The Oxford Leader sponsored, First Year Pitch Youth Baseball Team took the division Championship winning 10 games and losing only two during the regular season.
The team went on to win the two consecutive playoff games as well as the Final Township Championship game on July 1 at Lakeville Field. The team’s final record was 13-2.
‘It has been a wonderful season,? said Head Coach Fred Censullo, who has been coaching in the ORBA league for seven years.
This was the first year Censullo has had his own team, which was comprised of mostly 8 and 9-year-old players with a handful of 10-year-olds. The players were all ‘picked from a hat.? This was the first year everyone on the team had played together and the chemistry was perfect.
Coach Censullo and Assistant Coach Mike Michalski used the same coaching philosophy all season – ‘We believe it is important to keep to the basics. If you can teach kids at this age to run, throw, catch and hit, you will have the makings of a good team. Keeping them focused, always giving them positive reinforcement and instructional coaching, plus these two very important ingredients: good sportsmanship and just letting the kids have fun playing the game, and you have all these boys needed to bring home the championship.?
Coach Censullo also relied heavily on his to additional coaches: Mike Hazelwood, a former pitcher himself, to help instruct the young pitching staff, and Tony Censullo, an accomplished second baseman for the Oxford High School freshman team, who coached base much of the season.
Starting lineup for The Oxford Leader’s team included:
n First Baseman Prescott Line, All Star Team member, batted fourth with four home runs and three grand-slams.
n Second Baseman/Pitcher Scotty Michalski, All Star Team member, batted second all year and hit safely in all games.
n Third Baseman/Pitcher Mark Hazelwood, lefty with less than 2.0 ERA for the season with an average of six strike-outs per game.
n Short Stop/Pitcher Michael Censullo, playmaker at short stop with a 2.0 ERA average of six strike-outs per game.
n Catcher Mike Hansen, threw out a runner for the last out of the championship game.
n Utility Fielder James Noruk, played solid third base and short stop.
n Left Fielder Bobby Moore, made a game saving catch in the field on a high fly ball, hit two for four in the playoff game and drove in four runs.
n Left Center Fielder Anthony Mallia, great arm and batted ninth in order.
n Right Center Fielder Ryan Meyers, made a game winning catch on a fly ball to center field.
n Right Fielder Bradley Corwin, had a triple in the championship game to drive in three runs.
n Rover Fielder Noah Brooks, although the smallest boy on the team, Noah had the biggest heart. He batted number one and was a great second baseman.
n Ryan McFarlan, although Ryan has moved with his family to Nebraska, he played the regular season. He was named MVP honors in the eleventh game of the season by throwing out a runner going to second base from right field.
‘I love coaching kids baseball and this is the best team I have ever coached,? said Coach Censullo. ‘These youngsters brought their ‘A? game every time they played. They were focused and were all about the TEAM effort.?
‘These youngsters were up against some pretty tough competition, but the pitching duo of steady left hander Hazelwood and the hard throwing Censullo, struck out on the average 14 batters per game,? said Coach Mike Michalski. ‘Add to this fact that The Oxford Leader players scored over 189 runs in 15 games for an average of 12 runs per game and you’ve got solid testimony to the incredible hitting ability of all 12 players.?
The chances against picking 12 players out of a lottery, and coming up with a championship team is what made this a ‘Cinderella Season? for The Oxford Leader First Year Pitch Players.
Congratulations to all of the players!