NJ HS Team Preview: Clifton
January 3, 2019
Through the all the nor’easters, black ice, road salt stains, and your occasional common cold lies a time of the year that throws all baseball players, coaches, parents, and scouts alike into a frenzy: the spring.
April 1st and the start of the 2019 Spring Season will be here before you know it, and we will be out and about providing our second-to-none boots-on-the-ground scouting to the Garden State. To power us Northeasterners through the despair of the long winter months, we will be highlighting teams and players of note for this coming season
Today we continue with Clifton.
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High School: Clifton
2018 Record: 11-11
Head Coach: Joe Rivera
Career Record: 110-130 (11th Season)
NJSIAA Group: North I
NJSIAA Section: Group IV
Conference: Big North Liberty
Conference Finish: 5-5
Playoff Run: Passaic County Tournament Semi-Finalist
Rival(s): PCTI, Passaic, Eastside (Paterson)
RETURNING STARTERS
2019 2B Justin Severino - First Team All-League / All Passaic County
2021 3B/RHP Justin Rivera - Had a monster Passaic County Tournament in 2018
2019 OF J.J. Labanich - First Team All-League / All Passaic County
2019 LHP Pete Wilk - crafty lefty and will be the ace of the staff
PETE WILK VIDEO
Underclassmen to Watch
2021 3B Justin Rivera
2021 OF Josh Miller
2021 1B Vinny Civitella
2021 LHP Manny Gonzalez
2021 SS Dane Mocera
2021 C Nick Plaskon
Strengths
Young Talent
OUTLOOK
Coach Rivera started 6 freshman last year 2018, and returns all 6 for their sophomore seasons. The Mustangs reached the Passaic County Semi Finals and lost 3-2 to the eventual winners, Depaul Catholic. A talented core of sophomores gained valuable experience and competed at a high level to finish at 11-11, coming just one win away from a birth in the Passaic County Finals. “[We] lost only 2 starters from last year’s team so I believe if everyone is healthy we have a shot at the division and County” Coach Rivera explained. Clifton opens up with Bergen Catholic on April 1st.
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UPCOMING NJ EVENTS
Preseason All State Showcase (2019s & 2020s) -- Request Your Invite HERE
Future Games Trials (2021s & 2022s) -- Request Your Invite HERE
