NEW GIRLS BASKETBALL BLOG

This is the new Courier News girls basketball blog address. Please bookmark it:

http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/holdingcourt/

NEW BLOG!!! VERY IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ!!

My blog is changing addresses and the newspaper has no way to redirect you from this site to that one. So if you have this address saved on your favorites or bookmarked, please change the address to:

www.mycentraljersey.com/patsblog

This will be the final post I make on this blog. If you have any difficultly accessing the new blog, leave me a comment here and I will answer it, but go to the new blog for new information and please start leaving your comments there.

Thanks.

Knight starts, not pictured

You might have seen my story on Brandon Knight, who is the Opening Day starter Friday for the Patriots. You might also have noticed that the photo with the story is not Brandon Knight. That's newcomer Steve Kelly, who is expected to start the second game.
Not sure how that happened, but we are sorry for the confusion. I don't want any fans going up to Kelly and asking for Knight's autograph because of something on the paper's end.
Here is the link:

http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/SPORTS01/804240305/1011

News & Notes as spring training ends

In case you missed Wednesday's paper, the Patriots released shortstop Pete Moore (who "made" the team out of the open tryout), catcher Michael Muscato and relief pitchers Joe Welsh and David Humen. No surprise here, really. These four guys had a combined one game of experience above Single-A, and it belonged to Humen.

Muscato, however, is not completely out of the picture. He accepted a job as the team's bullpen catcher early in the season. It might not sound it, but this is a very undervalued job. Lots of dirty work, but impacts the game by getting relief pitchers ready without straining the backup catcher. Muscato showed during spring training that he can hit -- though not with much power -- and he appears to have potential behind the plate. I definitely think he could play in a lesser independent league -- say, the Frontier League, where most players are in their mid-20s and not the typical Atlantic League veteran. Patriots officials said they are going to try to get Muscato a job there, so we'll see keep an eye on that.

Frank Moore missed Wednesday's practice as he flew back home to tend to a family issue. The team expects him back for Thursday's practice and, if not, definitely by Friday's opener.

The team's parade was Wednesday night. I did not attend, but check out the front page of Thursday's Courier News for a story by my colleague Marty. Thursday night is the barbecue for season ticket holders, and I'll likely see you there.

Around the league: Rumor has it Greg Blosser has made the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. For more on why that is interesting, check the info from two posts ago.
Lancaster Barnstormers beat writer Jason Guarente is reporting that the team has released outfielder Dominick Ambrosini because first-year manager Von Hayes did not like his lax attitude. This is downright shocking news considering Ambrosini has been an All-Star caliber player during his three Atlantic League seasons. He hit .316 with 20 doubles, 19 home runs and 70 RBIs last season for a team that wasn't very good. I love the guts it takes to make a move like this as Hayes is clearly sending his players a message, but I think it might backfire. Ambrosini is good enough to sign with any team in the league if he wants, and I see him hitting the home run to eliminate Lancaster from playoff contention in September.

Cut day

Tuesday is cut day, as the Somerset Patriots will cut their roster from the 29 players who are in spring training to the 25 who will be in uniform Opening Day. I confirmed that the team is going to carry 25 -- no more and no less.
You be asking yourself, more? Isn't the Atlantic League active roster maximum 25?
The answer is yes, but apparently the league is considering allowing teams to carry as many as 28 early in the season in order to better asses the talent. I've always thought a week of spring training was too short to get an accurate read on players on the bubble, but this seems a little silly.
One of the disadvantages to not being in Florida with the rest of the league is I get left out of news tidbits like this. Lancaster Barnstormers beat writer Jason Guarente is in Florida and here is the excerpt from his blog. Give credit where it is due.

"There could be some transactions Monday. It depends on an Atlantic League ruling. The league is considering allowing teams to carry 27 or 28 players in the early part of the season for evaluation purposes."

