For the first time, last year’s Roselle Park Dad’s Club Baseball Invitational – played on the same weekend as this year’s will be – included no rain and normal, comfortable temperatures to enjoy the sport by.
All 10 games were played, including some thrillers – there were three one-run games and three two-run contests.
Even Cranford won for the first time, coming back in its final at-bat to down Steinert 6-5 on the second day.
Although Cranford – which has captured North 2, Group 3 the past three seasons and four of the last five, is not in the event this time, there is still plenty of Union County flavor all three days.
On Friday, in the first game, New Providence takes on Hudson County foe Weehawken at 4:30 p.m.
In the final of four games on Saturday, host Roselle Park faces Columbia at 7 p.m.
With rain in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, unfortunately those two games could be in jeopardy.
Let’s hope for the best and that the weatherman is wrong once again.
In Sunday’s first of two games it will be Union Catholic facing Essex County foe Newark Academy at 10 a.m.
2015 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 7TH ANNUAL
FRIDAY, APRIL 17
New Providence vs. Weehawken, 4:30 p.m.
Washington Township vs. Marist, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Ramapo vs. Union City, 10 a.m.
Steinert vs. Bridgewater-Raritan, 1 p.m.
St. Peter’s Prep vs. Millburn, 4 p.m.
Columbia vs. Roselle Park, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 19
Union Catholic vs. Newark Academy, 10 a.m.
Middlesex vs. Bernards, 1 p.m.
First-time participants include Washington Township of South Jersey and Hudson County school Union City.
This is the first time that only two games are scheduled to be played on the Sunday, portion of the weekend instead of four.
“We shortened it a bit this year,” Roselle Park head coach Nick Agoglia said. “We have some new teams and we have several back, including New Providence, Union Catholic, Columbia and Bridgewater-Raritan.
Also back are St. Peter’s Prep, Newark Academy, Steinert and Ramapo.
“There’s always been an interest,” Agoglia said. “We’ve had success and our name has gotten out there. By me contacting people, word of mouth and teams getting back to me, we’re able to put together a pretty good weekend of games.
“We just need the weather to cooperate more.”
While Agoglia says that, “we haven’t had the best of luck with the weather,” he also reports positively from a financial standpoint that, “there has been no year that we’ve been in the red.”
Saturday night’s Roselle Park-Columbia matchup features winning programs from Union and Essex counties.
Roselle Park entered Monday’s makeup home game against Union County Conference-Valley Division arch rival Brearley with a 3-1 record and two-game winning streak.
Columbia improved to 7-1 overall on Monday after winning at Newark East Side 1-0. It was the second straight win for the Cougars after they lost at home to Livingston 6-0 on April 8.
Roselle Park’s first loss was at home against New Providence 16-8 on April 2, which was a UCC-crossover contest – the Pioneers are situated in the UCC’s Mountain Division.
Roselle Park jumped out to a five-run lead and then needed nine innings to win a division game at Oratory Prep last Thursday, with the Panthers coming out on top 6-5.
Roselle Park took a 5-0 lead before Oratory Prep chipped away and tied the game at 5-5 by scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh.
In the top of the ninth, Roselle Park freshman Ray Arocha singled and then senior Mike Figueredo reached on a bunt single.
With a sacrifice bunt, senior Tyler Loneker moved the runners to second and third. Dan Mucha walked to load the bases before sophomore third baseman Phil Lagana drove in Arocha with a sacrifice fly.
In relief, Arocha pitched the final two innings scoreless to win his first varsity game in his initial varsity decision.
Roselle Park, which has six seniors, no juniors and a combined 29 freshmen and sophomores in the program this season, was to host Bloomfield Tech – weather permitting – Tuesday, play at Rahway Thursday and then at Hillside Friday, the latter two games UCC-crossover contests – the Indians and Comets are in the UCC’s new Sky Division.
“We’re all over the place this year,” Agoglia said. “We have three freshmen on varsity and seven sophomores.”
Heading into this week, Mucha, a senior right hander, was 2-0, with wins over Roselle Catholic and Summit when the Hilltoppers were undefeated at the time.
