Knights look to pick up where they left off BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer The Old Bridge High School baseball team is looking to pick up where it left off a year ago when it made its way to the semifinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament The Knights went 17-10-1 a year ago, after struggling out of the gate with a 5-6 start. Old Bridge downed Spotswood and JFK before falling to South Amboy in the GMC semifinal. Coach Ken Fischer's team also reached the second round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tourney, where they lost a 1-0 decision to South Brunswick. Old Bridge is spending this week at the Florida Coast Spring Training facility in Fort Pierce, Fla. Fischer said his squad is participating in several high-level practices and defeated Bronx, N.Y.-based Cardinal Spellman in its opening game. The Knight will play one more game in Florida, against St. Joseph's High School of Buffalo, N.Y., before returning home on Saturday. They open the GMC campaign at home on Monday against J.P. Stevens and will travel to South Brunswick on Wednesday. "This is like a true spring training for our guys," Fischer said. "The weather is great and they're working hard; we have two practices a day, but they're having fun, too." Key returnees include junior Mike Augliera, who emerged as the ace of the pitching staff a year ago posting a 7-0 record with a 1.98 ERA. Chris Flynn-Rozansky, Ricky Tier and junior Nick Balinger round out the pitching staff. Junior Danny Soto will handle designated hitter duties as he recovers from shoulder surgery that may keep him off the mound for the season. Right fielder Joe Layton is back to lead what shapes up as a potent offense. Layton proved to be valuable in the clutch, whacking six homers, including a pair of walk-off blasts, to go with 33 RBIs and a .300 batting average. Left fielder Jesus Rodriguez and junior center fielder Vinnie Galya comprise the rest of a solid outfield. The speedy Rodriguez hit .355 a year ago, while Galya continually found ways to get on base last season. Doug Frew will also see time in the outfield. All four are strong in the field. Junior Tyler Brown returns at first base to anchor a relatively new infield. Brian Juliano will man the hot corner and Mike Conway will play second base with junior Dan Walsh at shortstop. Juniors Dan Cwiek and Eric Diaz will handle the catching duties. "We have talent but we're inexperienced at the varsity level, so right now we're a work in progress," Fischer said. "I think our pitching will be fine and we have some good hitters back; it will be a matter of getting our new players accustomed to varsity play." Last year the Knights showed their mettle in rebounding from a difficult start, and Old Bridge seemed to be at its best in big games. With players like Augliera, Layton, Galya, Frew, Rodriguez and Brown back, Fischer believes their experience will be a major factor. "I'm proud of the way we came back last year, but I'd like to see us be a little more consistent throughout the season," he said.