Who gets the axe from the Pats? I've been told two pitchers and two position players, but there was a front office and coaches meeting scheduled for Monday night to finalize the names, so I don't want to publicize them until its official.
Would you want to read you were losing your job on my blog before your boss told you?

Around the Atlantic League...

Here are two scoops from around the league....

-- Former Somerset Patriot Greg Blosser is in spring training with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Blosser, who has not played professionally since getting released by the Patriots in 2003, told me last season that he was planning a comeback but I did not expect much of a market for a 36-year-old outfielder who has more recent experience as a private investigator than he does as a baseball player. Shows you what I know. From everything I hear, Blosser is a good guy for the league and his comeback would make a great story. The wrinkle? If he makes the team, Blosser's first game would be Friday against the Patriots at Commerce Bank Ballpark, where he hit that memorable two-out three-run home run to tie Game 4 of the 2001 Atlantic League Championship Series against Newark.

-- Randall Simon is expected to join the Newark Bears. The team plans to announce this signing Monday, but I figure it is safe to release the news since he was on the roster the Bears gave me Saturday. The 32-year-old first baseman is a career .283 hitter in 537 major-league games and should fare well versus Atlantic League pitching. However, Simon will forever be most remembered for a July 9, 2003 incident at Miller Park in Milwaukee when, leaning over the dugout railing, he struck a woman in a mascot costume with his bat during the between-innings sausage race. I expect he's tired of answering questions about this by now, but there are plenty of Atlantic League writers who will be dying for this guy to come into town. I am not one of them.

Home runs continue to fly out of Healthquest Park at a high rate.
After two days of balls crashing into the scoreboard and shed behind the left-field fence during batting practice, Jeff Duncan hit the only home run Thursday during the first intra-squad scrimmage.
The pace picked up again Friday as Brandon Larson and Vito Chiaravalloti connected for back-to-back home runs off left-hander Andy Van Hekken.
Right-hander Casey Cahill worked into and out of trouble while tossing a scoreless inning.
Regular catchers Travis Anderson (first base) and Jason Belcher (third base) got a well-deserved break from squatting as Michael Muscato and Matt Hagan handled the catching duties for the two sides.
Saturday's scrimmage against the Newark Bears at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium is set for 12 p.m. I am looking forward to getting a look at another Atlantic League team. By this point in years past, I've had a decent feel for most of the other teams, but not being in Lakeland, Fla. with the rest of the league has an isolated feeling.

Spring training has started

Hopefully you caught my Brandon Larson feature from the first day of camp in either the Courier News or Home News Tribune. If not, here is the link:

http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080416/SPORTS01/804160315/1011

The first two practices have been pretty uneventful with pitchers fielding grounders and throwing to the bases. The hitters have taken batting practice in three groups while the other two groups field routine grounders. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to Thursday's intra-squad scrimmage.

I heard from a friend in Florida -- where the Atlantic League is holding spring training minus the Patriots and Newark Bears -- that Southern Maryland manager Butch Hobson is putting his team through some intense practices.
Patriots manager Sparky Lyle said that would happen because he remembers Hobson's Nashua Pride teams as very prepared. He remembers them working on fundamentals and plays for hours.

The interesting thing to me is this seems to be similar to one of the things that cost Frank Klebe his manager job with the Lancaster Barnstormers last season.
Now, you cannot compare Hobson -- a former major-league player and major-league manager with a resume of success -- to Klebe, who had a limited resume walking into Lancaster and who made on-field decisions that raised the eyebrows of many of his peers.
I would listen to Hobson over Klebe, too.
While the Barnstormers practically revolted against Klebe during the middle of last season for a multitude of reasons -- and I'm not going to pretend to be an insider to all of them -- one certainly was because they felt his harping on the basics was demeaning to their professionalism.
Seems like the source is more important than the words.

Spring training begins Tuesday

Remember to check out the Courier News or Home News Tribune newspapers or Web sites every day beginning Tuesday for live spring training coverage. I will be at all eight practices/scrimmages as I have been for the past two years. The only difference is instead of being in Lakeland, Fla., I will be in Flemington, N.J.
Here is a list of the top five things I will be miss about spring training in Florida.

