Brick's Lucchetti keeping busy this summer
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

It was a hectic summer of baseball pitching and playing first base, and now F.J. Lucchetti will switch gears and start football practice for Brick Township High on Monday.

"I've been running and lifting five days a week," said Lucchetti. "I'm just trying to get bigger and faster. The team is looking good this year."

Lucchetti, a wide receiver last season, also is looking to see more opportunities at running back for the Green Dragons, who look to get back into the NJSIAA playoffs after missing out for the first time last season with a rare losing record under legendary coach Warren Wolf, the state's all-time leader in victories.

Lucchetti has been working out on his own with sophomore Jordan Roschala, who is vying for the starting quarterback position held the past two seasons by Bill Winters, and is off to a college career at Fairleigh Dickinson University of Florham Park.

"He's young so he has to get used to it," said Lucchetti.

Lucchetti was clocked at 6.6 seconds in the 60-yard dash over the summer and also pitched a game for the Perfect Game team in a tournament in Georgia three weeks ago, pitching six strong innings in a 2-1 victory over a team from Maryland.

The tall left-hander threw five pitches in a SelectFest showcase at the Somerset Patriots field before the rest of the workout was rained out. He also was selected for the prestigious Carpenter Cup team in late June but did not get an opportunity to pitch because the team lost its opening game.

Lucchetti also pitched for the Brick Township Green Dragons American Legion team that finished strongly in a 6-8 season despite missing players throughout the season because of their various commitments. Lucchetti began working on a slider to add to his repertoire of pitches that include a fastball, curve and change-up.

His hitting tapered off a little with the American Legion team after he showed consistency and power at the plate for Brick Township's varsity team that made the NJSIAA and Shore Conference tournaments in an 11-10 season. Lucchetti picked up seven mound victories for that team.

"His hitting fell off a little in Legion but I'm not worried about it," said Jason Groschel, who coaches both the high school team and the American Legion team.

Lucchetti said he is joining the Perfect Game team in late August for a tournament on Long Island and will head to Florida on Oct. 21-23 for another tournament where he is expected to play first base when he isn't pitching.

"It won't interfere with football because we'll be leaving on Saturday, and the football games are on Friday night," said Lucchetti.

He said he likes swinging wooden bats for the Perfect Game team.

"I like it because it's totally different, but the ball comes off the bat nice off aluminum," admitted Lucchetti. "I'm hitting pretty well with the wooden bats. This is helping me a lot. The more work I get, the more it helps me out. I'm not overdoing it. I'm just working on my mechanics."

Amid the hectic schedule, Lucchetti said he also is thinking about his future in college and is planning unofficial visits to Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Seton Hall, Rider University and Long Island University.

And the busy schedule will extend through Lucchetti's entire senior year. He'll play on a basketball team that returns all but Winters to the starting lineup from last year's team that made the state and Shore Conference tournaments, before he heads back to the baseball diamond in the spring.