Chargers' dream season uniting a community
Spotswood to play for Group II title Saturday in Toms River
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

SCOTT FRIEDMAN The Spotswood High School baseball team is having quite a postseason. Above, the Chargers celebrate their GMC Tournament championship win over J.P. Stevens on Sunday, just two days after winning the Central Jersey Group II title. Then, on Tuesday, the Chargers blasted Sterling, 13-2, in the Group IIsemifinal to earn a spot in Saturday's Group IIchampionship in Toms River.

Spotswood is a baseball town, now more than ever.And on Saturday, a large chunk of the small town's population, as well as those from two neighboring towns, will be making their way to Toms River to witness what they hope, and believe, will be the crowning moment of a championship season for a beloved team.

Yes, the Spotswood High School baseball team has captured the hearts of its townsfolk, and for good reason.

They just keep winning.

"Everybody's coming to the games," said head coach Glen Fredericks. "It's unbelievable the way all three towns [Spotswood, Helmetta and Milltown] are rallying around these 16 kids. It doesn't matter where we go, it's like a home game."

With the support of their fans, the Chargers have emerged as one of the very best teams in the state - a squad that's playing stellar defense to complement a lights-out pitching staff and formidable lineup, one through nine.

"We've had contributions from every single player on this team during this stretch," Fredericks said, adding that he was confident from day one that his team had this kind of run in it.

"I can't say that I'm surprised by it," he said.

After capturing their first state sectional title on Friday, with a 1-0 win over Somerville in the Central Jersey Group II final, the Chargers were back on the field at East Brunswick's Vo-Tech High School on Saturday, winning the school's first Greater Middlesex Tournament title with a 7-6 victory over J.P. Stevens.

Then, on Tuesday, Spotswood traveled to New Egypt High School, where they pummeled the South Jersey Group II champs from Sterling, 13-2, in five innings, to earn a shot at their first overall Group II title this Saturday against Indian Hills in Toms River.

Against Somerville, the Chargers rode the arm of senior Mike Hohman, who tossed a seven-hit shutout to post the win. Somerville's ace, Nick McNamara, was equally good, allowing only an unearned run in the fourth inning.

After Spotswood catcher Anthony Addone singled and advanced to second on a passed ball, McNamara attempted a pick-off at second base, only to have the ball bounce off Addone's helmet and go into center field. Addone moved to third and eventually scored on an infield hit by cleanup hitter Joe Petosa.

That run was all Hohman needed, as he pitched out of trouble in the first, second and seventh innings to preserve the shutout.

Following the game, many of the Spotswood players attended the Spotswood Senior Prom, where they were welcomed as heroes by those already in attendance.

The next day, they were back on the field, many with less than five hours' sleep, taking on a J.P. Stevens team that was not intimidated by the Chargers.

And from the start, they appeared poised to captures the GMCT crown, outplaying the Chargers in the early innings.

Spotswood took the early 1-0 lead in the second inning by stringing together three straight singles. However, Stevens responded in the top of the third with a two-run home run from John Stillitano, then added another solo shot in the third off the bat of Anthony Montalbano.

Up 3-1, the Hawks were hoping to ride the arm of their ace, Doug Wislinski.

However, Spotswood put together what proved to be the winning rally in the sixth, scoring six runs on five singles and four walks. The big hit was a two-RBI single by Mike Collins that gave the Chargers the 5-3 lead. Phil Spina then scored another run with a single, before Brian Curci drew a bases-loaded walk to end the scoring in the inning.

Stevens, though, did not go quietly into the night. The Hawks fought back in the top of the seventh, loading the bases before Brad Newman hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice. Down 7-4, Stevens got two more runs on a two-RBI single by Mike Zinno to get within 7-6.

Fortunately for Spotswood, the Hawks' magic ran out there, as Dan Belowich struck out looking on three straight pitches to end the game, and J.P. Stevens' season.

Spotswood pitcher Willie Beard, pitching on three days' rest for the first time this season, was not at his best, but somehow was able to escape with the win, throwing 136 pitches in the process. The Rutgers-bound Beard earned the tournament MVP with his third win in GMCT play, and improved to 11-1 on the year.

Spotswood turned its attention back to the state tournament on Tuesday, and made quick work of Sterling, putting six runs on the board in the second inning, led by an Addone grand slam, to overcome an early 1-0 deficit. They then added four more unearned runs in the third, led by Addone's two-run single, and added to the scoring with a Phil Spina fourth-inning home run.

Hohman (8-1) got the win for the Chargers, allowing just seven hits and throwing only 66 pitches, leaving him eligible to pitch Saturday, if needed, on what Fredericks called "basically full rest."

Beard will get the start on Saturday.

"Any time I give Willie the ball, I know we're going to win," the coach said.

Winning a state semifinal game via the mercy rule is not a common occurrence, especially against an unfamiliar foe.

"It's difficult to know what you're getting when you play teams that you don't read about every day," Fredericks said. "You don't really know what to expect. The computer makes it a little easier to do your scouting now, but I still made some calls to guys I know down there.

"But we really just have to worry about ourselves," the coach added. "If we put our best foot forward, like we did against Sterling, I don't think we can lose."

On Saturday, the Chargers will face an Indian Hills team that knocked off Hackettstown, 8-4, in their Group II semifinal on Tuesday. Indian Hills is a team that has come on of late, after struggling a bit to even qualify for the postseason after an up-and-down regular season.

"I don't know that much about them right now, but I'm going to make some calls over the next couple of days," Fredericks said. "I do know their pitcher, Ferbeck, is pretty good. He's a lefty and he's their ace. They were able to hold him back in the semifinal like we did with Willie [Beard], so we'll see him on Saturday.

"I also know they have some young guys - they start four sophomores - but that doesn't mean anything, because they're all very good players."

However, with the way his team is playing at the moment, Fredericks would like his chances against just about anyone.

"Most of these kids have been playing together since they were 8 years old, so the chemistry on this team in unbelievable," he said. "And the younger kids are buying into everything the older kids are showing them.

"I really feel that any time we go out on the field at this point, we are the favorite. It doesn't matter who we are playing."

And while Spotswood's run through the postseason has captured the hearts of the entire town, nobody is enjoying it more than the coach.

"We've been very good over the past few years, but we've just run into teams with destiny on their sides. ... This year is our year of destiny," he said. "To be able to coach the program where you played, like my brother and I are, and to have the kind of success we're having with the kids coming through the ranks the way we did - it's really a tremendous feeling."

On Saturday, the Chargers go for the icing on the cake.

"We've reached three out of the four goals we set for ourselves [division, sectional and conference titles], Fredericks said. "Now we're ready to finish the season on top.

"I'm confident because I know my kids and believe in them. Win, lose or draw on Saturday, this team has given the town so much already. I just can't see it ending badly for this team."