WEST CALDWELL- It’s been a bit of a different type of journey this season for fifth-year head coach Ryan Smith and his Caldwell Chiefs, who have had to adjust to having less experience heading into 2025, but perhaps they are now seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, although the desired ultimate destination will include first traversing a path filled with even more formidable obstacles than in past successful journeys.
And, even though the start of the NJSIAA state tournament is still a couple of weeks down the line, with seedings on Wednesday, May 21, and the public school first round action commencing the Tuesday (May 27) after Memorial Day, it’s not too early to ponder what could be in front of them as the Chiefs will be seeking their third North 2, Group 2 state sectional title in four years.
After graduating several everyday starters off last year’s 16-16 squad, which blossomed late and won its N2G2 crown with a strong finish that included a 4-1 win over Passaic Valley in the state sectional final before a loss to a very good Pascack Valley team in the overall Group 2 state semis, Caldwell has had to revamp its look quite a bit in terms of personnel on the diamond this spring.
In addition to working in some new varsity players this spring the Chiefs have faced some strong teams along the way in the Super Essex Conference, including two meetings with county titan Seton Hall Prep, the latest being in a 9-0 loss to the top-seeded Pirates in the Wednesday (May 7) Greater Newark Tournament quarterfinals at Porcello Field in West Orange.
Caldwell did pick up a nice independent victory on Saturday (May 10), scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge Sparta 8-7, in Kiwanis Oval.
While the Chiefs (10-7, 5-2) want to finish as strong as they can in the SEC-Liberty Division title chase, they will ultimately be looking at their prospects in a potentially stronger N2G2 field than they saw even last year. The state section now also includes neighboring rival West Essex, which has another solid ball club this spring under coach Joe Cardinale, and West Morris, which has had its high degree of success in the baseball-strong Northwest Jersey Conference.
A recent look at the power point standings in N2G2 saw the following Top 6 teams in the section as 1-Passaic Valley (11-5) 2-West Essex (10-4), 3-Rutherford (13-6), 4-Madison (12-3), 5-West Morris (12-5) and 6-Caldwell (9-7).
“The section is certainly a strong once again, also with a couple of more solid teams added this year,” said Smith. “The one fact about tournament baseball is that anybody can beat anybody, but if you happen to hit on all cylinders at the right time, you can definitely get on a roll.”
Caldwell did just that last year after a sub-.500 regular season in capturing its second N2G2 state sectional title in three seasons. The 2022 squad, perhaps Smith’s strongest squad to date, finished 24-8 overall and won the SEC-Liberty Division title with an 11-1 mark. That team, led by that season’s Sideline Chatter Essex County Player of the Year Nick Bergamotto, and junior left-hander Ray Zamloot on the mound, defeated Hanover Park, 6-3, for the N2G2 title before falling to Ramsey, 7-2, in the Group 2 semis.
This season’s team, which returned to the SEC-Liberty after two seasons in the top-tier American Division, has turned to a number of promising youngsters who are helping to solidify the lineup, including sophomore starters in shortstop Dean Tahbaz (.300 BA, 9 RBI) and left fielder Santino Russo (.318, 11 runs, 11 SB) along with freshman right fielder Dante Placenti (.396 BA, 12 runs, 12 RBI).
“Our young pups are not letting the moment be too big for them,” said Smith. “Our experience level might not be what it was the past couple of seasons, but these kids have learned a lot from watching those players from last year; seeing how they prepare each day, and how they persevere through the season regardless of how tough the going can get.”
Caldwell still maintains a strong influence from its upperclassmen who combine seamlessly with the young players, led by Drew University-bound mound ace Marco Sozio (3.73 ERA, 40 Ks in 30 IP and .333 BA).
“Marco is a bulldog who gets the ball in big spots and is a great competitor and real sparkplug for our team,” said Smith. “He’s a player who helps us in so many ways, including with his experience and leadership on and off the field.”
Other seniors such as center fielder Chris DePrenda (11 runs, 6 SB), catcher Nick Arvanites, first baseman Nick Kyriacou and third baseman Christian Wigley have also contributed in important ways including with the leadership that they also provide.
Juniors including second baseman Frank Anemone, up-and-coming starting pitcher Vin Brown, and outfielder Ryan Keenan are other players who have helped boost the team’s efforts as the spring has progressed.