5) The sun tan. I am 75% Italian, so I'm pretty good at getting a tan without getting burnt.

4) Writing my stories for Play Ball and the daily newspapers sitting poolside.

3) The Steak 'N Shake next door to the hotel. Cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches and milkshakes anytime you want them. During the past two years I've had milkshakes as early as 9 a.m. (cookie dough) and as late as 2 a.m. (oreo).

2) The hotel gazebo. A good place for nightlife.

1) Sharing a cramped hotel room for 8 days with another person. It's like freshman year of college, only you and your roommate have the same exact schedules so you are always together. OK....maybe this is one thing not to miss. But spring training does make me think of former colleague Matt Apgar, so here is a shoutout to Matt.

Kalafer mentioned in NY Times

Check out this article in the New York Times features minor-league baseball in New Jersey and is centered around Somerset Patriots owner Steve Kalafer. There is some news on the stalled Kalafer-owned Bergen Cliff Hawks, who are supposed to join the Atlantic League one of these days.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/06colnj.html?ex=1208318400&en=2a08da69e614ed0b&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Spring training schedule announced

Here is the Somerset Patriots spring training schedule. All events except the April 19 scrimmage take place at Jack Cust Baseball Academy in Flemington and are open to the public.

Tuesday, April 15th
1 p.m. workout
Wednesday, April 16th
11 a.m. workout
Thursday, April 17th
10 a.m. workout
Friday, April 18th
10 a.m. batting practice
1 p.m. intra-squad game
Saturday, April 19th
12 p.m. Exhibition game vs. Newark Bears at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, Newark
Sunday, April 20th
12 p.m. Exhibition game vs. Newark Bears
Monday, April 21st
10 a.m. batting practice
1 p.m. intra-squad game
Tuesday, April 22nd
10 a.m. batting practice
1 p.m. intra-squad game
Wednesday, April 23rd
TBD

OTHER NEWS: I have not been able to contact Keith Ramsey despite my nagging phone calls. I heard a rumor that a team from Taiwan inquired about his rights, so maybe he is there. It's not like Ramsey not to call back.
No, other teams do not chip in when a big name comes to the Atlantic League. As an example, when Juan Gonzalez signed with the Long Island Ducks, his salarly was the responsibility of the Ducks only. While I was not around at the time, I've heard that when Jose Canseco was in the Atlantic League in 2000, other teams helped foot the bill, but that policy since has changed. Verifying that would be virtually impossible at this point, but I know that whether it used to happen or not, it does not now.

LeCroy joins Atlantic League...

The first big-name newcomer to the Atlantic League for the 2008 season has signed, and the real news here is that the contract is not with the Long Island Ducks.
Former Minnesota Twin Matt LeCroy has joined the Barnstormers, a franchise that is notorious for not paying players the league maximum $3,000 per month.
It's very interesting -- and good for the league -- to see LeCroy pick Lancaster instead of a big city market such as Long Island or Newark.
Here is the press release with the relevant information on LeCroy, who, not too long ago, was considered a decent option at catcher on your fantasy baseball team.

LANCASTER, Pa.—The Lancaster Barnstormers have signed one of the most experienced Major League players in club history. Former Minnesota Twins catcher-first baseman Matt LeCroy has signed a 2008 contract, club vice president of baseball operations Keith Lupton announced today.

LeCroy, 32, made his debut with Minnesota in 2000 and has spent at least a portion of the last eight seasons in the Major Leagues with either the Twins or Washington Nationals. The Belton, S.C., native owns a .260 career batting average at the Major League level with 60 homers and 218 RBIs in 476 games. He clubbed 17 homers for Minnesota in both the 2003 and 2005 seasons.

“Matt is a bona fide number four hitter,” Lupton said. “That’s going to give the guys ahead of him, and probably the guy batting after him, some pretty good pitches to hit.”

