Are you ready for playoff softball? Here's what you need to know:
Ready to catch some playoff fever?
The state tournament gets into full swing on Tuesday.
The sectional title games will be played on June 2 (Non-Public) and June 3 (Public). The state finals will be played at Kean University with Non-Public on June 9 and Public on June 10.
Here’s a preview:
South Jersey Group 4
Bracket: (16) Williamstown at (1) Egg Harbor Township; (9) Central at (8) Gloucester County Tech; (13) Eastern at (4) Cherokee; (12) Toms River North at (5) Southern; (14) Millville at (3) Kingsway; (11) Washington Township at (6) Vineland; (10) Toms River East at (7) Rancocas Valley; (15) Pennsauken at (2) Lenape.
Defending champ: Egg Harbor Township.
Favorite: Egg Harbor Township. The top-ranked team in South Jersey has the talent and experience to defend its sectional crown. The Eagles (21-1) are the top seed in a talented field. Few teams possess the extra-base power that EHT has. The slugging squad has produced 62 extra-base hits, including a whopping 23 homers with a team-best from sophomore Sofia Spatocco.
Sleeper pick: Cherokee. The fourth seed was one of the hotter teams in the region down the stretch of the regular season with 11 wins in its final 12 games. Senior southpaw Sammie Friel can be a difference-maker in the tournament.
Best first-round matchup: Washington Township at Vineland. Keep an eye on the Fighting Clan, who coul be another sleeper pick. Vineland is 13-11, but has played a tough schedule and two of its losses were to EHT by a combined three runs.
Title prediction: Egg Harbor Township over Lenape
South Jersey Group 3
Bracket: (16) Highland at (1) Ocean City; (9) Pinelands at (8) Toms River South; (13) Lacey at (4) Triton; (12) Absegami at (5) Shawnee; (14) Clearview at (3) Delsea; (11) Deptford at (6) Cherry Hill West; (10) Mainland at (7) Hammonton; (15) Timber Creek at (2) Moorestown.
Defending champ: Burlington Township
Favorite: Ocean City. The Raiders earned the top seed with one of its best records in program history at 18-8. The team collected 13 wins in its final 15 games to close out the regular season. However, second-seeded Moorestown shouldn’t be overlooked either. The Quakers have clinched at least a share of the Olympic Conference National Division title – the program’s first-ever banner.
Sleeper pick: Shawnee. Don’t be fooled by the Renegades’ 12-9 record, the team is battle-tested over a tough schedule that included one-run losses to Lenape, Moorestown, Cinnaminson and Eastern. Eight of the setbacks were by three-or-fewer runs. A potential showdown with Triton could be one of the better quarterfinal matchups in the second round.
Best first-round matchup: Mainland at Hammonton. The Mustangs swept the season series over the Blue Devils by 4-3 and 5-1 scores. Hammonton is a perennial power in this section. The Blue Devils are anxious to erase the disappointment of a losing record in the regular season with a long run in the playoffs.
Title prediction: Moorestown over Shawnee.
South Jersey Group 2
Bracket: (16) Camden at (1) Haddon Heights; (9) Oakcrest at (8) Barnegat; (13) Lower Cape May at (4) West Deptford; (12) Overbrook at (5) Sterling; (14) Medford Tech at (3) Gloucester; (11) Cedar Creek at (6) Middle Township; (10) Manchester Twp. at (7) Collingswood; (15) Haddonfield at (2) Cinnaminson.
Defending champ: Haddon Heights.
Favorite: Haddon Heights. The Garnets put together one of the most dominating performances in Garden State postseason history last spring when they rattled off nine straight wins, outscoring the competition 41-3, en route a South Jersey, state and Tournament of Champions titles. What will Heights do for an encore? It should be entertaining to see.
Sleeper pick: Cinnaminson. The Pirates have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the region, rattling off an 18-4 record, including a 16-1 mark over their final 17 games of the regular season. Is there a team that can knock off mighty Haddon Heights. The Buccos could be that team. Also, keep an eye on the other Colonial Conference teams: Gloucester, which has really heated up over the last few weeks, and West Deptford, which split the season series with Haddon Heights, and red-hot Sterling, which has won 11 of its last 13 including the team title at last week’s Viking Invitational.
Best first-round matchup: Cedar Creek at Middle Township. Two Cape-Atlantic League foes will meet for the first time this season. The Pirates, who played in the sectional final last spring, have scuffled to an 8-12 record this season, but still possesses plenty of firepower to clear the deck. Middle Township owns a 12-10 mark, including a 6-1 stretch to close out the regular season.
Title prediction: Haddon Heights over Cinnaminson.
