With some fresh faces entering the fold, particularly around the infield and on the mound, Head Coach Mark Brookes was unsure about how things would go for the Haddam-Killingworth baseball team during the first half of its season. However, the Cougars have clawed their way to a superb start and look to continue improving as they prepare for the playoffs.

On the heels of an 18-4 campaign, H-K stepped back on the diamond with some question marks after graduating multiple players at key positions. Instead of rebuilding, the Cougars are playing great baseball with their record of 12-2 and a postseason berth already in the bag. During last week’s action, H-K posted 4-0 wins versus both North Branford and Valley Regional to go with an 8-6 defeat against Coginchaug.

While there is still a lot of work to be done, Coach Brookes feels plenty pleased with the way the club is shaping up following one month of play.

“I couldn’t have predicted this start. Going in, if we had seven or eight wins through 12 games, I’d be satisfied,” said Brookes. “We lost our entire infield from last year, so I knew we would have to depend on some sophomores in the infield and for pitching. When you are at the high school level, infield defense and pitching are so critical.”

Senior captain Jon Civiello, a 2018 All-State selection, returns to the Cougars as a pitcher and right fielder. Fellow captain Mike O’Toole is manning first base for H-K. In addition to being reliable with the leather and the lumber, both athletes possess all the qualities that a coach wants to see in a captain.

“Jon is doing a great job of being a leader this year. He’s an outstanding hitter and consistent,” Coach Brookes said. “I’ve had very few junior captains, but even last year, Mike showed he has the respect of everyone on the team. He’s been an excellent choice as captain.”

Civiello is sporting a record of 5-0 on the bump this season. Sophomore Christo Garrelts has a mark of 3-1, while junior Carmelo Rosa is 2-0 after having pitched a no-hitter and one-hitter in his first two starts. Sophomore Alden Halfinger is giving H-K some solid innings in relief.

“Jon has done well as a pitcher, and Christo is back after pitching to a 5-1 record last year,” Brookes said. “Carmelo has done well, and Alden thrives on relieving. We put him in tough spots, and he comes out in good shape. We’ve had very few kids in the past with those abilities, and he can get even better.”

Sophomore third baseman Luke DiMauro is swinging the bat to the tune of a .280 average this year. Fellow sophomores Ryan Kehlenbach and Alec Erskine are playing second base and shortstop, respectively, for the Cougars.

“Luke was an outfielder last year, but we had to fill a hole at third, and he’s done very well there. Alec has played brilliantly on defense and swings the bat well,” said Coach Brookes. “Ryan has played consistent defense, and he has good on-base numbers and driven in big runs.”

Junior Sam Erskine is behind the dish as H-K’s catcher. Joining Civiello in the outfield are senior Griffin Izzo in center and fellow senior Darren Hiller in right.

“Sam was a utility player last year, but he worked hard on his catching skills in the summer and fall leagues,” said Brookes. “Griffin is a good defender, and he’s gotten much better at the plate this year. Darren was in a slump earlier this year, but he’s regained momentum.”

Haddam-Killingworth started off last week by taking an 8-6 loss to Coginchaug on April 29. The Blue Devils won the game by hitting a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alec Erskine, Griffin Izzo, and sophomore Sam Luther each had two hits for the Cougars

On May 1, H-K got back in the win column by posting a 4-0 shutout over North Branford. Civiello struck out six over seven scoreless innings to record his fifth victory. Sophomore Jimmy McGoey hit a two-run single in the third inning.

Three days later, the Cougars notched a 4-0 shutout against Valley Regional. Alec Erskine pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts to pick up his second win. O’Toole hit a three-run double in the first inning and added a sacrifice fly in the third to drive in all four of H-K’s runs.

The Cougars have shown they can come through in the clutch by winning several close contests throughout the year. As the playoffs draw closer, Coach Brookes wants his team maximize its scoring opportunities to help H-K get the best possible seed in both postseason tournaments.

“We can get better with our execution on offense and, if we do that, then we can put ourselves in a position for home games in the Shoreline and State tournaments,” Brookes said. “We’ve played a lot of close games this year. We wound up on the upside of many of those, so we will see how we do when we see those teams a second time.”

From the Sidelines

Mark Brookes is his 43rd season as the skipper of the Haddam-Killingworth baseball team. Ryan Fuller and Ryan Frazier are the Cougars’ assistant coaches.

H-K has earned two victories versus Valley Regional (11-2 and 4-0) and North Branford (5-1 and 4-0) this season, along with one win apiece against Old Saybrook (10-0), Hale-Ray (11-4), East Hampton (2-0), Morgan (2-1), Coginchaug (9-2), Westbrook (14-0), Cromwell (2-1), and Old Lyme (6-3). The Cougars have taken defeats to Portland (3-2) and Coginchaug (8-6).

For the rest of the regular season, the Cougars are hosting Cromwell on Monday, May 6 and Morgan on Wednesday, May 8; have a game in Windsor Locks on Friday, May 10; have a home game against Ellington on Tuesday, May 14; and then face Coventry on the road on Friday, May 17. All of the games begin at 4 p.m. with the exception of the Windsor Locks game, which starts at 7 p.m.