South Plainfield hires former star player as head baseball coach

 

Greg Tufaro - MyCentralJersey.com
Published 9:26 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2021
Updated 7:07 a.m. ET Jan. 26, 2021

Scott Gleichenhaus, a former star player at South Plainfield High School, has taken over the reins of the baseball program at his alma mater. 

The veteran mentor, who previously served as the head coach at Plainfield and Piscataway high schools, succeeds Anthony Guida, who stepped down earlier this month to spend more time with his family. 

Gleichenhaus left Piscataway following the 2018 season, shortly before his wife, Veliana, gave birth to the couple’s first child, Ollie, and most recently served as a volunteer assistant at South Plainfield, where the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the entire 2020 scholastic season.

“I don’t think we miss a beat with Scott coming in,” South Plainfield athletics director Kevin McCann said. “I think we were lucky that he decided to take the helm and lead us. It’s not every day you get somebody with his experience to take a team that Coach Guida took to another level. You just know Coach ‘Glick’ will maintain that and look to bring it to an even higher level.”

Scott Gleichenhaus, left, succeeds Anthony Guida, right, as South Plainfield's Baseball Coach

Guida compiled a 213-105 record at South Plainfield, where he led the Tigers to their first Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship in school history and helped them end a 40-year state title drought.

South Plainfield enjoyed winning campaigns in all but two of Guida's 11 seasons. In six of those years, the Tigers won at least 20 games.

“We are looking for great things from Coach ‘Glick,’” McCann said. “He knows the tradition because he was a part of it for so many years. He takes pride in South Plainfield and the program. I think he’s gung-ho and he wants to better it.”

Vinnie Abene, co-president of the Greater Middlesex Conference, said Gleichenhaus’ return as a head coach is good for South Plainfield and the entire league.

“When ‘Glick’ was here (as a head coach at Piscataway), he was always involved and did a lot behind the scenes, trying to make the conference better,” Abene said. “To have a guy like him come back and be familiar with the conference is going to make the conference better.”

Abene said “replacing Anthony was not going to be easy,” but “I think they found a guy in ‘Glick’ who not only knows the game, but he really knows his players. He’s an intense guy who is going to add a lot of fire to that South Plainfield team.”

Gleichenhaus, who teaches social studies at South Plainfield Middle School, graduated from high school in 1994 as one of Middlesex County’s top players.

Scott Gleichenhaus as a player at South Plainfield.

He secured a three-quarters scholarship to Long Island University before transferring to Widener University, where he helped the program win a conference title.

After earning his degree in education, Gleichenhaus commenced his teaching and coaching career, beginning the latter as an assistant at Metuchen.

Gleichenhaus said he’s always been jealous of conference coaching peers such as Spotswood’s Glenn Fredricks and South River’s Mike Lepore Jr., who have both been able to enjoy long careers at their high school alma maters.

“I’m a South Plainfield guy,” Gleichenhaus said. “I love the community. It’s like no other town.”

Gleichenhaus spoke with friend, Chris Cochrane, a former South Plainfield and Rutgers University ace who the Oakland Athletics drafted, about the opportunity to succeed Guida.  

“(Cochrane) said, ‘That’s a dream job,’” recalled Gleichenhaus, noting the conversation helped ease any doubts he may have had about returning to the diamond as a head coach with a toddler, who will soon turn 2 years old, at home.

Scott Gleichenhaus on the diamond with his son, Ollie.

“I knew I was making the right decision. You are a baseball guy having the opportunity to coach baseball where we played. There’s nothing like it in the world. I want to be remembered as someone who was willing to give back everything to the community that gave him everything. I want to coach every kid like I would want my kid to be handled and coached.”

Gleichenhaus said he is a 24-7-365 coach who perceives the vocation as a year-round profession. Approaching the game any other way, Gleichenhaus said, would be selling players short. The coach has already met virtually with his team.

“It’s a surreal feeling to be able to have this opportunity at this time,” Gleichenhaus said, noting he wants players to “use baseball as a springboard to something greater in life.”

Gleichenhaus said he can wait for the season to get underway. Coaches can start working with pitchers and catchers on March 26 and can begin practice with their full squads six days later.

“We’ve got so much baseball bottled inside of us,” Gleichenhaus said. “It’s going to all ooze out and explode."

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/baseball/2021/01/25/nj-baseball-south-plainfield-hires-alumnus-head-baseball-coach/4254930001/

SPHS Baseball Coach Anthony Resigns

Anthony Guida Steps Down As SPHS Baseball Coach

By CHRIS NALWASKY 

January 12, 2021 at 1:48 PM

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - Every good thing must come to an end.