South Jersey Group 1
Bracket: (9) Paulsboro at (8) Schalick, winner at (1); (13) Palmyra at (4) Haddon Township; (12) Salem at (5) Maple Shade; (14) Cape May Tech at (3) Woodstown; (11) Gateway at (6) Pennsville; (10) Pitman at (7) Buena; (15) Glassboro at (2) Audubon.
Defending champ: Clayton
Favorite: Clayton. The Clippers have won two straight state championship and have their sights on a third. The club won a South Jersey-best 23 times this spring, including 22 in a row.
Sleeper pick: Audubon. Will this finally be the year for the Green Wave? The program has never hoisted a sectional title in its history. Audubon fell to Clayton in last year’s sectional final. Third-seeded Woodstown will be a tough out as well.
Best first-round matchup: Paulsboro at Schalick. Big Red (12-5) has put together one of their best seasons in recent memory and had an eight-game winning streak snapped in the regular-season finale against Haddon Township. Freshman Justine Chila leads the team with 25 hits and 29 runs scored. The Cougars are 11-10. The team had a five-game winning streak before it dropped its regular-season finale against Gloucester Catholic.
Title prediction: Clayton over Audubon.
South Jersey Non-Public A
Bracket: (9) Our Lady of Mercy at (8) Union Catholic, winner at (1) Donovan Catholic; (12) Trinity Hall at (5) Red Bank Catholic, winner at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas; (11) Camden Catholic at (6) Paul VI, winner at (3) St. John Vianney; (10) Mount St. Mary at (7) Immaculata, winner at (2) Notre Dame.
Defending champ: Donovan Catholic
Top local: Paul VI will take a 19-3 record into the postseason. The Eagles are one of the top teams in South Jersey, but can they hang with the likes St. John Vianney, Notre Dame and Donovan Catholic? If so, the Eagles will accomplish the feat with a high-powered offense that includes junior Lisey St. Jean, who his hitting .726 with 53 hits and 43 runs scored.
Title prediction: Donovan Catholic over St. John Vianney.
South Jersey Non-Public B
Bracket: (9) Rutgers Prep at (8) St. Rose, winner at (1) St. Joseph-Hammonton; (5) Doane Academy at (4) Holy Spirit; (11) Wildwood Catholic at (6) Holy Cross, winner at (3) Gloucester Catholic; (10) Timothy Christian at (7) Calvary Christian, winner at (2) Wardlaw-Hartridge.
Defending champ: St Joseph
Top local: St. Joseph. The Wildcats are 17-6 with three of the losses to Egg Harbor Township. St. Joseph possesses the ability to beat any team in the field thanks to ace pitcher Ava Fisher, who has rung up 199 strikeouts in 127 innings.
Title prediction: St. Joseph over Gloucester Catholic.
Central Jersey Group 4
Bracket: (16) Princeton at (1) Jackson; (9) Sayreville at (8) Howell; (13) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (4) Northern Burlington; (12) Hamilton West at (5) Freehold Township; (14) Manalapan at (3) Marlboro; (11) South Brunswick at (6) Hightstown; (10) Old Bridge at (7) North Brunswick; (15) Monroe at (2) East Brunswick.
Defending champion: Freehold Township
Central Jersey Group 3
Bracket: (16) Middletown South at (1) Colts Neck; (9) Lawrence at (8) Ewing; (13) Freehold Boro at (4) Steinert; (12) Red Bank at (5) Allentown; (14) Ocean Township at (3) Middletown South; (11) Brick Memorial at (6) Matawan; (10) Westampton Tech at (7) Burlington Township; (15) JFK-Iselin at (2) Robbinsville.
Defending champion: Steinert
Central Jersey Group 2
Bracket: (16) Holmdel at (1) Metuchen; (9) Bordentown at (8) East Brunswick; (13) Monmouth at (4) Gov. Livingston; (12) Delaware Valley at (5) Johnson; (14) South River at (3) Spotswood; (11) Wall at (6) Raritan; (10) Point Pleasant Boro at (7) Manasquan; (15) Bound Brook at (2) Delran.
Defending champion: Bordentown
Central Jersey Group 1
Bracket: (9) Shore at (8) Point Pleasant Beach, winner at (1) Middlesex; (13) Burlington City at (4) Florence; (12) Manville at (5) South Amboy; (14) Dunnellen at (3) New Egypt; (11) Perth Amboy at (6) Highland Park; (10) Riverside at (7) Henry Hudson; (15) Dunellen at (2) Keansburg.
Defending champion: New Egypt
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Which teams made our latest Mean 15 rankings for South Jersey softball?
