Defending Conference Champ Baseball Team Returns To Field
Defending Conference Champ Baseball Team Returns To Field
By Andy Hutchison
The Newtown High School baseball team, last yearâs South-West Conference champions, returns to the field with some new faces in the fold.
In addition to the changes resulting from graduates, a new coach is at the helm. Matt Memoli succeeds Carl Strait as the leader of the Nighthawks and welcomes the opportunity to inherit a defending conference champ with open arms.
âI got very lucky. I think Coach Strait did a great job previously â laying the groundwork for me as a new guy coming in, and itâs something that Iâm definitely going to do everything I can to try to win some games and make these kids better,â said Memoli, a teacher at the middle school.
The Nighthawks will try to continue the winning ways of a season ago with a slightly new look to the lineup. Among the graduates who left holes to plug were pitchers/outfielders Charlie LoBosco and Jake DeVellis. A multitude of experienced varsity players return to the lineup as the Nighthawks chase back-to-back SWC titles.
Newtown will also try to get deeper in state tourney play. The Hawks entered the Class LL tourney with a 12-8 record and, as the No. 19 seed, fell to No. 14 Amity in the first round last spring.
This yearâs senior captains are catcher Brandon Rosenberger, first baseman George Zaruba, center fielder Kyle Kromberg, and second baseman Andy Lapple.
Other key returnees are pitcher RJ Roman, who leads a staff of hurlers that includes John Fracker, Mike Tobin, and Joe Fedak. Shortstop Ryan Tita and outfielder Bryan Czel are also back on the field.
Memoli is confident in the Hawksâ offense and believes the team will succeed if the pitching comes through.
âWeâre going to put up numbers which is going to be, I think, our strength. And then, I donât want people to overlook our arms either, on the mound âcause we can do a lot of special things if our number two, three, and four guys step up. We can definitely do some damage, I think,â Memoli said.
New Fairfield and Brookfield are among the SWC opponents to watch out for, the coach added. Newtown was scheduled to open the regular season Wednesday at Pomperaug in Southbury (after The Bee sports section went to press).
Newtown was slated to host Platt Tech, in a nonconference game, on Thursday and will host Ansonia in another non-SWC battle on Saturday.
The Nighthawks continue a stretch of four straight home games with games against Bunnell of Stratford and Stratford High April 14 and 16, respectively.