Anthony Guida resigned as the South Plainfield High School varsity baseball coach on Monday he and Athletic Director Kevin McCann told TAPinto South Plainfield.

Guida held the position since 2009 and the decision to step down was because of family.

“It was family oriented. It really was,” Guida told TAPinto South Plainfield. “It’s been in my head for a few years. I’ve had two coaches the last two years resign because of family. I’m sitting there and saying I have a family too. It’s getting hard on my wife and my in-laws. I’m at the point where I had to make a decision based on my family. I’m happy. I’m sad. I’m firm with it. I’m going to miss it. I’m leaving the program at a high level. They are going to be successful. Whoever takes over will have a good bunch of kids to coach.

Guida has racked up 213 wins for his career, and he reached the 200-win milestone on April 11, 2019.

In 2015, Guida was named the NJ.com Coach of the Year and Home News Tribune Coach of the Year on the diamond after his Tigers won the Group 3 state title for the first time. It was the last state title for the Tigers since 1975.

South Plainfield won its first Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship as well in 2018.

Under Guida’s watch, the Tigers have had nine winning seasons in Guida’s 11 years. There was no season in 2020 because of the pandemic. Guida has six seasons of at least 20 wins.

Guida graduated from fellow Middlesex County school, Monroe, in 1995 and went on to play for Rowan. He played in the outfield. Guida was previously the head coach at Dunellen.

Guida coached South Plainfield in the Last Dance World Series last summer where the Tigers went 2-1, including a walk-off, 5-4 win in their last game against Old Bridge.

Going forward, McCann hope to make a choice sooner rather than later.

“Coach Guida is going to be missed. He’s run an outstanding program for years and has had tremendous success. We’re going to look for someone who can continue that. As of now, we did post the position, and we’ve received interest from the outside and inside. We’ll see how that goes.”

Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/south-plainfield/articles/anthony-guida-steps-down-as-sphs-baseball-coach-talks-decision

Baseball is back in N.J., but it’s not HS ball. Here’s how Last Dance is different

By Richard Greco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The familiar sounds of metal bats colliding with baseballs, leather gloves snagging screaming line drives and the grizzly roars from umpires howling “Play ball!” will return to over 50 baseball fields throughout New Jersey as the Last Dance World Series gets underway July 14.

The 222-team tournament, which is the brainchild of St. Joseph (Met.) head coach and athletic director Mike Murray, may feature plenty of stars from local high school teams, but it is not a high school tournament. It isn’t even being sanctioned by the NJSIAA and instead, will be run by the United States Speciality Sports Association.

The only NJSIAA rule tournament officials must adhere to is the summer coaching guideline, which this year states that high school coaches may not coach their own players until July 13.

Other than that, this tournament isn’t going to look much like the NJSIAA state tournament that we’re used to.

Right from the get-go, the tournament opens with three days of pool play, guaranteeing each participant a minimum of three games played. Thirty-two teams will advance out of the pool play round, which features 56 groups.

Instead of being broken up by school size like the NJSIAA state tournament, the Last Dance breaks things down geographically pitting teams against each other that wouldn’t imagine facing off with a state title on the line.

“It is really exciting,” Gill St. Bernard’s coach Dave Pasquale said. “It has the feel of a combination between a county and state tournament because we’re facing teams that would never be in our state tournament bracket. Then, if you advance past your geographical pool, you move on to play other schools that you probably wouldn’t even see during the regular season.”

Pool play also presents a new set of rules.

Teams will be allowed to bat as many as 11 batters and make unlimited defensive substitutions - encouraging coaches to give as many kids playing time as possible.

“I think that the unlimited defensive substitutions really emphasize what this is about,” Waldwick coach Dan Freeman said. “It’s not necessarily about cut-throat decisions and winning at all costs. It’s about celebrating the seniors and everyone else that worked their tails off from the end of last season until now.”

Another rule change will be that pitchers will not have a pitch count or innings limit. The NJSIAA implemented a pitch count rule in 2017 that capped pitchers at 110 pitches in a single outing and 140 pitches over a five-day period. While there is no limit for this tourney, the Last Dance staff has asked coaches not to overuse pitchers.

“I think that the coaches will be pretty responsible,” Hamilton West coach Mike Moceri said. “I know that as soon as the kids were allowed to start practicing, they’ve been throwing. They’re working up to getting anywhere from 50-75 pitches by the 14th.”

