2019 High School Baseball Preview

Championship contenders in Group 2

By NJ Advance Media baseball staff | Posted March 22, 2019 at 10:09 AM | Updated March 22, 2019 at 10:42 AM

 

THE BIG PICTURE: With the exception of North Jersey, Non-Public A, this is the most competitive group in New Jersey. There is a long and distinguished list of contenders and it starts with defending Group 2 champion Pascack Hills. With lefty ace Ryan Ramsey leading the way, the Cowboys are going to be difficult to beat. Gov. Livingston needs to develop some pitching depth, but the Highlanders can rake with the best. Rutherford has pitching depth and South Plainfield is one of the best small ball-playing teams in the state with a big-time ace in righty Chris Shine. Out of the South, West Deptford is always a force to be reckoned with.
 

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

 

1-Pascack Hills

• 2018 record: 30-2
• 2018 postseason: 1st Bergen County Tournament; 1st North 1, Group 2; 1st Group 2.
• Key returners: Ryan Ramsey, P-OF, Sr.; Brandon Siegenthaler, P-Utility, Sr.; Jason Schulman, P-3B, Jr.; Chris Curcio, INF-P, Sr.; Marc Hernandez, C, Sr.; Mike Rodriguez, 3B-P, Sr.
• Overview: The defending Group 2 champions are going to be tough to beat. Lefty Ryan Ramsey, NJ.com's 2018 Pitcher of the Year, is as good a No. 1-starter as there is in New Jersey. What the Cowboys need to find is a reliable No. 2 and No. 3 - Siegenthaler, Rodriguez and Schulman are candidates for those roles. All three saw minimal pitching action last spring. Pascack Hills returns plenty of offense, too. Curcio, Hernandez, Ramsey, Rodriguez and Siegenthaler all had 19 or more RBI. The road to the Group 2 title runs though Montvale. Pascack Hills has big games scheduled against Bergen Catholic (April 13) and Don Bosco Prep (April 23).

Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

 

2-Gov. Livingston

• 2018 record: 22-4-1
• 2018 postseason: 1st Union County Tournament; Lost in Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
• Key returners: Drew Compton, 3B, Sr.; Stephen Reid, OF, Sr.; Andy Serretti, INF, Sr.; John Grill, P, Sr.; Chris Bruno, C, Sr.; Ryan Davey, P-INF, Sr.
• Overview: The Highlanders will have two of the state's finest hitters - Georgia Tech recruits Reid and Compton - back in the middle of the lineup. However, there are more questions surrounding Gov. Livingston in 2019 than answers. First, will Compton and Reid ever see good pitches to hit? Hit hard by graduation, there aren't many proven bats around them. Second, how well will Gov. Livingston pitch? Ryan Davey and John Grill - each with less than 20 innings of work last year - appear to be the top pitchers for the Highlanders. As has been the case the past few seasons, never count Gov. Livingston out.

Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

 

3-Rutherford

• 2018 record: 20-7-1
• 2018 postseason: Lost in second round of Bergen County Tournament; Lost in North 2, Group 2 final.
• Key returners: Abellany Mendez, INF-P, Sr.; Jay Tobin, Utility, Sr.; Regan Landrigan, P-OF, Sr.; Breylin Jones, P-INF, Sr.; Jacob Gomez, P-1B, Jr.; CJ Francisco, P-INF, Jr.
• Overview: After winning 12 of their final 14 games last spring, the Bulldogs are a team worth watching. Rutherford returns two quality starters in Gomez and Jones. On the offensive side, Jones is coming off a 39-hit, 29-RBI season, Landrigan had 20 RBI, while Francisco and Tobin knocked in 14 apiece. Football star Abellany Mendez had 35 hits a year ago. Rutherford had 262 hits last spring and could have more in 2019. Big games on the Rutherford schedule include Middlesex (April 25) and Pascack Hills (April 27).

 

Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media

 

4-South Plainfield

• 2018 record: 20-10
• 2018 postseason: 1st in Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament; Lost in Central Jersey Group 2 quarterfinals.
• Key returners: Chris Born, OF, Sr.; Brody Donovan, C-1B, Jr.; Rob Gonzalez, P-Utility, Sr.; Jordan Hamberg, OF-P, Jr.; Jose Hernandez, P-INF, Sr., Michael Marrero, 3B, Sr.; Chris Shine, P, Sr.
• Outlook: South Plainfield is renowned for its fundamentals. The Tigers throw strikes, play solid defense, execute a small-ball attack with the best of them and do pretty much whatever it takes to win. At one point last spring, South Plainfield won 10 straight games. Among those 10 victories were three-straight shutouts. Two of South Plainfield's best arms return in Shine and Hernandez. Hernandez struck out 14 hitters in one game. Shine, a Seton Hall commit, whiffed 64 in 52 innings. Marrero and Stanczak, who combined for 41 hits last season, pace the offense. Noteworthy games on the South Plainfield schedule include: Millburn (April 13), Middlesex (April 26) and North Hunterdon (May 6). South Plainfield is also readied for the postseason by a strong divisional schedule.

Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

 

5-West Deptford

• 2018 record: 18-8
• 2018 postseason: Lost in Diamond Classic quarterfinals; Lost in South Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
• Key returners: Gabe Finocchi, P-OF, Sr.; Colby Garrison, INF, Jr.; RJ Mason, OF, Jr.; Jack Murphy, P-1B, Sr.; Ben Smith, OF, Sr.; Joe Esposito, P-INF, Jr.; Dylan Wakeley, P-1B, Sr.
• Overview: Though 2018 ended with three losses in its final four games, West Deptford has to be thinking big as 2019 begins because of the pitching it returns. Finocchi (37 innings), Murphy (36 innings) and Wakeley (49 innings) are proven commodities on the bump. All three averaged more than a strikeout per inning. Offensively, Garrison led West Deptford with 29 RBI a year ago. Mason had 29 hits and scored 20 runs, and Smith had 14 RBI on 13 hits. West Deptford made 55 errors last spring and will need to be better with the gloves to get through an always competitive South Jersey Group 2 tournament.

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