Games People Play: Middle Township Youth Baseball Wins School and District Titles

If you bump into Chuck Dougherty around town this summer he’ll probably be smiling. The long-time Middle Township varsity baseball coach has a lot to be thrilled about with the recent performances of the middle school and Little League District 16 Champion 13-14-year-old squads.
Many of the same boys comprise both title-winning teams which were led by coaches Andy Ludman, Mike DiPalantino, and Matt Marino along with scorekeeper Joe Lloyd. Ludman, a North Wildwood native, was head man for the middle school squad while DiPalantino took the reins for the Little League champs.
“We team coached both groups along with Mr. Lloyd,” said Ludman, who has helped guide Middle basketball for a quarter century, which coincides with his teaching career in Court House. “We try to keep it fun and fast paced for the kids. We have rules, but not too many. It’s not how much time you practice, as much as what you do with the time.”
The Panthers went 12-1 to capture the school’s first Cape-Atlantic League Junior High School Championship. Their division includes Lower, Buena, Ocean City, Bridgeton, Pleasantville, EHT-Alder and EHT-Fernwood.
“This team was well balanced with no superstars,” said Ludman, a 16-year Panther baseball coach, including three seasons at the middle school level. “We returned 10 players and added a key seventh grader who did not participate the year before. The younger pitchers gained valuable experience a season ago because some eighth graders were unavailable due to travel baseball commitments.”
The coaches knew the squad would hit and get decent pitching, but the defense stepped up to championship level play.
“Half of the team has remained together for years and the other half competed against them in Little League,” said Ludman, a collegiate player at Towson and at the former Glassboro State. “It’s really neat to see them come together to form a championship-caliber team. They are best of friends and they trust each other. Team chemistry is invaluable.”
The middle school roster included Will Bright, Drew Ludman, John Carlson, Garrett DiPalantino, Sean Dougherty, Jack Butterfield, Carson Haas, Karl Guilian, Vinny Wilson, C.J. Deegler, Daniel Schuster, Luke Salvo, Jake Cooper, Drew McClure and Ethan Bossuyt.
“Our philosophy is to ask them to show up, work hard, and allow themselves to be coached,” said Ludman, who shares his Green Creek home with spouse, Lisa; son, Drew; daughter, Dakota; and family dog, Holly.
“We told them they’ll get out of it what they put into it. The goal is to change the atmosphere around Middle Township middle school baseball to prepare them for high school competition. We wanted baseball players, not just kids playing baseball!”
Ludman and DiPalantino were joined by Mike Butterfield to comprise the Little League coaching staff along with the reliable Lloyd once again handling the books.
The District 16 Champions’ roster included Drew Ludman, Will Bright, Garrett DiPalantino, Karl Guilian, Jack Butterfield, Sean Dougherty, Drew McClure, John Carlson, Jake Cooper, Frankie Edwardi, and Carson Haas.
“Both teams have almost the same players and were very similar,” said Ludman. “I knew we would get good pitching and would hit the ball, but, once again, the defense was the difference. They made plays. They are good friends and they covered each other’s backs.”
The road to the District 16 crown almost always includes mighty Hammonton and this year, the Orange and Black defeated the Blue Devils twice.
The district also includes Absecon, Brigantine, Cape May County, Egg Harbor, Greater Wildwood, Lower Cape May, Linwood, Margate, Mullica Township, Northfield, Ocean City, Somers Point, Upper Township and Ventnor. It was Middle’s first district baseball title in the 13-14 age group in 36 long years.
“Both teams had depth at all positions and they played team baseball,” said Ludman. “They had a strong will to win and believed in themselves. The middle school team was dialed in the entire season and it carried over into the District 16 squad. They are a great group of kids from great families. I watched them grow up together. My son is on the teams and I am very proud of his accomplishments, but all of these boys mean a great deal to me. They are very special to me.”
As for Dougherty, it’s an exciting time for a baseball lifer who knows the game, understands young players, and is eager to take their skills to the next level.
“I am very excited,” said the Panther varsity coach. “These kids like the game of baseball and they’ve been playing together for a long time. That helps them be better players. And their coaches have done a tremendous job in developing them. As coaches, we’ve spent our entire lives teaching the fundamentals of the game to kids that didn’t know the game. With this group coming up, they already understand some of that so it’ll be nice to take them to the next level with varsity baseball. It’s all about the winning. When you start winning you tend to keep on winning.”