High school baseball teams will break out the bats and balls on Friday, March 7, across the state of New Jersey to begin preparations for the 2014 baseball season.

In Essex County, the 2014 season will mark the head coaching debuts of at least two coaches: Jay Tiseo in Glen Ridge and Joe Phelan in Verona.

Jay Tiseo will be coaching the Glen Ridge baseball team this spring.

Tiseo, a Bloomfield High graduate, is a former assistant at West Orange High School and also has experience as a hitting instructor. (Read more about Tiseo’s appointment in Glen Ridge here.)

Phelan, the former jayvee coach in Verona, succeeds longtime head coach Lou Racciope, who retired as the baseball coach during the off-season. Verona finished at 12-12 in 2013.