Harvey leads Braves to 7-2 diamond start

As the Manalapan High School Braves head into the thick of the 2009 Shore Conference A North Division baseball schedule, they have one thing that any team with championship aspirations requires — they have an ace in every sense of the world.

JEFF GRANIT staff Manalapan High School's Kevin Mulvanerton leads off with a double in the first inning against Ocean Township High School on April 17. The Braves beat the Spartans, 6-3. Ryan Harvey, the hard-throwing righthander who led the Braves to the Monmouth County Tournament final last spring, is back and pitching lights out, as his 4-0 record would indicate.

"When he's on the mound the team is extremely confident," Manalapan coach Brian Boyce said. "Ryan has pitched real well. He's throwing with a lot of confidence and he's been real sharp."

Boyce said Harvey, who will be heading to Seton Hall University in the fall, has fine-tuned his game from a year ago. He has added a couple of miles per hour on his fastball and his changeup and breaking pitches have hitters on the defensive.

Harvey improved to 4-0 on April 18 when the Braves beat defending A North Division public school champion Colts Neck, 8-5.

Harvey fanned nine hitters in five innings as the Braves improved to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in A North.

The 7-2 start has Boyce feeling good about his club, which lost a lot of players to graduation last spring. Harvey and centerfielder Kevin Mulvanerton are providing the senior leadership for what is a young Manalapan team.

If the Braves only had Harvey they would not be 7-2. The team is off to a good start because of a very sound rotation. Lawrence Schoer, a junior, and sophomore Kyle Rubbinacio have been solid behind Harvey. Nick Kreiger has been used in relief and would be a capable starter if called upon to perform that task.

The Braves are deep on the mound.

"We've pitched well enough to win every game," Boyce said.

One concern for Boyce was how the Braves were going to score this year. Manalapan lost 27 home runs to graduation and Boyce was not sure where the offensive production would come from. Harvey, who hit four home runs last year, brings power to the equation and senior Joe LaCugna has stepped in this year and given the Braves a productive bat in the middle of the lineup.

However, it is small ball that has been producing the runs.

"We're manufacturing runs better," said Boyce. "We're not sitting back waiting for the big inning. We're putting guys in motion, doing the little things well."

It all starts at the top of the lineup with Mulvanerton and Kreiger. They have been the team's table setters. Mulvanerton is hitting close to .500 and Krieger is hitting above .400.

"They are hitting well and getting on base," Boyce said. "We've been able to get them in. It all

starts with these two guys."

Sophomore Rich Ricciardi, who started as a freshman, is hitting .360 and has been anything but a typical No. 9 hitter. He drives in runs and had two RBI in the win over Colts Neck.

Six different Braves drove in runs against Colts Neck, confirming Boyce's statement that Manalapan has a balanced lineup.

Defensively, the Braves are making it tough for opponents to score.

"We've been fielding the ball real well," said Boyce,

At shortstop, Ricciardi has been "phenomenal," according to his coach. He is handling six or seven chances a game and has made only one error through nine games.

Joe Ramirez (second), LaCugna (third), Mike Sette (first) and Dan Frankel (catcher) complete the infield

In the outfield, Mulvanerton, the Braves' centerfielder, anchors a solid unit that includes Kreiger, Schoer and Alex Decatur.

During spring break the Braves were in Fort Pierce, Fla., to play four games. Manalapan went 3-1 against teams from around the nation.

"It was a team building process," said Boyce. "We did everything together each day. I think we jelled as a team."

Once back from sunny Florida, the Braves went 2-0 last week with wins over Ocean Township and Colts Neck.