KEYPORT, NJ -- The Keyport baseball team will open its season on Monday, March 31 at home against Perth Amboy Magnet.
The return of eight players from last year's team, as well as the return of two players formerly in the program who did not play in 2024, give head coach Kyle Keelen hope of improving on last season's 7-13 record.
Of the eight players back from last year's varsity, only one of them, designated hitter/first baseman Liam Kilian, is a senior. That's an indication of just how young the Red Raiders were in 2024. Kilian drove in 10 runs in just 35 official at-bats a year ago.
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Junior Ryan Byrne will bat leadoff and either play the infield or pitch. Byrne batted .400 with 17 runs scored and seven extra-base hits last season. He pitched 8 1/3 innings as a sophomore.
Junior Jacob Pinto, who also pitches and plays the infield, hit .419 with 10 RBI and threw 7 1/3 innings.
The ace of the pitching staff heading into this season appears to be sophomore Paxton Douglass, who had a solid freshman campaign with 32 strikeouts and a 3.33 earned-run average in 27 1/3 innings. Douglass also batted .309 and tied for the team lead in RBI with 13.
Junior Daniel Metrick, who can play both the infield and the outfield, was the other Red Raider to knock in 13 runs last year. He batted .324 with 14 runs scored.
"Our lineup brings back key contributors in multiple positions, and we expect our pitching staff to take a step forward," Keelen said.
Keelen is glad to have the sure glove of junior Tristan Knoblauch returning to the outfield. He was also second on the team in runs scored with 17.
Junior Evin Johnson will do the bulk of the catching for Keyport, and junior Casey McCarthy may take over as the Red Raiders' first baseman.
Junior outfielder Justin Visaggio and senior utilityman Derek Ferm are both back in the fold after not playing in 2024. Their presence will add to the Red Raiders' depth, along with five newcomers to the varsity: Gabriel Carbone (Soph., OF), Darius Finley (Fr., INF), Robert Greenberg (Fr., INF), Matthew Halvorsen (Fr., INF) and Aedan Nagy (Fr., INF/OF).
"With a strong returning junior class leading the team, we are looking to build on last season’s development," Keelen said. "The focus will be on playing competitive baseball, improving consistency, and continuing to grow as a program. With leadership from our returning players and contributions from younger talent, we are optimistic about making strides this season."