How hard & how long will pitchers throw?

When play begins on July 14, pitchers who haven't faced live action in months will be in spotlight

The pitchers will be throwing to a different looking backstop.

After observing other organizations that have returned to play, Murray and umpire Warren Bennett decided that traditional home plate umps will call games from behind the pitcher’s mound instead of crouching behind the catcher. Umps will continue calling games from behind the mound through at least the pool play round.

While the umpires won’t be in their traditional spot for safety reasons, Egg Harbor Township coach Bryan Carmichael doesn’t see that as an issue.

“I played college baseball and when we did intrasquad games, we always called the games from behind the mound,” he said. “I don’t think it is that big of a deal. I know that some of the umpires in the area have been working travel ball and doing scrimmages so they’re going to have their mechanics down. I don’t think it is going to be that big of an issue.”

Moving the umpires was not the only safety precaution that the tournament has taken.

Every coach, player and umpire will have their temperatures taken by paid, certified athletic trainers upon arrival at every site before every game. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be sent home. Players and coaches are required to wear masks in the dugout and social distance as much as possible.

Fans have been asked to arrive no more than 10-15 minutes before first-pitch and are not permitted in the dugout or backstop areas. While fans are not subject to temperature checks, social distancing down the left and right field lines is required and will be enforced by site managers. Masks are recommended for all fans.

“It’s kind of similar to what you hear in Gov. Murphy’s briefings,” Murray said. “You need people at a macro-level to be smart and to have commonsense. Throughout the tournament, we have site directors and athletic training personnel at every site. For the most part, we’re hoping that parents and fans are going to be smart.”

While this may not be the state tournament that we’re used to, baseball is back in New Jersey and this year’s seniors get to suit up with their high school teammates at least three more times to try to make up for a lost spring.

“This is great for the kids,” Moceri said. “I’m looking forward to it. I know that the kids are itching to get onto the field and play a real game. They’re itching to get on the field and practice. It’s going to be good to see them out there laughing with each other.”

https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2020/07/baseball-is-back-in-nj-but-its-not-hs-ball-heres-how-last-dance-is-different.html

BASEBALL 2020 - THE SEASON THAT NEVER WAS

In Recognition of the ballplayers that were denied a

2020 Baseball Season due to the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic

 

2020 TIGER BASEBALL SEASON DELAYED

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL

TIGER BASEBALL SEASON IS BEING DELAYED

Game # 27 Governor Livingston 9, South Plainfield 5

 

South Plainfield (5) at Gov. Livingston (9), NJSIAA Tournament, Quarterfinals, Central Jersey, Group 2

By The Star Ledger
on May 24, 2019 8:00 PM

 

Top-seeded Gov. Livingston used a four-run fifth-inning rally to snag a come-from-behind 9-5 win over ninth-seeded South Plainfield in the quarterfinals of the Central Jersey, Group 2 tournament in Berkeley Heights.

Gov. Livingston (21-4) will face fifth-seeded Point Pleasant Boro in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Sean McCullough hit a two-run single to give Gov. Livingston a 6-4 lead in the fifth. Drew Compton, who leads the state in home runs with 13, hit a homer to tie the game 4-4 for the home team earlier in the inning.

The Highlanders led 7-4 by the end of the inning.

South Plainfield (18-9) scored four runs in the opening inning and led 4-2 heading into the fifth.

Ryan Davey picked up the win in six innings on the mound, while Joey Defeo threw for one inning of relief.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2370713968373016597/south-plainfield-5-at-gov-livingston-9-njsiaa-tournament-quarterfinals-central-jersey-group-2-baseball/

 



South Plainfield eliminated from NJSIAA baseball Tournament

Greg Tufaro
Bridgewater Courier News

Governor Livingston 9, South Plainfield 5

 

The ninth-seeded Tigers squandered a four-run first-inning lead as the top-seeded Highlanders rallied for a comeback victory in the Central Group II quarterfinals.

After scoring twice in the second inning to trim the 4-0 deficit in half, Governor Livingston left the bases loaded as South Plainfield starter Jordan Hamberg limited the damage.

The Tigers had an opportunity to extend their lead in the top of the fifth, but the Highlanders turned an inning-ending double play to escape a bases-loaded jam.

Drew Compton’s state-leading 13th homer of the season enabled Governor Livingston to forge a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth. Sean McCulloch followed with a two-run single for a 6-4 lead. The Highlanders tacked on one more run in the fifth-inning rally to take a 7-4 advantage.

