2017 Diamond Notes

The Baseball Writers association of America announced that Jamie Moyer (Saint Joseph’s, Allentown Wings, 1982-83) has been named to the 2018 Hall of Fame ballot.

Moyer is one of five pitchers and 10 total players to play at least 25 seasons in the Major Leagues. Moyer posted a 269-209 record with eight different teams. He was the oldest pitcher to win a major league game and also the oldest player to record an RBI at age 49 in 2012. Moyer was a key player on the 2008 Phillies’ World Series championship team and was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2015.

Matt Swarmer Photo Courtesy of baseball-reference.com

RHP Matt Swarmer (Kutztown, Allentown Railers, 2014-15) was promoted to the Chicago Cubs AAA affiliate, the Iowa Cubs, and tossed seven shutout innings in a 4-0 win over the Nashville Sounds on Saturday.

Swarmer, the top prospect in the ACBL for 2015, allowed only five hits with eight strikeouts and one base on balls.

Swarmer, a 19th round selection in the 2016 draft, has moved up quickly in the Cubs system this season. He posted a 3-0 record with a 1.07 WHIP for Eugene in the short season Northwest League and then moved up to South Bend of the Midwest League prior to the big jump to the AAA Pacific Coast League.

Tim Mayza Photo Courtesy of Toronto Blue Jays Organization

Tim Mayza (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers, 2011) will be the sixth former ACBL player to make a MLB debut this season.

The Toronto Blue Jays purchased his contract from their triple AAA Buffalo Bisons franchise on Monday.

The 6-3, 220 lb. LHP was a 13th round selection of the Blue Jays in the 2013 MLB Draft.

Mayza posted a 0.93 ERA over 11 relief appearances and 19.1 innings at Buffalo.

He started this season with the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats where he posted four saves and three holds in 33 innings.

The Allentown Railers took both ends of a doubleheader with the Quakertown Blazers on Sunday to claim their third consecutive ACBL championship.

The Railers featured outstanding pitching in both games. In the opener Rhett Jacoby (Moravian) only allowed two runs over nine innings as the Railers won 6-2. Jacoby walked one while striking out nine.

Jared Melone (West Chester), Chris Panzarella (Keystone) and Brady Mengel (Mansfield) each added two hits.

John Yocum (Rider) only allowed one hit, a single by Nate Sides (Alvernia), in the second game while striking out eight with one walk.

Jared Melone posted two RBIs and two hits including a double to lead the Railers' offense as the Railers won the second game 4-0.

The Railers join the Allentown Wings (1978-1980) and the Kutztown Rockies (2006-2008) as the only ACBL teams to win three consecutive championships.

By Thomas Terzulli | North Jersey Eagles

The Eagles all-time greatest hitter has added another notch to his already spectacular resume. First baseman Luis Amaro launched his eighth home run of the season on July 22nd against the Pilots, smashing the Eagle single season record.

The power lefty from West Texas A&M; propelled himself past Stanley Paul, an infielder from UConn who went deep seven times in 2012.

This is Amaro’s staggering seventh franchise record in Eagle pinstripes. He set a season mark for runs batted in last summer when he knocked in 28 and tops the career charts in 5 categories. No Eagle has more career doubles (24), RBI’s (73), walks (59) hit by pitches (13) or home runs (17). The home run total is 4th highest in the 51-year history of the American Collegiate Baseball League. His .611 career slugging percentage ranks in the same spot.

The season the 5-11, 210-pounder has had in 2017 is a big reason why the Eagles are a playoff team for the first time since 2013. He is among the ACBL leaders in a plethora of offensive categories. The numbers read third best in batting average (388), second in homers (8), fourth in runs batted in (27) and tied for first in runs scored (25).

By the end of this year’s campaign, he could be on the cusp of history once again. He is second in another four areas in Eagle history. The Roselle Park, New Jersey native has played in 95 games and came to bat 280 times, smacking 94 hits and coming around to score 59 runs. His three-year teammate Shane Woelfel is the leader in the last two categories with 96 hits, crossing home plate 61 times.

Amaro has six regular season games left in 2017 to build on what has already been an astounding, record-breaking career.

By Thomas Terzulli | North Jersey Eagles

A pair of three year North Jersey Eagles are embroiled in a battle for the team’s all-time hits record. Outfielder Shane Woelfel leads the way with 94 base knocks, Eagle first baseman Luis Amaro is right behind him with 92.

They both entered the July 21st matchup with the Jersey Pilots knotted up at 91 hits a piece. That is the number former Eagle Ryan Quinn tallied during his time in North Jersey.

However, three singles from Woeful and another one bagger from Amaro catapulted them to first and second in the all-time standings.

