Re-ranking the Top 20 softball teams in the Shore after the first month of the season
Coming into the spring, it seemed crystal clear which teams would be the top contenders in the Shore - with two reigning state champions and the conference tournament champion all returning the bulk of their rosters.
Fast forward to the current moment one month later, and two of those teams in the preseason top five are no longer in the top 15. As the age-old adage goes; that's why they play the games.
There's still chalk at the top as two of those aforementioned reigning champions remain as serious contenders, although with a less firm grasp on the top spots. And perhaps the most surprising development has been the emergence of depth in the B South and B North divisions, naturally thought to be less competitive than their "A" counterparts.
Below are the top 20 teams along with a brief summary of how each team reached their respective ranking.
VOTE: Shore Softball Player of the Week No. 3, sponsored by Larson Ford
1. St. John Vianney
Preseason rank: 1
Record: 13-1
There's a fascinating comparison of resumes between SJV and Red Bank Catholic. The Caseys' lone loss came against Morris Catholic, a team that the Lancers beat in the season opener. SJV's lone loss came against Immaculate Heart, which RBC beat in the opening weekend. The Lancers get the edge on the top spot as the reigning Non-Public A state champion, but RBC has played a slightly tougher schedule in the A Central Division.
2. Red Bank Catholic
Preseason rank: 4
Record: 16-1
The Caseys own the best winning percentage in the Shore and have exceeded the already high expectations through the first month of the season. They've played in a tough division and dominated those games, with two divisional wins coming by at least four runs and the remainder being by 10 runs or more. They've challenged themselves in the Non-Conference with wins over aforementioned IHA and Livingston, and will continue to do so against Mount St. Dominic and Steinert. RBC is ready to contend in the postseason.
3. Donovan Catholic
Preseason rank: 3
Record: 9-3
The Griffins are in a peculiar position compared to past years. They're still undefeated against other Shore teams, but the three losses are more than Donovan has had in any season since 2016. Those losses all came against tough foes in St. Anthony's (NY), Mount St. Dominic and Immaculate Heart, but it's fair to say the Griffens aren't quite the same powerhouse of years' past. And division rival Point Pleasant Borough is itching for the rematch on May 6 after losing the first game 5-0.
4. Middletown North
Preseason rank: 7
Record: 11-3
The Lions have so far emerged as the top public team in the Shore, though there's still plenty of competition for that spot. Two of the three losses came in 1-0 results (the other was a 2-0 loss to Cedar Grove), and Midd North avenged one of those losses on Monday by beating Colts Neck 2-1 to seize control of the A North Division lead. They continue to grind out wins with clutch offense and the steady pitching of Madi Boyce, who has already amassed 184 strikeouts.
5. Point Pleasant Borough
Preseason rank: 11
Record: 11-1
Point Pleasant Boro's lone loss came in a competitive 5-0 defeat against division rival Donovan, but the Panthers have been remarkable outside of that lone blemish. The offensive output of Cassidy Supplee in addition to Ashley and Dakota Palmieri has been a boon to this team. They'll be the favorites in the Ocean County final against Toms River East.
6. Central Regional
Preseason rank: 12
Record: 12-2
Since being upset in the Ocean County Tournament by Toms River East, the Golden Eagles have responded emphatically with nine consecutive wins and have emerged as one of the best teams in the Shore this spring. Central has tremendous talent across the roster, but senior pitcher BethAnne Doderer has emerged as a serious candidate for the conference's Player of the Year.
7. Colts Neck
Preseason rank: 6
Record: 8-6
Trying to parse out the differences within this tier of teams is very difficult, and Colts Neck is a textbook example. The Cougars have played a very difficult schedule by design, and five of their six are by just one run. This is a team that is primed for a postseason run and no doubt is among the best in the Shore, but it's difficult to nail down where it belongs in these rankings.
More: Why Colts Neck softball's unforgiving schedule has 'no easy teams, no easy wins'
8. Raritan
Preseason rank: 13
Record: 9-5
All of Raritan's five losses came against teams in the top 20, and they've thrived in one of the most difficult divisions in the Shore. The 12-2 loss to Freehold Township was a particularly rough setback, but the Rockets are on track to finish second in A Central behind RBC.
