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2010 Final Star Ledger Rankings

Posted by Glenn Fredricks at Jun 19, 2010 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

TOP 20

1-West Essex (28-3)
2-Randolph (28-3)
3-Immaculata (22-5)
4-Cranford (26-5)
5-Toms River South (26-4)
6-Jackson (25-7)
7-St. Joseph (Met.) (21-8)
8-South Plainfield (25-3)
9-Pope John (24-5)
10-Morristown (23-10)
11-Delbarton (25-6)
12-Gloucester Catholic (24-7)
13-Seton Hall Prep (24-7)
14-Washington Twp. (18-12)
15-Lenape (23-5)
16-Manalapan (22-8)
17-Don Bosco Prep (24-4)
18-Monroe (23-4)
19-Bridgewater-Raritan (19-11)
20-Pascack Valley (23-8)

GROUP 4

1-Randolph (28-3)
2-Toms River South (26-4)
3-Jackson (25-7)
4-Washington Twp. (18-12)
5-Lenape (23-5)
6-Manalapan (22-8)
7-Monroe (23-4)
8-Bridgewater-Raritan (19-11)
9-Millville (22-6)
10-Livingston (18-11)
 

GROUP 3
1-Cranford (26-5)
2-South Plainfield (25-3)
3-Morristown (23-10)
4-Pascack Valley (23-8)
5-Scotch Plains-Fanwood (25-6)
6-Paramus (22-5)
7-Ocean City (21-9)
8-Jackson Liberty (18-7)
9-Wall (23-6)
10-Wayne Valley (19-10)


GROUP 2
1-West Essex (28-3)
2-Audubon (21-6)
3-Hackettstown (21-5)
4-Westwood (21-11)
5-Ramsey (23-8)
6-North Warren (21-6)
7-Spotswood (14-13)
8-Gov. Livingston (23-8)
9-Dumont (20-7)
10-Buena (23-8)

GROUP 1
1-Pitman (23-4)
2-Robbinsville (24-5)
3-Whippany Park (20-4)
4-Emerson Boro (23-7)
5-High Tech (19-5)
6-New Egypt (18-9)
7-Park Ridge (18-9)
8-Point Pleasant Beach (15-5-1)
9-South River (16-9)
10-South Amboy (13-7)

NON-PUBLIC
1-Immaculata (22-5)
2-St. Joseph (Met.) (21-8)
3-Pope John (24-5)
4-Delbarton (25-6)
5-Gloucester Catholic (24-7)
6-Seton Hall Prep (24-7)
7-Don Bosco Prep (24-4)
8-Bishop Eustace (22-8)
9-Morristown-Beard (21-9)
10-St. John Vianney (16-9)

PREP
1-Princeton Day (18-6)
2-Lawrenceville (10-11)
3-Peddie (6-10)
4-Hun (15-4)
5-Blair (4-12)

 MIDDLESEX
1-St. Joseph (21-8)
2-South Plainfield (25-3)
3-Monroe (23-4)
4-South Brunswick (16-11)
5-Spotswood (14-13)
6-North Brunswick (17-13)
7-Edison (16-14)
8-Iselin Kennedy (17-10)
9-Bishop Ahr (14-7)
10-Middlesex (18-5)

BERGEN
1-Don Bosco Prep (24-4)
2-Pascack Valley (23-8)
3-St. Joseph (21-5)
4-Westwood (21-11)
5-Ramsey (23-8)
6-Paramus (22-5)
7-Emerson Boro (23-7)
8-Hackensack (19-8)
9-Dumont (20-7)
10-Mahwah (18-11)

ESSEX
1-West Essex (28-3)
2-Seton Hall Prep (24-7)
3-Livingston (18-11)
4-Columbia (18-10)
5-Montclair (19-11)
6-West Orange (13-9)
7-Bloomfield (14-13)
8-Nutley (14-10)
9-Caldwell (15-13)
10-Cedar Grove (12-11)

HUDSON
1-Bayonne (18-9)
2-St. Mary (16-10)
3-Union City (18-10)
4-North Bergen (16-10)
5-High Tech (19-5)
6-St. Peter's Prep (16-9)
7-Kearny (14-13)
8-Memorial (14-11)
9-County Prep (17-9)
10-Secaucus (14-10)


