Open Mike

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Skyland Conference Raritan All-Stars

Raritan Division

1st Team

PLAYER GRADE POSITION SCHOOL

Sean Keselica 12 P Voorhees

Ryan Hawke 12 SS Voorhees

Michael Kovacs 12 P/SS Franklin

Joseph Matarazzo 12 CF Warren Hills

Chris Nichols 11 P North Plainfield

Dan Keller 11 P/1B Pingry

Brent Croasdale 12 OF Delaware Valley

Chris Kiesel 12 C Somerville

Tom Mazurkiewicz 12 3B Somerville

Kyle Walker 9 INF Pingry

Patrick McArdle 12 P/INF Franklin

Dylan Cruz 12 OF Somerville

Chris Rubin 11 SS Somerville

Anthony Hubbard 11 OF North Plainfield

At Large

Alex Holderbaum 12 OF Somerville

Scott Paulus 12 DH Warren Hills

Alec Hardy 11 OF/DH Somerville

Tyler Duplaga 11 3B Voorhees

2nd Team

Steven Delacammara 12 OF Franklin

Andres Velischek 11 1B Pingry

Tim Laub 12 1B/DH Somerville

Clint Wojick 12 P/OF Delaware Valley

Sal Mastrobattista 11 2B North Plainfield

Jeramiah Muhammad 9 OF Franklin

Evan Fraser 11 P Somerville

Justin Young 12 P Somerville

Kyle Allen 11 P Warren Hills

Zach Joback 11 Utility North Plainfield

Matt Bonavita 11 CF Voorhees

Joe Marchiafava 12 2B Somerville

Nilson Carvajal 11 3B Franklin

Scott Skripko 10 P/1B Delaware Valley

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Pope John still rolling; Ake drafted by Mets

Pope John's baseball team has been finding ways to win big games all season. The trend continued on Tuesday as the Lions posted a 4-3 win over Seton Hall Prep to capture their first Non-Public North A sectional title at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls.

All-State catcher Alex DeBellis delivered the eventual game-winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth after Seton Hall Prep had tied the game. Winning pitcher Brendan Mayers (9-0) gave another solid effort on the mound, as the Rutgers-bound righty tossed a complete game.

Those two players have been the catalysts all season and they came through once again with the spotlight on them. Team of destiny?

One interesting note, is that Seton Hall outfielder John Norwood was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays (No. 379 overall) in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft during the game. Seton Hall Prep beat Pope John, 9-8 in eight innings in the 2009 semifinals.

Pope John (24-4-1) will face St. Augustine for the Non-Public state A championship 11 a.m. on Saturday at Toms River South High School.

Ake selected by Mets on Day 3

Hunterdon Central shortstop Josh Ake was the first player from West Jersey to be selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday. Ake was chosen by the New York Mets (No. 882 overall).

Ake batted .337 with four homers and 19 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .432 on-base percentage this season for the 20-10 Red Devils. Ake, an outstanding defensive player, has committed to play at the University of North Carolina next season.

Watchung claims division crown

Watchung Hills wrapped up the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with Monday's 4-1 win over Hunterdon Central.

Senior Richard Hunt tossed a complete game with five strikeouts and sophomore catcher Cody Hinds drove in two runs for the Warriors (18-8 overall, 11-4 division).

Montville wins NJAC American title

Montville apparently has been declared the NJAC American Division champion by virtue of a points system. The Mustangs finished 12-2 in divisional play, one win better than Pope John (11-2-1), which played Sparta to a tie back in April in a game that was suspended due to darkness.

Apparently, the Pope John-Sparta game could not be replayed and it goes in the books as a draw. Had Pope John won that game, it would have shared the title with Montville. The Lions and Mustangs split a pair of meetings this season, 13-8 and 13-4, with Pope John winning the latter on May 24.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

West Jersey Baseball standings

As of June 4
Skyland Conference

Delaware Division
	Overall	Division
Watchung Hills	(17-8)	(10-4)
Hillsborough	(18-9)	(10-6)
Hunterdon Central	(20-9)	(9-6)
Immaculata	(10-12)	(8-6)
North Hunterdon	(12-13)	(9-7)
Montgomery	(10-14)	(7-8)
Ridge	(15-13)	(7-9)
Phillipsburg	(13-14)	(6-10)
Bridgewater	(8-17)	(3-13)

Raritan Division
	Overall	Division
x-Voorhees	(18-4)	(10-2)
Somerville	(17-10)	(8-4)
North Plainfield	(13-10)	(7-5)
Warren Hills	(12-12)	(7-5)
Franklin	(8-13)	(4-7)
Pingry	(7-13)	(3-8)
Delaware Valley	(2-18)	(2-10)

Valley Division
	Overall	Division
x-North Warren	(15-8)	(11-1)
Gill St. Bernard's	(17-10)	(10-2)
Bound Brook	(8-11)	(7-5)
Bernards	(8-12)	(6-6)
South Hunterdon	(6-11)	(4-7)
Belvidere	(5-16)	(3-8)
Manville	(1-17)	(0-12)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Freedom Division
	Overall	Division

x-Hackettstown	(21-2)	(10-0)
Hopatcong	(13-7)	(7-3)
Lenape Valley	(11-11)	(7-3)
Wallkill Valley	(7-17)	(3-7)
Newton	(3-17)	(2-8)
Kittatinny	(5-16)	(1-9)

American Division
	Overall	Division

Montville	(22-5)	(12-2)
Pope John	(23-4-1)	(11-2-1)
Sparta	(14-10-1)	(6-7-1)
High Point	(13-10)	(6-7)
Mount Olive	(9-15)	(6-8)
Vernon	(7-11)	(5-9)
Jefferson	(6-14)	(4-9)
Morris Hills	(8-17)	(4-10)

x-division champion

Lions may be team of destiny in North A playoffs

Pope John's baseball team needed a certain amount of luck to navigate through the state's toughest tournament bracket in the Non-Public North A playoffs.

