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04/03/2022 12:00 AMNow back for his 64th year as skipper of the North Haven baseball team, Head Coach Bob DeMayo is still looking to guide the Nighthawks to new heights. With most of last year’s team back on the diamond, North Haven is striving to be one of the top squads in the Southern Connecticut Conference and then make a deep run in the Class L State Tournament this spring.
North Haven is coming off of a season that saw the squad finish with an overall record of 13-10 while advancing to the SCC semifinals and the state quarterfinals. The Nighthawks began their new campaign by posting a 11-1, six-inning home victory versus Stamford on April 2.
After North Haven graduated its top two pitchers—JJ Mazzaro and Cole Zalegowski—from last year’s team, Coach DeMayo said that he’s looking to “shake up” the Nighthawks’ rotation in an effort to replace them. However, even with the loss of those two players, North Haven is still returning the bulk of its roster from 2021, and DeMayo said that the strong camaraderie amongst everyone is already having a positive influence on the Nighthawks.
“It’s amazing in terms of how close they are,” DeMayo said. “They pull for one another, whether they’re a starter or not.”
Seniors Mike Anquillare and Owen Pincince are serving as North Haven’s captains this season. Anquillare is the team’s starting right fielder and will also see playing time at first base after earning All-SCC Second Team honors as a junior. Pincince, who made the All-SCC First Team, the All-State First Team, and was named North Haven’s MVP last year, will be the Nighthawks’ starting second baseman and a reliever in the bullpen this season.
Along with their accomplishments on the ballfield, Coach DeMayo said that Anquillare and Pincince are bringing leadership to the team that matches some of the best he’s seen in his 64 years as North Haven’s coach.
“Both of these kids are excellent students. They’re two of the best leaders I’ve ever had,” said DeMayo, who enters this season with 928 career victories. “I’ve had some great captains, and these two fit the bill. They have a great connection between the rest of the team and the coaches.”
In addition to losing Mazzaro and Zalegowski, North Haven is also faced with the loss of Steven Vincent on its pitching staff as the junior deals with an injury. While Vincent can still serve as a designated hitter, Coach DeMayo is planning to give several other players an opportunity to step up and join the rotation. One of those players is Alex Bauman, who started the first game of the season for the Nighthawks. Junior Tyler Harger, who is the Nighthawks’ starting catcher, is slated to start the second game. When Harger pitches, senior Anthony Acampora will take his place behind the plate.
Senior Shaun Murray, the team’s starting third baseman; senior Chris Hager, the starting center fielder; and junior Antonio Fusco, the starting left fielder; will also see time on the mound this season. Joining Pincince in the bullpen will be seniors Derek Mortali, Chris Tobin, and Michael Brandt, along with junior Jack Martineau.
Many of the athletes on North Haven’s pitching staff also have prominent roles in the field. Those athletes will be joined on the diamond by senior shortstop Ty Rooney, who missed most of last year after suffering an early season injury. Along with the starters, Coach DeMayo noted that multiple bench players will have the chance to earn playing time with the varsity squad.
DeMayo said that senior Salvatore Giaimo and junior Luke Blasi can play any position on the field. He added that senior Tyler Signore will see playing time at third base. Junior Tyler Kornacki is expected to get some innings in the outfield, while fellow junior Will Whitcomb will serve as a backup catcher.
Coach DeMayo is also looking for several athletes in his sophomore class to make an impact this year. Sophomores Ryan Bauman, Maxwell Cargan, Jordan Higgins, and Jake Pomitcher are all in the mix to contribute both in the infield and the outfield for the Nighthawks.
On April 2, North Haven hosted Stamford for its 2022 opener and triumphed by an 11-1 final in a six-inning contest at DeMayo Ballfield. The Nighthawks scored two runs in the first inning, one run in the second, and four runs in the third to take a 7-0 advantage. North Haven went on to score a run in the fourth inning and four more runs in the sixth before the game was called.
Bauman tossed a complete game for North Haven by allowing just 1 run on 5 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched. Vincent went 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI, and a stolen base at the plate. Anquillare went 2-for-3 with a walk, 3 runs scored, and an RBI; Pincince was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, and an RBI; and Hager went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and a stolen base.
Novicki went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, 2 runs scored, and an RBI for the Nighthawks. Rooney and Acampora both had a single with an RBI in the win.
Coach DeMayo was impressed with his team’s performance as North Haven took down a strong Stamford squad. As he watched from the dugout, DeMayo saw both his starters and bench players celebrating together, showing him just how close his club has become in the early goings.
“A lot of these kids hadn’t been challenged, but we pulled through it pretty strong. It looked like we were one of the better teams in the state,” DeMayo said. “There’s a good connection. Part of it is because the captains do such a great job.”
While DeMayo has seen just about everything his 64 years at the helm of North Haven baseball, the expectations remain the same. With a roster full of experienced varsity players, Coach DeMayo wants to see the Nighthawks go on another memorable playoff run and prove that they’re one of the best teams in the state in 2022.
“The expectations don’t change,” said DeMayo. “We’d like to get into the SCC Tournament. We focus on those league games. We’re in a tough division. The goal has always been to get into the State Tournament and win it. We’ve been to a lot of tournaments. It’s always fun for them.”
The athletes in the North Haven baseball program for the 2022 season are senior captains Mike Anquillare and Owen Pincince; seniors Anthony Acampora, Alex Bauman, Michael Brandt, Salvatore Giaimo, Chris Hager, Derek Mortali, Shaun Murray, Derek Novicki, Ty Rooney, Tyler Signore, and Chris Tobin; juniors Luke Blasi, Antonio Fusco, Noah Greco, Tyler Harger, Tyler Kornacki, Jack Martineau, Steven Vincent, and Will Whitcomb; sophomores Aaron Barbour, Ryan Bauman, Maxwell Cargan, John Chandler, Brady Cullen, Dominic DeSimone, Marco Giaimo, Justin Gouin, Jordan Higgins, Avery Karasinski, John O’Neill, Jake Pomitcher, Nicholas Quinn, and James Tobin; and freshmen Nathaniel Acevedo, Blake Carlson, Christopher Cretella, Emilio Crocco, Christopher Kottage, Andrew Manzo, Jimmy Marshall, Joey Mastroianni, Parker Mazzaro, Jaden Nguyen, Jordan Oliveira, Nicholas Romano, Ryan Semple, John Slais, Brandon Stevens, David Suvoski III, and Jaden Wells.