Connexion Baseball Club: Welcome

PRACTICE FOR MAY 8TH HAS BEEN CANCELLED!!

Connexion Baseball will open the 2011 Summer Collegiate Season on May 29th for a 2:30PM start against the Colts Neck Braves in Wall, NJ. The seoond game is scheduled to start about 5PM.

Connexion Baseball is now accepting applcations for our Spring 2011 HS Varisty Team for 17U Season.

Connexion Baseball is DESIRE, DEDICATION & DETERMINATION, the 3 D's of Baseball.  In the fall of every year we run an Elite 18U Program in the ABCCL/ABC Fall League. During the summer we play our Summer Collegiate Season!

Click above here for NCAA Recruiting Calendar Guide

Final League standings are in!  Connexion Baseball finished with 35 points, the 35 points earned us a 13th place finish out of 38 teams!  The Blacksox went undefeated at 20-0, and boy o boy we had em beat that one game, until a few errors led to four unearned runs.  All in all the 2010 Connexion team finished ahead of Frozen Ropes, Langan National, New Jersey 9ers, New Jersey Marlins White, Langan Baseball American, New Jersey Marlins Blue, Game Time Baseball, and New Jersey Niners Madia.

The 2011 season will see us returning all of our underclassman, in addition we'll have open roster spots for additional players. 

The Connexion Baseball Club prides itself on equal playing time for all.  We are proud to preach the 3'ds of Baseball (Desire, Dedication and Determination), team play, and sportsmanship.  A few of our seniors got looks from local colleges and time will tell where these guys on what colleges our seniors will attend.  Connexion Baseball during the course of the season contacted 25 colleges throughout the fall season.

It took 10 innings, however Connexion Baseball triumphed over Mon Don in todays extra innings contest.  Connexion Pitchers Pamler (Pinelands), MeGeehen (Mon Don), Ruiz (St Joe's), Brandon (RBR) and Rodriquez (RBR) allowed only 7 hits in the 7-6 win.

Sunday (Mon Don) and Hnarahan (Middletown North) paced the offense and Clayton (Lenape) had another signature long ball!

Over the years Connexion Baseball has accomodated many HS Varisty players when their High School Varisty Team did not have a team. 

With Connexion Baseball everyone plays, our team is coached by former College players that have a respect for the game, and respect for the players. Over the years I stated that those players that shop up the most end up playing the most. It's all about showing up, right?

Many of our players have gone on to play baseball at the Collegiate level and a few have made it to some type professional baseball.  We're their to teach, instruct and help all players achieve their goals with baseball.  We are also there to ask questions about the college recruitment process and we're able to reach to college coaches when asked.

We're not and ELITE team that travels from tournament to tournament, we're NOT a team that sits players because of their talent level. 

We ARE a team that plays everyone,  we ARE a team that respects the game and how it's played.  We ARE their to help each player progress to the next level of baseball.

Art Post

General Manager

Highlands, NJ: 

Connexion Baseball will start the season with a double header against the Monmouth Brewers on May 31st with a 4PM start at Cherry Quay field in Brick, NJ.

"We're as ready as we've ever been and we're hell bent on finishing with a playoff spot this year", stated General Manager Art Post.  Last season saw the Connexion fall one game short of getting the last playoff position for the JSBL Championship Tournament.  "The weather did not co-operate last year, we must have had to reschedule 12 of our games due to rain, and the weather got the best of us on the last day of the season" 

Post believes he has quality players at every position and depth like he's never had before.   "With 10 College Pitchers and 1 HS Senior, we've got plenty of arms to throw, look for us to mix and match as much as we can". 

Key returning players:  Dave Leninger, "Bear" Buragina, Brandon McCloskey, Mike Ferrintino, Ryan Garber, Jason Fernandez, Bryan "Sully" Sullivan, and Tim Ens will be able to help the new guys get use to Major League Rules Baseball with a splash of Jersey Shore adaptations.

Not doing anything the night of the 30th? Come out and support Collegiate Baseball with us!

