Pitching has Jaguars team feeling confident
BY MIKE WHITE
Staff Writer

JACKSON - Frank Malta has been coaching high school baseball long enough to know that good pitching beats good hitting.

The third-year Jackson High School baseball coach has three experienced hurlers who have opened some eyes in the early part of the 2007 schedule.

Senior pitchers Joe Marchitelli, Sean Stimpfel and Carl Stockert have led the Jags to a 5-2 overall mark. Add to a seasoned veteran pitching staff, solid defense, and Jackson is poised to challenge the elite teams in the Shore Conference.

"Our pitching has really carried us so far," Malta said. "We have a number of guys who we feel real comfortable putting out there. It's a great feeling when the starter you give the ball to has confidence and experience. We know that we are going to get a quality start when one of these three guys goes to the hill."

Stimpfel has registered two wins and no losses in the early going. The senior left-hander has tossed a total of 12 innings in his two outings. He pitched six innings apiece in wins over Lacey and Brick Memorial.

Besides excellent control and an array of pitches, it is Stimpfel's poise that impresses Malta the most.

"Nothing seems to bother him at all," Malta said. "He takes the ball and does the job. He has been very, very good in his two outings. We could not have asked for more from him."

Stimpfel's craftiness leaves batters baffled and guessing.

"He mixes speeds well," Malta admitted. "He's all business when he is out there."

Stockert is a senior right-hander who owns a record of 1-0. In addition, Stockert got a no-decision after throwing five innings in a loss to Toms River North.

"He is always around the strike zone," Malta said. "He works ahead in the count and doesn't walk many batters. He's not afraid to go after batters in big situations."

In a recent 1-0 loss to Brick, Marchitelli pitched brilliantly in defeat. The senior right-hander allowed just one hit in six innings. He struck out eight and walked just one.

"That was really tough," Malta said. "He pitched his heart out and did a great job. We just could not deliver a big hit in a key spot. We had a few scoring opportunities, but failed to come through."

Jackson was guilty of leaving nine men stranded on base, Malta said.

In a win over Freehold, Jackson rallied in the late innings, sparked by the power of sluggers Carl Lofaso and catcher Bill Lee. Both Lofaso and Lee slammed three-run homers as Jackson came from behind for a dramatic 7-6 win in extra innings.

"That was a very exciting game," Malta said. "We came up big with some clutch hits to win that one."

Cory Carr, the team's clean-up batter, and Joe Feaster, the No. 2 hitter, have both made significant contributions through seven games, Malta said.

Malta's squad is built around pitching and defense.

"Those two areas we have worked on a lot since I took over the program," Malta said. "We've always been looked at as a middle-of-the-pack kind of team in the Shore Conference. Now, I think we're starting to open some eyes. We're playing solid defense. If we pitch well and make the routine plays, we're going to find ourselves in a lot of games this year."

Jackson is scheduled to square off against Lacey at FirstEnergy Park, home of the Lakewood BlueClaws, 4 p.m. April 24. Before the game, the Jackson baseball club is donating $500 for eye cancer research.

Anybody interested in making a contribution to eye cancer research can contact Frank Malta at Jackson Memorial High School.

Malta's daughter, Marisa, was diagnosed with eye cancer at 9 months old. She underwent treatment and has been cancer free since.

"This is our second year in playing this game and trying to raise money," Malta said. "We're hoping to have a real good turnout. It's a great cause."