MONMOUTH
1-Manalapan (22-8)
2-Wall (23-6)
3-St. John Vianney (16-9)
4-Red Bank Catholic (19-7)
5-Ocean Twp. (19-7-1)
6-Howell (15-10)
7-Red Bank (15-10)
8-Monmouth Reg. (13-10)
9-St. Rose (17-8)
10-Raritan (16-7)

MORRIS

1-Randolph (28-3)
2-Morristown (23-10)
3-Delbarton (25-6)
4-Pequannock (19-4)
5-Morris Knolls (17-11)
6-Roxbury (14-12)
7-Morristown-Beard (21-9)
8-Whippany Park (20-4)
9-West Morris (14-14)
10-Morris Hills (15-14)

OCEAN
1-Toms River South (26-4)
2-Jackson (25-7)
3-Jackson Liberty (18-7)
4-Brick (14-12)
5-Toms River East (16-12)
6-Brick Memorial (13-11)
7-Toms River North (12-13)
8-Central Reg. (14-10)
9-New Egypt (18-9)
10-Southern Reg. (10-12)

PASSAIC
1-Wayne Valley (19-10)
2-Passaic Valley (19-11)
3-West Milford (19-8)
4-Pompton Lakes (15-7)
5-Lakeland (16-12)
6-Wayne Hills (16-12)
7-Hawthorne (12-11)
8-Passaic (11-16)
9-Clifton (11-12)
10-DePaul (8-14)

SOMERSET
1-Immaculata (22-5)
2-Bridgewater-Raritan (19-11)
3-Montgomery (17-9)
4-Hillsborough (17-8)
5-Bernards (15-8)
6-Gill St. Bernard's (14-10)
7-Ridge (11-15)
8-Watchung Hills (9-16)
9-Pingry (10-11)
10-Bound Brook (13-10)

SOUTH JERSEY
1-Gloucester Catholic (24-7)
2-Washington Twp. (18-12)
3-Lenape (23-5)
4-Millville (22-6)
5-Bishop Eustace (22-8)
6-Audubon (21-6)
7-Eastern (21-7)
8-Steinert (23-6)
9-Ocean City (21-9)
10-Cherokee (13-10)

UNION

1-Cranford (26-5)
2-Scotch Plains (25-6)
3-Westfield (18-9)
4-Gov. Livingston (23-8)
5-Johnson (19-9)
6-Roselle Catholic (19-10)
7-Elizabeth (14-13)
8-Summit (17-10)
9-Linden (12-11)
10-Dayton (14-12)

WEST JERSEY
1-Pope John (24-5)
2-North Hunterdon (20-7)
3-Hunterdon Central (18-9)
4-Sparta (18-9)
5-Hackettstown (21-5)
6-North Warren (21-6)
7-Phillipsburg (14-12)
8-Lenape Valley (15-11)
9-High Point (16-8)
10-Hopatcong (14-13)

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CLASS OF 2009

Posted by Glenn Fredricks at Jun 4, 2010 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

2009 SENIORS 12W, 13L (71W-31L-1T)

THE MATRIX: VERSION 5.0

#11 JOE PETOSA- $FELICIAN COLLEGE

#14 JON MARTIN- THE CITADEL

#13 JAMIE CULLEN- MIDDLESEX CC

#5 BRYAN SMITH- MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

#17 NICKY UNDERWOOD- MIDDLESEX CC

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New Jersey Group II SemiFinal

Posted by Glenn Fredricks at Jun 3, 2010 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

PISCATAWAY — The Spotswood High School baseball team's magical postseason run, which included two comeback victories en route to a sectional title, ended with a deceptive 13-3 loss to Audubon at Rutgers University in Tuesday's NJSIAA Group II semifinals. 

Audubon sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs, all unearned, in the second inning to put the contest out of reach early.

The deficit proved too much for the Chargers to overcome. They rallied for seventh-inning victories in the sectional quarterfinals and semifinals on the way to beating Governor Livingston for their second Central Group II crown in four years.

Spotswood committed six errors and a balk in the 11-run inning during which Brian Flacco belted two RBI singles and three of his teammates scored two runs apiece.

The inning starkly contrasted how well the Chargers (14-13) had been playing during the state tournament.