9. Toms River East
Preseason rank: 16
Record: 10-3
The 2-1 win over Southern cemented the Raiders' spot in the top ten. Despite two blowout losses to Central that count towards the division standings, the Raiders got the big win over the Eagles in the Ocean County Tournament and will play in the final against Point Boro. The offense, led by star seniors like Peyton Gallagher, has been a revelation this season.
10. Manasquan
Preseason rank: 8
Record: 8-6
It might be fraught to have Manasquan this high, but they've done something no other public team has done: they've hung closely with RBC (lost 2-0) and SJV (lost 3-0). The Warriors actually have no bad losses as each of the six defeats came against teams in the top 20. They've gotten solid wins against quality divisional foes Matawan and Freehold Boro. Like Colts Neck, this is a team that didn't shy away from a difficult schedule.
11. Southern
Preseason rank: 10
Record: 9-4
The Rams have hit a rough patch since starting the season undefeated, losing four of their last five. But that cold stretch shouldn't detract from an impressive overall resume highlighted by wins over Central and Marlboro. Southern is clearly capable of correcting course to finish the season strong.
12. Matawan
Preseason rank: 18
Record: 9-3
With the benefit of hindsight, Manasquan deserves a lot of credit for their dominant 9-2 win over Matawan earlier this month. The Huskies other two losses came against Allentown and SJV, and they boast quality wins over Wall, Freehold Boro (twice) and Marlboro.
13. Wall
Preseason rank: 9
Record: 9-5
The Crimson Knights always passed the eye-test for a quality team, and their recent four-game win streak has been a testament to that quality. Four of the five losses came by at least four runs, but this team also got quality wins over Holmdel and a 9-2 win over Freehold Township in the Monmouth County Tournament. The Knights are hitting their stride heading into the postseason.
14. Holmdel
Preseason rank: unranked
Record: 8-6
Holmdel has stayed resilient in a gauntlet of a division, and are deservedly in the top 15. The Hornets are difficult to assess because of the impressive wins over Raritan and Manasquan contrasted with some maddening losses. This is a wild card of a team, but they have a solid offensive foundation led by Rachel Quirk and Emma Vanario.
15. Barnegat
Preseason rank: unranked
Record: 10-3
It feels unlikely that Barnegat would prevail against some of the teams ranked below them here, but the Bengals have been an awesome revelation and have earned this spot to round out the top 15. None of the three losses are bad and this team is riding a seven-game win streak, although that may come with back-to-back games against Donovan Catholic.
16. Freehold Borough
Preseason rank: unranked
Record: 8-5
Freehold Boro narrowly edges out crosstown rival Freehold Township because of the early season head-to-head victory, but the overall inconsistency makes this team difficult to assess. The recent loss to Manalapan dealt a blow to the ranking here.
17. Freehold Township
Preseason rank: 15
Record: 7-7
The Patriots have shown they are capable of winning on any given day, but they are equally capable of faltering on any given day. The wins over Colts Neck, Raritan and Manasquan are very impressive, but the losses to Howell (twice) and Midd South are difficult to understand. This team is gritty and capable of making a postseason run, but the possibility of them being upset always looms.
18. Jackson Memorial
Preseason rank: 5
Record: 8-7
It's difficult to understand why Jackson Memorial has not been able to replicate last year's success. They returned most of the key contributors and the statistical numbers have been comparable, but it hasn't translated to wins against the best teams. And the Jaguars still nearly knocked off a team some consider the best in the state, falling 9-8 to Notre Dame on the road.
19. Marlboro
Preseason rank: 3
Record: 7-7
The reigning Group 4 state champion just recently got back last year's star pitcher Emily Gaudio from injury and the Mustangs are still alive in the Monmouth County Tournament. But there's no denying that there have been some bumps along the way. If they can get hot to start May, this team will once again be capable of making postseason run.
20. Shore Regional
Preseason rank: unranked
Record: 7-6
What the Blue Devils have accomplished this season really needs to be acknowledged. As a Group 1 program competing in a loaded division, they've stayed above .500 and just got their most impressive win by toppling Holmdel. This team will be will prepared for the Group 1 section postseason because of the difficulty of this schedule.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore softball Top 20 team rankings
