Summer to provide some answers for Brick Memorial
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

In two weeks, Brick Memorial baseball coach Frank Casey will begin working with some good, young prospects coming back on his team with the American Legion Mustangs summer team.

"I was a little disappointed. I thought we’d do a little bit better record-wise," Casey said after his team ended its season 8-11 with a 9-0 loss to Monsignor Donovan in which it was held to five hits. Chris James was knocked out in the second inning as Monsignor Donovan took a 7-0 lead.

"One thing that came out of it was that the kids never quit," Casey said.

"There were some shining moments with wins over Toms River South, Toms River North and Brick Township [at FirstEnergy Park]. We showed a lot of heart and a lot of hustle, some really proud moments."

Seven players graduate, including Mike Nicholson, who was a surprise in his first year as pitcher, the entire outfield of Paul Rizzitello in center, Pat Przybylowski and Greg Smith, who led the team in the cleanup spot with a .491 batting average and 17 RBIs, and the left side of the infield in steady shortstop Kevin Lubeck and second baseman John Chernosky.

"He did a little bit of everything for us," Casey said of Chernosky, who also picked up two saves over the Toms River teams.

Nine players come back, but the biggest question is whether Casey will. He severed from his job in the business sector a year ago and is looking to go back into teaching.

"He interviewed for a position at Brick Township, but someone else got the job and there are no openings at Brick Memorial right now," said Athletic Director Bill Bruno. "We’d love to have Frank back. He’s done a great job. But if he doesn’t, we understand and wish him well."

Although his specialty is in business, Casey pointed out that he also is certified to teach in elementary school and is awaiting word on that possibility.

"I definitely have a possibility in Jersey City," said Casey, who grew up and played high school baseball there as a pitcher at St. Peter’s Prep and now lives at the Shore. "I spoke with the superintendent but I’d really like to stay here. The thing is, I have to feed my family."

If he lands a teaching position in Jersey City, Casey said it would be difficult to get to practices and games in Brick.

For now, he is going along with business as usual, getting ready for the Legion season, but agrees that it’s not easy when you don’t know where you’ll be in the fall.

He’s working with some very strong underclassmen looking to help the team continue its upswing, a three-win improvement from the previous season.

Sophomore Andy Case, a solid defensivecatcher, will draw on two years of experience as a starter next season. Junior Joe Short, the team’s No. 1 pitcher who struggled most of a 2-3 season, and James, a sophomore who won two games, return, but another pitcher is needed to fill the void left by Nicholson, who had a 3.29 ERA in 30 innings pitched and was 2-0.

Junior Kyle Strang will be back at first base and Joe Baldasare returns to third. Like Smith, who hiked his batting average over 170 points from a .321 average a year ago, Strang improved his average by 50 points and moved up to the leadoff spot toward the latter third of the season. Rob Russo, a junior, and Jay Frank, a sophomore, showed tremendous promise in spot action in the outfield and could fill the spot there.

But it could be a wide open situation at shortstop and second base where summer ball could begin to answer some questions.

Casey also credits the players’ progress to the work of his assistant coaches — Joe Pierce, Evan Rizzitello and Brian Winters.