A closer look at championship week in South Jersey baseball

It’s championship week for South Jersey baseball teams.

Here’s a closer look at the action:

(All games scheduled for Tuesday)

South Jersey Group 4

No. 16 seed Egg Harbor Twp. (13-11) at No. 5 Cherry Hill East (17-3)

No. 15 Cherokee (9-12) at No. 3 Eastern (20-8)

Breakdown: Could you imagine a No. 16 seed at a No. 15 seed for the title on Friday? It could happen, although the higher seeds and home teams on Tuesday rate as the favorites in both games.

EHT has been waiting for the better part of two seasons to finally put something together, as injuries and other factors have kept the Eagles from realizing their potential. Watch this team. They can play with anybody. Leading the way is senior Robbie Petracci, who is batting .481 with 10 doubles and 32 RBIs. Mike Dodd has been EHT’s top pitcher with a 4-1 mark and 2.10 ERA.

CHE has put together a sensational season. The Cougars have won 10 in a row. Their last loss was April 23 against Millville. They are a senior-heavy team led by Alec Rodriguez (.451) and Ellis Schwartz (15 walks, 16 steals), among many others. Steve Lombardi has been a workhorse on the mound (6-2, 2.49) while Nathan Bristow (5-0, 0.00) has not allowed an earned run in 21 1/3 innings.

Cherokee might be even more of a surprise than EHT. The Chiefs entered the tournament with a 6-12 record. But they are feeling it now, after stunning reigning champion Jackson Memorial in eight innings and thumping Clearview with 15 hits. Junior Jake Prince is batting .333 and coming off a 4-for-4 game. Junior Andy Walters (5-1, 2.29) is the definition of a bulldog on the mound.

Eastern has quietly put together another strong season. The Vikings have won four in a row, outscoring opponents by a combined 25-4. Junior Sam Portnoy is 6-3 with a 3.15 ERA. Senior Jack Winsett is coming off a 3-for-3 game with three runs scored in a victory over Sterling.

South Jersey Group 3

No. 12 Toms River East (10-13) at No. 1 Triton (19-3)

No. 6 Hammonton (16-6) at No. 2 Cherry Hill West (22-3)

Breakdown: Triton and Cherry Hill West have put together special seasons, so it would be fitting if they met in Friday’s final. But TRE is another Cinderella, and Hammonton is a legit contender, so it’s no lock that the top seeds will advance.

TRE knocked off Highland and Ocean City, both of whom had championship aspirations. Watch this Shore Conference team.

Triton is coming off a remarkable nine-inning, 1-0 win over Pinelands, courtesy of Matt Woods’ walk-off RBI. The Mustangs have won six in a row. Senior Mike Shannon has been Triton’s go-to guy. He’s batting .459 and he’s 9-0 on the mound with a 1.09 ERA.

Hammonton has won six in a row. This is a battle-tested team that will arrive at Tom Trotman Field expecting to win. Senior Steve Restuccio is batting .375 and is 4-2 with a 2.63 ERA on the mound. Jared Beebe leads the Blue Devils in hitting with a .424 average.

CHW has been remarkably consistent. Senior Scott Shaw leads a deep lineup with a .488 average with four homers. Eli Atiya has been lights-out on the mound. He’s 8-0 with an 0.44 ERA and a 79/9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

South Jersey Group 2

No. 5 Haddon Heights (12-10) at No. 1 Haddonfield (21-3)

No. 6 Cedar Creek (16-9) at No. 2 West Deptford (15-6).

Breakdown: Three of the four remaining teams are from the Colonial Liberty. The top two seeds seem headed for a showdown in the final but this is baseball, remember. Anything can happen.

Haddon Heights is a bit of a surprise team. The Garnets lost to Haddonfield, 20-2, on May 21 so they need to forget that game. Vince Macolini (.368, 7 doubles) leads the lineup.

Haddonfield has put together a terrific season. The Bulldogs have been led by seniors Chris Brown, who is batting .508, and Dylan Heine (9-0, 0.51 ERA, 70 Ks with just 7 BBs).

Cedar Creek has been battle-tested by a tough schedule for a Group 2 team. Dave Hagaman is batting .395 with eight doubles, while Luke Vaks has a 1.66 ERA and 69 Ks in 38 IP.

West Deptford has won eight of nine. The lone loss was by a run to Haddonfield. Junior R.J. Mason is batting .485 with 26 RBIs. The Eagles have a top 1-2 on the mound in seniors Gabe Finocchi (4-1, 2.37) and Jack Murphy (7-2, 2.27).

South Jersey Group 1

No. 4 Gloucester (13-10) at No. 1 Glassboro (20-5)

No. 3 Schalick (16-5) at No. 2 Maple Shade (17-6).

Breakdown: The chalk held in this field, as the top four seeds advanced. Three of the four teams are from the Tri-County Diamond.

Gloucester needs two wins to capture its first sectional title since 1974. The Lions are 2-4 in their last six, but they’ve won the right two, advancing to the semifinals. They have no fear of Glassboro, having split with their division rivals in two tight games. Junior Joe Repici is batting .397 while senior Andrew Lamb is batting .354 with seven doubles. Senior Ethan Carpenter is 5-2 with an 0.94 ERA.

Glassboro has been solid all season. The Bulldogs have won six in a row, including a 5-4 victory over Gloucester. Junior Noah Putney (.412, 18 extra-base hits) leads a deep lineup.

Schalick is led by two-time All-South Jersey catcher Staus Pokrovsky (.574, nine HRs) and senior Harry Padden (.479, 10 doubles).

Maple Shade has a deep lineup led by Yariel Ingles (.462, six doubles).

Non-Public South A

No. 5 Notre Dame (24-1) at No. 1 St. Augustine (22-4)

Breakdown: The winner meets the winner of St. Joseph Metuchen (which stunned Bishop Eustace) and Christian Brothers in Friday’s sectional final.

Notre Dame has a tremendous record. But the Irish are the No. 5 seed because they have not played the most demanding schedule. St. Augustine is the two-time defending champion. Juniors Kenny Levari (.446) and Kevin Foreman (.430, 30 runs) leads the offense while senior Jayson Hoopes (5-0, 1.35, 43 Ks in 26 IP) has been the Hermits’ ace.

Non-Public South B

No. 4 Holy Spirit (15-7) at No. 1 Gloucester Catholic (18-5).

Breakdown: The winner meets the winner of Trenton Catholic at Immaculata in Friday’s sectional final.

Gloucester Catholic is the two-time defending state champion in this group. The Rams have a deep lineup led by seniors Lillo Paxia (.500, 30 RBIs) and Justin Costanzo (.463, 33 RBIs). Sophomore Anthony Solometo (4-1, 1.87) is a tough left-hander who earned the victory in the state final as a freshman.

Holy Spirit is hot, with five wins in a row. The Spartans have a strong lineup led by senior Jimmy Pasquale (.486, six doubles) but miss ace Alec Sachais on the mound. He’s been out since April with an injury.

Central Jersey Group 3

No. 11 Northern Burlington (12-7) at No. 2 Jackson Liberty (23-3).

Breakdown: The Greyhounds are a surprise team with a recent history of post-season success. They are led by junior Lorenzo Repack (.373, four triples).

Central Jersey Group 2

No. 7 Bordentown (13-7) at No. 6 Robbinsville (17-8)

Breakdown: Watch the Scotties. They have a deep, senior-heavy lineup led by Johnny Schroeder (.455) and Dylan Wood (.424). Junior Kyle Kato is 5-1 with 1.43 ERA.