Thanks to graduation and injury, the Kearny baseball team has plenty of new faces all over the diamond this spring. But while this group of Kardinals may lack the depth or experience of last year’s HCIAL National Division championship squad, there’s a confidence they will once again be in the mix to repeat.
“I know a lot of people look and say that we did well last year and we lost a lot of guys,” head coach Dave Smart said. “But we replaced a lot of guys and we replaced them with some kids who have really stepped into roles and came in knowing what they had to do and what they wanted to do. And it’s a really nice thing.”
Four starters are back from last year’s 15-9 Kearny team.
Headlining that group is senior center fielder Jayden Diaz, one of the area’s top players. A three-year starter, Diaz, who hit .270 with 31 runs scored, 21 walks and 36 stolen bases out of the leadoff spot a season ago, is once again expected to be the tone setter at the top of the Kardinals’ lineup.
“He’s the captain of the ship. He’s the guy that really gets these kids going,” Smart said. “They respect him, they lean on him and he is that spark plug. He’s that kid that says ‘get on my back, I’ll carry it.’ He really is a player that has developed over the years and these kids really respect him.”
Junior Ismael Diaz is a returning starter in left field, who scored 10 runs and had 11 stolen bases.
Right field is currently up in the air with junior Ben Wilkinson sidelined by injury. Right now, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Brendan More and John Corbett are battling for time in right. All three could also see time in center when Diaz is pitching.
Smart is hopeful Wilkinson, who had 24 runs, 15 RBI and 27 stolen bases a year ago, will return before the end of the season.
Senior three-sport athlete Jonah Menendez is a returning starter at first base. Sophomore Alexander Santos could also see some time at first.
Junior Michael Jarquin is a first year player and is set to take over at second base after not playing the previous two seasons.
“He’s a kid we always heard about, but he never really came out and this year decided ‘better later than never,’” Smart said. “He came out and he’s ready to play. He’s been working really hard.”
Sophomore Julian Butler returns at shortstop after hitting .283 with 17 runs and 11 RBI. While still an underclassmen, Butler has emerged as a leader, on a sophomore heavy roster.
“He’s a sophomore, but the boys are looking up to him,” said Smart. “They’re very confident in him at shortstop and they’re starting to depend on him, especially with his field ability.”
Junior Fausto Frias and freshman Kevin Kinsley are vying to be the main shortstop when Butler is on the mound.
Santos, junior Andy Duenas and Frias are all expected to see time at third base with Santos currently set to start at the hot corner.
Sophomore Cayden Janeira takes over as the starting catcher after serving as a reserve/pinch runner last year with Frias as the backup.
Frias and Kinsley in particular are two, who despite lacking a set position, are sure to see their names in the starting lineup on a regular basis.
“We have a lot Swiss Army Knives,” Smart said. “We have guys that have to learn multiple positions because of low numbers. A lot of these guys have really stepped up and understand their roles.”
On the mound, Kearny graduated ace Willam McChesney, who is now at NJCU. But the Kardinals do return their No. 2 and 3 starters from a year ago in Butler and Diaz. Butler struck out 39 batters in 39 innings, while Diaz fanned 31 in 25.1 innings.
Kinsley has emerged as the likely third starter, while More, Santos, Frias and Alvarado are also sure to see meaningful innings over the course of the season.
Kearny begins its season on Saturday at Verona. The Kardinals then play Lincoln the following Monday and Wednesday as the HCIAL has adopted a new schedule format where teams play home and home two-game series with its division foes.
Learn more about the writer ...
Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)