Chargers Baseball Team Looks to Defend its Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division Title

SPOTSWOOD, NJ - Spotswood High School's varsity baseball team kicks off the 2023-24 season on Tuesday with a home-at-home against Metuchen High School. It will be the Chargers' final season playing in the Swamp before SHS's varsity baseball field gets updated. Spotswood's home field earned its nickname for its ability to become a swamp whenever it rains. The poor drainage would often leave the field soggy for days after heavy rainfall. Despite that, the Swamp is not without its charm and has been the Chargers' home field since 1997.

"There is magic in this ballpark," Spotswood High School Head Baseball Coach Glenn Fredricks said. "Spotswood has only lost six times at the Swamp since 2019."

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Spotswood would like to keep that magic rolling after last spring's Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division championship and a 21-8 overall season record.

"The Chargers enter 2024 as the defending Blue Division Champions, having defeated St. Thomas in a winner take all division final last May," Fredricks said. "The team won 21 games and advanced to the Central Jersey Group Two Sectional final, one of the toughest in the state, for the first time since winning it in 2010. To return to that game, this year’s edition must replace 15 wins on the mound, 88 innings pitched, 13 wins and the offensive production of record-setting shortstop Casey Cumiskey. Cumiskey, now at Seton Hall, led all of New Jersey with 60 hits a season ago and owns a majority of the offensive career records at SHS."

In addition to Casey Cumiskey, the Chargers also lost outfielder Dylan Kartelias, pitcher Jackson Walsh and catcher Chris Bottiglieri. Key varsity players returning are seniors Luc Acquaviva (right-handed pitcher), Mason Bitalla (catcher), Breckyn DeAngelis (outfielder/right-handed pitcher), Jack Louro (right-handed pitcher) and Colin Pfeiffer (first base/catcher), juniors William Buchan (infielder/right-handed pitcher), Carter Cumiskey (first base/left-handed pitcher), Stephen Henits (outfielder), Shawn Lennan (third base), John Lubin (outfielder/right-handed pitcher) and Tyler Oleksy (left-handed pitcher) along with sophomores Ryan Orth (infielder/right-handed pitcher), Gavin Romeo (second base) and Sebastian Saracino (outfielder/right-handed pitcher). Joining the Chargers varsity this season are seniors Gavin Cahill (outfielder), Cole Frost (left-handed pitcher) and Mateo Rivera (right-handed pitcher) along with juniors Jack Bicsko (left-handed pitcher), Joe O'Halloran (outfielder) and Brandon Rivera (catcher/first base).

DeAngelis has committed to play for Drew University's Division III men's baseball program. Louro has also committed to play Division III ball for Neumann University's men's baseball program. Carter Cumiskey has verbally committed to join his brother Casey at Seton Hall University's Division I men's baseball program.

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Fredricks taps the Chargers pitching staff's depth as being one of the team's strengths.

"Charger pitching will get much welcomed help with the return of Luc Acuqaviva, Will Buchan and Jack Louro," Fredricks said. "The trio will join SHU commit Carter Cumiskey, senior Breckyn DeAngelis, Ryan Orth and junior Tyler Oleksy on this year’s pitching staff."

Spotswood's offense does lose some punch with the graduation of Casey Cumiskey, but still has strong bats in the lineup.

"On offense, the young but experienced lineup should produce runs," Fredricks said. "DeAngelis, Carter Cumiskey, Sebastian Saracino, Ryan Orth and Shawn Lennan return a good amount of production and experience. The offense will need to gel quickly for run production and the pitching staff has big shoes to fill coming off of a season which saw seven shutouts and 11 games of one run or less."

Spotswood's Thursday scrimmage with South Brunswick was canceled due to the rain. The Chargers play one final scrimmage against Middletown South on Saturday before opening the season on Tuesday at Metuchen High School. Game time against the Bulldogs is at 10 a.m. The home-at-home continues at the Swamp on Thursday, April 4. Spotswood's home opener is at 11 a.m. at the Spotswood High School Varsity Baseball Field.

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