Despite losses, Bulldogs baseball presses on

Jono Govantes makes a throw during a practice on March 12.

Nearly the entire Hopewell Valley Central High School baseball team’s lineup graduated after the 2012 season, but head coach Ken Harrison is used to it.

“The way our program works is when guys leave, it’s time for some other guys to step up, fill their shoes, and do their jobs,” he said. “The guys who have been coming in are priding themselves on doing just as well or even better than some of the guys that left.”

Last year’s squad, led by John Croak, Kevin Bradley, and other seniors, went 19-9 and captured the Patriot Division title. Bradley, a shortstop, was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the amateur draft and currently plays at Clemson University.

Harrison said many of this year’s players are ready for their chances to contribute.

“They know it’s their turn, and it’s their time,” he said. “They’re looking forward to it. We’ll see what they can do.”

He said seniors like Joe Gambino and Harry Giordano who have been role players and JV team members in past seasons are among the most eager for the year to start. Harrison expects them to play bigger roles than they have in the past.

“It’s their time to play on varsity,” he said. “We’re expecting a lot of those guys to come in and fill the shoes of the guys who left. They’re chomping at the but. Those older guys are ready to go.”

Harrison said Ben Ngu and Mike O’Donnell, two junior pitchers who saw a lot of varsity playing time last year as sophomores, will lead the staff. Harrison said leadoff hitter and outfielder Jono Govantes, who is in his third year as a starter, will likely have a big year. Brodie Catherina, another third-year starter who is moving to shortstop, will also be key.

Govantes said this season will be more about team effort than individual effort.

“It’s not a matter of one guy doing it,” he said. “We’re not going to be the most experienced team this year, but we have enough guys who are ready to fill those shoes. It’ll take five guys stepping up, not just one player playing out of his mind.”

The majority of this year’s squad has seen a good deal of county and state tournament play. Harrison said the experience they gain in those games is unmatched.

“Experience is invaluable,” he said. “You can teach them technique and skill. You can throw BP. We can do whatever we do in practice, but the experience is something that you can’t teach or simulate. We try to bring up the younger kinds who we see being players in the future to the state tournament games and the county games so they can see the atmosphere and be prepared for it when the time comes.”

Harrison said he and his coaching staff set the same goals for the Bulldogs each season: to win the division title, the county title, and the sectional title.

“Our goals don’t change year to year,” he said. “We have the same expectation. Hopefully we can do it.”

Catherina sees the team fulfilling its goals.

“Every year, we come out thinking that we’re going to win MCTs and states,” he said. “We almost got to the state sectional final last year, and I think that we can do it again. We just need a little extra from the younger kids. We have a lot of small-ball players. We have a very good top of the order. We just need the guys at the bottom to step up.”

Still, Harrison’s team is taking each day as it comes.

“We always look ahead, but we play for today,” he said. “I always have an eye on the younger guys and who might step in, but every year, we play for that year.”

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