Connexion Baseball is back for another our 8th Summer Collegiate Season in the Jersey Shore Baseball League.

Games will be played in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and our season will consist of 30-35 games.  We're returning about 12 guys from last years team and we're looking to compete for another playoff position as in years past.

Middletown, NJ:

We've just about completed our roster for the fall 2009 season. This season Connexion Baseball will piited against some of the best Fall Teams in the state.  On October 2,3, & 4 we will be at a Showcase Tournament in Eastern PA for a minimum of three games. Traditionally we have faired well in this tournament and hope that we play well.

This years Head Coach is Bobbie Piccardo.  Bobbie is a former Middletown South graduate, Connexion player, and recently graduated from Catholic University. Coach Piccardo loves the game and his enthusiam will transfer to the team. Piccardo holds two three records for Connexion Baseball, Most Hits, Most AB's and Most Games Played. We are extremly pleaed to have him as our Head Coach!

Our Pitching Coach is Nick Riker, Riker is a graduate of Red Bank Catholic, Brookdale Community College and Felician College.  Nick was a standout performer as a RHP for all of these teams, pitched in the JUCO World Series, threw a no hitter against the Blacksox in a Fall Moosic Tournament and played a year of Professional Baseball with the Texarkana Gunslingers in the Continental Baseball League. Riker's time will be limited to some Sundays and the tournament, he will be getting married this December. 

Way to go Sully!!!!!!!!!  Congrats from EXC  

PARAMUS — Bryan Sullivan just wanted to be a pitcher.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS PEDOTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Bryan Sullivan, demonstrating his pitch and follow-through, was the winning pitcher for Paramus on opening day.

He never cared about newspaper headlines or the chase for a college scholarship.

He was not concerned with racking up strikeout totals in Little League or one day leading his high school team to a championship.

All Sullivan wanted was the chance to take the mound and play the game he watched on television, and he was willing to do whatever it took to live out his childhood dream.

He was 6-years old and a long way from becoming the winning pitcher for Paramus High School on opening day, which he was 11 days ago.  He never gave any thought to how daunting the realization of that dream was going to be.

“I watched two games and I fell in love with the game,” said Sullivan, a senior. “I was going to be a pitcher; I remember asking my dad, ‘Can I learn how to play baseball? The only promise his father, Steve, made was that they were going to try.

There were going to be challenges, considering Bryan was born with cerebral palsy and suffers from hemiparesis, or slight paralysis or weakness that affects the right side of his body. He would be forced to learn how to catch and throw with only his left hand.

The Sullivans hoped for the day all Bryan would have to worry about was earning playing time, keeping his ERA down and adding a few miles per hour to his fastball, but they knew his quest would involve so much more.

“His determination was there from the very beginning,” said his mother, Donna. “He always believed that, with hard work, he could achieve anything.” Bryan certainly has achieved something special, and not only with what he has done, but how he’s gone about doing it.

Today, the 18-year-old is a pitcher and a remarkable one at that, one of the greatest examples of what perseverance and dedication can produce, yet not without talent and an uncanny ability to master technique despite obvious physical limitations. Bryan was not given the ball as Paramus’ starter April 1 against Kennedy – he earned it.

“I never would have projected him to be a varsity pitcher when he was in the ninth grade,” Paramus coach Joe Cervino said. “Since then, he’s managed to put it all together, and most of that has clearly come from his own will.”

Included in that will is an undeniable passion to prove he can. At least five times a week for the last four years, he has awakened at 4:30 a.m. for a grueling workout at the Gold’s Gym in town.

He was one of the youngest to enroll at the Parisi Speed School and has trained there since the age of 7.  No one could have imagined that level of training regimen for someone who underwent physical and occupational therapy for six years, starting at 10 months old.

