Florence’s Muchowski Off to a Sizzling Start
It has only been four games, but what a start this baseball season for Florence senior first baseman Chase Muchowski.
The only senior starting position player for a young but scrappy Florence team, Muchowski has been tearing the cover off the ball.
In those four games he is batting .625 (10 for 16) according to NJ.com statistics. He’ll enter the week with six doubles, one home run and four RBI.
Muchowski set the tone in Florence’s 19-6 opening win over Holy Cross Prep by going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI.
That was a cold, windy day at Holy Cross, and the weather wasn’t really conducive for hitting, but it didn’t bother Muchowski or his teammates.
That was an important win because it set the tone for potential improvement for this young Florence team.
A year ago, the Flashes went 5-13, but on the positive side all five wins were in the Burlington County League Patriot Division.
Florence went 5-3 in the Patriot and shared the division title with Maple Shade. Looking back, Florence had lost the first game to Maple Shade, 14-4, but won the second 5-0. (Muchowski was 1-for-4 with a run scored in that second game.)
This year the Patriot has an entirely new look and while Florence could possibly contend, it will likely need better than a 5-3 division record to earn the title.
That’s because Bordentown has gotten off to a torrid start. The Scotties beat each of the other Patriot Division teams during the first time around with a 4-0 division record. Those wins were over Pennsauken, Florence, Maple Shade and New Egypt.
Florence lost a 5-2 decision this year to Bordentown, but Muchowski couldn’t be slowed down. He was 2-for-3 with two doubles in that game.
Muchowski had multiple hits in three of Florence’s first four games.
This should be really no surprise that Muchowski has been so successful in the early going at the plate. He entered this season with a career .377 average at Florence.
Even somebody as torrid as Muchowski can’t be counted on to hit .600 all season, but he has helped take the pressure off some of the younger players with his hot start.
While he is known for his bat, Muchowski will also help the Flashes on the mound. In his first and only pitching appearance (entering this week), he threw four no-hit innings of relief in a 7-1 loss to Burlington Township. Muchowski struck out six.
He is among the more interesting baseball prospects in South Jersey and has already made a commitment to the highly regarded program at Mercer County College.
Few players in South Jersey will have to carry such a big offensive load, especially since Florence has such youth, but in the early going, Muchowski has been among the top players in South Jersey.
Photo of Chase Muchowski / Marc Narducci
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Author: Marc Narducci
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