Area baseball: LCM, Wildwood start season while others wait out weather
Posted: April 4th 2024
By BRIAN CUNNNIFF
CapeAtlanticLive.com
The Cape May County high school baseball regular season was supposed to begin this past Monday. But the usual unsettled April weather struck again, postponing all games scheduled to be played in this area so far this week.
Two local teams did manage to get their seasons started because they escaped the early-spring gloom by playing out of state. Lower Cape May beat Conrad (Fla.) at the Disney complex in Orlando on Monday behind a 10-strikeout performance by pitcher Evan Shoffler and a three-run home run and triple by Hunter Ray.
Wildwood also began its season down South, playing a pair of regular-season contests at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Warriors lost 8-1 Monday to a Russell County (Kent.) team that improved to 14-1 with the victory. Wildwood bounced back with a dramatic 10-9 win over Bethlehem (Kent.) on Tuesday, winning the game when Harley Buscham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Buscham and Ryan Troiano combined for four hits and five RBI and Junior Hans reached base four times and scored three runs in the win.
The following is a look at each of the area’s high school baseball teams:
CAPE MAY TECH
Cape May Tech finished a solid 13-9 and reached the championship game of the New Jersey Technical Athletic Conference tournament in 2023. The Hawks lost a few key seniors from last year’s team but do still bring back some solid players.
Cape May Tech is led by senior Tanner Oliva (1B/P), who hit .565 with 14 extra-base hits and pitched to a 1.87 ERA while averaging a little better than a strikeout an inning a season ago. He is set to play college baseball at Division III Rutgers-Camden.
Other key returnees include senior Ron Neenhold (3B/P), who hit .338 last season; junior Connor Mulligan (OF/P), who led the team with 20 RBI last season; sophomore Hunter Urbaczewski (INF/P); and senior Tyler Dille (C/OF).
Sam Picketts returns as coach of the Hawks, who spent their final week of the preseason scrimmaging at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach.
Tech, which competes in the Cape-Atlantic United Conference, is set to open the regular season Friday at Atlantic City.
LOWER CAPE MAY
Expectations at Lower Cape May haven’t been this high in at least 15 years.
The Tigers are coming off a 15-win season that saw them capture the Cape-Atlantic United Division title, qualify for the Diamond Classic tournament and win a first-round state playoff game. They bring most of their top players back, all of whom have been three- and four-year varsity players. Three of them are set to play college baseball at a scholarship level next year.
Lower is led by seniors Evan Shoffler (SS/P), Kody Lewis (UT/P) and Hunter Ray (OF/P). Shoffler, a Division II Shippensburg commit, hit .434 with 33 hits, 35 runs scored and 22 stolen bases last season. He’s also an excellent pitcher who posted a 0.40 ERA in limited innings due to an early-season arm injury. Lewis, a Division II Georgian Court commit, hit .277 last season in limited action due to injury. And Ray, a Division I Fairleigh Dickinson commit, hit .423 with 25 RBI and 19 stolen bases at the plate and struck out 22 batters in 23 innings pitched on the mound in 2023.
Amari West (OF/P) is also a returning senior starter.
The top juniors include Aydan Heacock (UT/P), Matt DiCave (INF/P), Sean Kelleher (1B/P) and Drew Kronemeyer (INF/P/C), all of whom played important roles last season as sophomores. DiCave struck out 31 in 22 innings pitched and Kelleher batted .327 last spring.
While there’s strong experience with this group, there isn’t as much depth as in some recent seasons. The program will not field a junior varsity team this spring.
Lower also moves up in competition this spring, now slotted in the more competitive Cape-Atlantic National Conference.
“Our goals for this season are to compete once again for our division, despite being moved up to the National Division,” eighth-year Lower coach Ryan Slaney said. “We are also aiming to go beyond the second round of state playoffs this year, in addition to qualifying for the Diamond Classic tournament once again.”
Lower is scheduled to play its next game Friday at home at 3 p.m. against ACIT.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP
Middle Township was 7-17 a season ago. The Panthers lost quite a bit to graduation and will field a rather young team in 2024.
Middle is led by senior Tyler McDevitt (P/INF), one of the CAL’s top pitchers. He struck out 60 and posted a 1.76 ERA in almost 56 innings pitched last spring. Offensively, McDevitt led the team with 13 stolen bases last season. The team’s other returning senior starter is Mason Blizzard ©, who hit .297 last season.
