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04/04/2019 12:00 AMThe North Branford softball squad is primed for another successful season and plans to do everything in its power to defend its Shoreline Conference title for the fourth year in a row. Head Coach Nick DeLizio, who has led the Thunderbirds to the conference championship in each of his four years at the helm, is excited to get going in his fifth year as the team’s skipper.
“Winning the Shoreline Conference, it’s like taking care of the backyard neighborhood. It’s the goal, we want to get greedy and win a trophy for our school and show pride in playing for our town,” DeLizio said. “Our goal is winning it, no doubt. We want to make it back to states and win that, as well.”
DeLizio’s squad will face a rigorous out-of-conference schedule to prepare his team for the postseason, including a pair with East Haven along with games against Griswold and Berlin get the T-Birds ready for crunch time.
“East Haven has been a great rivalry for us. It’s a bordering town, and I think its one of the largest attended softball games in the state during the regular season. A lot of parents have ties there. The girls are friends because they play with each for AAU ball. It’s a great game to be a part of. Those are the games you want to coach in, and they bookend our season,” DeLizio said. “Berlin plays in the CCC and Griswold plays in the ECC. They’re good teams, and they’re going to be battle-tested. Those are the games you want to play.”
DeLizio’s philosophy is simple. He expects his team to beat its conference competition and would like to use his extra scheduling slots to get the Thunderbirds ready for the playoffs.
“This tells you where you want to be. Some teams need wins to qualify for the state tournament, but we schedule stuff to get ready for the tournaments,” he said. “They’re a good test for us. It tells us what we need to work on getting into the Shoreline Conference Tournament.”
Last season’s North Branford team went 26-1 with its only loss coming in the Class M State Tournament semifinal. DeLizio called it a dream season and hopes his five seniors—captains Angelina Ramada, Amy Raucci, Brianna Raccio, Ashley Anderson, and Kaylee Velez—do what they can to continue the program’s winning trend.
“This group of seniors, each one of them is a leader. When I address the leaders of the team, I address the seniors. They’ve gone in and showed great work ethic, which is great for the girls to see,” DeLizio said. “They’re the ones you want to put on the billboard for the school. What they do has been trickling down to the group. They’ve taken everyone under their wing.”
Velez will be North Branford’s next in line to toe the rubber this season, and DeLizio has told her to just pitch her game. Nobody is expecting her to be as dominant as graduated hurler Sydney Senerchia.
“That was our first talk with Kaylee. You’re not going to be Sydney, you’re going to be Kaylee. Throw strikes and enjoy your senior year. We win as a team. We have to make the plays behind her and hit the ball hard on offense,” DeLizio said. “We told her not to be afraid to fail. Elite people are not afraid to fail. Those aren’t just lessons in sports, but they’re life lessons. The focus is on her going out and doing the best job she can to be a hard-nosed ballplayer.”
DeLizio says his team is deep this season, and that is a good thing as it will cause competition all around the horn. Some players are likely locked into their positions, but DeLizio is confident anybody can get the job done at any time.
“We have depth at every position. There are girls on the bench one night that can start the next night. We’re going to be running the hot hand and rewarding the girls that are working hard in practice,” DeLizio said. “Every day, the motto is come in at 2:30, and by 4:30, you want to be a better player. All those mini-improvements add up by the end of the season. The position battles mean we have competition within the team, which is good.”
DeLizio has a new cast of assistant coaches this season, including Neil Swanchak, Brandon Wynne, and Morgan Onofrio. DeLizio is extremely excited to have Swanchak’s more than 40 years of high school softball coaching experience on his staff. Plus, Swanchak was with Seymour’s staff when it beat North Branford two years ago in the state final.
“His knowledge and experience will only improve the culture of the program,” DeLizio said. “It’s very exciting and the girls love him. Everyone is buying in, so it’s awesome.”
Wynne and Onofrio are volunteer coaches who each have unique perspective to offer up to DeLizio and his athletes.
“Brandon went on to play [baseball] at Southern New Hampshire and Eastern Nazarene College [in Massachusettes] and knows what it takes to play at the next level, along with understanding what it takes to win against the highest competition,” DeLizio said. “Morgan was a three-sport captain during her time at North Branford [as a 2009 graduate that played soccer, basketball, and softball]. She brings the aspect of playing the ‘Thunderbird way’ to the program. She is a great interpreter since she has played under me, which will be helpful if any girls have any questions about anything. She is also the Nurse at North Branford High School so having her presence in the building is a huge plus side for the program.”
• The North Branford softball team’s roster consists of senior captains Angelina Ramada, Amy Raucci, and Brianna Raccio, plus fellow seniors Ashley Anderson and Kaylee Velez; juniors Katy Pederson, Kayla Despres, Rachel Vitarisi, and Mairead Aiken; sophomores Jada Miconi, Sophia Ouellet, Erica Piercey, Sophia Anastasia, and Olivia Ferriera; and freshmen Hanna Senerchia, Gianna Depino, Bella Hills, Maissa Caso, Nichole Gomez, and Lauren Ackerman.
• Head Coach Nick DeLizio is entering his fifth year as North Branford’s skipper after he started with the program as an assistant in 2009. He has a new staff of assistant coaches that include Neil Swanchak, Brandon Wynne, and Morgan Onofrio.