Rumson and Tom McDonough have already wrapped up the Class A Central title.
By Scott Stump - Senior Editor The top three teams in Class A South are starting to separate themselves just in time for the Ocean County Tournament to roll around, so that should be a good tournament from beginning to end with several other Ocean County teams capable of pulling an upset.
St. Rose continues to play well in its quest for respect outside of Class B Central, and "As the A North Turns,'' continues to be an ongoing hit soap opera, where teams are celebrating their sixth marriage one day and lamenting their sixth divorce the next. Rumson-Fair Haven continues to roll through a Class A Central division where every other team is either at or below .500, so the next test for the Bulldogs will be beating a quality nondivisional opponent.
DigitalSports Top 10
1. Toms River North (10-1) - Last week: No. 1. The Mariners did suffer their first loss, a 5-2 setback to red-hot Jackson, but they showed some resilience in fighting off an upset bid by Brick Memorial and then rolled past Toms River East. This team not only has talent, it has heart and depth, two huge factors in the postseason. The return of slugging first baseman/pitcher Bill Hoermann, a junior who has missed most of April with a lingering back injury from basketball, should only make them deeper on the mound and more powerful offensively. Just what opponents want to hear.
2. Jackson (9-2) - Last week: No. 5. The Jaguars have won six straight, including a 5-2 win over previously undefeated Toms River North, to put themselves in position to potentially at least tie for the Class A South title if they win out and the Mariners slip up. Junior first baseman/pitcher Kevin Needham is a serious DigitalSports Player of the Year candidate thus far. He has led the way on a team with a deep lineup that also includes standout catcher Edgar Jennings, who has picked up right where 2007 DigitalSports first-team All-Star Bill Lee left off.
3. Toms River South (10-3) - Last week: No. 2. The Indians drop a spot by virtue of Jackson's win over Toms River North that put the Jaguars ahead in the standings even though TR South has a head-to-head win over Jackson. This team is still looking for that marquee win that will remind everyone why it was so touted in the preseason, but even without that, the Indians are still playing well in a parity-filled season.
4. St. Rose (13-0) - Last week: No. 4. The Purple Roses continue to roll as senior pitcher Casey Cannon has been unhittable lately and the offense has produced when it has been necessary. A nice nonconference win over a solid Governor Livingston squad in the Shore Challenge behind Cannon helped the resume, and they hope to prove the doubters wrong with some deep runs in the Monmouth County, Shore Conference and state tournaments.
5. Rumson-FH (9-1) - Last week: No. 8. I'm giving the Bulldogs a shot up here in the VIP section because they just keep winning, and usually winning by big margins. They have already locked up the Class A Central title, but I don't know how much that says about them or about a division that is mediocre, as no other team has a winning record right now. Still, RFH's offense has been one of the Shore's best and senior Mark Seibel, who had never won a varsity game before this year, has his name right up there with the likes of CBA's Pat Light at 5-0 and leading the Shore in wins.
6. Colts Neck (10-4) - Last week: No. 3. I want to believe in you Class A North, but you just keep tugging on the leg of anyone trying to escape the mosh pit. Colts Neck looked like it might pull away, then Howell rallied to beat the Cougars, 6-5. However, I still think this team has enough pitching to survive the madness and make some headway in the tournaments. Plus, the Cougars have the hammer in senior Anthony DeSclafani if they can make it to the championship game with him lined up to start.
7. Wall (9-3) - Last week: Unranked. The Crimson Knights had a strong week in which they slashed through Class B North's finest to retake first place. Senior Mark Pellecchia has really stepped up to lead the pitching staff, and Wall seems to be able to manufacture runs in a million different ways.
8. Christian Brothers Academy (7-5) - Last week: No. 7. The Colts are like a drink. There is regular and then CBA Light. CBA Light tastes great and is less filling, as the Colts are 5-0 when junior Pat Light is on the mound. The rest of the time? It tastes a little flat as they are 2-5 without Light hurling, although one of those losses is to the nation's No. 1 team, Don Bosco Prep.
9. Barnegat (11-3) - Last week: No. 6. The Bengals took a hit with a 3-1 loss to Point Boro, their first loss to a Shore Conference team this season, but remain tied for first in Class B South. They have a big one looming on Wednesday with Central that could decide the division title.
10. Brick Memorial (7-5) - Last week: Unranked. I really felt this spot was between the Mustangs and Central, and Brick Memorial has a 3-2 win over Central this season, so it gets it. Other than a one-run loss to Lacey, all of Brick Memorial's other losses are to teams ranked ahead of it. Evan Mancini has been a stalwart on the mound for them and Jose Ramos has come up with some big hits, and they nearly toppled No. 1 Toms River North before falling in 13 innings last week.
Knocking on the door:
Central (9-3): I feel like this is a Top 10 team, but it just doesn't have that one big win to hang its hat on yet. However, that could all change on Wednesday night at Leiter Field against No. 9 Barnegat with the Class B South title likely on the line. It's been a tremendous turnaround under new coach John Scran, but I'm sure the Golden Eagles aren't satisfied yet.
Shore (11-1): Another team searching for that signature win, with its only loss being a one-run setback to No. 4 St. Rose. Rob Corsi has been outstanding on the mound and at the plate, and sophomore catcher/pitcher Matt Marsh looks like a rising star.
Matawan (8-4): The Huskies lost a showdown with Wall, but still are a factor in Class B North.
Monmouth (7-4): See: Matawan.
Freehold Township, Howell and Manalapan: These three Class A North teams are at or right around the .500 mark. Which ones will sink and which will swim?
Point Boro (7-4): The Panthers showed they can knock off a quality opponent with a win over Barnegat, so keep an eye on them.
Freehold (8-5): This team has been up and down, but when ace Matt Yuhas is on the mound, teams aren't exactly lining up to face the Colonials.
E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com