Returning juniors include Adam Radzieta (P/INF), Max Adelizzi (1B) and Donnie Nelson (OF). Radzieta and Adelizzi each hit better than .300 as sophomores in 2023.
Freshmen Ty Gandy (P) and Tommy Yarson (INF/P) lead the team’s newcomers.
Chris Branigan returns for his fourth season as Middle’s head coach.
The Panthers are scheduled to open the season Monday at home against Pleasantville after its two scheduled games with Wildwood Catholic this week were postponed due to foul weather.
WILDWOOD
Wildwood enjoyed a winning season in 2023, going 14-11 with a junior-heavy lineup.
With seven starters returning, the Warriors are optimistic they can match or surpass last year’s win total.
Wildwood is led by standout three-sport athlete Junior Hans (P/INF), an excellent leadoff hitter who posted an on-base percentage of well over .500 last season thanks to 16 hits, 25 walks and being hit by a pitch a whopping 19 times. He led Cape May County with 36 stolen bases and posted a 3.03 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 34 innings on the mound.
Other senior returning starters include Ryan Troiano (INF/P), Harley Buscham (3B/P), Logan Totten (OF/P) and Novian Craig (1B/P/DH). Buscham led the team with a .387 batting average, Troiano hit .378 with a team-best 29 RBI and Totten topped the team with nine extra-base hits last season.
Returning juniors include Jacob Craig (OF/1B/P) Brian Cunniff (OF/1B/P) and Broc Denke (C/OF). All three were full-time starters last season as sophomores. Craig pitched to a 1.91 ERA in 25 innings.
Others looking to crack the lineup include senior Buddy Morey (OF), junior R.J. Blanda (OF/2B) and freshmen Trevor Troiano (C/2B/OF/P) and Gianni Troiano (OF/P).
Wildwood will open the season in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Monday, April 1, against Russell County (Ky.).
Rich Hans enters his 24th season as head coach of the Warriors.
“I expect us to be an above average team this year and our experience should allow us to compete every game,” Hans said. “Our pitching should keep us in games as we will pitch to contact and try to make the routine plays. Offensively we will put the ball in play and rely on our speed to put pressure on teams.”
Wildwood (1-1) will play its next game Monday at Overbrook.
WILDWOOD CATHOLIC
The biggest news out of Wildwood Catholic at the season’s outset is that the school simply has a team. After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season, low numbers prevented the Crusaders from fielding teams for the past three seasons.
Interest is much more robust now, with 20 players out for the team. But, as is to be expected, there is a major lack of experience across the roster.
The team’s top player figures to be senior Pat Bean (P/INF), who started as a freshman at Cape May Tech.
After Bean, however, none of the players in the program has seen any action at the high school level.
There are quite a few other seniors out for the team, including Charlie Dunner (UT), Anthony Edwardi (1B/P), Will Flud (OF/P). Joe Jacquelin (UT), Yanni Zervas (OF/P), Blake Rosenello (OF/C) and Kyelle Ruiz (OF/P). Juniors on the roster include Joey Golden (OF/1B), James Szeleski (UT), Keynan Alston (UT/P), Ted Woolery (OF/P) and Chase Critchfield (OF). Sophomores include Peyton Rosenello (OF/P) and Brody Zuccarello (UT/P).
There is some potential among the freshmen class, with some of the players enjoying successful youth baseball careers. Those players include Nick Antonicello (INF/P), Robbie Miller (UT/P), Andrew Badlt (2B/P), Jude Landis (UT/P) and Dom Simmons (UT).
Rob Miller and Giacomo Antonicello are serving as co-head coaches for the program.
“The upperclassmen at WCA won’t just be measured by wins or stats,” Miller said. “They showed leadership and heart by bringing baseball back for the entire school. Without their dedication, none of this would be possible. This is a legacy that goes beyond the scoreboard – it's about building a program and creating opportunity for future generations of WCA players. Let's be honest, someone's bound to underestimate us. When that happens, we'll pounce and grab that first win.”
Wildwood Catholic is without a home field for the 2024 season. The Crusaders are practicing in Stone Harbor but will play all of their games on the road.
Wildwood Catholic’s two scheduled games with Middle Township this week were postponed by weather/wet field conditions. The Crusaders are now set to open the season Monday at Bridgeton.
The Wildwood High School baseball team split a pair of regular-season games at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., earlier this week.
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