"We didn't give ourselves a shot today, and that's what kind of hurts," Spotswood coach Glenn Fredricks said. "We haven't played a bad inning like that in six weeks. It's not indicative of the way we've been playing, especially in the state tournament."

Audubon (20-5), the South Jersey champion, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. John Flacco led off with a walk and Brett Phillips legged out an infield single. Both runners crossed on Tom Dyer's two-run double to left.

The Chargers trimmed the deficit in half in the bottom of the first. Shortstop Cody Pace, one of four senior starters, drew a leadoff walk, raced to third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on a comebacker. Pace, a converted closer who was the winning pitcher in three of Spotswood's state tournament games, did not get the start on the mound because Fredricks said his ace would have been ineffective on four days rest.

"Cody was not ready to go today," Fredricks said. "He needs the extra day's rest or two. He wouldn't have been effective today. That's where we come into the closer mentality with him. He's a closer by nature that was going out there on guts after three and four innings in the state tournament."

Spotswood used sophomores Anthony Berg, Chris Stout and freshman Kevin Martin on the mound. The trio gained valuable big-game experience despite surrendering 10 hits, only one of which went for extra bases, and being victimized by seven errors.

"We just didn't make enough plays behind him," Fredricks said, referring to Berg, the starter. "The littlest break you give the other team, especially a tradition-rich team like Audubon that knows how to win, they are going to take advantage of it."

Fredricks said the 13-1 second-inning deficit did not seem insurmountable to the Chargers.

"Even today we felt if we could scratch across one more run, we'd have a shot," said Fredricks, referring to preventing the game from being called after five innings by the mercy rule. "We stranded (six) runners in scoring position. We didn't get the timely hit we needed."

Spotswood scored two more unearned runs in the fourth, closing the deficit to 13-3. John Relay led off with a walk and Anthony Pietanza followed with a lined single to center, Spotswood's first hit off sophomore left-hander Kevin Kraemer (4-0). Kraemer struck out the next two batters before walking Pace on four pitches to load the bases. His second errant pickoff attempt of the game allowed Relay and Pietanza to score.

The Chargers loaded the bases again off Kraemer in the fifth, this time with one away, on an error, a walk and Relay's single to left. A pop up and a strikeout ended the threat and the game.

"We had a fantastic season there in the second half," said Fredricks, whose team played a brutal regular-season schedule. "A couple of bounces along the way and our record would be much better. But I will settle for 14-13 and a sectional championship every year.

"When we challenge our kids every single game, our kids know they are going to get better playing the better players in the state. We are going to lose a couple of seniors, but pretty much the nucleus of this team is going to come back for two more years, so we do have a lot to look forward to."

Pace sparks Spotswood to CJ title

BY JIMMY ALLINDER Correspondent
Funny how a season can dramatically change after the outcomes of just a few games. A week ago, Spotswood High School was staring at the possibility of finishing its second consecutive season under .500 after not suffering a losing campaign since 1993.

But on Tuesday, June 1, the Chargers faced Audubon High School with the right to play the winner of West Essex and Ramsey for the State Group II championship.

Championship, you say? Wasn’t this the same Spotswood that was 10-12 before the tournament began and rightfully seeded 11th?

Yes, but with an important qualifier. Records don’t necessary reveal the true quality of team. That’s what Spotswood coach Glenn Fredricks believes.

“We were seeded low because of our record,” he said, “but you can’t look at records to predict who should be favored to win the sectional. We scheduled many quality teams in the area, and even though we lost some, many were close and could have gone either way.”

Wary that his team might get down on itself entering the tournament, Fredricks had one question for his players.

“Do you want to be a team that breezes through the schedule playing easier opponents and then exit early in the tournament, or do you want to make a run at the title?” Fredricks asked. “I think the answer is obvious.”

Adding to the team’s obvious satisfaction of having turned around this season has been the opportunity to win with shortstoppitcher Cody Pace, a multi-talented athlete whom Fredrick’s considers to be among the premier players in the state. While Pace entered the season as the team’s primary closer, the decision was made to make the senior a starter, and the results have been decisive. Pace leads the team with a 5-2 record and 2.91 earned-run average. His performance in Spotswood’s 7-5 Central Jersey Group II championship win over Governor Livingston High School last Friday was nothing short of spectacular.

