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SOUTH PLAINFIELD

Coach: Anthony Guida, 3rd season (38-17).

Last year: 25-3 (17-1 GMC White).

Top returning players: Brandon Downes (Sr., OF-C); Daniel Hansen (Sr., P-1B); Stephen Petriello (Jr., C); Mark Tomei (Jr., OF); Ryan Hutchison (Sr., P-OF); Charlie Huber (Sr., P).

Top newcomers: Nick DeMarco (Jr., P-INF); Tommy Bowden (Jr., P); Ryan Hughes (Jr., P-INF); Eric Niemeyer (Sr., P); Nick Ross (Sr., INF); Shane O'Connor (Sr., P-INF); Alex Liszewski (Sr., OF); Ryan Marcoux (Jr., INF); Nick Kukuch (Jr., OF); Chris Kukuch (Jr., INF); Quinn Cochrane (So., P-OF); A.J. Celentano (So., P-INF).

Outlook: The Tigers, who ended the. 2010 campaign ranked No.1 in the Home News Tribune Top 10, graduated their entire starting infield. Mark Benak, Kyle Hughes, Rob Pasternak and Matt Cesare combined for 144 hits, 105 runs and 74 RBI. Pasternak was regarded as the GMC's best defensive second baseman. The veteran outfield is anchored by Downes, the GMC's 2010 Player of the Year. His 15 homers were two shy of the state's single-season record. Downes led the club with a .484 batting average and 49 RBI. He has signed with the University of Virginia. Downes moved from behind the plate to the outfield with the emergence last spring of Petriello (.465, 5 HR, 33 RBI), a first·team All-Area catcher. Tomei (.342, 4 HR, 17 RBI) and Hutchison will flank Downes in the outfield. Hansen (9-1, 1.80) will be the staff ace. He fanned 20 Woodbridge batters in a GMC Summer Baseball League playoff game. The workhorse of South Plainfield's staff a year ago, he walked just 20 batters over 54-plus innings. Hutchison and Huber, who combined to throw seven Innings, are the only other pitchers with varsity experience. Huber keeps the ball down in the strike zone and will record plenty of groundball outs. Expect Bowden, a right-hander, to make an immediate impact on the mound. South Plainfield has plenty of arms to battle for the No.3 starter role.
http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/baseball/

PRE SEASON TOP 10

1. St. Joseph

2. South Plainfield

3. Old Bridge

4. Monroe

5. South Brunswick

6. North Brunswick

7. East Brunswick

8. Woodbridge

9. Middlesex

10T. South River

10T. Edison

PRESEASON

ALL·AREA

P - Brandon Dolan, St. Joseph

P - Jon Young, Old Bridge

P - Charles Thielmann, Piscataway

P - Dan Hansen, South Plainfield

C - Stephen Petriello, South Plainfield

1B - Steven Hock, North Brunswick

2B - Blake Cuomo, Sayreville

SS - Christian Campbell, Sayreville

3B - Myles Diggins, Rutgers Prep

OF - Carl Thomore, East Brunswick

OF - Brandon Downes, South Plainfield

OF - Tommy Marcinczyk, Middlesex

DH - Nick Dini, Monroe

UP - Anderson Rosa, Perth Amboy

UP - Dave Rondesko, South River

PRESEASON

ALL - GMC WHITE DIVISION

P - Dan Hansen, South Plainfield

P - Nick Stallone, Woodbridge

P - Emilio Calderon, Perth Amboy

P - Matt Wagner, Colonia

C - Stephen Petriello, South Plainfield

1B - Stephen Hock, North Brunswick

2B - Corey Liebross, Monroe

SS - Alex Vizcaino, Monroe

3B - Emil Kranz, J.F. Kennedy

OF - Brandon Downes, South Plainfield

OF - Jimmy Small, Monroe

OF - Jake Rosenberg, North Brunswick

DH - Nick Dini, Monroe .

UP - Anderson Rosa, Perth Amboy

UP - Frank D’Agostino, Monroe

Baseball season preview, 2011

BOB BEHRE, April 01, 2011 1:06 a.m.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brandon Downes, South Plainfield, Sr.: The center fielder had a breakout campaign for a 25-3 squad last year, earning All-Sate and All-Middlesex County Player of the Year honors. He batted .484 with 15 HRs, had 49 runs-scored, 47 RBI and a 1.063 slugging percentage. He'll attend the University of Virginia next year.

Carl Thomore, East Brunswick, Sr.: His stats may not wow but the scouts love the multi-tool outfielder. He batted .328 last year with 19 RBI, a .469 on-base percentage and was 20-of-20 in stole- base attempts, including several steals of home.

Nick Dini, Monroe, Sr.: Versatile veteran is expected to return behind the plate this year. He batted .551 and slugged 1.133 last year with 30 extra base hits, including 10 HRs. He enters the year with 122 career hits, 80 RBI, 96 runs scored, 32 doubles, nine triples and 15 HRs.

Contenders: Cranford, South Plainfield, Seneca, Monmouth Regional, Ramapo, Ocean Township.

BY THE NUMBERS April 1, 2011

Number of head coaches South Amboy has had in the past four years now that Bob Dougherty has taken over the program.

Number of GMC schools at which Leo Danik, who begins his first season at Metuchen, has served as head coach. Danik previously coached at J,P. Stevens, South Brunswick and Dunellen, He also was an assistant at Edison.

Number of sophomores starting for defending GMC Blue Division champion Middlesex, which hopes lefty slugging sophomore outfielder Tommy Marcinczyk (7 HR in 2010) benefits from a new rightfield fence at the Blue Jays home field.

Number of Woodbridge batters South Plainfield ace Dan Hansen fanned in a seven-inning GMC Summer Baseball League playoff game last July. The workhorse of the Tigers' staff, Hansen fanned just 35 batters in 54-plus innings last season.

Number of professional scouts from major league teams who have visited East Brunswick senior center fielder Carl Thomore at his house or have come to watch him play during the preseason.

Number of home runs from 2010 Carteret lost to graduation. The Ramblers do not return a single player who belted a round-tripper.

Number of hits senior catcher Nick Dini of Monroe needs to break the state's career record of 188, set by Old Tappan's Rob Segedin in 2007. Dini clubbed 54 hits last season.

Height in inches of promising 6-foot-6 sophomore Brennan Price who is expected to bat in the heart of Middlesex's order and serve as the team's closer. He homered earlier this week in a scrimmage against South Plainfield.

Height in inches of 6-foot-7 sophomore left-hander James Ziemba, who is expected to make a big impact (pun intended) as a pitcher at St. Joseph.

362

Number of career victories for Bishop Ahr head coach Scott Runkel, the GMC's winningest active coach, who begins his 28th season.

835

Number of 2010 plate appearances St. Joseph lost to graduation.