Nick Zbranak's power surge may be one for Ripken record books

John Brower has worked in the Brick National youth baseball program for 10 years and has been a player agent and coached the league's All-Star teams, including last year's state championship team.

But he said he's never seen anything like the start 12-year-old Nick Zbranak has had.

The veteran manager saw his standout shortstop stage his own version of hitting for the cycle for the Brewers in their opening game. Zbranak hit home runs in his four trips to the plate — a solo home run, a two-run shot, a three-run homer and a grand slam. And the sturdily built, 5-foot, 9-inch Zbranak did it all in just four innings, as the Brewers clobbered the Nationals, 21-5. Although he throws right-handed, Zbranak bats lefty. And he did it all with a strong, gusty wind.

"Yeah, I felt good. It was good to start the same that way," said Zbranak, who batted in the No. 3 spot in the order. "I was just surprised because I didn't know how I hit for the cycle at first, until I was told. And it felt really good knowing I did that. I hope to keep it up."

It was the first game for Zbranak and the rest of the players in the six-team league playing at the new deeper dimension of 50 feet from the mound to home plate and 70 feet along the base paths under Cal Ripken League standards.

Brick National had played in Little League, which has 46 feet from the mound to the plate and 60 feet along the base paths, before moving over last season. But Brick National stayed with the old measures last year before going to the Cal Ripken standards for this season.

Zbranak hit the four home runs in a span of three innings. All of them were solid shots going beyond 250 feet, much to the delight of his dad, Bob, who was in the dugout as one of the coaches.

"No, I never saw anyone do this at the outset. I never heard of it," said Bob Zbranak who saved all four balls and photocopied the scorebook. "It's hard enough to do it [hit for the cycle] the usual way with a single, double, triple and home run. If anyone has done it, Nick will be the second one to do it."

"I never saw anyone do this before," Brower said.

Brower he was surprised to see Zbranak's power surge in his first four at bats, but that he expected Zbranak to hit the ball hard this season based on what he did last year.

Zbranak was on the Major League All- Stars, which goes up to 12 years of age, even though he was 11 at the time. The All-Stars hit 13 home runs in 12 games en route to the state title and Zbranak had six of them.

"He's a natural hitter," Brower said.

The streak continued in the next game, when Zbranak hit a solo home run to left field in the first inning. But the fenceclearing streak stopped after that fifth atbat,

when Zbranak hit a double in the second inning. In the fourth inning, he connected for a two-run blast, giving him six home runs and 13 runs batted in the first two games. In many leagues, six home runs would lead the league at the end of the season. Zbranak's team lost the second game to the Braves, 19-8, with 13 walks off its pitchers.

Young Zbranak hit half of his six home runs to the opposite field and did it off six different pitchers. His dad said that he and Brick National President Gary Hulse have calls out to the Cal Ripken national headquarters to see if they have anything on record of it being done before or if this is the first time it has happened.

"Everyone says, 'I never heard of this,' and the home run after that in the next game added to it," said Bob Zbranak.

Young Nick Zbranak a year ago blasted 14 home runs playing in the regular season and on the Cal Ripken All-Star team as well as on the USBL travel team.

Zbranak said that his bat speed off a quick swing and fast hands help him swing the bat faster. And he said he didn't think about what he did in the first game when he played in the second. He also doesn't feel pressured to keep the power display going in the upcoming games.

"I just think about making contact and look for that pitch inside and then to adjust my stance," Nick Zbranak said.

Zbranak, who also plays baseball for his Lake Riviera Middle School team as one of two seventh-graders, competed there at the even more challenging distances of 60 feet from the mound to the plate and 90 feet along the base paths. He also played at linebacker for the Brick Dragons program of the Jersey Shore Junior Football League.

In his first at-bat of the season, Zbranak faced a two-strike pitch for the only time [time?] in his home-run-hitting rampage, as he belted a 1-2 delivery to right center field. In the second inning, Zbranak belted a solo home run to right center field and a three-run shot to left center field, both off 1-0 pitches. In the third inning, Zbranak hit the first pitch over the fence with the bases loaded.

Also in the game, Chris Kimbiz slugged a two-run homer and Mike Moglia belted a solo shot. Moglia hit his second home run of the season against the Braves.

Brower's Brewers last season reached the league's best-of-three championship series, losing in the third game to the Mets. Zbranak played on the Diamondbacks last season, but the league redrafted for this season when it went to the deeper dimensions for its playing fields.

"I really like this distance," Nick Zbranak said. "It makes the game more interesting. I understand the game more."

Cal Ripken rules allow for stealing bases and squeeze bunts.

And Zbranak will have a different audience on May 9, when Brick National plays Brick American in interleague games for the first time. Cal Ripken rules allow for teams to play against other teams in another league in town, which Little League forbids.