HS Baseball Preview: Young Wood-Ridge Team Hopes to Rebuild on the Fly

Caption:A year after winning the North 2 Group 1 sectional baseball title, Wood-Ridge baseball is heading into a rebuilding year, with two seniors and three returning players.

Credits:Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis

WOOD-RIDGE, NJ – A year after winning the North 2 Group 1 sectional baseball title, Wood-Ridge baseball is heading into a rebuilding year, according to head coach Mike Carcich.

“We're a very young team with only two seniors and only two to three returning starters from last year,“ Carcich stated. “So we are rebuilding.  I have great depth with some younger kids that may have a chance to compete for varsity time this year.  If we can throw strikes and make the routine plays, we'll win some games.  I'm not sure how our inexperienced players will hit versus Varsity pitching, so that is the "X" factor.  Hopefully, we continue to get better throughout the season and can make some noise in the states.“

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Read : NJSIAA Baseball: Wood-Ridge Rally Lifts Blue Devils to Championship

Leading the way will be senior centerfielder/pitcher Salvatore Catanzaro.  Catanzaro hit .388 in 2023, with 25 stolen bases and scoring a team high 31 runs in 88 at bats.  On the mound, he was second on the staff a year ago, pitching 41.2 innings to 2.35 earned run average.

He will be joined by fellow senior Michael Marchitelli, who will play the infield corners and pitch.  He posted a 2.41 earned run average last year in 29 innings, while hitting .289 with 15 runs batted in 45 at bats while playing first, third and even catching a game for the Blue Devils.

After those two, everything is wide open.  Don't be surprised if some other names emerge in the position battles during the season.

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Freshmen Nick Mabel and Jacob Metcalf are the favorites behind the plate.   First base will be a combination of Marchitelli, whoever is not catching, and sophomore Jake Wall, who had a handful of at bats last year.

The middle of the infield will be a battle between sophomore Lucas Mendoza, junior Jared Montoya, and sophomore Dominick Buonomo for second base and shortstop.  Third base will be freshman Michael Prato and Marchitelli.

The outfield will be Catanzaro, when not on the mound, in center, with sophomore Nick Scalera, junior Christopher Castellano, and sophomore Anthony Carola to start the season.

On the mound, Wood-Ridge has its big two, followed by Wall, Mendoza, and Buonomo, plus some freshmen who will compete for innings.

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