Junior Highlanders 2022 District Champions
Submitted by BH 8U Coaches
The Berkeley Heights 8u Junior Highlanders entered the District 12 Ripken baseball tournament in June, where they would compete against the best local teams in our area. The tournament consisted of five pool play games, and then an elimination phase, which means that teams would play up to eight games in a 13-day span. It was a good thing these Junior Highlanders love to play baseball.
The tournament started with a 15-0 win over Millburn-Short Hills on June 18, as the boys ran wild in their opener, stealing 15 bases as a team in just three innings. Then they faced their toughest opponent in the pool, Cranford, in the second game the following day. Despite rallying to tie the game on a Colin Richter triple after being down 5-1 early, it wasn’t enough in the end and the boys lost 6-5. Unfortunately for the rest of the teams on their schedule, they came out fighting the rest of pool play and beat New Providence 21-0, Watchung Hills 25-0, and South Orange-Maplewood 12-2 over their next three games. The Junior Highlanders were the second seed in their pool and advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Quarterfinals
Little did they know, they’d be facing the Berkeley Heights 7u Junior Highlanders in their first elimination game. The 7u team had their own magical run in the opposing pool, winning three games against all older competition and securing the third seed on their side of the bracket. With both teams in matching jerseys and playing friends against friends, the 8u team advanced to the semifinals, winning the game 16-5. CJ Bazydlo pitched wonderfully, allowing just one earned run in his three-inning start, and even scored three runs on offense as well. Jon Kanarek went 3-4 with 6 RBIs out of the leadoff spot, driving home Bazydlo and Andy Faxon multiple times, to lead Berkeley Heights’ offense.
Semifinals
There was no rest for the weary as the following day a well-rested Summit team, who had finished as the top seed in their pool, was waiting for the Junior Highlanders. With Josh Sayre on the mound, the game started out on a high note and Kanarek and Sayre both got on base before being driven in on a Gavin Klasey single, putting the team up 2-0. However, the Hilltoppers rallied and ultimately ended up taking a 7-4 lead going into the final inning.
Little did they know, this Junior Highlanders team never gives up. A leadoff triple by Nate Klacik shook their opposing pitcher, who walked Klasey and Caiden Bryant to follow, leaving the bases loaded for the team’s catcher, Leo Franchino. One swing later and Franchino had cleared the bases with a double to left field and the game was tied. Evan Rosenbloom then knocked in the go-ahead run with a poke out to right field. Nate Klacik returned to the mound for the bottom of the sixth inning, his third inning of work, and continued firing strike after strike just like he had done all game. After the next batter reached third base, Klacik buckled down and struck out the next two batters to end the game and vault the team into the finals, where they’d have an unsurprising rematch.
Championship Game
As the boys lined up for the national anthem in the District 12 championship game, they knew what they’d be going up against in the Cranford team standing opposite them on the first base line. Just like the pool play game against them, the Junior Highlanders punched first and scored a run in the top of the opening frame the old-fashioned way. Kanarek got on via a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a productive out by Klasey and was driven in by a hard-hit grounder by Klacik. After two innings, the game was tied at one on the back of a strong start on the mound from Klacik and some impressive defense from Bazydlo at second base—making three outs himself.
After the first three batters reached in the top of the third inning, Berkeley Heights took the lead back on a Franchino walk and went up 3-1 on a Sayre line-drive single to right field. Cranford would get one back in the bottom of the third after laying down a bunt single to start the inning, but Berkeley Heights wasn’t done. After two quick outs in the fourth, Kanarek walked again and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Klasey then punched a single into left field, scoring the speedy leadoff hitter to go up 4-2.
After three great innings, during which he struck out seven and walked just one, Klacik gave way to Sayre on the mound and the Junior Highlanders held a 4-3 lead going into the fifth after Franchino made a great play to catch a runner attempting to steal home for the third out in the prior inning. He then led off the next inning and reached on an error, sparking one more rally for Berkeley Heights. Colin Gillespie walked and then stole second, creating a second-and-third opportunity for Sayre, who would not let it slip away. He drove a single to center field, scoring both Franchino and Gillespie to give the boys a 6-3 lead. They almost extended it further as Andy Brady walked before Kanarek hit a towering fly ball to the outfield that nearly dropped.
The pressure continued to mount as the game reached its final inning, with Berkeley Heights up 6-4 going into the bottom of the sixth, Sayre came back onto the mound for his third inning of work. After alternating singles and strikeouts, Cranford made it 6-5 and had two runners in scoring position with two outs. On a 1-2 count, Sayre fired a fastball at the bottom of the zone, getting the final batter to swing over it and send the whole team into a state of pandemonium. The boys stormed the mound in front of a large, adoring Berkeley Heights crowd who had gathered in Mountainside to cheer this determined team on, including many members of the 9u Junior Highlanders who had won this tournament one year earlier.
With their play in the District 12 Tournament, they will advance to the Northern New Jersey State Tournament, hosted in Mount Olive beginning on Tuesday, July 5. The team is led by head coach Bret Sayre, along with assistant coaches Todd Klacik, Scott Rosenbloom, Jasen Bryant, and Frank Franchino. Good luck to the boys as they look to continue their magical run in States!
The full roster of the Berkeley Heights 8u Junior Highlanders includes CJ Bazydlo, Andy Brady, Caiden Bryant, Andy Faxon, Leo Franchino, Colin Gillespie, Jon Kanarek, Nate Klacik, Gavin Klasey, Gianni Phillippi, Colin Richter, Evan Rosenbloom, and Josh Sayre.
Courtesy photo