In addition to enabling an overworked pitching staff to rest its arms by hurling a complete game, Pace launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning to provide the margin of victory. His average on the season is .554 and includes 36 hits, 33 runs, 24 RBIs and five homers, all tops on the team.

His value, however, goes far beyond statistics. Fredricks, whose tenure at Spotswood comes after a stint with Immaculata of Somerville, says this about Pace:

“He’s right at the top of the players I’ve coached,” he said. “And that includes some pretty good ones, like Chris Affinito [Major League draft choice], Mike Cust [brother of Major Leaguer Jack Cust and MLB draft choice] and Willie Beard [currently at Rutgers].”

Still, Spotswood isn’t a one-player team. Outfielder Mikey Liming has contributed with a .417 average while catcher Shawn Weeks has managed the young pitching staff well and has hit .342. Senior outfielder Joe Cappa has a hefty .375 average while second baseman Matt Mangarella has hit .354. John Relay, another senior outfielder, is batting .315 while senior first baseman and designated hitter Anthony Pietanza has stroked the ball for a .307 average.

The young arms on the pitching staff will benefit from seeing action this year, since most will return next season. Anthony Berg is a sophomore who owns a 3-1 record against quality teams. While his record isn’t outstanding, freshman Kevin Martin (3-3) demonstrated poise and will be better for the experience. Finally, sophomore Chris Stout was a regular who recorded two wins and will be a third important starter for Spotswood next year.

Who: Spotswood (14-12) vs. Audubon (20-5). When/where: 4 p.m. today at Rutgers University.

How they got here: Spotswood beat Cinnaminson 9-7, Rumson-Fair Haven 14-13, Manasquan 9-8 and Governor Livingston 7-5. Audubon beat Woodrow Wilson 15-1, West Deptford 10-3, Haddon Township 4-2 and Buena 4-2.

About Audubon: The Green Wave defeated Buena 4-3 for the South Group II championship, the school's first sectional title since 2002 and its 14th overall. Audubon's Tyler Urban, who played in a 2008 sectional final loss to Buena, highlighted a three-run first inning rally with a two-run single. Brian Flacco had an RBI single in the next inning which proved to be the winning hit. Flacco is the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe. His other brother, John, a senior at Audubon who will play football next fall at Stanford University, went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the sectional final. Audubon opened the year 0-3, losing two games at a tournament in Baltimore. The team lost to Haddonfield opening day. It avenged a loss to Haddon Township in the sectional final. Audubon has won 15 of its last 17 including a 12-game winning streak. Kevin Kraemer, a sophomore left-hander, is today's scheduled starter. He throws a fastball, curve and isn't afraid to pitch to contact. John Flacco and Ray Gies, who will play at Gloucester County College, are among the club's top hitters, along with Brian Flacco, Urban and Joe Furlong. Audubon is solid defensively and has balance throughout the order.

About Spotswood: A brutal schedule prepared the battle-tested Chargers for the postseason. Spotswood beat North 2 Group IV finalist Edison and defeated defending Group III champion J.F. Kennedy. Spotswood took its lumps against perennial state powers Immaculata, Hunterdon Central and two-time Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament finalist North Brunswick, getting outscored 40-14 in those games combined. Spotswood features one of the state's best players in senior shortstop Cody Pace (.554, 26 RBIs, 6 HRs). Twenty of Pace's 37 hits have gone for extra bases. Pace hit a pivotal two-run, two-out, opposite-field homer to left-center in the sixth inning of Friday's sectional final. Senior first baseman Mike Liming hit his first homer of the year — a three-run blast in the first — and designated hitter Anthony Pietanza clubbed a two-run shot later in the inning to give the Chargers a 5-0 lead en route to their first sectional title since 2007. Pace went the distance on the mound for the win. A converted reliever, Pace (5-2) has won three of Spotswood's four state tournament games. He is scheduled to start today. The emergence of the bottom third of the batting order (Anthony Pietanza, Dean Vitale and Ron Santana) has enabled Spotswood to extend two-out rallies, a key factor in two comeback state tournament wins. Mike Liming (.417), Matt Mangarella (.354) and Pietanza (.307) are the team's other top hitters.