Hello everybody, I've been away too long, but other duty called and rendered me unable to find spare time to blog. But I'm back, if only briefly, to update you on what's going down in the world of West Jersey baseball.
First, with only a few regular-season games remaining, none of the three divisional races in the Skyland Conference have been decided. And only one local race in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference is over, as Hackettstown claimed the Freedom Division title weeks ago. That leaves the American Division title up for grabs.
Let's take a closer look at the Skyland:
Watchung Hills is still on top in the rugged nine-team Delaware Division. The Warriors, at 9-4, still have three division games to play: at Bridgewater-Raritan (May 31), at Hunterdon Central (June 6) and home against Immaculata (June 7).
Hunterdon Central (8-5 division) and Immaculata (7-5) are also in play here.
Central was in good shape until recent losses to Hillsborough (6-1 on May 20) and Ridge (7-2 on Wednesday). Coach Mike Raymond's team has two games left with Montgomery (Thursday, May 26 and May 31), at Ridge on June 1 and Watchung Hills home on June 6.
The Raritan Division race is much more simple. Voorhees (9-2 division) can claim the title with a win over Somerville on June 2. But, if coach Spark Mattson's Vikes stumble, as they did in Wednesday's 12-5 loss to Pingry (where did that come from?), Somerville (7-3) could earn a share of the title with wins over Pingry on June 1 and the Vikes the following day.
A Somerville loss to Pingry, automatically gives the title to Voorhees.
Over in the Valley Division, North Warren was in firm control needing two wins this week to claim the championship. But coach Jim Haupt's team went 1-1, losing 5-4 to Bound Brook on Tuesday before a 15-0 win over Manville on Wednesday.
At 10-1 in the division, North Warren can still wrap up the title with a win over Bernards. A date for that game has not been determined as the Patriots are still involved in state playoff action. A North Warren loss and it would share the title with Gill St. Bernards's (10-2), whose two losses are to the Patriots.
In the NJAC, Pope John posted a big 13-4 win over Montville on Tuesday. Both teams now have two losses in the American Division and both still have a division game left with High Point.
The Lions play High Point on May 26 and may have to replay a game with Sparta that was suspended by darkness in April. Montville faces High Point on June 1. Both PJ and Montville are also alive in state playoff action.
If the Lions lose to High Point and Montville beats High Point, then the Mustangs will be the champs and PJ will not have to replay that game with Sparta.
Playoff fever
The local contingent took a hit in the opening round of the state tournament on Tuesday -- Warren Hills, South Hunterdon, Lenape Valley, Hopatcong and Sussex Tech all made quick exits.
The most surprising and disappointing was Warren Hills' 5-1 loss to Belleville in the North 2, Group 3 draw. The Blue Streaks had been playing well and were hosting a state game for the first time since 2008. But coach Mike Quinto's team ran into a tough pitcher and didn't help themselves either by accounts, so that makes for a tough go during state time.
You have to feel for Hopatcong and coach Chris Buglovsky, who suffered a 17-3 loss to Pequannock in a game moved to Wednesday because Hopactong's field, the notorious Homer Dome, has been under water most of this season. "My field is like an extension of Lake Hopatcong," Buglovsky said in an e-mail this week when asked why his team hadn't played since May 11.
The Chiefs close out the slate on May 26 against Hackettstown, looking to snap a five-game losing streak against the Tigers dating to last season. Hopatcong's last win in the series was, 6-5, on April 9, 2009.
Speaking of Hackettstown, coach Gary Poyer's club was among eight winners in the opening round of states, as the Tigers rolled Cliffside Park, 9-1, in the North 2, Group 2 bracket.
Voorhees, Phillipsburg, North Hunterdon, Hunterdon Central, Sparta, High Point and North Warren were all victorious.
Voorhees, the top seed in Central Jersey, Group 2, will host North Plainfield in Friday's quarterfinals. It will be the rubber match for these Skyland Conference Raritan Division rivals. The Vikes lost their first meeting, 4-3 on April 26, and won the rematch, 6-0, on May 21.
Pope John, the No. 2 seed in Non-Public North A, will begin state play on Tuesday. The Lions get the winner of the Paramus Catholic-Delbarton first-rounder on Friday, May 27.
Here's Friday's schedule:
North 2, Group 4
Phillipsburg at Westfield
Ridge at Hunterdon Central
North Hunterdon at Woodbridge
North 2, Group 2
Garfield at Hackettstown
North 1, Group 3
Sparta at Montville
High Point at Paramus
North 1, Group 2
North Warren at Dumont
Central, Group 2
North Plainfield at Voorhees
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