Amaro, has been a reliable power bat in his three years in Eagle pinstripes. He leads the 2017 North Jersey group in batting average (.383), home runs (7), and runs batted in (26). The Kaiser division All-Star has reached base safely in all but one contest so far this season and has knocked in more than one run four times.

Woelfel already etched his name in the Eagle record books last season. The Bloomsburg University Husky set a single season mark for batting average, hitting .405 in 2016. In the fall of 2016, Woelfel suffered a catastrophic knee injury requiring ACL reconstructive surgery. In 2017, he has now bounced fully back after a slow start, hitting .429 for the month of July. The hot stretch has his average up to .338 for the year to go along with three home runs and 11 RBI’s. The left-handed bat carries seven multi-hit games to his name.

They have both surpassed Quinn’s original record and with eight games left in the regular season, they will be battling it out to see who becomes the Eagles, all-time hit leader.

Chris O'Grady Photo Courtesy of Miami Marlins Organization

LHP Chris O'Grady (George Mason, North Jersey Eagles, 2009) was recalled from New Orleans by the Miami Marlins and received the win as the Marlins edged the San Francisco Giants on Sunday 5-4.

O'Grady allowed two earned runs over 5.1 innings. He was a 10th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels in the 2012 MLB draft.

He is the second former ACBL player to make a MLB debut this past weekend as Zack Granite (Seton Hall, Staten Island Tide, 2011) pinch hit for the Twins on Saturday and started in the outfield on Sunday.

FDU Teaneck, NJ - When the Eagles arrived at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, New Jersey, they were excepting to play two games. What they got instead, was a 13 inning marathon in the first game, and another one run game in the nightcap. The result however, was what they wanted all along, a sweep of the Gulls on Saturday 11-8 and 4-3.

With the sweep of the twin bill, the Eagles improve to 11-7-1, while the Gulls drop to 7-13.

The scoring opened for both ball clubs in the second inning. Matt Tancredi doubled home Dylan Habeeb to score the first run of the afternoon. North Jersey answered back in the home half of the inning with a lead-off single and a pair of stolen bases from Christian Sepulveda. Brandon Hanson plated Sepulveda from third with a base hit to tie the game at 1.

In the 4th, the Gulls would take the lead back with Tancredi knocking in two more runs with another double.

The Eagles would answer again in the bottom half of the inning, cutting the lead to one. Casey Dana kicked off the frame with a double and another two-bagger from Tyler McAvoy scored him.

A 3-2 Ocean lead became a 6-2 advantage in the 5th, with the league’s seventh best team plating three.

However, a common a theme continued for the Eagles, responding well in the bottom half of innings. They garnered three runs of their own in the inning’s home half to keep the Gull lead within one.

Bobby Shannon got on first with a walk and Luis Amaro moved him to third with a base hit. With one out, Sepulveda then doubled them both in for the first two runs of the frame. Dana then reached with the second base on balls of the inning and McAvoy brought him home with a double of his own.

The comeback was complete when Shane Woeful came home on a sac fly RBI from Brian Kelly in 6th.

With the game tied at 6 and both teams going scoreless in the final inning of the seven frame affair,that meant free baseball in Teaneck.

North Jersey had several opportunities in extras, but justwere not able to break through. In the bottom half of the 8th, Woeful doubled with one out. He was pinch ran for with Anthony DeFrancesco. The Gateway Community College product proceeded to get thrown out at home trying to score on a Shannon single.

In the 9th frame a pair of lead off singles got Kelly and Sepulveda onto 1st and 2nd. And after Dana recorded the 1st out, McAvoy grounded into a 5-5-3 double play to end the inning. Cris Ruiz then led off the 10th with a double, but Jonathan Budesa, DeFrancesco and Shannon went down in order to follow.

Meanwhile, Corey Martinez was dealing on the mound for the Eagles. Since recording the final out of the 5th, the righty had allowed just one base runner leading into the 13th.

It was in that inning that the Gulls finally got to him. Matt Cuppari brought Joe DeMaio home with a double. Then Dylan Habeeb made it 8-6, scoring Cuppari with a double of his own.

So the stage was set, trailing by two in the bottom of the 13th, the Eagles had one last chance to win it in extras.

Jimmy Huber led off with a walk and Shannon went to second with a double. With one out following an Amaro strikeout, Kelly singled in Huber and advanced Shannon to third. Sepulveda was next, flying out to third to get the Eagles down to their final out.

Dana followed by working a walk to load the bases for McAvoy. The right hander then won the game, crushing a walk off grand slam on 2-2 to make the final score 11-8.

The grand salami topped off a 4-7, 6 RBI game 1 for McAvoy. There was also three hit games for Sepulveda, Amaro, Shannon and Woeful. Kelly and Sepulveda knocked in 2 runs a piece. Hanson picked up his second hit and RBI of the year for the first Eagle run.

