Printer Friendly Version - Hornets’ Baseball Returns Experienced Core for 2017

Junior second baseman Damien Maniscalco is one of the returning veterans for the Branford baseball team, which enters its second season with Head Coach Steve Malafronte this spring. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound

Last year, the Branford baseball team claimed a division title and qualified for the playoffs in its first season with Head Coach Steve Malafronte. This spring, Malafronte is back in the dugout for his second season as the Hornets’ skipper, and he feels confident with the product that Branford is putting on the diamond. The Hornets feature an experienced pitching staff, along with some veterans up the middle, and so Malafronte is looking for them to mesh with a few new guys to help Branford continue contending in the Southern Connecticut Conference.

“There is potential for us to do very well this year,” Coach Malafronte said. “Our league is very competitive with a lot of good pitching and so a there’s a lot of parity, but I think we’ll stand up to it, and be a very competitive team that will take teams down to the wire and try to grind out as many victories as we can.”

Branford will be bolstered by three junior starting pitchers who have varsity experience, plus a bullpen that’s stacked with seniors. The Hornets’ rotation features Zane Kmietek, who tossed a no-hitter against North Haven last spring on his way to making the All-SCC Oronoque Division Team; as well as fellow juniors Carson Mendoza and Alphonse Suppa. In the relief corps, senior Jack Spencer is slated to reprise his role as the primary guy out of the pen. TJ Beaudin and Devon Lawson will also lend a hand to Branford in relief in their senior seasons. All six of these pitchers are right-handed.

“I expect our pitching staff to keep us in every single baseball game this year. Whether we’re hitting or not hitting, I expect our pitchers to keep us in games,” said Malafronte. “Last year, they got their feet wet and had a real taste for what it means to be starting varsity pitchers. This year, I expect them to blossom and make that move to become dominant factors in the league. Having a senior-laden bullpen with guys who understand their roles to come in for an inning or two get outs, and having that be a senior job this year, I think that will help us, as well.”

Moving to the infield, senior captain Nikko Liguori is back at shortstop on the heels of an All-Oronoque campaign, while junior Damien Maniscalco returns to play second base for the Hornets. Suppa takes over at first base with the graduation of Devin DeRenzo, and Kmietek and Mendoza will also see time there when Suppa is on the mound. Last year’s third baseman Bryce Baker also graduated, and so the hot corner will feature a mix of Mendoza and senior Zach Withington. Branford’s starting catcher is junior Robbie Barbash, who replaces Mike Gogliettino.

“I expect them to have a very high fielding percentage. It’s something we’ve worked on a lot,” Malafronte said of his infield. “If they’ve done up to what they’ve shown me so far, I think they’ll be very good.”

Senior captain Jordan Botte is back for his third year as Branford’s starting center fielder. Botte will be flanked by senior Trevor Brown in left field with junior DJ Caron playing right field. Malafronte likes that he has three speedsters in his outfield, and the coach also praised Botte and Liguori for the exemplary job they’ve done as the Hornets’ captains. Malafronte said the two senior leaders complement each other quite well.

“They have different personalities. Nikko is a bit more vocal and a hype guy who’s very intense and excitable...Jordan is a little more quiet, but he leads by example, and is very experienced. He’s a part of the Legion program and so he has a wealth of knowledge and just goes about his business, which is encouraging to those he’s working with,” said Malafronte. “The balance between the two of them so far has been very exciting. The leadership they’re providing to the younger guys is some of the best I’ve seen so far, and I’ve been with the program for seven years. They did a great job in the offseason of keeping the guys together and working.”

Since the moment last season ended, the Hornets have been chomping at the bit to get back on the field for Opening Day. While Mother Nature hasn’t been too kind to New Englanders who’ve been looking to get outside during the early days of spring, Coach Malafronte said his athletes have stayed focused, so that they’ll be ready to thrive when the weather gets warm.

“I’m really excited for this season. It’s been a whole year coming almost. We’ve been waiting for this for a full year now. When we lost last year in states, it was almost as if we were already getting ready for next year. We lost the game, took a week off, and everyone was like ‘Let’s get ready for next year and get going. We want to play and get back to this.’” Malafronte said. “The kids are excited to be out there and, with all the adversity we’ve gone through with the weather, it’s been great to see the kids never really be down and lose focus. Even if they’ve been indoors and it’s not where we want to be, they’re still working hard. All these things they’ve been doing show me that they’re ready for the season and to be successful.”

Branford’s 2017 varsity roster also features junior catcher/outfielder James Wallace, junior pitcher/outfielder Noah Jerolman, sophomore infielder Anthony Burzynski, and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Aidan Ricciardelli.

Last year, Branford went 8-0 in the Oronoque Division to win the title and finished the regular season with a mark of 9-11. The Hornets took a 9-3 defeat to Hamden in the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament and then lost a 3-2 decision against Wilcox Tech in the first round of the Class L State Tournament for an overall record of 9-13.

In the new-look SCC, Branford is playing in the Quinnipiac Division this year. North Haven and East Haven made the move from the Oronoque with the Hornets and the trio will be joined by Xavier in the Qunnipiac. Branford is no longer in the same division as Career and Wilbur Cross.

Bryan Maturo returns as a varsity assistant and the JV head coach for the Hornets. Program alum Alec Janotta, who played for four years at the University of Bridgeport, is Branford’s new freshman head coach this season. The Hornets will also be aided by volunteer assistants John Limone, Kevin McDonough, Steve Prota, and Walt Novak.

Right-handed hurler Carson Mendoza and the Hornets’ baseball squad are aiming to return to the playoffs this year after winning a division title a season ago. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound