, a great sportsman and an even better guy. Both will be missed…
The final HCIAA track and field championships were held last week and St. Peter’s Prep won the boys’ title and fittingly, St. Dominic Academy took home the girls’ crown. It marked the 80th HCIAA championship captured by the Blue Devils’ track program, either in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. That’s a lot of hardware over the years…
Rutgers-Newark men’s basketball coach Joe Loughran will sponsor his eighth annual summer basketball camps at the Golden Dome in Newark for boys and girls ages 7-17. The sessions will be held July 13-17, July 27-July 31, and August 3-7, 2009 from 8:30 to 3:30 p.m. There are discounts if a camper attends more than one session. For more information or a brochure, call Loughran at (973) 353-1483. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.