Loneker is the team’s No. 3 batter in the order and plays first base and serves as a designated hitter when he’s not pitching.
Agoglia said that Figueredo, who plays left field, and senior right fielder Andy Santamaria are also off to good starts.
Roselle Park opened with a 10-0 division win at home over Roselle Catholic on April 1.
Roselle Park began the week leading the UCC’s Valley Division standings with a 3-0 record. Summit was in second place at 3-1.
2014 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 6TH ANNUAL
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Ramapo 4, Marist 2
St. Joe’s, Metuchen 6, Gloucester Tech 0
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
Johnson 2, Monroe 1
Cranford 6, Steinert 5
Highland Regional 11, Metuchen 2
Roselle Park 12, Dunellen 2
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Union Catholic 12, Columbia 3
Middlesex 6, New Providence 5
St. Peter’s Prep 11, Bridgewater-Raritan 9
Bernards 6, Newark Academy 4
* * *
2013 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 5TH ANNUAL
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
Oratory Prep vs. Metuchen – rained out
Dunellen vs. Union Catholic – rained out
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
Johnson vs. Columbia – rained out
Cranford vs. Steinert – rained out
Weehawken vs. Middlesex – rained out
Brearley 6, Roselle Park 1
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
Highland Regional 2, Memorial 1
Bernards 8, New Providence 7
Bridgewater-Raritan 14, Nutley 1
Millburn 5, Monroe 4
* * *
2012 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 4TH ANNUAL
FRIDAY, APRIL 13
Dunellen 9, Oratory Prep 4
Columbia 1, Johnson 0
SATURDAY, APRIL 14
Union Catholic 16, Weehawken 4
Holmdel 17, Linden 11
Hillsborough 2, Cranford 1
Roselle Park 3, Brearley 0
SUNDAY, APRIL 15
Dayton 11, Metuchen 4
New Providence 15, Newark Academy 3
Nutley 8, Bridgewater-Raritan 3
Mendham 6, Governor Livingston 4
* * *
2011 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 3RD ANNUAL
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Oratory Prep 17, Dunellen 6
Hillsborough 2, Johnson 1 (9 inn.)
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
Bridgewater-Raritan 10, Scotch Plains 1
Delbarton 12, Cranford 7
Gov. Livingston vs. Columbia – rained out
GL beat Columbia 7-1 at home on May 21.
Roselle Park vs. Brearley – rained out
Game was not made up.
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Linden 3, Union Catholic 2 – at Union Catholic
Hoboken vs. Holmdel – rained out
Game was re-scheduled for May 15 and rained out again.
New Providence 4, Newark Academy 1
Elizabeth 4, Morris Knolls 4 (tie)
* * *
2010 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 2ND ANNUAL
FRIDAY, APRIL 16
Roselle Park 8, Dunellen 0
Ridge vs. Somerville – rained out
Game was played May 1 at
Nap Torpey Field in Somerville,
with Ridge winning 17-9.
SATURDAY, APRIL 17
Bridgewater-Raritan vs. Morristown – rained out
Game moved to first of four on Sunday, April 18.
Union Catholic vs. J.P. Stevens,
because of rain, moved to UC’s field turf field,
with J.P. Stevens winning 11-0
Johnson 6, Holmdel 4
Steinert 6, Edison 0
SUNDAY, APRIL 18
Morristown 6, Bridgewater-Raritan 4
Bloomfield 6, Scotch Plains 4
Jackson 5, Cranford 2
Gov. Livingston 8, Waldwick 0
* * *
2009 ROSELLE PARK DAD’S CLUB
BASEBALL INVITATIONAL – 1ST
FRIDAY, APRIL 17
Roselle Park 7, Dunellen 3
Ridge 11, Somerville 4
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
Madison 6, Union Catholic 4
Scotch Plains 5, Bridgewater-Raritan 1
Gov. Livingston 6, Metuchen 3
Steinert 5, Old Tappan 0
SUNDAY, APRIL 19
Johnson 5, Bloomfield 1
Jackson 11, Cranford 0
Colonia 9, Holmdel 8