Golden Eagles Fly High in OCT

Notes and thoughts on a Wednesday which finds Justin Bieber working very hard at making a recent prediction come true. 

“The Biebs” continues a downward spiral which should result in the 20-year old being broke, minus an entourage and basically homeless before his 25^th birthday.  Here’s hoping that comes true.  Anyway on to more positive things:

For the first time in 28 years Central Regional has won the Ocean County Baseball Tournament.  Anthony Arneth fired a four-hitter with six strikeouts as the Golden Eagles completed a surprising run through the OCT with a 6-0 win over Barnegat last night at Toms River East.  Arneth’s outstanding effort propelled Central to its sixth OCT crown and first under coach John Scran, who previously played on a title team at TR East. 

University of Alabama recruit Andrew DiPiazza was named the tournament’s MVP as he drove in a run last night after pitching Central into the finals with a pair of complete-game victories. The Ocean County Tournament was created in 1972 by among others the late Al Kunzman, who won five titles as Central coach.  The first of those was in 1973 when I was the Golden Eagles third base coach, well until the championship game when I was demoted in favor of a young coach named John Gardi who would go on to have a pretty good career as a football coach and later athletic director at Lacey.  I won’t bore you with the details of my demotion but it’s left a permanent scar.

Yesterday was the third anniversary of the tragic death of then Jackson Memorial High School senior baseball player James Volpe who was killed while a passenger in an auto involved in a two-car accident. Volpe died less than two weeks before his 18^th birthday and while his death will never be forgotten by his family and friends they have found a way to perpetuate his memory in a positive way through the James Volpe Foundation. 

The non-profit organization will hold its third annual golf outing on Monday, June 16^th at Pine Barrens in Jackson.  Money raised from previous outings has been used to award college scholarships, supply holiday gifts and food to struggling families, create a SADD chapter at Jackson Memorial High School and other worthwhile purposes.  For information on the upcoming golf outing and the foundation visit jamesvolpefoundation.org