Results

Lyndhurst vs. West Essex L 1-0 (State Game)

In a classic pitcher's duel, division 1 player P.J Lawless shut the Golden Bear's down for 8 innings. Joey Catena held his own keeping West Essex off balance and keeping them off the scoreboard till the 8th game. It was truly the best game I watched since Glen Flora pitched against Robbinsville in the State Finals. Lawless allowed just 4 hits in the game with 11 strike outs. The Golden Bear's were sloppy on the baseball diamond path as their immaturity showed, however they played with a lot of guts and poured their heart on to the diamond.

They are a force to be reckoned with next season. Key players that leave are Joe Carnevale, James Kim, Mark Nasseef, David Schneidenbach, and Frank Spanola.

Lyndhurst Golden Bear's will revamp and reload. This should be the projected line-up next season.

P - Rob Nichircho

P - Joey Catena

P - Anthony Calaboro

P - Max Hart

P - Kevin Rehbein

C - Austin Meeney/Michael Walker

1B - Joey Catena

2B - Kevin Rehbein/Michael Walker

3B - Anthony Calaboro/CJ Battista

SS - Rob Nichircho/Kevin Rehbein

OF - Michael Walker

OF - Jimmy Fitzgerald

OF -Peter Zeoli

OF - Max Hart

Prediction: 22 - 6

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Parsippany W 6-1 (State Game)

The Golden Bears seal up their 20th win! Naseef and Walker contribue to 4 of the 6 RBIs. They will face West Essex in the semi-finals. It'll be the best team Lyndhurst will face all season. Overall, the Golden Bears should pat themselves on the back for a wonderful season. If Lyndhurst was in Group 1, I have no doubt they would've came out as the first seed and won it all.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Orange W 10-0 (State Game)

The Golden Bear's mercy rule Orange in 5 innings.

Lyndhurst vs. Secaucus L 3-0 (League Game) Co-League Champs!

The Golden Bears could not get anything going against Secaucus. The Golden Bears however have flown under the radar and could provide quite a punch in the states.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Wallington W 6-2 (League Game)

The Golden Bears can have another 20 wins season if they can beat Secaucus and win the first game in the states. Lyndhurst is slated to face Orange. The Golden Bears are the heavy underdogs against a bigger Group 2 school, West Essex.

In this game Kim pitched a great game against a good hitting ball club. The Golden Bears scored 6 runs this game. With a win here they clinched at least a tie for the league title. A win against Secaucus however would give them sole possession of the league title.

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Meadowlands

Top 3 Offense
St. Mary's
Lyndhurst
Wallington

Top 3 Pitching
St. Mary's
Harrison
Secaucus

Top 3 Teams
Lyndhurst
St. Mary's
Secaucus

I ranked the Golden Bears as the best team in the meadowlands division because of their dominance in their tier. Against higher tier baseball teams they are 0-4 (Old Tappan, St. Joe's, Paramus, Passaic Hills). Against similar tiers they are a dominant 18-1 with their only loss coming to St. Mary's. It was a close one between St. Mary's and Lyndhurst. If Lyndhurst had played Emerson, that decision could've swayed my decision. A win against them, I'd be certain that Lyndhurst was the better team; and with a huge loss, i would've gone with St. Mary's

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Becton W 11 - 1 (League Game)

Hopefully this can jump start the Golden Bear's offense before the start of the State Games. Its their best offensive showing in the longest time.

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Lyndhurst vs. Old Tappan L 12-0 (County Game - ELIMINATED)

The Golden Bear's did not play well this game. Hopefully they can turn the page and start performing well as a team again.

Results

Lyndhurst vs St. Joe's L 18 - 4 (League Game)

The Golden Bears had fun playing against St. Joe's with nothing to lose. Lyndhurst will face Old Tappan for the first round of the playoffs.

Old Tappan hasn't been hitting all year. Expect the Golden Bears to bring their "good hitting" line-up. I predict the Golden Bears to win 7-5.

Lyndhurst Being In Group 2/Midseason Report

Lyndhurst being in Group 2 garnered a lot of respect from other schools and coaches. Although, the Golden Bears are the smallest Group 2 team in the state they have a lot of poweful bats and depth. It gives Coach Servideo a tough decision day in and day out. Its not as easy coaching a talented staff like that. Can you imagine benching a good player to let another good player prove they belong at the varsity level? No, this is not Don Bosco. Its Lyndhurst - with a potential, potent offence.

