Greetings high school baseball fans.
This is the season debut for our top 10 rankings. Teams in the tri-county area are eligible only. Check back here for a new edition on Mondays during the season.
(Records through April 8)
1. Hunterdon Central (3-0) -- Red Devils off to a flying start with quality wins over Edison (7-6 on April 5) and Watchung Hills (6-2 on April 7). Kenny Wilson and Evan Klimchak are pacing the offense early on. Wilson went 2-for-4 with three RBIs against Watchung, while Klimchak went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI against Edison. On the mound, Pete Monahan is 2-0, fanning five in an opening day win over Montgomery.
Up next for the Red Devils: at Phillipsburg on Tuesday; North Huntedon at home on Thursday.
2. Warren Hills (1-2) -- Blue Streaks have dropped two in a row after a nice opening day win at home over No. 4 Voorhees, 6-5, on April 3. Coach Mike Quinto's club dropped a pair of 7-5 decisions to Somerville and most recently Red Bank on Saturday. Kyle Allen got the win on the mound against Voorhees, while Mark Apgar went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in the loss to Red Bank. Ryan Curto had four RBIs entering the week.
Up next for the Blue Streaks: at Hackettstown on Monday; Pingry at home on Tuesday; at Delaware Valley on Thursday; at Millburn Tournament on Saturday.
3. Voorhees (2-1) -- Vikings lost one of the best players in the area and school history to graduation, but third baseman Tyler Duplaga is filling the bill nicely early on. Through three games, Duplaga is .583 (7-for-12) with one double, three homers and four RBIs. On the mound, Duplaga is 1-0, beating Phillipsburg on Saturday. Catcher Josh Hausler also is hot early on with a homer and a team-high five RBIs.
Up next for the Vikings: Franklin at home on Tuesday; Somerville at home on Thursday; at North Hunterdon on Saturday.
4. Pope John (2-0) -- Lions out of the gate with a pair of wins, 6-5 over Mount Olive and 3-1 over Vernon. Coach Vin Bello's team has yet to play a highly-regarded team, though Rutgers-bound shortstop Matt Tietz is off to a fast start with a homer against the Vikings. Sam Redwood also off to a blazing start, going 3-for-3 against Vernon after belting two doubles with four RBIs in the opener.
Up next for the Lions: at Jefferson on Wednesday; at High Point on Friday; at Pennsville Tournament on Saturday.
5. Phillipsburg (1-2) -- Stateliners were blown out by Hillsborough and Voorhees, but notched a somewhat-surprising 10-1 win over a good Montgomery club. Anthony Ciavarella belted a triple and had five RBIs in the victory and Robert Howell allowed only two hits and struck out 14 for his first win on the mound. Those two are a potent combo on the hill and when they hurl, P'burg will have a chance to win.
Up next for the Stateliners: Wilson (Pa.) at home on Monday; Hunterdon Central at home on Tuesday; at Pius X (Pa.) on Friday; at Stroudsburg (Pa.) on Saturday.
6. Hopatcong (3-0) -- Chiefs are off to their best start in years with wins over Butler, Dover and Hackettstown, most recently on April 4. That 6-2 win snapped a six-game losing streak to the Tigers dating to 2010. Hopatcong's previous win in the series was 6-5 on April 9, 2009. Hunter Guard went 2-for-4 with a double, homer and three RBIs and earned the win on the mound against the reigning NJAC Freedom Division champs. Matt Cautero tossed a complete game with eight K's in a win over Dover.
Up next for the Chiefs: at West Morris on Monday; at Delaware Valley on Tuesday; at Lenape Valley on Wednesday; Newton at home on Friday.
7. Jefferson (4-1) -- Coach Jason Kalish's Falcons are the surprise team through the first week of the season after a 6-14 campaign in 2011. Jefferson opened with an 8-0 win over Wallkill Valley and followed that with a 5-3 victory over NJAC American Division-rival High Point. On Saturday, ace Steve Cuccio struck out seven in a five-inning win over Belvidere, 13-2. Cuccio also has been on fire at the plate, belting two doubles and a homer with a pair of RBIs in the team's 15-5 win over Mount Olive.
Up next for the Falcons: at Newton on Monday; Pope John at home on Wednesday; at Montville on Friday; at Kinnelon on Saturday.
8. High Point (2-1) -- Wildcats made a statement in Sussex County with a 12-3 win over Sparta their last time on April 4. Brett Fundell has led the way both at the plate and on the hill, going 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs against the Spartans. Fundell also homered in a 5-3 loss to Jefferson. Ryan Conklin had four K's to earn the win over Sparta.
Up next for the Wildcats: Morris Hills at home on Wednesday; Pope John at home on Friday.
9. Delaware Valley (1-2) -- Coach Marty White's Terriers have been right there in three tough games to open the season, after a disappointing 2-18 season a year ago. Scott Scripko is off to a great start, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in a 6-5 loss to a pretty good Franklin team on April 5. Scripko followed that with a dominating effort on the mound, as he logged nine K's in the team's 6-3 win over Lenape Valley on Saturday. Tom Chiswick belted a homer and had three RBIs in the first three games.
Up next for the Terriers: Hopatcong at home on Tuesday; Warren Hills at home on Thursday; at Delran on Friday; South Hunterdon at home on Saturday.
10. North Hunterdon (0-3) -- Tough to put a winless team in here, but the Lions have played three very tough teams out of the chute. First-year coach Mike Kane's team gave a good account in a 7-6 loss to a good Watchung Hills club in the season opener. First baseman Ben Stine is off to a fast start with RBIs in two of the first three games. North is also missing star outfielder Derek Jenkins, who is out with indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Jenkins' return will certainly make this team better.
Up next for the Lions: at Randolph on Monday; Steinert at home on Wednesday; at Hunterdon Central on Thursday; Voorhees at home on Saturday.
On the bubble: Belvidere (2-1); Hackettstown (0-2); North Warren (1-1).
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