The second annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex baseball tournament resumes on Saturday with quarterfinal round action.
The winners advance to the semifinals on Saturday, May 14. The championship game is slated for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
An interesting stat: over the two tournaments, Sussex County teams are 9-16 overall vs. Hunterdon-Warren teams, including 4-6 this season.
Here’s a closer look at all four games:
North Hunterdon (6-7) at Pope John (12-1)
This should be a great matchup between the Nos. 1 and 8 ranked teams in West Jersey, according to Open Mike.
North Hunterdon, a semifinalist last year, beat Lenape Valley, 3-2, in the opening round last Saturday behind a solid effort from ace Steve Bloodworth (4-0).Outfielder Andrew Westlin had a monster April, batting .556 with five homers and 14 RBIs.
Pope John, which beat Kittatinny 15-1 for its first-ever county tournament win last Saturday, Coach Vin Bello has one of the deepest rotations around and he is likely to go with ace Brendan Mayers (5-0), though the Lions have a big game against Don Bosco on Friday. Mike Liegel (2-0) and Connor McGlynn (2-0) would be in the mix if Mayers goes on Friday. Center fielder Matt Ackerman has been red-hot at the plate.
The pick: Pope John, 6-2.
Sparta (11-3) at Voorhees (10-1)
This should be the best game of the day.
Sparta, which reached the title game last year, is on a major roll now -- winning six straight and 10 of 11 since a 1-2 start. Pitching has been the key for the Spartans, who feature a nice 1-2 punch with ace Tommy Roche (2-1) and Brendan Monahan (4-1). Monahan also leads the offense, along with Maryland-bound shortstop John Brucker.
Voorhees is probably the most dangerous team because of lefty ace Sean Keselica. Just ask Pope John, which was overmatched against Keselica a year ago in a 6-1 first-round loss. The Virginia-Tech bound Keselica has been brilliant this season, going 5-0 with 56 strikeouts in those starts. Shortstop Ryan Hawke and third baseman Tyler Duplaga have carried the offense of late. Duplaga is 7-for-9 with three doubles and six RBIs in his last three games.
The pick: Voorhees, 3-1.
North Warren (9-3) at Hackettstown (11-0)
Intriguing matchup between longtime Warren County rivals.
North Warren has played really well since a 2-3 start, winning seven straight, including a 13-2 win over High Point in last Saturday’s first round. Coach Jim Haupt’s Patriots have outscored their opponents 83-8 in their last five wins. Lefty Nick Macaione (3-0) is capable of shutting down opposing hitters, while senior shortstop Pat Dolan recorded 10 RBIs in his last three games.
Hackettstown is off to one of its best starts ever under coach Gary Poyer and the Tigers are getting it done on both sides of the plate. Ace pitcher and Monmouth recruit Matt Reynolds (4-0) is a big reason why this team is one of the tourney favorites. The right-hander also can hit with 10 RBIs. Battery-mate Mark Feci went 5-for-9 with three homers and six RBIs in his last two games.
The pick: Hackettstown 7-2.
Phillipsburg (9-7) at Hunterdon Central (11-4)
This is the only matchup between teams that have played one another this season. In fact, these clubs have split a pair of meetings this season. Phillipsburg won 6-2 on April 7, while Central returned the favor with a 17-3 victory on Thursday.
Phillipsburg, which posted an 8-1 win over Vernon in the first round, is reeling having lost three straight following a four-game win streak. Coach Dave Hinkle’s team may be a bit weary having played seven games in 11 days five in the last six. Ace Anthony Ciavarella (1-1) should get the call on the mound. Third baseman Mike Murray (.412 avg., 14 RBIs) and shortstop Ryan Luke (.385, 16 RBIs) pace the offense.
Central has won six straight and the Red Devils are really swinging the bats. Chris Suseck (.500, 12 RBIs) and Kenny Wilson (.432, 14 RBIs) have led an offense that produced 50 runs over the current streak. Greg Scassera earned the win in a 10-0 shutout of Newton in the first round.
The pick: Hunterdon Central 4-2.
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