The NJ High School Baseball Coaches Association gets its first public test on June 12.
The new association of high school baseball coaches in the Garden State will put forth the 45th Annual — and the new association’s first — Senior All-Star Games at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
The games are set for 7 p.m. on Monday, June 12. The festivities will begin with a photo session at 5 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony that begins at approximately 6 p.m.
As has been the case the past 44 years, four 25-man teams will be assembled from geographic areas of the state; Northwest, Northeast, Central and South. This year, the South plays the Northwest team on Diamond Nation’s Field 1 and the Central team tangles with the Northeast squad on Field 3. Rosters are below.
Diamond Nation has been the home of the Senior All-Star game since 2012 and several of the men who’ve coached in those games are the very same gentlemen who’ve quickly pulled together this new association of like-minded baseball men.
Once they learned the NJSIAA would no longer be directly involved with the Annual Senior All-Star Game, after 44 years as the event’s Godmother, highly respected coaches like St. Peter’s Prep’s Pat LaGuerre, Chris Roof (Gov. Livingston), Joe Sorce (Belleville), Brian Chapman (Millburn), Vinnie Abene (Edison), Jeff Falzarano (Bernards), Bill Gore (Gloucester Catholic) and Brian Muirhead (Columbia), to name a few, sprung into action.
“The first thing was to make sure there was a Senior All-Star game,” said Gov. Livingston coach Roof, always a mover and shaker among the coaches. “Also, the association gives the baseball coaches a voice in terms of working with NJSIAA on issues that affect us. We’ve already had some great conversations with Colleen (Maguire, the NJSIAA executive director).”
Joe Sorce has been given the assignment of leading the charge with the Senior All-Star Game. The association’s executive committee includes Laguerre, Falzarano, Gore, Muirhead, Abene, Somerville’s Chris Banos, Chapman, West Morris assistant Jim McDermott, Roof, Mike Rooney (Don Bosco Prep), Sorce and Sam Tropiano (Bishop Eustace).
“There’s a ton of coaches involved and there are a couple guys from the old All-Star committee,” said Roof. Indeed, the machinations of the All-Star Game on Monday will likely appear quite similar since the many of the same coaches have simply taken the directorial reins.
The much-respected LaGuerre, who picked up career victory No. 400 this spring, has been named the president of the association.
“The All-Star Game is what brought us all together,” said LaGuerre. “Saving the All-Star Game was paramount. It’s a tradition we couldn’t lose. The NJSIAA has been extremely helpful throughout that process.”
And bringing this impressive group of coaches together also triggered discussions on other matters that affect the high school game in New Jersey.
“We started to brainstorm and decided what better time to put an association together and discuss the things affecting our sport,” said LaGuerre. “We want to improve input from our membership and form a bond with the NJSIAA for the betterment of our young ball players.”
For coaches who haven’t attended the Senior All-Star Games, the event has that bonding effect on the participants, players and coaches alike, and that’s where the coaches association intends to be – together.
“We believe with unity comes strength and we want to partner with the NJSIAA to come up with things that improve the sport and make it better for our players,” says LaGuerre.
LaGuerre attended the Senior All-Star Games for the first time in 2022 when he had three players in the game and also watched as his late mentor, Hudson County legend Ed Ford, was honored for his contributions. “Being involved last year made me realize how important the All-Star Game was to a lot of people,” said LaGuerre. “I was blown away by how well it was run, the level of play and the admiration the ball players had for one another.”
It would seem the new coaches association has a great building block in the All-Star Game.
“It’s very important for all high school coaches to be part of the association,” says Roof. “The biggest thing is they will be getting a seat at the table with our association. It’s a chance to voice their ideas and make sure they get a vote in what is decided. It’s important for us to be united and part of something.”
LaGuerre has always been one to bring people together, whether it’s his own players or his colleagues in the sport.
“We have to do what’s best for the sport,” he says. “We need to put our own personal agendas aside. The most important thing is to have a strong dialogue. Post-pandemic, we’ve seen that with the NJSIAA. They’ve been great. If we put our heads together it will only improve the sport.”
2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS
NJHSCA Man of the Year: Frank Malta, Jackson/A.L. Johnson
NORTHWEST HONOREES
Hall of Fame: Jerry Battaglini, Newark Central/Columbia/Newark East Side
Service: Jim McDermott, Mount Olive/West Morris Central
NORTHEAST HONOREES
Hall of Fame: Tony Ferrainolo, Memorial (W.N.Y.)
Service: Mickey Hunt, Ramapo
CENTRAL HONOREES
Hall of Fame: Parker Snare, North Hunterdon
Service: William Bills, Timothy Christian
SOUTH HONOREES
Service: Larry Litwin, Umpire/South Jersey Baseball Coaches Association
Service: Keith Williams, Rutgers Camden/Maple Shade
NJHSCA SENIOR ALL-STAR GAMES ROSTERS
NORTHEAST
Pitchers
Alex Kranzler, Old Tappan
Ayden Alexander, Pope John
Kyle Rogers, Clifton
Delvison Reyes, Paterson Eastside
Brant Vicini, St. Joseph (Mont.)
