South Jersey Baseball Showing Plenty...
South Jersey Baseball Showing Plenty of Balance The high school baseball season is a little more than a month old and what we have seen is parity, which means several teams still are in the running for the No. 1 spot in South Jersey.
Gloucester Catholic had been the consensus No. 1 team, but the Rams lost on Sunday, 8-6 to St. Augustine in the Coaches vs. Cancer Showcase at Mike Trout Field in Millville.
What is remarkable is that St. Augustine trailed 6-0 before scoring three runs in the sixth and five more in the decisive seventh inning in handling the Rams their first loss of the season.
It also meant that a month into the season, there were no undefeated teams. Going undefeated for a season is an almost impossible task. Pennsville, which went 25-0 in 1981, is the last South Jersey team to go unbeaten.
This season Gloucester Catholic had won its first 13 games of the year. The day before that game, Delran became the second to last team South Jersey team to taste defeat, losing 3-2 to Moorestown, after winning its first 13 games.
Gloucester Catholic will no doubt be in the running for the top spot in South Jersey. Their losing pitcher against St. Augustine was Brendan Bean, who was seeing his first action of the season. Headed to the University of Pennsylvania, he had to sit out 30 days due to NJSIAA transfer rules after coming over from Wildwood.
Once he gets a few games under his best. Bean should be a factor, especially in the postseason.
What’s interesting is that St. Augustine and Gloucester Catholic can’t meet in the playoffs. Gloucester Catholic competes in Non-Public B while St. Augustine is in Non-Public A.
Still, the teams could meet again in the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, which consists of 16 of the top South Jersey teams.
The Diamond Classic field will be picked on Sunday, May 7, with the competition beginning on Saturday, May 13.
There are several other teams that will battle for the top spot, including many in South Jersey Group 4, which is the deepest section. Teams such as Eastern, Shawnee, Washington Township, Milville and Lenape are just some of the Group 4 heavyweights who remain in contention for the No. 1 spot in South Jersey.
Another team to watch is Bishop Eustace, which could very well meet St. Augustine in the South Jersey Non Public A playoffs.
There are others who could slip into consideration, especially with a strong performance in the Diamond.
This year there appears to be more balance than ever with more teams, a month into the season, having a legitimate shot at the No. 1 spot in South Jersey.
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Author: Marc Narducci
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