An infusion of talent from the Greater Middlesex Conference has the resurgent Kean University baseball program, which was picked to finish fifth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, according to a preseason poll of the league’s coaches, in contention for a conference title and at least an at-large NCAA regional berth.
Nine players from the GMC, including as many as six who have simultaneously started games in the field for the Cougars this season, have helped Kean fashion a 17-9 overall record and 4-2 mark in the conference, placing them one game behind league frontrunners Rowan and The College of New Jersey, both of which are nationally ranked.
In the latest National College Baseball Writers Association/D3Baseball.com Top 20 poll, Kean was among the other schools receiving votes. The Cougars’ strength of schedule ranks 14th nationally.
Six former GMC players have accounted for 52 percent of Kean’s offense (135 of 261 hits) and 53 percent of its run production (78 of 146 RBI). The list does not include Piscataway native Derek Walker (.311 BA, 28 H, 10 RBI), who played at Immaculata.
A quartet of former GMC pitchers have accounted for 53 percent (123 of 234) of Kean’s innings pitched and six former GMC hurlers have accounted for 52 percent (87 of 167) of its strikeouts.
Former J.P. Stevens stars Zach Marzano and Frank LoGiudice, along with South Plainfield graduate Nick Polizzano and Old Bridge alumnus Tyler Hopman, are among the GMC brethren who have made the biggest impact this season.
In addition to batting .354 with 22 runs and 35 hits, LoGiudice owns a 5-1 record with a 2.37 ERA in 38 innings.
Marzano, who was named to D3Baseball.com’s Team of the Week in late February after a torrid four-game stretch in which he batted .563 (9-for-16) to help the Cougars post a 3-1 record including a win over then nationally ranked Misericordia, is hitting .364 with a team-leading 36 hits.
Polizzano is the team’s leading hitter among regulars, batting .374 with 34 hits including eight for extra bases. The first baseman has also committed just one error in 100 chances. Polizzano was named to D3Baseball.com’s Team of the Week after he helped the Cougars open the year with three straight victories while batting .500 (5-for-10).
Hopman, an ambidextrous hurler, leads the club with 52 innings pitched and 35 strikeouts.
Freshman RJ Jobin, an East Brunswick Tech graduate, was named the NJAC’s Rookie Pitcher of the Week in February after earning a no-decision in Kean’s season-opening win over Drew and a victory seven days later over SUNY Old Westbury. Jobin allowed four earned runs and struck out seven batters while pitching a total of 11 innings in those two outings.
Zach Joe of Woodbridge (16 H and 10 R) and Michael Lapczynski of Metuchen (11 H and 8 RBI) have contributed offensively.
Zach Scire of Old Bridge has been a stellar defensive catcher, and former Edison ace Justin Hernandez has fanned 13 batters in 15 innings.
Four of Kean’s losses have come to foes who are nationally ranked or among other schools receiving Top 25 votes including fifth-ranked Rowan, with which the Cougars split a series.
With 14 regular-season games remaining, Kean is on pace to eclipse its win total of each of the past two seasons, during which the Cougars saw their string of 11 consecutive NCAA regional tournament appearances come to an end.
Kean closes out the regular season with a series against The College of New Jersey, which is ranked 11th in the country.
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