Anthony Marano, DePaul Catholic
Jonathan Gilligan, Passaic Tech
Aidan Vargas, Teaneck
Chris Valencia, Bayonne
Catchers
Aidan Paradine, Bayonne
Jace Gilligan, Passaic Tech
Aiden Bagliano, Bergen Catholic
Infielders
Allen Hernandez, Don Bosco Prep
Matt Corwin, St. Peter’s Prep
Matt Freda, High Point
Zack Novokawski, Pascack Valley
Chris Villavicencio, Ferris
Derek Lazier, Vernon
Eric Becker, Don Bosco Prep
Zack Selfon, Mahwah
Outfielders
Julian Rondon, St. Joseph (Mont.)
Anthony Pallone, Ramsey
Braden Connors, Bergen Catholic
Garrett Wolf, DePaul Catholic
James Hinspter, Don Bosco Prep
Coaching staff: Pat LaGuerre, St. Peter’s Prep, Nick Urbanovich, Westwood, Wilmer Mendez, St. Peter’s Prep, Ryan Ellis, High Point, Robert Nutile, Passaic Tech.
CENTRAL
Pitchers
Noah Baird, Hunterdon Central
Connor Byrne, Ridge
Alex D’Ambrosio, Marlboro
John Goodes, Rumson-Fair Haven
Zachary Konstantinovsky, North Brunswick
Marcello Mastroianni, Ranney School
Jimmy Mulvaney, St. Joseph (Met.)
Ben Schild, Middletown South
Catchers
Brendan Buecker, Notre Dame
Martin Howell, Watchung Hills
Kyle McSorley, Old Bridge
Infielders
Brendan Callahan, Ridge
Gabe Cavazzoni, Wall
Casey Cumiskey, Spotswood
Ty Kobylakiewicz, Woodbridge
Reece Moroney, Rumson-Fair Haven
Frank Scrivanec, Red Bank Catholic
Diego Tavarez, Ranney School
Zack Wendell, Gill St. Bernards
Outfielders
Cristian Bernardini, Manalapan
Robbie Carvelli, St. Joseph (Met.)
Brett Patten, Manasquan
Alex Stanyek, Red Bank Catholic
Utility
Jake Pope, Steinert
Mike Villani, Old Bridge
Coaching staff: Vinnie Abene, Edison, Chris Banos, Somerville, Brian Giallella, Steinert, Buddy Hausman, Red Bank Catholic, Corey Kent, Voorhees.
SOUTH
Pitchers
Tanner Nolan, Gloucester Catholic
Tyler Bell, Central Regional
Ethan Bloomfield, Jackson Liberty
Jackson Logar, Shawnee
Jack Kirchner, Bishop Eustace
Doug King, Paulsboro
Nate DeCristopfaro, Haddon Twp.
Pete Dempster, Glassboro
Anthony Mehmet, Jackson Memorial
Catchers
Damon Suriani, Gloucester Catholic
Joe Nolan, Brick Memorial
Infielders
Charlier Meglio, Jackson Memorial
Dom Masino, Central Regional
Evan Brown, Cherokee
Vinnie Davis, Highland
Raf Rodgers, Bishop Eustace
Chris Ruggierei, Gloucester
Nick O’Brien, Shawnee
Ryley Betts, Buena
Outfielders
R.J. Mustaro, Gloucester Catholic
Gavin Degnan, Donovan Catholic
Robert Carfagno, Highland
Luke Hinkle, Paulsboro
Kevin Stewart, Burlington Twp.
Joe Sheeran, Mainland
Coaching staff: Greg Himes, Overbrook, Eric Newell, Haddon Heights, Corey Haaman, Donovan Catholic, Jerry Fuilio, Central Regional, Jay Groeschel, Brick Twp.
NORTHWEST
Pitchers
Steven Echavarria, Millburn
Sean Woodruff, Cranford
Griffin Seibel, Glen Ridge
Anthony Anzaldi, Montclair
Dan Ciprian, Linden
John Schmidt, Gov. Livingston
Joe Sabbath, Pequannock
Joe Lopinto, Hanover Park
Jack Kopera, Jefferson
Catchers
John Rolli, West Morris Central
Myles Seid, Livingston
Infielders
Spencer Nicely, Summit
Jack Amirata, Montclair Kimberley
Jackson Gulbin, Johnson
Ty Fredo, Caldwell
Shea Grady, Cranford
Jake Depetris, Parsippany
Kevin Hager, Delbarton
Ryan Jaros, Cranford
Toby Smith, Hanover Park
Outfielders
Alex Wilson, Millburn
A.J. Davis, Elizabeth
Griffin Mills, Delbarton
Nick Shuhet, Mountain Lakes
Ian Kaiser, Montville
Coaching staff: Joe Sorce, Belleville, Chris Roof, Gov. Livingston, Jason Kalish, Jefferson, Ralph Pacifico, Montclair Kimberley.