The problem the past 2 seasons is finding good pitching. After Glen Flora left, the Golden Bear's responded well to reloading on offense. They improved on offense greatly. The problem is facing teams with great pitching: Emerson, St. Mary's, Paramus, Pascack Hill and etc. Lyndhurst surrendering more than 5 runs against teams like this can make it especially tough, and even more if the opposition has their ace pitching.

Defensive miscues aren't too costly against weaker team because the Golden Bears can mash their way out of trouble. The problem comes when giving extra out to teams that can hit just as well they can (St. Mary's). The Golden Bear's record may seem impressive, but they can still improve. They are ranked 10th in Group 2 and in Bergen County. They will likely win the league title. However, the bottom line is they need to pitch better and field better.

Group 2/ Bergen County Rankings

Group 2

1-West Essex (14-1)
2-Robbinsville (17-1)
3-Gov. Livingston (15-3)
4-Hackettstown (13-0)
5-Voorhees (11-1)
6-Dumont (15-4)
7-Haddon Heights (13-1)
8-Madison (13-4)
9-Glen Rock (13-3-1)
10-Lyndhurst (14-2)

Bergen County

1-Don Bosco Prep (18-0)
2-St. Joseph (Mont.) (16-2)
3-Paramus (14-3)
4-Emerson Boro (15-2)
5-Ramapo (12-4)
6-Dumont (15-4)
7-Bergen Catholic (12-5)
8-Glen Rock (13-3-1)
9-Ridgewood (11-4)
10-Lyndhurst (14-2)

Seeding for the County Tournament
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Midland Park (17) vs. Mahwah (16) 8-4
Ridgefield (18) vs. Wallington (15) 6-2
Westwood (19) vs. Waldwick (14) 14-12
Rutherford (20) vs. Ramsey (13) 6-0
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ROUND OF 16
Saturday, May 14, 2011
at Demarest
Ridgewood (10) vs. Ramapo (7), 10:30 a.m.
Wallington (15) vs. St. Joseph (2), 1:00 p.m.
Waldwick (14) vs. Paramus (3), 3:30 p.m.

at Emerson
Bergen Catholic (9) vs. Dumont (8), 10:00 p.m.
Mahwah (16) vs. Don Bosco (1),12:30 p.m.
Ramsey (13) vs. Emerson (4), 3:00 p.m.

at Lyndhurst
Old Tappan (11) vs. Lyndhurst (6), 11:30 a.m.
St. Mary (12) vs. Glen Rock (5), 2:00 p.m.

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Result

Lyndhurst vs. North Arlington W 9-3 (League Game, Part II)

Lyndhurst scores first this game. Last time they met, the Golden Bears fell behind early only to come from behind and beat the Vikings. This time, Lyndhurst held the lead all game. Calabro, Carnevale, Kim, and Schneidenbach all contribute with 6 runs batted in to win with a final score of 9-3.

With the sudden forfeit of Dumont to Rutherford, Lyndhurst moves up in the seeding for the county game as the 6th seed and will now face Old Tappan. It should be a better draw for the Golden Bears. Expect less runs from the Golden Bears. Pitching because all the importance in County and State games.

Results

Lyndhurst (Group 2, 7th seed) will host Ridgewood (Group 4, 10th seed) in the bergen county tournament Saturday.

Lyndhurst vs. Pascack Hills L 8-7 (League Game)

Lyndhurst falls to Pascack Hills 8-7. They were outhit and were sloppy. County games are near, and the Golden Bear's need to stick with what they had. They are a talented bunch and are capable of scoring 12 runs per game. They need to be the team that beat Park Ridge earlier in the season. Mark Naseef picked up his 130th career hits leapfrogging to be the all time hits leader in Lyndhurst.

Lyndhurst vs. Bogota W 6-2 (League Game)

The Golden Bear's are capable of playing better than this game. Expect the Golden Bears to start pounding the baseball again. Coach Servideo seems to be trying to get everyone in the game similar to the game against Becton. Next Up: Lyndhurst will need to bring their A game against Pascack Hills.

