'We had a purpose': Spotswood baseball repeats as GMC Blue Division champs

SPOTSWOOD – The loudspeaker blasted “You know I’m a dreamer” lyrics. The Swamp’s green grass was the right kind of bright and neatly cut.

The Spotswood players, many of them buddies since little kids, smiled and joined for a triumphant team picture in front of the scoreboard on the sun-splashed day, their white and royal jerseys glistening.

It felt like all was right in the world.

More: Baseball May roundup: Results, analysis, links for GMC, Skyland and area Union County

More: Baseball: The GMC Top 10, games to watch and storylines after Week 4

“Once we come through those gates, you just feel different,” said veteran coach Glenn Fredricks, pointing to the players-only entrance by left field. “I mean, does it get any better than this? Who wouldn’t want to come here, play ball. I mean, look at this place. It’s the best.”

Spotswood is in the midst of another time-capsule season, the kind that is brought up in reunions down the line. The Chargers clinched the Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division pennant with Tuesday’s epic 15-9 win over St. Thomas Aquinas, in which they scored five runs over the last two innings to force extras and erupted for seven runs in the eighth.

Thursday, Spotswood (15-1-1) beat STA 12-1 to finish division play with an 11-1 record. The Chargers repeated as Blue champs and claimed their 10th title (1996, 2003 to 2007 and 2017 and 2018).

There’s still a long way to go with the upcoming GMC Tournament and the NJSIAA sectionals, but so far, so good.

“I just think that we have a great bunch of kids this year and everybody’s pulling the rope in the same direction and that’s what we ask from everybody,” said Fredericks, in his 19th season as skipper. “Everybody’s all in on every single pitch. … I hope the team chemistry stays at an all-time high and I just hope we just keep it rolling.”

Spotswood graduated some key players from last year’s 21-8 team that reached the Central Group 2 final. They included All-GMC Casey Cumiskey (.556 BA, 34 RBIs and 10 wins, 2.70 ERA), All-Division Jackson Walsh (1.66 ERA, 75 Ks) and steady contributors Chris Bottiglieri and Dylan Kartelias.

Now, players have taken the next step like junior Will Buchan (SS), who has 21 RBIs and a .382 average (21-for-55) in a fulltime role. Leadoff hitter Breckyn DeAngelis (Sr., CF) was All-Division last season, but has increased his production to go with his stellar defense (12 RBIs, 26 runs, .328 BA).

Second baseman Ryan Orth (.364, 20 RBIs) has starred in a fulltime role after excelling as a freshman. The lineup includes Sebby Saracino (So., LF), Shawn Lennan (Jr., 3B), John Lubin (Jr., RF) and catchers Mason Bitalla (Sr.) and Brandon Rivera (Jr.). Gavin Cahill, Jack Louro, Joey O’Halloran, Mateo Rivera and Steve Spisso have all scored runs when called on.

On the mound, Spotswood’s staff includes senior Luc Acquaviva, who went the distance Thursday on a two-hitter (8 Ks/0 BBs) and has a 2.24 ERA and 35 strikeouts (25 IP) on the season. Jack Biscko, DeAngelis, Tyler Olesky, Orth and Coleman Frost have all thrown multiple innings.

Then there’s the headliner, junior first baseman/pitcher Carter Cumiskey, who hit .382 last season with 31 RBIs and a 1.91 ERA (44 IP, 72 Ks).

He’s continued his ascent at the plate (.519 BA, 28-for-54 with 21 RBIs, 4 HRs) and on the mound (33 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 56 Ks) this spring.

No, those stats aren’t misprints.

Thursday, he blasted a three-run shot past the big pine tree over the right center field fence in the bottom of the fifth to end the game at 12-1 with the mercy rule kicking in.

Cumiskey said he made adjustments in the offseason, including getting serious in the weight room, watching his diet and working on his craft.

He quickly, though, pointed to his teammates as reasons for their success, deflecting his accomplishments.

“We definitely have a bunch of great seniors on this team and we all get along no matter what,” Cumiskey said. “Nobody fights. Everybody gets along and we all look out for each other and look up to each other. We all give each other great advice and there’s no people on our team that are above anybody else.

“We all play together so we all want to have success as a team. I wouldn’t say it’s just me. It’s almost everybody on the team that put a lot of work in in the offseason so we could win.”

The spring’s big moments have included Fredericks winning his 300th career game. It’s also the last season of the Swamp, the affectionate nickname of the home field and part of the program’s identity since the late 1990s.

The Swamp, as in it doesn’t hold water all that well, has a wooded area behind home and trees covering the train tracks down first base and right field. The school is replacing the grass with a turf field next season.

Then, the players keep in their hearts the memory of beloved teammate Matt Carlson, who died in November 2022 in an ATV cash when he was a sophomore. His picture in the Spotswood uniform sits on the netting for the batting cage off the field with the words of “In Loving Memory of Matthew Carlson. Once a Charger …”

“Coming into the season we know we had a purpose,” Cumiskey said. “We’re playing for our buddy Matt that passed away and we’re also coming back with a bunch of fuel from last year losing in the sectional final, so every game is a battle no matter what. No matter who we’re playing we’re going to go hard.”

Fredricks added, “There’s no quit in them. That’s the thing, there’s no quit in them. Until they tell us to stop playing we’re going to keep going.”

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Baseball: Spotswood repeats as GMC Blue Division champions