South Jersey Baseball Primer

by Marc Narducci | Mar 28, 2025

This is the opening week for the South Jersey high school baseball season and many of the usual powers will again contend for sectional and state titles. Here is a look at some of the key aspects of the season.

First games: Teams were allowed to begin after having six practices. The first practice was March 10, so technically, teams could have opened March 17, but the majority of teams are waiting at least until this week.

State tournament cutoff date: May 17.

Public School State Tournament
First Round: May 27 at the higher seed
Sectional quarterfinal: May 29 at the higher seed
Sectional semifinal: June 3 at the higher seed
Sectional final: June 5 at the higher seed

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- Seizing the Moment

After the spring season was canceled last year due to the pandemic, these standout student-athletes from South Jersey are hoping to make the most of their opportunities in 2021.

- Grateful for the Opportunity

The high school winter sports season looks a lot different than normal but these standout local athletes are just happy to be back in action.

State semifinals: June 9 at North 1 and Central
State finals: June 14 at Veterans Park, Hamilton

Non-Public School State Tournament
First Round: May 28 at the higher seed
Sectional quarterfinal: May 30 at the higher seed
Sectional semifinal: June 4 at the higher seed
Sectional final: June 6 at the higher seed
State finals: June 11 at Veterans Park, Hamilton

2024 Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic Championship
Cherry Hill West 3, Delsea 1

Defending South Jersey Champions
Group 1: Gloucester 5, Woodstown 4
Group 2: Seneca 6, Haddon Heights 4
Group 3: Delsea 4, Shawnee 1
Group 4: Eastern 4, Egg Harbor Township 2
Non-Public A: St. Augustine 12, Red Bank Catholic 2
Non-Public B: Gloucester Catholic 2, Bishop Eustace 1

Defending State champions
Group 1: Pompton Lakes 14, Point Pleasant Beach 4
Group 2: Gov. Livingston 3, Pascack Valley 0
Group 3: Morris Knolls 11, Delsea 3
Group 4: Bridgewater Raritan 6, Eastern 4
Non-Public A: St. Augustine 12, Delbarton 5
Non-Public B: Gloucester Catholic 10, St. Thomas Aquinas 0

Big story entering the season: The parity in South Jersey. Make no mistake, Gloucester Catholic, which finished No. 1 in the state last year according to NJ.com, will have another formidable team, but there seems to be many contenders for that top spot. Defending state champion St. Augustine, along with defending sectional champs Eastern and Delsea surely have experienced teams looking to contend. Beyond that, there are several other teams that could make a run for No. 1. What is good about South Jersey is that so many of the top teams compete each other. Plus, the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic invites 32 of the best South Jersey teams in a single elimination tournament, so there should be plenty of matchups before aspiring No. 1 ranked team.

Player to Watch: Delsea senior lefthander Frank Cairone is considered among the top pitchers in the state. Last year Cairone struck out 100 in 64 innings for the South Jersey Group 3 champs. He has committed to Coastal Carolina and it’s not out of the possibility that he could draw interest from Major League baseball teams. Whether he is drafted or not, plenty of scouts should be attending Delsea games.

Photo: St. Augustine after winning last year's NJSIAA Non-Public A state title / Marc Narducci

Author: Marc Narducci

South Jersey Baseball Primer

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