He has also gathered experience on the national stage, playing in the post-season with the Twins for three consecutive years (2002-04) and posting a career .269 batting average in the playoffs.

The New York Mets drafted LeCroy in the second round of the 1994 June draft, but he chose instead to play collegiate baseball at Clemson University. After three big years with the Tigers that included two trips to the NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb., a stint with Team USA in 1996, and All-American honors in 1997, he was a first round sandwich pick for the Twins in 1997.

LeCroy joins Lancaster after being released from the Major League spring training camp of the Oakland Athletics.

“We’re tremendously pleased to have a seven-year veteran like Matt,” Lupton said. “He’ll be a valuable asset to the club on and off the field.”

LeCroy’s signing brings the total number of players under contract with the 2008 Barnstormers to 21. The club will head to Lakeland, Fla., for spring training on April 14 and will return to open the 2008 season at home against the Bridgeport Bluefish on Friday, April 25.

Saturday's Tryout Postponed/Fan Fest still on

The Somerset Patriots have postponed their open tryout Saturday morning and rescheduled it for next Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
The FanFest at Commerce Bank Ballpark that was supposed to follow the Open Tryout will go on as scheduled Saturday from 12-3 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine.

Here is the press release:

The Three-Time Atlantic League Champion Somerset Patriots have announced that open tryouts for the team has been postponed and will now be held at Commerce Bank Ballpark on Saturday, April 12th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

There will be an administration fee of $40 to tryout, with proceeds being donated to the Patriots Charity Fund, which has been established to give to various charities supported by the Somerset Patriots.

Players are to report to Commerce Bank Ballpark at 8:00 am for registration. Participants must be high school graduates and at least eighteen years of age. All those present should provide their career statistics and must supply their own wooden bats and baseball gloves. All participants will be required to sign a release form before trying out for the team.

Coaches and representatives from the Patriots will be on hand to evaluate the players at the ballpark, including Manager Sparky Lyle, President/General Manager Patrick McVerry, and Vice President/Assistant General Manager Rob Lukachyk.

The Patriots have signed a player from four open tryouts held by the team, including Tony Gsell, who played for Somerset from 2003 through 2006, and Jim Burt Jr., who played for the team throughout the 2006 season.

“The tryouts have been successful in the past at giving players a chance to be rediscovered and get back into professional baseball. Each year the talent level has gotten better at the tryouts, and the players that have signed, have made an impact on the team,” said Patrick McVerry, President/ General Manager of the Somerset Patriots Baseball Club.

Nettles joins the Orioles

Jeff Nettles was not unemployed for very long.
The former Somerset Patriots star third baseman was released last Tuesday by the Kansas City Royals despite a spring training in which he was 9-for-24 splitting at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A.
The Royals loss became the Baltimore Orioles gain Saturday afternoon as Nettles signed to play for Double-A Bowie.
I exchanged text messages with Nettles on Sunday afternoon and he said he was headed to Maryland for his physical.
Nettles deserves better than Double-A at age 29 and having played well at Double-A last year for the Royals, but he was in no position to bargain.
This is good -- and surprising -- news for Nettles since most teams are looking to cut players after spring training, not add them.
This blog will check his progress periodically throughout the season.

Response to Comments

I have to say, I'm SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED, to see all these comments. This is great. It really energizes me to see confirmation of my opinion that people are interested in Somerset Patriots news but they just were not posting comments. Keep 'em coming..

IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ASKING ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS:

1) Teuris Olivares -- He will be back. The team has not announced it yet, but that is because they have a rule of not announcing signings until the player actually returns his signed contract, but the agreement is in principle. TO loved Somerset and the coaches and front office loved him.

2) Jose Morban -- I have not heard his name mentioned at all this offseason. I would be very surprised if he played for Somerset again, but I know the BASA group and the Mexican League liked him a lot last season. If he is not in Mexico, don't be surprised to see him in York, Southern Maryland or Lancaster.