After South Plainfield closed the deficit to 7-5 in the sixth, Governor Livingston answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame to produce the final margin

South Plainfield ends its season with an 18-9 record.

Governor Livingston improved to 21-4.

 

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/baseball/2019/05/24/south-plainfield-baseball-squanders-early-lead-in-loss-to-top-seeded-governor-livingston/1230294001/

 

Game # 26 South Plainfield 3, Delaware Valley 0

 

South Plainfield (3) at Delaware Valley (0), NJSIAA Tournament, First round, Central Jersey, Group 2 - Baseball

 

By The Star Ledger
on May 21, 2019 6:50 PM

 

Chris Shine pitched a three-hitter, striking out nine and walking one to lead ninth-seeded South Plainfield over eighth-seeded Delaware Valley, 3-0, in the first round of the Central Jersey, Group 2 tournament in Alexandria.

Shine helped his own cause with a two-run single in the top of the seventh inning, while RJ Massaro, Jordan Hamberg and Brody Donovan scored a run apiece for South Plainfield (18-8), which had five hits as a team.

Brett Godown allowed three hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three and walking three while earning a no-decision for Delaware Valley (10-9).

South Plainfield will face top-seeded Gov. Livingston in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2370709968357016604/south-plainfield-3-at-delaware-valley-0-njsiaa-tournament-first-round-central-jersey-group-2-baseball/

 



No. 9 South Plainfield 3, No. 8 Delaware Valley 0

 

Greg Tufaro

Bridgewater Courier News

 

Senior righthander Chris Shine, a Seton Hall University signee, struck out nine and scattered three hits in the opening round of the Central Group II Tournament.

The Tigers will face top-seeded Governor Livingston in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Shine helped his own cause, going 1-for-3 with two RBI. Ron Gonzalez singled twice for the Tigers, while Brody Donovan, TJ Massaro and Jordan Hamberg each scored a run.

Shine helped his own cause, going 1-for-3 with two RBI. Ron Gonzalez singled twice for the Tigers, while Brody Donovan, TJ Massaro and Jordan Hamberg each scored a run.

The Tigers improved their record to 18-8.

 

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/baseball/2019/05/20/gmc-baseball-state-tournament-roundup-monday-may-20/3748155002/

 

Game # 25. South Plainfield 7, Elizabeth 1

 

 

 

Baseball: Central Jersey, Group 2 State Tournament Preview

By Joe Zedalis | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on May 17, 2019 7:09 AM

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2
BRACKET
Favorite

Manasquan: The third-seeded Warriors (14-4) have two quality pitchers in Spencer Bauer and Mike Anthony and a big-time bomb-hitter in Monmouth University recruit James Harmstead. Plus, Manasquan benefits from having hard-hitting Gov. Livingston and strong-armed South Plainfield in the upper bracket. Manasquan has showed it has the ability to play with some of the better teams in the Shore Conference. It as a 1-0 win over No. 20 Red Bank Catholic and a 5-2 loss to No. 11 Christian Brothers.

Complete tournament preview
North 1: GR. 4 | GR. 3 | GR. 2 | GR. 1
North 2: GR. 4 | GR. 3 | GR. 2 | GR. 1
Central: GR. 4 | GR. 3 | GR. 2 | GR. 1South: GR. 4 | GR. 3 | GR. 2 | GR. 1
N-P: North A | North B | South A | South B

Contenders

Gov. Livingston and South Plainfield:  First-seeded Gov. Livingston and ninth-seeded South Plainfield would meet in the quarterfinals if both survive the opening round. With the way it swings the bat, Gov. Livingston is capable of winning any game. However, with the way it has pitched it is capable of losing any game, too. Gov. Livingston was bounced from the Union County Tournament in the semifinals by Scotch Plains-Fanwood. Gov. Livingston is only 2-2 in its last four. It clearly misses Georgia Tech recruit Stephen Reid, who is out with a hand injury. However, the Highlanders still have Drew Compton, who is one of the state's finest hitters. South Plainfield has stud right-hander Chris Shine (74 strikeouts, 15 walks, 4 earned runs in 43.4 innings), lefty Jordan Hamberg (44 strikeouts, 14 walks, 11 earned runs in 34.4 innings and a perfect game). However, South Plainfield also has a tough first-round drawn in No. 8 Delaware Valley (10-7).