Martinez was nothing short of spectacular out of the bullpen for North Jersey. He went 7.2 IP allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 7. Kevin Romero got the win for the Eagles though, going two and a third without allowing a hit and striking out one.

The Gulls got into the scoring column early, picking up two runs in the top half of the first.

In the 2nd, North Jersey put across their first run. The frame began with Sepulveda singling to center field. He got all the way to third with a wild pitch and a stolen base. An RBI groundout from Ruiz brought Sepulveda 90 feet to home.

Trailing 2-1 in the 4th, a couple of walks to Ruiz and Huber set up DeFrancesco. He botched a bunt attempt, getting Ruiz thrown out at 3rd, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with one away. After Budesa was hit by a pitch to load the bases, McAvoy plated two more runs with a single to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.

A pair of solo homers came in the 6th. William Johnson knotted up the game at 3 with a one out shot. But Huber came right back with a lead-off knock to put the Eagles up 4-3.

Ryan Aquino kept the Eagles there, going all seven innings and getting the win. The righty allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 3 and struck out 9.

McAvoy tacked on two more hits and a couple of runs batted in. Huber’s homer was his second of the year.

By Nick Pereira | North Jersey Eagles

OVERPECK PARK — In the second meeting of the season between the North Jersey Eagles and the Jersey Pilots, it was the Eagles prevailing again to move to 5-3-1 on the young season.

After the Pilots got one on the board in the top half of the first, the Eagles came up to bat. After a leadoff walk to Shane Woelfel, slugger Luis Amaro crushed a pitch into deep right center field for his 3rd home run of the season and giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

In his next at bat in the 2nd inning, he had 2 runners on and he sent this ball even further for a 3 run shot. In his first 2 at bats, Amaro had 2 home runs and 5 RBIs, just after 2 innings of play.

He wasn’t done just yet.

In the top of the 3rd with the eagles up 5-2, starter Alex Mack continued to struggle with his control as he gave up a single to Eddie Lehr to make it 5-3. An error by DeFrancesco allowed a couple more runners to score and the Eagles early lead was gone, and Mack’s day was done as well.

We go to the bottom of the 4th for Amaro’s third at bat and he was up with the bases loaded and nobody out. He sent a pitch to the opposite field corner clearing the bases and putting the Eagles up 8-5.

Amaro was 3-3 with a 2-run HR, 3-run HR, and 3-run double good for a career high 8 RBI’s and only through 4 innings of play.

Next batter was Brian Kelly who sent a ball out to the deepest part of the park in center field scoring Amaro making it 10-5 Eagles as Alexander Hladik’s day was done allowing 10 runs, 7ER in 3.1 innings pitched.

Neither starter had good stuff as it became a bullpen game early. Jason Salva got the win for the Eagles, his first of the year after pitching 2.1 shutout innings striking out 4 Pilots. He came in with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the top of the 5th and got the Eagles out of trouble.

After Blake Espinal gave up 3 runs while only recording 1 out cutting the Eagle lead to only 3, the Eagles brought in their closer Corey Sawyer who shut the door with 1.2 innings of shutout baseball striking out 4 guys recording the save.

The Eagles got their first win of the year at Overpeck Park and have a doubleheader this weekend at FDU against the South Jersey Giants who currently sit a ½ game ahead of the Eagles at 7-4 good for second place in the ACBL. Meanwhile the Pilots fall to 3-9 currently in the basement of the ACBL will face the Staten Island Tide tomorrow night at Drew University.

By Drew Casey | North Jersey Eagles

In baseball, sometimes you just never know.

Just ask Tyler Benson after the former Eagle was chosen in the 2017 MLB Draft on Wednesday June 14th.

Chosen in the 31st round by the San Diego Padres, Benson was a member of both the 2015 and 2016 Eagles ACBL squads.

After missing nearly the entire 2015 Eagles season with injury and playing in only four games, the Bloomsburg University standout returned to the Eagles last summer. In his first full campaign with North Jersey’s College Team, the outfielder batted .299, while leading the club in doubles (13) and stolen bases (25).

Coupled with his speed and defensive talents, Benson was chosen as a 2016 Kaiser Division All Star. In just two plate appearances in front of a score of Major League scouts, the Montville, N.J. native knocked a single, scored a run, walked and stole a base at Palisades Credit Union Park.

Benson’s possible destinations in the Padres minor league system if choosing to begin his professional career, include the AZL Padres (A, Rookie; Peoria, Ariz.) and Tri-City Dust Devils (A, Short Season; Pasco, Wash.), among others.

The Eagles would like to congratulate Tyler and wish him the best of luck!