The Lions caught a big break when top-seeded and nationally-ranked Don Bosco Prep, which beat PJ 11-8 this season, saw its 25-game win streak and unbeaten season end with a first-round loss to Bergen Catholic.

However, coach Vin Bello's team is also making its own luck this postseason.

In Friday's semifinals, Pope John trailed 5-1 to Delbarton heading into the bottom of the seventh. What happened next at Diamond Nation was a series of championship moments. The Lions battled back to tie it at 5 before Ryan McNally launched a solo homer for a 6-5 walk-off win that sent PJ into Tuesday's final against Seton Hall Prep.

McNally's homer capped an improbable rally that started with Nick D'Alessio's one-out homer to right. Nick Salazzo's RBI single made it 5-3 and Matt Ackerman's two-run shot tied the game, setting the stage for McNally's heroics. Three homers in all and a berth into the title game. Amazing.

PJ's ability to swing the bats is a big plus heading into the biggest game of the season. As the Lions have showed, they are never out of a game.

Connor McGlynn (7-1) gave a gutsy effort on the mound, following his eight-strikeout performance in PJ's 13-4 win over Montville on May 24. Ace Brendan Mayers (8-0) is set to throw in the final.

Pope John (23-4-1) has now won four straight against Delbarton. The Lions won, 5-2, in the regular season on April 27 and twice in 2010 -- 4-3 and 6-3, the latter in the North A playoffs. PJ's run a year ago ended with an 8-6 loss to Immaculata in the semifinals.

Now, Pope John sets its sights on a rematch with Seton Hall Prep, which bounced the Lions, 9-8 in eight innings, in the 2009 quarterfinals. The North A final will be played 4 p.m. Tuesday at Yogi Berra Stadium on the Montclair State University campus.

Tigers caught again at home

Hackettstown's terrific season ended on Friday as it did a year ago with a 9-1 loss to West Essex in the North 2, Group 2 final at Dimiceli Field. Coach Gary Poyer's Tigers, who lost 5-0 to the Knights in last year's title game, finish at 21-2.

The loss also ended a fine career for senior ace Matt Reynolds, who struck out nine in the loss. Reynolds (6-2) took two of his three career losses against West Essex, while also losing to Hunterdon Central this season in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals.

Hackettstown scored a total of four runs in its two losses this season after averaging 10 runs per game in its victories. The Tigers entered Friday's game on a six-game win streak during which they scored a total of 75 runs.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Snare joins 500 club; Vikes, Pats crowned champs

The baseball season is winding down in the West Jersey area, but there is still plenty to talk about as the spring season comes to a close.

On Thursday, longtime North Hunterdon coach Parker Snare joined an exclusive club by winning his 500th game in the Lions' 11-9 win over Montgomery in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division tilt in Annandale. Andrew Westlin paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs and helped North (12-13) rally from an 8-1 deficit.

“I am proud of coach Snare’s perseverance in achieving this momentous goal in his career. Mr. Snare has spent many untold hours during his coaching tenure with our student athletes and providing a positive experience for all of them. Coach Snare has had a great group of kids in the Hunterdon Community every year. Coach Snare falls under a small elite group of New Jersey coaches to obtain 500 wins and this is truly a historic day in North history.” said North Hunterdon athletic director John Deutschm in a school-issued press release.

Snare owns a 500-284-2 overall mark in 32 seasons and it was, perhaps, his final season at the helm as rumors swirl that he will not back in 2012. The retired teacher is no longer in the building and someone in-house may be after the baseball job.

The Lions didn't have the season they hoped for after a 3-8 stretch from April 16 to May 11 essentially took them out of conference contention. North started 4-0 in the division and finished 9-7.

Vikings claim Raritan championship

Voorhees officially wrapped up the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title with Thursday's 1-0 win over Somerville. Lefty ace Sean Keselica struck out a career-high 16 batters and Tyler Duplaga drove in the winning run with a double.

It was a nice ending for coach Spark Mattson's team after a disappointing 6-1 loss to Middlesex in Tuesday's Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinals. Voorhees finishes 18-4 overall and 10-2 in the division after an 8-15 campaign in 2010.

The Virginia Tech-bound Keselica capped a tremendous season and career with a school record seven homers and going 10-1 on the mound with 121 strikeouts. He struck out no fewer than nine in any of his starts this season.

Patriots repeat as Valley champions

North Warren claimed the Skyland Conference Valley Division title with Thursday's 4-3 win in eight innings against Bernards in Blairstown. Ryan McCarthy delivered the win and a title with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Coach Jim Haupt's team finishes 15-8 overall and 11-1 in the division.

NJAC American update

Pope John did what it had to do last week to keep its American Division title hopes alive in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference with wins over Montville and High Point. The Lions (11-2-1 in the division) are tied with Montville (12-2) in the loss column.

Pope John's suspended game, a 2-2 tie on the books with Sparta, was supposed to be replayed in its entirety since the outcome affects the standings. However, it has been learned that the conference may instead use a points system rather than play that game to declare a champion, awarding the title to Montville.

Stay tuned on this one. My guess is that Lions coach Vin Bello won't raise a fuss at this time with his club still alive for a bigger title in the Non-Public North A playoffs.