3) Danny Garcia -- Last I heard he suffered a setback while rehabbing the injury that forced him to miss most of the 2007 second half and would not be ready to play again until mid-summer. If he ever gets healthy again, he instantly would be welcomed back to Somerset. He's still young and talented enough to make noise in affiliated ball.

4) Keith Ramsey -- Great question! After the way last season finished (with the coaching staff ignoring him in the playoffs) Ramsey will not be traveling across the country from Los Angeles to make nice with the Patriots. I've been thinking about calling him to check in for a few days, so that comment pushed me over the edge. Hopefully I'll know what Keith is up to by the middle of next week. My guess? Surfing and playing guitar. Living the dream.

Somerset Patriots: Who they've got?

This is the first of what will be many, many Somerset Patriots-related posts from now through the end of September. I encourage anyone who checks the blog for Patriots information to leave a comment because seeing comments is my main way of knowing there is interest in this blog. People often told me last season that they were reading, but I rarely received more than 2 or 3 comments per post. More than that is needed.

Here is the team's roster so far, in case you have missed some of the signings. An * indicates the player is new to the team. You can find my thoughts on the team at the bottom.

INFIELDERS:
Josh Pressley
Gerardo Alvarez*
Frank Moore*
David Housel*
Vito Chiaravalloti*

CATCHERS:
Jason Belcher
Travis Anderson

OUTFIELDERS:
Elliott Ayala
Michael Ryan*

PITCHERS:
Jason Richardson
David Humen*
Steve Kelly*
Casey Cahill
Brandon Knight
Scott Wiggins
Bret Prinz*

MY OPINION: This is a classic Somerset Patriots team.
The offense will have speed and gap-to-gap hitters.
In the field, there is tons of versatility. Every infielder except Josh Pressley plays multiple positions, Ayala also plays shortstop and third base, Belcher also plays the outfield and Anderson also plays first base.
The pitching is very solid. Knight and Wiggins proved themselves as good starters last season and Kelly has career numbers that indicate he will do the same.
If Cahill pitches like he did at the end of last season instead of at the beginning, he is an effective middle-to-long reliever and Prinz will be the best closer in the Atlantic League for however long he is around (which I'm guessing is not past May).
I don't know enough about Humen, though it appears he is a middle reliever.
The real wild card here is Richardson. The hard-throwing right-hander has GREAT stuff. He throws hard and his ball moves. But he battled control issues all last season. If those problems are corrected, he can be electric. If not, will pitching coach Brett Jodie and manager Sparky Lyle keep him on board for another inconsistent season just because of potential?
A quick glance at the roster compared to what other Atlantic League teams boast at this point leads me to believe that the Patriots again will be near the top.
Look for the Lancaster Barnstormers to rebound from a dreadful season, the Newark Bears to viably defend their title and the Long Island Ducks to be strong for the zillionth season in a row.

The Last Word on All-Area

Now that I've had some time to digest the NCAA Tournament and Easter dinner (penne and meatballs followed by prime rib), and you've had time to digest All-Area, here are some explanations.

Player of the Year: Daisha Simmons, Gill St. Bernard's.
Why? Simmons was at her best in big games. Criticizing Gill's schedule does not work because it included Somerville, Bridgewater-Raritan, Franklin, Marist, Montgomery, West Morris, Ridge, Immaculate-Lodi, Hillsborough, Trenton Catholic, etc. Criticizing Simmos' defense does not work either, because it is much improved from last season. She guards the opposing team's best perimeter player and gets in her face at halfcourt with tenacious man-to-man tactics. And you cannot criticize Simmons' offensive game because....well...it is impossible. She easily is the best open-court 1-on-1 player in the area, but she also showed an ability to hit the 3 and find the open teammate. Simply, as a sophomore, she was the best player. But it was close...

