Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Millburn 11- and 12-year-old league team plays in Ridge Independence Day Baseball Tournament.
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Millburn 11- and 12-year-old league team entered the Ridge Independence Day Baseball Tournament in a strong position. The team was ranked number one, was 4-0 in pool play and appeared poised to challenge for the championship. In the semifinals on July 4 at the Ridge Baseball club, Millburn bested the Red Devils West, 18-5. Matt Knowles and Ben Kany handled the pitching chores. Millburn lost in the finals 10-5 later in the day to the Red Devils South. Pitching for Millburn were Max Steffan, Matt Knowles, and Kyle Speckhart. The team benefited from volunteer coach Will Fitzgerald, a Millburn High School 2012 graduate, who was the starting centerfielder for the varsity baseball team. Including this tournament, the team’s overall record…
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Local team scores 10 runs in two innings to beat Nutley 11-2.
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
The MHS freshman baseball team’s offense got off to a slow start, but came through in the final innings to secure a win over Nutley in Nutley on Wednesday. Nutley was on the scoreboard first, with one run in the second inning. Evan Bograd, with his double in the 4th inning, was the first Millburn player to reach base. Max Nesser followed up with a single to center field, bringing Bograd home. The score, after 4 innings, was tied 1 – 1, but Nutley got the go-ahead run in the 5th. Nutley’s lead didn’t last long. Jose Polanco and Bograd started off the 6th inning with singles, followed by walks to Jake Hubertus and Nesser. With bases loaded, Max Birner hit into a fielder’s choice, but the tying run scored. Jack Schwartz’ hit/RBI followed, as…
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
How Chapman brought Millburn back to prominence
This spring’s revitalization of Millburn varsity baseball program began years ago in Cranford, where then assistant head coach, Brian Chapman, was helping to build a culture of winning. In 12 seasons at Cranford, the Cougars were one of the most, if not the most successful public school in the state, amassing six county titles, six sectional championships and a Group 3 title. So when he took his first head coaching job at Millburn this spring, there was no surprise waiting for him as though he were a wet behind the ears, first time head coach. Chapman acted as a co-head coach more so than an assistant head coach while in Cranford under head coach Dennis McCaffery, so as Chapman put it, he was ready for practically every situation. “I wasn’…
Monday, June 27, 2011
Millers complete one of the best seasons in school history
After back-to-back seasons of under .500 baseball, it would’ve been hard to imagine the Miller boys baseball team making the leap it did this spring. When you throw in the early season injury to their best hitter and pitcher, Ian Barry, Millburn’s run to the Group 3 semifinals seems all the more improbable. Yet at season’s end, there they were: North II Group 3 state sectional champs, and at 24-7 as one of the best baseball teams in school history. But if you talked to first year head coach Brian Chapman, the last thing he conveys is a feeling of satisfaction or happiness. He’s thinking of the games they didn’t win. “I can’t help but think how we left some things on the table and I think that’s how all of us felt, in talking to the kids, …
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Millburn falls in Group 3 semis
The Millburn baseball team saw its playoff run ended against Paramus in the Group 3 semifinals on Tuesday at William Paterson University, 11-1, in a six inning mercy rule. In the end, it was the Miller hitters’ inability to catch up with Frank Colasante’s fastball and the hitting of Paramus’s top four batters which led to the lopsided loss for Millburn. The first four hitters for Paramus went nine-for-15 at the plate (.600 batting average), scored nine runs and drove in six. The Paramus No. 3 hitter, Nick Henriquez fell a single short of the cycle, going three-of-four, with a double, triple and homerun with three RBI. “Their top three or four guys were outstanding, as good of a top four as we’ve seen this year,” said Millburn head coach …
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Bomfim, Talpalar lead the way in 7-0 victory.
As the Miller baseball team caught its final out to win the North II Group 3 state sectional championship, there was no wild celebration and no jumping up and down on the mound. Just some scattered and subdued high fives, a few of hushed claps and a couple hugs as brief as an eye blink. As Friday afternoon’s hero, Felipe Bomfim put it after the home win, they still have work to do. “Two more games. Two more games and we’ll win the states. That will be a dream for me,” Bomfim said. Powered by a five RBI afternoon by Bomfim, and seven shutout innings from freshman pitcher Dave Talpalar, the Millers defeated West Morris Mendham, 7-0, in the state sectional final and now have their eyes set on a Group 3 Championship. “This is a nice feeling, …
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Miller bats and relievers shine in win.
An unlikely hero emerged on Tuesday afternoon for the Millburn baseball team as it advanced to the North II Group 3 state sectional finals following an 8-6 home win over Somerville. Sophomore pitcher Ethan Mintz entered the game in the top of the third inning with the bases loaded, no one out and the Millers clinging to a 5-4 lead. It was the third consecutive inning in which the Pioneers loaded the bases, so Millburn was clearly in trouble. The junior varsity call up got three outs in three pitches, including a fantastic diving catch and double play turned by second baseman, Jeff Fischer, to escape the inning and turn the tide in Millburn’s favor. Mintz finished allowing just a run on two hits, one strikeout and no walks in three innings …
Monday, May 23, 2011
Millers open up state playoff run with mercy rule win
The top seeded Miller baseball team did a good job of taking charge of its opening round North II Group 3 state sectional playoff game against the 16th seeded East Side boys. Millburn scored seven runs in the second and added on six more over the next three innings to run away with the home victory, 13-3, in five innings. Millburn wasted very little time in this one and allowed very little chance for the 4-21 East Side visitors to believe they had a chance. “In the first inning we didn’t get the two-out hit, but Willy and Milo had good at bats and we could see that we took some pitches out of that kid and applied some pressure,” said MHS head coach Brian Chapman. “In the second inning I think some of that pressure from the first inning may…
Friday, May 6, 2011
Millburn's aggressive play, solid pitching and hitting give boys a chance in GNT
There may be something special brewing on Millburn’s baseball diamond this spring. One of the biggest surprises in Essex County this season, the Miller boys enter a wide-open Greater Newark Tournament this weekend, and there’s no argument that the fourth seeded Miller boys have just as good of a shot as anyone to take the whole thing. After stumbling out of the gates to an 0-2 start, Millburn has caught fire, losing just twice in its last 14 games, using great pitching and defense, a deep lineup and aggressive base running that puts pressure on opposing defenses to make plays consistently. While their 12-4 record heading into the final half of the season is impressive enough, it’s the numbers surrounding that record that are eye-opening. “…
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Stephen Near quiets Mountaineer bats; Millers beat the Division's top team, end losing streak.
Stephen Near made his first start of the season for the Miller baseball team on Friday afternoon, and against the top team in the Super Essex American Division, to put it plainly, Near was dealing. He struck out six, walked none and allowed just one earned run on six hits, snapping Millburn’s mini two-game slide and bringing the Mountaineers back to the pack in the SEC, in a 3-1 victory. “This was very big definitely,” Near said of the win. “After the two game losing streak to Nutley and Seton Hall Prep, this gets our confidence back, beating the best team in our conference.” A week ago, one of Millburn’s star pitchers, Ian Barry, was injured in a game and has been sidelined since. Realizing that his team would need another starter, Near, …
Nancy Dries
10:31 am on Saturday, June 4, 2011
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