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08/25/2016 12:00 AMWhether he was frustrating pitchers from the batter’s box or stifling the opposition from the mound and his shortstop position, Owen Marica proved one of the most-dynamic baseball players in the area this summer.
Owen, who’s entering his junior year at Haddam-Killingworth High School, recently completed an excellent season with the Shoreline Cougars 18-U AAU baseball squad. Hitting at the top of the order, Owen filled up the stat sheet to the tune of a .376 batting average to go with 14 RBI and eight stolen bases. When he wasn’t playing shortstop, Owen was called upon to pitch for Shoreline and answered the call by posting a 4-1 record with a 2.50 earned-run average. When all was said and done, Owen helped the Cougars win 17 games and reach the semifinals of the East Shore Travel League Playoffs.
“I always like having people on base when I come up to bat,” says Owen. “I just loved moving guys over in any way possible and hitting the ball the other way. It really worked for me.”
Something else Owen likes is helping kick-start those crucial double plays at the shortstop spot, where Owen constantly keeps his motor going.
“I’m not flatfooted, so I always like to keep my feet moving. I also really like playing defense. I think it’s underrated, but key in baseball,” Owen says. “I like turning double plays because I like getting the whole team involved and think it’s great when that happens.”
Owen also did well when it came to swiping bags for Shoreline this year. On the pitcher’s mound, Owen got to work with a familiar face from the spring season who helped him mow down opposing hitters.
“Stealing bases starts with a good lead off of first. I make sure I’m ready, well-positioned, and ready to go with anything,” Owen says. “My catcher for the summer was Tyler Popp, who is my teammate with HK. He’s very good as a catcher and can frame anything. I just like throwing strikes and always trust my defenders.”
Cougars’ Head Coach Dennis Annicelli appreciates Owen’s versatility on the field and praises him for being an all-around quality player and person.
“I’ve had some coaches tell me how good a shortstop he is and, after seeing him, you realize he’s really that good and he’s only 15 years old. Owen is playing with 18-year-old pitchers, some of whom are going to be pitching [Division I] in college, and he hit really well for us,” says Annicelli. “He has a strong love for the game and he’s exciting to coach. I see balls hit all the time and I’m like, ‘That’s a hit,’ and Owen not only gets to the ball, but makes the throw, and I’m sort of baffled by him making the play. He’s very versatile. I used him in the leadoff spot and the No. 2 hole and he always does the job. Owen pitched for us and kept the ball down in the zone and was very effective for us. As good a pitcher as he is, it’s hard not to play him at short because he is so talented there. He’s such a good teammate, loves being around the game, always positive, and gets guys going when we are down. He’s going to be a top player in the Shoreline Conference and has a bright future.”
Owen calls Annicelli an “amazing” coach and adds that he never feels pressure batting in the leadoff spot because of Annicelli’s knowledge of what to do in every situation. At Haddam-Killingworth, Owen gets to play for another coach who’s admired by his athletes in longtime skipper Mark Brookes.
“I got the opportunity to play at a young age for HK. Getting to know Coach Brookes, he knows the game,” says Owen, who also thanks his father John, along with all of his coaches and teammates. “He’s taught us how to play the game well and keeps everyone competing.”