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South Jersey Mean 15 baseball rankings for second week of May

anthony v. coppola
·7 min read
Delsea's Frankie Cairone delivers a pitch during the Diamond Classic quarterfinal baseball game between Delsea and Washington Township played at Delsea High School on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Delsea defeated Washington Township, 6-5.
Delsea's Frankie Cairone delivers a pitch during the Diamond Classic quarterfinal baseball game between Delsea and Washington Township played at Delsea High School on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Delsea defeated Washington Township, 6-5.

Anyone expecting stability in the Courier-Post Mean 15 will be disappointed as this week’s rankings proved volatile once again – unless, of course, you’re Gloucester Catholic.

The Rams keep their stronghold on the No. 1 spot with a 19-0 record heading into a big weekend for the 50th Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic’s final four, which includes Gloucester Catholic, Cherry Hill West, Delsea and Northern Burlington (more on them later).

Two new programs enter the mix this week, meaning a pair of squads saw their stay in the rankings come to an end – at least for now. Here’s a look at this week’s Mean 15 (through May 9).

More: Top performers from South Jersey baseball from first week of May

Mean 15 rankings

  1. Gloucester Catholic (19-0) – The Rams survived a close call, rallying for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning May 7 to edge Rancocas Valley, 6-5, in the Diamond Classic quarterfinals. Senior Tate DeRias had three hits and a pair of RBIs in the victory, while sophomore Guy Lynam knocked in the game-winning run. Gloucester Catholic was scheduled to meet Cherry Hill West in the semifinals on May 11.

  2. Cherry Hill West (19-3) – Offense is keying an impressive stretch for the Lions, who scored 26 runs in Diamond Classic wins against Paul VI and Lenape before picking up a nice victory over Moorestown as well. That set up a marquee showdown with No. 1 Gloucester Catholic for May 11 where Cherry Hill West will look to hand the Rams their first loss of the season. The Lions have four players with 20-plus RBIs, led by Jon Young Jr.’s impressive 39.

  3. Kingsway (15-4) – The Dragons are 5-4 dating back to April 26 and saw their Diamond Classic run come to an end May 8 in a 10-3 quarterfinal loss to Northern Burlington. Senior catcher Tommy Popoff had a pair of RBIs in that game, adding to his team-high 26. Kingsway rebounded with an 11-1 win over Washington Township on May 9, when pitcher Josh Herner went 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

  4. Delsea (19-1) – Wins against Audubon and Washington Township push Delsea into the semifinals of the Diamond Classic where the team is likely to see its toughest matchup to date with Northern Burlington. The Crusaders erased a 4-0 deficit against Washington Township with help from a 3-run home run by Tyler Schoppe. Senior George Starr notched a win in relief, allowing just one hit over three innings.

  5. Mainland (13-4) – A jump in the rankings for Mainland following a two-game sweep of St. Augustine this week. The Mustangs earned a 4-2 road win over the Hermits on May 6 then blanked St. Augustine, 2-0, the following day. Jake Lodgek and Brady Blum combined for the shutout. Lodgek allowed just one hit over five innings, while Blum struck out three in two innings of relief without allowing a baserunner.

  6. St. Augustine (12-5) – A week that started so promising with a 1-0, walk-off win over Bishop Eustace ended in frustration for the Hermits after back-to-back losses to Mainland. The setbacks mean St. Augustine can only, at best, claim a share of the Cape-Atlantic League American Conference crown. Hermits pitcher Jake Podgorski went seven innings against Bishop Eustace with seven strikeouts. Sophomore DJ Lloyd provided the game-winning RBI.

  7. Rancocas Valley (13-6) – All in all it was a good week for the Red Devils, who picked up quality victories over Paul VI, Eastern (Diamond Classic) and Lenape before pushing Gloucester Catholic to the brink in that aforementioned 6-5 loss. A 3-2 defeat at the hands of Cherry Hill East on May 9 followed in a game RV surely would like to have back. The Red Devils have a daunting schedule ahead with the likes of St. Augustine, Bishop Eustace, Eastern and Cherokee.

  8. Eastern (17-5) – A slide in the rankings for Eastern, which has lost three of four, albeit all to teams in the Mean 15. The Vikings’ lone win in that span came in a 6-0 triumph over Shawnee on May 7. Sam Winsett doubled and drove in two runs in that contest, while freshman hurler Will Martin tossed a complete game with five strikeouts. Winsett owns a team-high 32 hits, with 12 going for extra bases.

  9. Bishop Eustace (14-5) – Two big tests faced Bishop Eustace this week and the team managed a split, topping Cherokee 7-1 before dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker to St. Augustine. Junior Jack Torrence tossed a great game in defeat, going 6 2/3 innings and striking out eight while allowing just three hits. Senior Landon Mack had two of his team’s four hits, including a double.

  10. Cherokee (11-8) – A tough stretch this week for the Chiefs, who dropped three of five games. Cherokee did manage a big 3-2 win over Eastern on May 6 to salvage an otherwise challenging run of games. Junior Nathan Linden played the hero in that victory with a walk-off, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brody Minder went the distance for the Chiefs, striking out seven without a walk across seven innings.

  11. Ocean City (12-6) – The Red Raiders handled Pennsville, 12-3, on May 4 before battling Egg Harbor Township to a split in CAL American play. Ocean City’s 5-0 victory over the Eagles came at home on May 7 in a game that saw pitcher Travis Large toss a complete game, two-hitter with six strikeouts. Junior Ryan Baldwin came through with three RBIs in the win.

  12. Lenape (9-7) – The Indians went 4-2 this week, picking up some big wins in the process over the likes of Moorestown, Cherokee and Eastern. Cherry Hill West ended Lenape’s Diamond Classic hopes in the quarterfinals, 14-9. Senior Andrew Shank has paced the Indians’ offense with team highs in hits (24), RBIs (21), batting average (.393) and two home runs.

  13. Audubon (14-6) – The Green Wave couldn’t slow down No. 4 Delsea in an 8-2 loss in the second round of the Diamond Classic on May 4. Audubon quickly got back on track with straight wins against Colonial Conference competition, racking up 39 runs in the process. Junior Tyler Wiltsey is on a heater for the Green Wave and now leads the team with 28 runs, 25 hits and 20 RBIs. His .417 average is second only to junior Trent Bantle, who is hitting .429.

  14. Northern Burlington (11-6) – The Greyhounds, in the midst of an impressive Diamond Classic run that includes a 10-3 win over No. 3 Kingsway, check into the Mean 15 for the first time this season. Northern Burlington gets No. 4 Delsea next with a spot in the final on the line. Junior Luca Mannino is putting together a nice season for the Greyhounds with a 2.85 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 27 innings. Mannino also has four hits and five RBIs in the last two games and is hitting .340 this season.

  15. Shawnee (10-8) – The Renegades rebounded from a 6-0 loss to Eastern with a dominant performance against Winslow and quality 6-2 victory over Burlington Township. Ried Uccello and Kayden Maybury each had a pair of RBIs for Shawnee in that win. Senior Kyle Batt struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings of work to earn the victory.

Knocking on the door: Egg Harbor Township (14-7); Collingswood (11-6); Pennsville (12-7); Pitman (13-5); Haddon Heights (13-5); Holy Cross (14-4); Gloucester (15-6); Cinnaminson (12-6); Burlington Township (9-5); Cedar Creek (15-6); Moorestown (9-8); Hammonton (16-4).

Anthony V. Coppola is a freelance reporter for the Courier-Post. He can be reached by email at cpvarsity@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey Mean 15 baseball rankings for May 10