Doug Cinnella, the assistant commissioner of the ACBL and coach for the North Jersey Eagles, was recently inducted into the Seton Hall University Athletics Hall of Fame. Cinnella recorded 24 wins while striking out 210 and throwing 11 complete games in his four year career with the Pirates. He also pitched for the Teaneck Teamsters in the ACBL while attending Seton Hall.

He was drafted in the fourth round of the regular 1986 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles and had a successful pro career which included back-to-back no-hitters in his first two starts in the New York Penn League. In 1995 he was in major league spring training with the New York Yankees.

He is the Founder and President/CEO of Professional Baseball Instruction in Upper Saddle River, NJ.

OF Brett Smith (Bucknell, Quakertown Blazers, 2014) was selected as Defensive Player of the Year and named to the First Team of the Patriot League All Conference Team.

1B Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross, Jersey Pilots, 2014), OF Jacen Nalesnik (Lehigh, Allentown Railers, 2014-15) and DH Connor Donovan (Lehigh, Quakertown Blazers, 2014) join Smith on the first team.

Donovan also landed a spot on the second team as a starting pitcher along with RHP Levi Stoudt (Lehigh, Quakertown Blazers, 2017), 1B David Young (Lehigh, Jersey Pilots,2015; South Jersey Giants, 2016) and 2B Steven Cohen (Lafayette, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2015).

Senior outfielder Rob DeAngelis (Ramapo, Jersey Pilots 2015-16) and junior shortstop Zachary Shindler (TCNJ, Trenton Generals 2017) were named New Jersey Athletic Conference Co-Players of the Year.

RHP Joe Cirillo (TCNJ, North Jersey Eagles 2016-17) was named NJAC Pitcher of the Year while Matt Curry (TCNJ, Trenton Generals 2017) tabbed the Fireman of the Year Award.

LHP Jerry D'Andrea (Ramapo, Staten Island Tide 2016-17) and 2B Bobby Shannon (Ramapo, North Jersey Eagles 2016-17) joined Cirillo, DeAngelis and Shindler on the first team.

RHP Andrew Cohen (Rowan, Trenton Generals 2014), Catcher Jon Theckston (Rutgers-Camden, South Jersey Giants 2014-15), 1B Matt Krupa (Kean, North Jersey Eagles 2015-17) and SS Austin Unglaub (Ramapo, Jersey Pilots 2015) were named to the second team.

RHP Ian Scheidermann (Rutgers-Camden, South Jersey Giants 2016) and RHP Brandon Zachary (TCNJ, Trenton Generals 2017) received Honorable Mention honors.

Casey Lawrence Photo Courtesy of baseball-reference.com

RHP Casey Lawrence (Albright, Kutztown Rockies) made his first major league appearance with the Toronto Blue Jays last night and took a loss in relief.

Lawrence was an ACBL All-Star in 2008 and 2009 and signed a free agent contract with the Blue Jays in 2010 after his senior year at Albright.

He played seven years in the minor leagues and posted an 8-12 record in 28 starts at AA New Hampshire and AAA Buffalo with 168 innings pitched in 2016.

Overall he has pitched 1073 innings in the past seven years in pro ball including three stints in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Robbie Welhaf Photo Courtesy of Tim Cowie Photography

Robbie Welhaf (Elon, Quakertown Blazers, 2016) put up an outstanding performance to start the 2017 season. The 2016 ACBL All-Star only faced 28 batters as he no hit Longwood in a 7-0 win for the Phoenix. In nine innings he struck out eight with one walk and a hit batter. The senior RHP threw 100 pitches, 66 for strikes.

Another former ACBL All-Star, Karl Blum (Duke, Trenton Generals, 2015-16), also had an outstanding 2017 debut as the Blue Devils lost to #8 Oregon State 6-3 on Friday. The 6-5, 230 lb. senior allowed only an infield single in four scoreless innings of relief.

Photo Courtesy of Gene J. Puskar | Associated Press

Ryan Vogelsong (Kutztown, Quakertown Blazers) has signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins and has been invited to Major League Spring Training.

Vogelsong, 39, has 12 seasons of big league experience with the Giants and Pirates and this will be his first entry in the American League as he contends for a spot in the starting rotation. Vogey was an All-Star in 2011 and won World Series titles with San Francisco in 2012 and 2014.

Former ACBL players Zac Granite (Seton Hall, Staten Island Tide) and Aaron Slegers (Indiana, Riverhead Tomcats) will join Vogelsong at the Twins Major League Spring Training camp in Fort Myers.

Granite, a speedy centerfielder, was the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year after putting up big numbers at AA Chattanooga which included 55 stolen bases.

Slegers, a 6-10 RHP, went 10-7 at Chattanooga with a 3.41 ERA in 145 innings.