What was the outcome of the season?
The Saddle Brook High School Baseball team finished 12-8 on the season and once again qualified for the NJSIAA State Tournament. The team lost 1-0 to #3 seed Emerson in the first round of the tournament in one of the most exciting games of the year. Anthony Marchetto started the game on the mound and pitched 7 complete innings of shutout ball against one of the best teams in Bergen County. We lost the game in 8 innings after a gritty performance by players on both teams. One of the highlights of the season was rebounding to beat St. Mary’s the next day 13-5. As a result of defeating one of the top 10 teams in the county, Saddle Brook moved into third place in NJIC Meadowlands division.
What was the best part about the year?
The best part of any season for me as a coach is watching my players work hard and improve everyday. I can honestly say that about every member of this team this year. We had 14 players that came out everyday to get better and it paid dividends in the end. We absolutely played our best baseball during the last two weeks of the season against some tough opponents. I am proud of the way our players continued to work. One of the most significant accomplishments was breaking the school record for a team batting average. Collectively, we hit .364 as a team which is a remarkable statistic over the course of a season.
What would you have done differently?
Had it rain less. This was one of the most difficult seasons I have dealt with in over 20 seasons as a coach in terms of having games rained out and rescheduled.
What are you hoping to improve on next year?
I would like to see the program continue to grow in a variety of ways. Our participation numbers are down, so I would love to see more baseball players in the school come out and challenge themselves with high school competition. I also want to see the level of competitiveness that we established this year carry over to our underclassmen and continue to have a successful program.
Sports: Baseball
11
Baseball