Nichircho contributes with 4RBIs in route of the Golden Bear's 15th victory of the season. Villareale pitches for his 2nd win of the season.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Hasbrouck Heights W 8-4 (League Game)

Lyndhurst vs. Harrison W 7-0 (League Game)

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Paramus L 10-3 (League Game)

Lyndhurst falls to Paramus 10-3. Paramus is a top 3 team in the bergen county and group 3 school. The Golden Bear's however scratched a few runs and tried to keep it close. A good effort for the Golden Bears.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Saddle Brook W 13-3 (League Game)

Lyndhurst begining to swing their bats again. Averaging 8+ runs per game. The Golden Bears shouldn't get too comfortable however. Paramus, the top public school in north jersey, will be their biggest test. They haven't faced any teams in the Top 10 (Bergen County). They need to have a strong showing against Paramus if they want to be recognized as a power house of north jersey.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Wood-ridge W 2-0 (League Game)

Rob Nichricho wins his 2nd start and shuts out Wood-Ridge. Spanola contributes with an RBI which was enough for the Golden Bears.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Weehawken W 8-7 (League Game)

Catena contributes with his bat (2RBIs) and with his arm (W). Weehawken managed to only get 3 hits but took advantage of every opportunity. Lyndhurst falls 5 spots in the bergen county standing primarily from a losing effort to St. Mary's.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. St. Marys L 12-6 (League Game)

Lyndhurst suffers its first loss of the season. This game, they were outhit, out-pitched, and out-fielded by their rivals. Lyndhurst plays another good team, Emerson tomorrow. Lyndhurst needs to be on their A game especially if Palladino is on the mound.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Becton W 9-8 (League Game)

Lyndhurst made substitutions with an 8-0 lead and eventually won 9-8. Robert Nichircho wins his first start of the season. The Golden Bear's improve to 9-0 for the season and remains undefeated

Preview: Lyndhurst vs. Emerson & St. Mary's

Lyndhurst may run into Emerson's ace pitcher, David Palladino. David Palladino gave up only 5 hits in 27 innings with 2 no hitters. He also has 4 wins and is undefeated this season. The Golden Bear's offense will be put to a real test if they happen to face Emerson's ace. It will definitely be fun to watch the Golden Bears try to hit against one of the best pitchers in North Jersey.

St. Mary's will be blowing off steam after being upset by Harrison. St. Mary's Gaels have a potent offense that can match the Golden Bear's offense. Like always, Gaels vs. Golden Bears is the best rivalry we've seen in this decade for both teams. High school sports fan in North Jersey, especially, will enjoy this one.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Belleville W 4-1 (League Game)

Naseef and Kim contribute with extra base hits and with an rbi each. Those runs were enough to hold Belleville down for the Golden Bear's 8th consecutive win. Kim limits Belleville to just 1 run.
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Star Ledger's Current Top 10 In Group 2/Bergen County & Team to beat

Group 2
1-West Essex (6-1)
2-Gov. Livingston (6-1)
3-Voorhees (4-0)
4-Hackettstown (5-0)
5-Robbinsville (7-0)
6-Buena (4-2)
7-Hanover Park (4-2)
8-Manchester Township (4-1)
9-Westwood (5-3)
10-Middlesex (7-2)
([11]IN THE BUBBLE) Lyndhurst (8-0)

Bergen
1-Don Bosco Prep (7-0)
2-St. Joseph (7-1)
3-Bergen Catholic (6-2)
4-Emerson Boro (6-1)
5-Old Tappan (6-2-1)
6-Ridgewood (5-1)
7-Paramus (5-2)
8-Ramapo (5-2)
9-Westwood (5-3)
10-Waldwick (7-0)
([13]IN THE BUBBLE) Lyndhurst (8-0)

Results

Lyndhurst v. Secaucus W 12-7 (League Game)

Lyndhurst comes from behind again to win against their new rival, in their new division; Secaucus is regarded as the team to beat in this division. Lyndhurst continues to average 10+ runs per game. Carnevale and Calabro provides 50% of the run support in today's game. The Golden Bear's need to cut down on the errors, however. Lyndhurst also wins its 7th straight and is still undefeated this season.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Queen Of Peace W 10-0 (League Game)

Lyndhurst continues to smash the cover off the ball. The Golden Bears wins its 6th straight game by shutting out Queen Of Peace (ranked 263 in NJ). Walker hits 2 doubles with 2 rbis. Calabro and Spanola each contribute with triples.