Note: from Art, after our FALL 2008 season I wrote this blog in reference to you gotta have heart!

http://mfpsolutions.blogspot.com/2008/11/mfp-copier-sales-you-gotta-have-heart.html

Exc coach Nick Riker recently got his website Biopoweredbaseball.com up ad running. Nick is now working and giving lessons on pitching and strength and conditioning and started this site to market himself not only as a coach but to blog day to day about various pitching ideas that are on his mind. Nick recently decided to stop playing baseball professionaly and turned his focus on teaching. Over the summer Nick is taking his NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) certification test to become a Professional Strength and Conditioning coach as well as a pitching coach. He is doing all of his lessons now at Langan Baseball in Morganville NJ, and will also continue to coach for us. Please feel free to look over his page as it is still under constuction.

With 3 games left in the regular season, Connexion BB stands in 8th place with 35 points. We actually have 37 points, however that point will not be added until the end of next week!  We will play our final games against the Staten Island Cadets and Farrah Building (10/20 @ 7pm).

Connexion Basball wwept a DH from Baseball Parks of America over the weekend by the score of 12-5 and 2-1.  We have a possibility of garnering another 9 points if we sweep the rest of our games. Keep in mind that there are teams below us that still have many games to make up. We have to win out to get us in.

Connexion Baseball dropped the first game 2-0 to Belmar Angels on two unearned runs in the first inning. Pat Bonner (RBR 09) pitched 6 solid innings for 2 hit baseball. Marco Carracappa (RBC 09) pitched a hitless and scoreless 7th inning for Connexion.

 Game 2 saw Connexion pitcher Byran Sullivan (Paramus HS 09) get off to a rocky start, the Angels wanted to play some Bush League baseball. Connexion players then respnded with 12 hits and 6 runs after the first inning and Connexion pitchers threw a shut out the rest of the way for a 6-4 win. Eric Hogan (Middletown South 09) pitched four solid innings of 1 hit baseball, while striking out 6, Tims Ens (Middletown South 09) pitched a scoreless and hitless 6th, Ian Wladika (Holmdel HS 09 Committed to NJIT)  closed out the 7th for the Connexio Victory!

While there are many good players on the squad this year and many good underclassmen. ABCCL All Stars are reserved for our best Juniors and Seniors who have not committed to a college yet.  Thus we congratulate the following players that were selected.

Pat Condon (CF) Middletown North 09 Grad

Scott Bruno (CF) Middletown South 10 Grad

Pat LeCompte (OF/RHP) CBA 09 Grad

Tyler Cotterell (Catcher) Middletown South 09 Grad

Joe LaCugna (3B) Manalapan HS

Hornorable Mention:

Eric Hogan (RHP) Middletown South 09 Grad

Bryan Sullivan (LHP) Paramus HS 09 Grad

Mike Farrell (1B,3B) Middletown South 09 Grad

Will Siegrfried (RHP) Middltown South 11 Grad

Congrats to all!!!!!!

                                  It is with great please that we announce the return of Chris Langan as Head Coach for the Summer 2008 Collegiate team in the JSBL!  Chris Langan was the Head Coach for the 2006 Summer Season that saw Connexion Baseball reach the playoffs for the thirs consecutive year.

Chris Langan has been Felician's head baseball coach since the 2004 season, and has led the Golden Falcons to back-to-back CACC Tournament appearances. In 2006, Langan guided Felician to a school record 29 victories, its first in-season regional-ranking, a runner-up finish in the CACC playoffs, and its first ECAC Tournament berth.

Langan has a school-record 83 victories in his four years with Felician. He has coached 12 all-conference and two-all region players, including 2007 CACC Player of the Year and honorable-mention All-American Frank Quintana. Langan was promoted after serving as an assistant in 2002-03, during which time he was the hitting coach and worked with the catchers and outfielders.

Langan was an all-state performer at Keyport High School and helped the Red Raiders to a state championship in his junior season. Collegiately, he was a two-time all-CACC performer at Bloomfield College before transferring to Kean University, where he was a key contributor to the Cougars' 1998 NCAA Tournament team. Langan was a non-roster invitee to the Kansas City Royals' major-league spring training in 1999.

Langan owns bachelor's degrees in special education from Kean in 1998 and in social services from Almeda College in 2003. He is pursuing a master's in speech pathology from Kean. He resides in Hazlet with his wife, Danielle, and daughter, Chelsea.