MOUND – DOYLE, QUINONES, BATES, BYRNE, CAPOZZOLO

This season the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School baseball Raiders are expected to return all but two of their starting batting lineup and the bulk of their pitchers so a more promising year seems to be directly in front of them.

Last year, hovering around the .500 mark for three quarters of the season, the Raiders ran into a road block, lost its final six games and finished with a 9-16 record. High scoring games were common last season as 13 of the winning scores plated 10 runs or more.

To combat last year’s inability to keep many of the scores low, the returning Raiders, who were on the mound for a length of time – seniors Evan Doyle, Ryan Quinones and Matt Capozzolo, and juniors CJ Bates and Jack Byrne – gained valuable experience. Evan Doyle in 30 innings, allowed 27 hits, 37 runs (16 earned), 27 walks and seven hit batters, while striking out 37 for a 3.73 ERA and a 2-5 record. Quinones in 30.2 innings, walked 22, hit 10 batters, allowed 41 hits and 38 runs (29 earned), while fanning 32 for a 6.62 ERA and a 1-3 record.

Capozzolo in 23 innings, allowed 28 hits, 18 runs (11 earned), eight walks and five hit batters, while striking out 12 for a 3.35 ERA and a 3-2 record. Bates pitched 33 innings, allowed 35 hits, 29 runs (24 earned), 18 walks and 12 hit batters, while striking out 16 for a 5.09 ERA and a 3-0 record. In 23.1 innings, Byrne allowed 40 hits, 37 runs (26 earned), seven walks and three hit batters, while striking out 16 for an 7.80 ERA and an 0-3 record.

“Our top five pitchers from last year return: seniors Evan Doyle, Ryan Quinones and Matt Capozzolo; juniors CJ Bates and Jack Byrne. Junior Sam Beirne and seniorAnthony Veglia have had a nice preseason,” Raider Head Coach Joe Higgins also revealed.

Offensively, the Raiders have graduated two key players from their lineup, which included catcher Anthony Malta and Sean Ferrone. Last year, Malta led the team with a .353 batting average (BA) going 24-for-68 with 16 runs scored, 12 RBI, seven doubles and a triple to go with eight walks, seven hit-by-pitches (HP) and a stolen base. Ferrone finished .333 (21-for-63) with 15 runs scored, 11 RBI, three doubles, 17 walks and three stolen bases.

Of the returning batting lineup, junior Jack Sponheimer recorded the highest BA at .316 (24-for-76), with 18 runs scored, 10 RBI, four doubles, nine walks, three HP and a team- leading nine stolen bases. Evan Doyle finished .268 (15-for-56) with eight runs scored, seven RBI, five doubles, nine walks and a HP. Senior Jaden Carpien was 15-for-58 (.259) with 13 runs scored, 11 RBI, three doubles, a home run, seven walks and three stolen bases.

Senior Chris Kennedy had a .264 BA (19-for-72) with 21 runs scored, seven RBI, four doubles, a home run, six walks, five HP and six stolen bases. Quinones went 15-for-59 (.254) with eight runs scored, 11 RBI, five doubles, three triples, six walks, three HP and three stolen bases.

Sophomore Joe LaRosa was 7-for-29 (.250) with six runs scored, three RBI, a double, four walks, three HP and one stolen base. Senior Luke Doyle had six hits, nine RBI, seven runs scored, seven walks and a HP. Senior Matt Greisman had seven hits (2 doubles), eight runs scored, four RBI and seven walks.

All the defensive positions have not yet been carved in stone, but according to Coach Higgins, “We’re waiting for Luke Doyle to return from an injury. Second base is wide open and is being fought out by Jackson Lorenzetti (junior), Clay Friedrichs (sophomore), Alex Bolton (sophomore, also an outfielder), and Joe DeFrancesco (senior).Anthony Veglia could see time at first base and catcher in addition to pitching. Javier Gutierrez and Sean Harris are strong reserves in the outfield.”

Presently, it will look something like this: Sponheimer centerfield, LaRosa right field, Kennedy shortstop, Carpien third base, Quinones leftfield/Pitcher, Greisman designated hitter/leftfield, Evan Doyle pitcher/ first base, Michael Bellistri catcher.

The Raiders will open their season with a trip to South Brunswick to face the Bears on Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m. The Raiders will host the Union Catholic Vikings on Monday, April 1, at 4 p.m. then travel to Kenilworth to do battle with the David Brearley Bears on Wednesday, April 3, at 4 p.m. On Friday, April 5, the Raiders will host the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers at 4 p.m.