In the standings, Lyndhurst is making noise. It moves up one spot in the bergen county standings to #13. In the state they move past 85 teams and are placed at #132 - Not to shabby.
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Star Ledger's Current Top 10 In Group 2/Bergen County & Team to beat

Group 2
1-Gov. Livingston (4-0)
2-West Essex (3-1)
3-Buena (3-1)
4-Hanover Park (3-1)
5-Voorhees (3-0)
6-Hackettstown (2-0)
7-Madison (4-1)
8-Manchester Twp. (2-0)
9-Westwood (2-2)
10-Ramsey (2-1)

Bergen
1-Don Bosco Prep (5-0)
2-St. Joseph (Mont.) (4-1)
3-Bergen Catholic (4-1)
4-Emerson Borough (3-1)
5-Paramus (3-0)
6-Ramapo (3-0)
7-Westwood (2-2)
8-Old Tappan (2-2-1)
9-Ramsey (2-1)
10-Waldwick (5-0)

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Park Ridge W 13-1 (League Game)

Park Ridge must feel deflated after losing to Emerson and Lyndhurst back-to-back. Lyndhurst Golden Bears pounces on Park Ridge for its 5th straight win

Lyndhurst Golden Bears have a tough test ahead against teams like: Queen Of Peace, Becton, Secaucus, Belleville, St. Mary's (Ruth), Wallington, and Emerson. (In That Order).

During that stretch if the Golden Bears Go:
0-7 or 1-6 --> Poor Stretch (will either be 5-7 or 6-6)
2-5 or 3-4 ---> Good Stretch (will either be 7-5 or 8-4)
4-3 ---> Great Stretch (will end up with a record of 9-3) Great way to start the season!
5-2 ---> Fantastic Stretch (will end up with a record of 10-2) Very difficult to do. But if achievable, Lyndhurst Golden Bears will be raising more than a several eyebrows especially if one of its wins is against Emerson.
6-1---> Start smelling the playoff atmosphere (will end up with a record of 11-1 and the road to the play offs isn't too far ahead.)

Results

Lyndhurst vs. North Arlington W 11-7 (League Game)

Lyndhurst falls behind early again only to come from behind +4 in the later innings. It seems as though the bats are starting to heat up.
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Lyndhurst vs. Lodi W 20-7 (League Game)

Lyndhurst wins a slugfest. Lyndhurst puts up a 11-spot in the 7th inning to put the game out of reach. However, It was a sloppy game for Lyndhurst giving the opposition many, many opportunities.

Results

Lyndhurst vs. Harrison W 6-1 (League Game)

Harrison put up a fight against Lyndhurst.
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Star Ledger's Current Top 10 In Group 2/Bergen County & Team to beat

Group 2
1-West Essex (0-0)
2-Gov. Livingston (0-0)
3-Westwood (1-0)
4-Ramsey (0-0)
5-Buena (1-0)
6-Johnson (1-0)
7-Hackettstown (0-0)
8-Voorhees (1-0)
9-Pequannock (0-0)
10-North Warren (0-0)

Bergen
1-Don Bosco Prep (1-0)
2-St. Joseph (Mont.) (1-0)
3-Westwood (1-0)
4-Ramsey (0-0)
5-Old Tappan (0-1)
6-Bergen Catholic (0-1)
7-Emerson Boro (0-0)
8-Indian Hills (0-1)
9-Paramus (0-0)
10-Dumont (0-1)

Results

Lyndhurst v. Leonia: W 7-5 (League Game)

Leonia started to rally, but Lyndhurst stopped the bleeding and scored an insurance run to cap the victory and their first win of the season.
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Prediction: 19-8 League Champs

2011 Baseball Season: What To Expect

Key Numbers
At The Plate
Catena: .333 2 triples 14rbis 13 runs
Kim: .394 28 safeties 12 doubles 15rbis
Nassef: .490 49hits 21rbis 6HR
Nichirco: .315 22rbis 17runs
Schneidenbach: .358 38 hits 24rbis
Walker: .302 15 RBIs 14 runs

On The Mound
Calabro: 1.63 ERA
Catena: 2.73ERA 56Innings 43SO 32BB 43Hits
Kim: 3.33ERA 48Innings 34SO 26BB 36Hits

The gang is stronger with a year of team experience under their belt. No injuries known. Talent is there. #'s as a group should improve. Some have known each other since their Little League days.

Pitching will be the key. Their offense is impressive, but its how they do against impressive pitching will dictate how they fair against the better teams.

I expect them to be league champs, have 20+ wins again easily. Scouts will have them on their radar to see if they can repeat their talent level from their past year. They WILL do better. They WILL perform better. They will make LESS errors. They will open more eyes this season.

20+ Win: A shoe-in
League Champs: A great shot. Best shot they got in recent years.
State Champs: Need a bit of luck, and cohesive talent.