Up to the Challenge
Mainland’s baseball team serves this season as an example of the benefits of playing a difficult schedule. The Mustangs began this week just 9-8, but this looks like it could be a dangerous team in the postseason. Despite their record, the Mustangs entered the week fifth in the South Jersey Group 3 power points rankings.
The Mustangs are playing this season without junior infielder Jake Blum, a football standout, who is out for the season due to injury after batting .333.
That set the offense back, but the Mustangs are still averaging 5.8 runs per game. Leading the offense is senior outfielder Chase Camac, who entered the week hitting .467 with 17 runs and 17 RBI.
The season began by losing consecutive games to consensus South Jersey Top 5 team St. Augustine. Other teams the Mustangs have played who either spent time in the Top 15 in South Jersey or are still there include two games each with Ocean City and Hammonton and single games with Shawnee, Bishop Eustace and Northern Burlington.
At the end of last week, Mainland ended Northern Burlington’s unbeaten string by handing the Greyhounds their first loss of the season in a 4-2 victory during the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic. Northern Burlington entered the game with a 17-0 record.
What that win did was ensure that Mainland would meet more quality teams.
The Mustangs will now advance to the quarterfinals of the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, meeting Audubon this Saturday at Ocean City High School.
Audubon is a team playing its best baseball of the season and, despite being a Group 1 team, can compete with virtually any opponent in South Jersey. The Green Wave proved that by beating two Group 4 schools in its first two Diamond Classic games, Egg Harbor Township, 13-9 and Kingsway, 5-2.
So, this Diamond game will be a good test for both teams. Audubon is a major contender in South Jersey Group 1.
Mainland has the type of pitcher who can lead a staff in the postseason: senior Jake Lodgek, a Miami commit. Lodgek was the winning pitcher against Northern Burlington.
Lodgek limited the hard-hitting Greyhounds to four hits, while striking out nine in a complete game effort. That win lowered his ERA to 2.06.
A team needs more than one pitcher to win a sectional title, and Mainland has also received strong efforts from senior Luca Bruno (.262 ERA in 13 innings) and junior Will Hickman (3.27 ERA).
Mainland is guided by first-year head coach Joe Smith, who last year as head coach of Delsea, led the Crusaders to a South Jersey Group 3 title.
Smith knows how to take a team deep into the postseason.
So does Audubon coach Rich Horan, who has guided the Green Wave to six state titles. His team was helped this year by playing five teams during a South Carolina trip, going 4-1. Rutgers commit Ryan Wiltsey (.469) leads a potent Audubon offense.
Audubon began the week 13-3 so the record is better than Mainland’s, but the schedule hasn’t been quite as difficult. Either way, both have greatly benefited from playing difficult schedules during the first half of the high school baseball season.
Photo: Chase Camac of Mainland / Marc Narducci
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Author: Marc Narducci
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