Chemistry making Metuchen dangerous tournament team

MHS baseball team sports 12-4 mark

BY JIMMY ALLINDER Correspondent

Within the confines of the Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division, Metuchen High Schools baseball team has fared well, posting a 12-4 record and finishing in second place to unbeaten Middlesex. The question is, can the Bulldogs make their mark in the upcoming conference state tournaments?

Tournaments always come down to which teams have the most effective pitching, reliable defense and timely hitting, says Leo Danik, Metuchen coach. This year, both [GMC and Central Jersey Group I] tournaments arewide open, so it will be quite a challenge for us to win.

Metuchen appears to have all the ingredients to not only go far in the states, but make its mark in the GMCs. The pitching has been reliable with seniors Steve Fortuna, Michael Redshaw and Jon Pertakakos receiving the majority of starting assignments. Fortuna sports a 5-0 record, has given up just two earned runs and struck out 55. Redshaws record is 4-2, and Pertakakos has posted a 3- 1 mark.

Fortuna has helped himself at the plate by leading the Bulldogs in hits (25) and runs batted in (25) and is hitting a team-leading .532. No less than five other regulars are also hitting above .300 to help the offense. Junior Michael Hronich is hitting .465 with 20 hits and 22 RBIs, junior Kyle Salmon is batting .460 with 23 hits and 12 RBIs, Petrakakos has a .375 average with 15 hits and 9 RBIs, senior Tim Redshaw maintains a .317 average with 23 hits and a team-leading 16 runs scored, and Nicholas Aretino is hitting .423 with 17 hits.

Danik says Redshaw and sophomores Paul Rhoades and Chris Micak have come up in big spots and have delivered at the plate and in the field.

The chemistry thats developed with this team, says Danik, has been a big factor for us coming together sooner than I expected. A lot of that has to do with our senior leadership. We have individuals in key positions that have come through time after time to get us to where we are now. There are no single-minded individuals here. Everything we do is focused on how it will contribute to the team winning.

The GMC will determine the seeds for its tournament on May 11, and first-round games are scheduled for May 15 at the home of the higher seed. The state tournament begins May 21. The Bulldogs traveled to Colonia for a regular-season game on May 7 and host Linden on May 9 and South Plainfield on May 11.

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Chemistry making Metuchen dangerous tournament team