Must-see: Ridgewood senior Dominic DeVivo enters the 2018 season as a prime candidate to win Player of the Year in the Metro Suburban Red. DeVivo, Ridgewood’s ace, is coming off a junior season in which he posted a 2.50 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 50 innings. He also was Ridgewood’s Offensive Player of the Year after he hit .400 with 20 RBIs. DeVivo is a dangerous lefty on the mound who gives opponents fits because of his ability to locate his fastball. “I think being a lefty is a big advantage for me,” DeVivo said. “I’m able to locate my pitches to get ahead of the hitter, so you can really play with them when you do that and get what you want. The key is getting ahead in the count.”
Save the date: Timothy Christian at Ridgewood, April 23. Ridgewood at Timothy Christian, April 24. These two meetings could very well decide who wins the Metro Suburban Red. The two teams split the season series last year and both return plenty of talent from those squads. “They’re definitely a tough matchup,” DeVivo said. “They’ve got guys that really throw hard and we always love playing them because it’s always a competitive game. We’re just going to go out and do our best to beat them.” Timothy Christian coach Jim Snoeyink echoed DeVivo’s sentiments. “I can never remember who is coming back, but I just know Ridgewood is going to be good every year,” Snoeyink said. “We always have great games with them and it’s always a battle. We just respect their program and I think they respect ours.”
Making a difference: Frank Deangelis took over as the IC Catholic head coach in 2017 and has tried to change the program’s culture in a variety of ways. One of those ways is putting together community service projects for his team. IC Catholic is partnering with Turn Two For Youth
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, which is a non-profit charitable organization with the mission of providing baseball and softball equipment to youth who need it, again this season. Last year the team collected 30 large boxes of equipment to send to the organization. Deangelis learned about the organization at a national baseball convention and brought the idea to his team, which was eager to help. The Knights, who play in the Metro Suburban Blue, put up a banner for the equipment drive at their home field and encouraged conference opponents to bring supplies when they visited for games. “There’s more to just the baseball on the field,” Deangelis said. “The other stuff, like this, means way more to me than anything else.”On the rise: Elmwood Park, which competes in the Metro Suburban Red, is a team several coaches in the league expect to make a leap this season. Led by coach Zander DiGrino, the Tigers return their ace pitcher, junior Eddie Kerner, and their top hitter, senior Michael Parillo. Senior shortstop David Ramos and senior catcher Ivan Salazar are also in the fold. Ramos provides the Tigers with a good baseball IQ, a solid glove and a good work ethic, DiGrino said in an email. Salazar, the team’s captain, leads them from behind the plate and is a solid bat who has developed as one of their top pitchers as well. Plus, Parillo possesses good power, DiGrino said. “Elmwood Park has some nice players and being a local rival they are always tough games,” Ridgewood coach Vincent Fanelli said in an email.
Oh Captain! My Captain!: Timothy Christian doesn’t designate captains, but Snoeyink said he will rely on a senior trio to lead his team this year: pitcher/shortstop Jimmy Allen, pitcher/first baseman Nick Huisman and catcher/pitcher Connor Gwaltney. Allen is the team’s top pitcher and top hitter and is signed to play at Western Michigan. Huisman is the club’s No. 2 pitcher and he’s signed to play at Lewis. Gwaltney handles Timothy Christian’s pitching staff and is also a capable pitcher. “Those guys are just hard-working players and they play all during the summer and it shows that they just love baseball and work hard at the game,” Snoeyink said. “It’s not often that I have two scholarship players on the team and it just shows all the hard work these guys have put into the game.”
This and that: Coming off a disappointing 5-22 record in 2017, Guerin coach Dan Mustari decided to implement a new slogan for the program. The Crusaders’ slogan, “Play Every Game Like It’s Your Last,” is derived from Mustari’s
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fandom. “It’s kind of a Joe Maddon thing and I’m a Cubs guy, so it kind of came from that,” Mustari said. “We want to go out and work hard and give it your all and I think this is a way to help get that message across.” … Crusaders Jack Lio and Tim and Matt Gallagher are expected to lead Guerin in the Metro Suburban Red. Lio, a junior pitcher, will be a workhorse and serve as a quiet leader, according to Mustari. The Gallagher brothers — Tim Gallagher is a junior and Matt Gallagher is a senior — provide tons of versatility. “They’re just solid all-around players and they do everything the right way,” Mustari said. “They both pitch and play the infield and they can go to the outfield if you need them to. They’re just really good kids and really good teammates.”
Brett Christie is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press