So who is Mongo Nation? Well, team captain Rob Irving and Frank "Golden Boy" Giaquinto joined a different rec league a few years back after not playing any organized ball since college intramurals. They built their team through friends and picking up players as they played against others. Most of the team lives around Hoboken and they try not to take themselves too seriously. That doesn't mean they don't hate losing. They joined ABL this spring because of all the positive, great things people they knew that play in ABL had to say about the league.

The other bond this group shares is their support for one another. "Our team is made up mostly of gritty veteran players ... whose peak athletic days may be behind them, but make up for it by being great teammates and doing the little things to help the team win," Irving said of his team.

This is a unit that relies heavily on high play from the female roster players. And perform they have; boasting a collective .400 average and a dominant performance by Heather Kong who went 1-for-2 with an RBI, the success of this team will be dependent on the great bats and solid fielding from them.

Moving forward, Mongo Nation will meet Slingers (0-0-1) on April 26th. This is a match-up that will again fall to the female performances. There is much left to be desired from Slingers. They hold a .077 batting average and .200 OBP from their female teammates. Slinger's big man, Jason Orr will need to continue his hot streak (1 HR, 4 RBIs) to keep the game close.

"I think we'll be involved in a lot of very competitive games," Irving told me. "The key is being a bit more aggressive on the bases, force the issue and make them make plays."

We are excited to welcome Mongo Nation to the league and look forward to a season full of close, competitive games.