L.O.B. – a simple anagram for, perhaps, the most frustrating statistic facing baseball managers.

FJ Urso of the Newtown 15-year-old travel team knows all too well the frustrations surrounding the statistic L.O.B. (Left On Base). It was the difference between a solid summer and a great summer of baseball.

The locals got a taste of it right away at the New Milford Tournament back on June 25. On a blistering day, with temperatures soaring over 100, Newtown was pitted against one of the best teams in the state and region, Bethel, and the locals dropped a 6-4 decision while leaving nine men on base.

“Looking back at our season,” said Urso, “it could be compared to the Chatham A’s in the Cape Cod League. I looked at their stats: the A’s were leading the league in batting average, earned run average, runs scored, slugging percentage – every category except the standings, where they were tied for third. I spoke to the manager of the A’s, John Schiffer, and I asked him why the team wasn’t in first and he said, ‘timely hitting.’ ”

The locals were in position to win every game this summer but trouble coming up with the big hit was problematic but, as Urso said, “The guys were tough, gritty, with a never-give-up attitude.”

That attitude helped the locals defeat Danbury, 5-3, in the District tournament, avenging a heartbreaking loss to Danbury in the 14-year-old state tournament last summer. Nick Urso drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, plating Francis Oggeri who had doubled. In the third, Oggeri belted a two-strike pitch for a grand slam.

Solid defense, double plays, and nifty pitching by Nick Saviano and Alex Buckman helped send Danbury packing.

The locals reached the semi-finals, but lost to Ridgefield, 10-6, when they left eight men on base.

From top to bottom, the Newtown travel team could hit and with a .302 team average it was able to knock out teams like Stamford and New Milford with the 10-run mercy rule. In fact, the locals defeated Stamford twice, New Milford twice, and knocked Greenwich out of the Jimmy Fund tournament, 10-1.

Oggeri (.286) was solid in the leadoff spot while Nick Urso, the co-most valuable player, led the team in hits, RBI, on-base percentage (.559) and batting average (.464) and played well at shortstop. Buckman, the other co-MVP, pitched well all year and led the team in at-bats, runs scored, and had a crisp .343 batting average.

Nick Saviano (hit .285 with solid pitching), John Toll (new addition, hit .333), Walk Murphy (hit .368 with a .478 on-base percentage), Wilson Davidson (caught every pitch of every inning, hit .425 over the second half of the season to finish at .308) and Greg Larnerd (flawless defense at first and third, hit .292 with a .370 on-base percentage) also had a big impact.

As did Brett Mauro (hit .294 and played well at third), Kyle DiNicola (played well at second and in centerfield and hit .333), Jared Modzelewski (played a great centerfield, had a big two-run double to win a game), Jacob Burg (pitched well, had two key hits against Stamford), Tucker LaPak (played well at second and first, had key hits against New Milford and Stamford) and John Tita (a newcomer, pitched well in relief).