South Plainfield pitcher Dan Hansen throws to first base during a 2009game. Hansen struck out 20 batters in GMCSBL action last weekend.
BASEBALL
July 14, 2010
By JOE MARTINO
STAFF WRITER
Hansen Strikes Out 20 In GMCSBL Playoffs
As the Greater Middlesex Coaches Summer Baseball League playoffs began, South Plainfield finally hit its stride, thanks in part to starting pitcher Dan Hansen.
The Tigers stood in fourth place in the Middlesex North Division at 5-5, but reeled off three-straight victories to clinch a spot in this weekend's AABC 17U Don Mattingly State Tournament at Prince Rodgers Complex and Nap Torpey Field, both in Bridgewater.
Hansen was brilliant in Saturday's 4-0 clincher over Woodbridge. He struck out the first nine batters he faced - including three on just nine pitches in the third inning - and fanned 20 for the game.
"It was the most dominant pitching performance I've seen at any level," said South Plainfield coach Nick McKee. "Earlier in the day he'd thrown 25 pitches in a college showcase so it was questionable if I was even going to start him, but he said he was ready to go and his arm felt great."
Hansen was dominant in Friday night's 2-0 playoff victory against Ocean as he struck out 14 batters, and enters the state tournament with staggering numbers for the summer: 4-0 with a 0.57 ERA, 44 strikeouts and just 4 walks.
"He was dominant in the spring for the varsity (9-1), but it looks like his velocity has jumped and he's mowing everyone down now," McKee added. "the last three times he's pitched, it looks like he's flipped the switch - unhittable."
St. Joseph, South Brunswick, and Middletown South are the other teams advancing from the GMCSBL, and Hansen will be on the mound for South Plainfield Thursday. Other qualifiers include Hillsborough, Bridgewater and Basking Ridge from the Pyramid League (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties) and Pennsville.
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Thursday, July 15
2010 AABC/Don Mattingly State Playoffs
5 GMCSBL TEAMS HEAD INTO AABC/MATTINGLY STATES TODAY
Bridgewater, NJ-
It didn't take very long for the Greater Middlesex Coaches Summer Baseball League to make noise on the AABC national scene. The newly affiliated league sent South Plainfield to the AABC World Series in its' first year of existence. The trip to New Mexico was one that S.P. would parlay into a seat atop the Start Ledger rankings for a good part of the high school season as New Jersey's number 1 team.
This year, the GMCSBL looks to return a team to the World Series in Farmington, NM, with 5 slugging squads looking to win the New Jersey State Championship and grab a bid out West.
South Plainfield is one of those teams looking to return to New Mexico. They will be joined by 3 other GMCSBL region winners in Middletown South, South Brunswick and St. Joe's. An at-large bid was recieved by Middlesex, the top point getter during the regular season.
Thursday will have 2 all GMCSBL matchups in the opening round with Middlesex and St. Joe's hooking up in a rematch of Saturday's region final (St. Joe's scored 12 unanswered runs for the 12-6 win) and South Plainfield facing off with South Brunswick.
The South Plainfield/South Brunswick game could be one of the best games of the tournament. South Brunswick has been the most complete and consistent team all summer. They are the Middlesex Co. South and Region Champion. South Brunswick can do it all. They can pitch behind undefeated Alex Carroll, and hit with slugger Nick Muha, Craig Cleffi and John Yurecko. South Plainfield possesses the best weapon in the tournament with lefty Dan Hansen. The southpaw has not lost all summer and has yielded one earned run. Hansen returns to the mound after striking out 20 vs. Woodbridge in the Regional Final on Saturday. If they have their full compliment of players, South Plainfield will be a tough out in this tournament.
With the group of teams from the GMCSBL headed out to Bridgewater, the prediction is that one of the 5 teams will advance. Choosing which team it will be is the most difficult part. The fun part is going to be watching it all go down at Nap Torpey Field and Prince Rodgers field in Bridgewater Twp starting Thursday.
Prediction: South Brunswick will return the favor from last year and win it out of the loser's bracket to advance to New Mexico!
Good luck to all of the teams in this year's tournament.
-Glenn Fredricks
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