2003 SPRING SPORTS 

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FAIRFIELD'S MITTAG AND MATES STREAK THRU 2003
BY RON JONES
FCIAC .ORG

 If you ask Fairfield pitcher Nate Mittag about the two winning streaks he's 
currently involved with, he'd rather wait until they're over with. Fairfield lost 
their first two games before reeling off 18 consecutive victories. Mittag has 
yet to lose a game in his stellar four year career. If he has his way, both 
streaks would end with an FCIAC and Class LL title. He's already has a State 
championship ring as the Mustangs accomplished that goal last season. 
 This year however, coach Anthony Formato and his talented crew have 
their sights set on the one thing that eluded them in 2002, an FCIAC title. 
The senior righty, (5-0) this season, has one final chance to achieve his 
goal before attending Bucknell University in the fall. 
 FCIAC.ORG's Ron Jones sat down with Mittag recently and talked about 
the streaks and his team's mind set going into the playoff season.

RJ- IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE FCIAC PLAYOFFS, YOUR TEAM GOT A CHANCE
TO AVENGE ONE OF YOUR TWO LOSSES. WAS THAT A MOTIVATING FACTOR
IN THE 11-3 VICTORY OVER WESTHILL AND ANGELO FUSARO?

MITTAG- WELL, IN A SENSE IT WAS, BUT WE SET A GOAL AS A TEAM TO WIN
THE FCIAC'S THIS YEAR. ALTHOUGH IT WAS FUN WINNING THE STATES LAST 
YEAR, THE FCIAC TITLE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANTED AND 
WE'RE DETERMINED TO GET IT THIS YEAR. SO IT WAS NICE TO GET SOME 
REVENGE AGAINST FUSARO BUT IT'S JUST PART OF WHAT WERE TRYING TO 
ACCOMPLISH. 
 
RJ- HAVING BEEN A PART OF A LONG WIN STREAK WHILE I WAS AT STAMFORD 
HIGH SCHOOL (17 STRAIGHT WINS), I KNOW IF THE TEAM'S MINDSET ISN'T RIGHT
THE STREAK CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT. HOW HAS YOUR TEAM HANDLED 
WINNING SO MANY GAMES IN A ROW?

MITTAG- WE TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT LOSING. WE'RE A CONFIDENT TEAM AND
WE EXPECT TO WIN EVERYTIME WE STEP ON THE FIELD. COACH (FORMATO)
HAS STRESSED TO US TO USE THE STREAK AS MOTIVATION AND NOT TO BE 
AFRAID OF IT.

RJ- WHAT'S IT LIKE PITCHING BEHIND SUCH A POTENT LINEUP?

MITTAG- IT'S A LOT OF FUN BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRESSURE OF FEELING
IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU GONNA LOSE THE GAME. OUR HITTERS ARE VERY 
AGGESSIVE AND OUR PITCHING STAFF TRYS TO DO THE SAME THING, GO RIGHT AT 
THE HITTERS. 
  
RJ- HOW DID THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2002 HELP THIS YEARS TEAM ?
  
MITTAG- I THINK GAVE US A LOT OF CONFIDENCE. THE BIG TEST FOR US WAS
NOT TO BECOME COMPLACENT AND SETTLE FOR JUST THE STATE TITLE. WE
WERE REALLY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT NOT WINNING THE LEAGUE LAST YEAR
AND IT MADE US HUNGRY. I JUST HOPE WE CAN RIDE IT THRU THE FCIAC'S AND
THE STATES.

RJ- NOW, WHAT ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL WIN STREAK. FOUR YEARS IS A LONG 
TIME WITHOUT A LOSS. DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT ?

AS I ASKED MITTAG THIS QUESTION, HIS FATHER WHO WAS STANDING NEXT TO 
US SAID QUICKLY, " HEY, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT. IT MIGHT JINX HIM."

AND HERE I THOUGHT ONLY BALLPLAYERS WERE SUPERSTITIOUS.