Dark HorsesMetuchen and Voorhees: Metuchen is dangerous. The Bulldogs pitch pretty well -- especially when Matt Rowe is on the hill. They hit pretty well. Metuchen has won three of its last four. Tenth-seeded Metuchen has a tough, first-round draw in Bordentown (11-6). Voorhees is the second-seed. The Vikings (13-6) lost to Hunterdon Central, 2-1, and has two victories over Delaware Valley. Voorhees is 3-3 in its last six. Voorhees has two solid pitchers in Drew Conover (45 strikeouts, 16 walks in 27.8 innings) and Truman Richter (36 strikeouts, 18 walks in 23 innings). Nick Zobian is having a strong spring at the plate for Voorhees with 23 hits and 18 RBI.


Hitting Leaders

(Through May 15 according to njschoolsports.com)
Player, School, Hits - At-Bats - 2B - 3B - HR - Runs - RBIs

Saul Lopez, Johnson, 32-73-3-3-0-19-16
Kyle Adorno, Johnson, 31-73-2-0-0-28-12
Jack Gillmer, Robbinsville, 29-69-8-2-0-31-6
Michael Gurzynski, Carteret, 29-70-6-2-0-26-26
Steve Harrington, Johnson, 29-68-4-2-0-19-24
Sam Collins, Point Pleasant Boro, 28-68-2-2-0-21-11
Dylan Wood, Bordentown, 27-59-4-1-0-11-18
Colin Saliski, Carteret, 27-72-6-1-3-22-21
Julian Santana, Carteret, 27-76-8-0-0-31-12
Jordan Hamberg, South Plainfield, 27-68-6-0-2-12-18
Nick Razzano, South River, 24-68-4-0-0-16-15
Nicholas Guzzi, Point Pleasant Boro, 24-54-4-1-0-9-24
Axel Nunez, Carteret, 24-67-5-5-2-23-26
Michael DeSantis, South River, 23-69-3-0-0-19-14
TJ Massaro, South Plainfield, 23-64-4-2-0-18-2
Zach Zuchowski, Delaware Valley, 23-56-4-1-3-14-18
Dennis Shopp, Carteret, 23-54-4-1-0-13-10
Nick Zobian, Voorhees, 23-55-2-0-4-9-18
Oscar Rodriguez, Carteret, 23-63-3-2-1-21-12
John Raymond, Delaware Valley, 22-48-10-1-1-13-13
Nick Matt, Robbinsville, 22-66-0-0-1-8-15

Pitching leaders

(Through May 15 according to njschoolsports.com)
Player, School, Wins - IP - K’s - BB - ER

Jake Tennant, Raritan, 6-48.4-30-19-24
Chris Shine, South Plainfield, 6-43.4-74-15-4
Nicholas Guzzi, Point Pleasant Boro, 6-40.5-63-7-5
Dante Ciaramella, Monmouth, 5-47-73-10-8
Mike Anthony, Manasquan, 5-24-27-11-7
Sam Collins, Point Pleasant Boro, 5-34.4-46-8-7
Matt Rowe, Metuchen, 5-46.1-64-14-10
Michael DeSantis, South River, 4-26.4-43-10-4
Matt Vento, Spotswood, 4-34.2-42-12-8
Tyler Lehmann, Robbinsville, 4-36-45-6-7
Dan Frascella, Robbinsville, 4-26-30-10-9
Kyle Kato, Bordentown, 4-37-35-11-8
Julian Santana, Carteret, 4-28.6-32-26-33
John Grill, Gov. Livingston, 4-31.3-39-22-8
Kevin Shanes, Rumson-Fair Haven, 4-7-6-6-5
Jordan Hamberg, South Plainfield, 4-34.4-44-14-11
Drew Conover, Voorhees, 4-27.8-45-16-13

Past champions:

2018: Raritan
2017: Gov. Livingston
2016: Delaware Valley
2015: Gov. Livingston
2014: Robbinsville

FINAL PREDICTION:

9-South Plainfield vs. 3-Manasquan

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/5112792146705381238/baseball-central-jersey-group-2-state-tournament-preview/

Game # 24 South Plainfield 10, Bloomfield 5

South Plainfield 10,  Bloomfield 5

 

Greg Tufaro

Brigewater Courier News

South Plainfield 10, Bloomfield 5: Chris Shine singled, doubled, clubbed a three-run homer and scored three times for the Tigers (16-8).

Winning pitcher Justin Jones pitched four and third innings. He allowed three earned runs and fanned six batters.

Matt Cassio hurled an inning and two thirds of shutout relief. He also delivered an RBI single.

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/baseball/2019/05/16/gmc-baseball-roundup-thursday-may-16/3700139002/

 

 



 

NO GAME SUMMARY