    
WESTHILL'S SIMEONE BATTLES THRU GROWING PAINS
BY RON JONES
FCIAC. ORG

The 2003 Westhill baseball team has learned the hard way what a difference 
a year can make. Last year, a veteran laden Viking squad made it to the FCIAC 
championship game, losing to Norwalk. This year finds coach Andy DeBrisco's 
team needing to win it's last game against Bassick to clinch the eighth and 
final spot in the FCIAC playoffs. 
FCIAC.ORG's Ron Jones got a chance to sit down with one of Vikings future 
stars recently, sophomore Albie Simeone. Simeone's rookie year could be 
compared to Westhill's season so far, flashes of brilliance along with moments 
of frustration. 
Presently, he's 1-3 on the mound, often plagued by his team's inability to 
produce in the clutch. Simeone has logged some playing time at third base 
but his first love is being on the mound.

RJ- IN YOUR OPINION, HOW HAS YOUR ROOKIE SEASON GONE SO FAR?

SIMEONE- IT'S GONE PRETTY WELL. I'VE HAD TO DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT 
COME WITH BEING A ROOKIE LIKE CARRYING THE EQUIPMENT BUT WHEN 
I'M ON THE FIELD, IT'S BEEN PRETTY EXCITING. 

RJ- ALTHOUGH YOU ARE A FIRST YEAR PLAYER, YOU'VE HAD THE BENEFIT OF
BEING ABLE TO WATCH ONE OF THE FCIAC'S BEST PITCHERS IN SENIOR 
ANGELO FUSARO (7-2). WHAT ADVICE HAS HE PASSED ON TO YOU THIS SEASON?

SIMEONE- HE'S SHOWN ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST THROWING
AND BEING A REAL PITCHER. ANGELO HAS HELPED ME WITH UNDERSTANDING 
HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MOVE THE BALL IN AND OUT TO SET UP THE 
HITTER. HE'S BEEN A BIG HELP TO ME THIS SEASON. 

RJ- WHAT PITCHES DO YOU THROW?

SIMEONE- I THROW A TWO SEAM AND FOUR SEAM FASTBALL ALONG WITH A
CURVEBALL. I HAVE A CHANGE UP BUT I'M STILL WORKING ON BEING MORE 
CONSISTENT WITH IT.

RJ- WHICH POSITION WAS A EASIER TRANSITION FOR YOU THIRD BASE OR THE MOUND?

SIMEONE- PROBABLY PITCHING. I'VE HAD TO WORK AT PLAYING THIRD ESPECIALLY
SINCE WESTHILL ISN'T ONE OF THE BETTER FIELDS AROUND. PITCHING SEEMS TO 
COME NATURALLY TO ME AND RIGHT NOW, I'M MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN I'M ON 
THE MOUND. 

RJ- YOU COME FROM A VERY SUCCESSFUL BABE RUTH PROGRAM IN STAMFORD.
HOW HAS THAT PREPARED YOU FOR LIFE IN THE FCIAC?

SIMEONE- WELL, THE PRESSURE OF THE ALL STAR TOURNAMENTS IN BABE RUTH 
HAS DEFINITELY PREPARED FOR HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL. IT'S ALSO SHOWN ME 
NOT TO GET TOO HIGH WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN AND NOT TO GET TOO LOW 
WHEN THEY DON'T.

RJ- FINALLY, WITH THE 5-1 WIN AGAINST BASSICK FRIDAY, YOUR TEAM CLINCHED
THE EIGHTH AND FINAL SEED IN THIS WEEK'S FCIAC PLAYOFFS. WHAT DOES YOUR 
TEAM NEED TO DO TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME?

SIMEONE- WE'VE LOST A LOT OF CLOSE ONES THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T 
BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE CLUTCH HIT WHEN WE NEEDED IT. ALSO, WE'VE 
HAD SOME BREAKDOWNS DEFENSIVELY AT BAD TIMES. BUT, I THINK IF WE MAKE THE 
ROUTINE PLAYS AND COME THRU WITH SOME BIG HITS, WE CAN DO SOME DAMAGE 
IN THE PLAYOFFS.