Coach of the Year: Joe Marino, Westfield.
Why? 1929. That's the last time the Blue Devils girls basketball program won any kind of championship, that was the year. Nearly 80 years later, Marino guided Westfield past a severe case of the injury bug and to the Union County Tournament title. It was the finishing touch on a very long rebuilding process for the ninth year coach, and enough to push him past several other strong candidates.

Top-ranked team: Rutgers Prep.
Why? Why not? Rutgers Prep dominated the Prep B Tournament on the way to a state championship and ran through the Somerset County Tournament, becoming the only local program to win two titles. This season left me begging to know how Rutgers Prep would fair in the NJSIAA Tournament. I think this team was good enough to win the Non-Public B sectional title.

My toughest decision: Who to put on Third Team All-Area?

Make sure you check out: The end of the year notebook. It has several smaller teams such as all-defensive, all-rebounding, etc. It's a good way to recognize some players who work very hard at one aspect of the game and fly under the radar.

All-Area stories

Here are the links. I'll comment Sunday or Monday. Just wanted to get these up for people who don't see the paper.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/SPORTS03/803220326/1013

COACH OF THE YEAR:

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/SPORTS03/803220325/1013

END OF THE YEAR NOTEBOOK

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/SPORTS03/803220331/1013

(THINGS WE DON'T PUT ONLINE)

Top-ranked team: Rutgers Prep
First Team All-Area: Jessica Zigarelli (Watchung Hills), Brittany Myatt (Piscataway), Blaire Houston (South Plainfield), Erin Miller (Westfield), Daisha Simmons (Gill St. Bernard's)

Final HS basketball podcast has been posted!

Here is the link to the final podcast of the season recorded by Jerry Carino and I:

http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/podcasts/frezza/frezza0318.htm

I suggest listening to it because, as always, it's entertaining. But also because it reveals some insight as to where our respective minds are at in regards to All-Area. Who is on our short list for Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, number one team in the final Top 10 and First, Second and Third Team All-Area. It will tell you what we had an easy time selecting and what has us losing sleep.

***Remember, boys and girls basketball All-Area runs in the Varsity section of the newspaper this coming Saturday, Dec. 22. It is the one thing we do each year that I am most proud to be a part of and most relieved when it is over.

I will post once more on this blog after the picks have been revealed to give a brief explanation of each choice and then I will turn this blog over to the Somerset Patriots and their fans. Hope you all enjoyed the hoops coverage.

All-Area update

So I've put together my first, second and third teams for All-Area.
The problem is I have 18 names for 15 spots and I think my editor is going to notice.
That means I have to make a final cut of three names, which isn't going to be easy to do.
I think that there is a definitive top 18 and those three cuts are going to end up on "Honorable Mention," categorized alongside some 40 other girls.
I initially thought it was going to be easier to sort through All-Area this year after all those talented seniors graduated, but, after watching this season play out, it turns out I was wrong. The playing field was so level that it is hard to decipher a Third-Team All-Area player from an Honorable Mention player, and I really do not believe in arbitrary tiebreakers such as giving an edge to the senior or whose team played a stronger schedule.
And I am always constantly getting flooded with information about a player being named All-County or All-Conference.
Please realize that - while it might not sound like the most prestigious - Courier News All-Area might be the most competitive of any postseason honors a player in this area can receive.
Very few conferences have 34 teams to draw players from like I do, and The Star Ledger splits their honors by county and separates prep schools. That means I'm taking first-team players from their section and putting them on Third Team or Honorable Mention in mine.
As you can see, I am very stressed about this selection process.
One question: IS IT SOMERSET PATRIOTS SEASON YET?

Driving to Deptfod

I was far from thrilled about driving to Deptford (1 hour 55 minutes from my house for the Central Group I state final Wednesday, but I here is what I will say. The folks at Deptford put on a great show for the following reasons:

1) A courtside press table, just like Cranford High School had the night before. For a writer with me with unimaginably early deadlines, you have no idea what a relief it is to have a power strip for my laptop and a table where I can lay out all my notes.
2) A free bottle of water. Pumping out stories on deadline gets a sweat going and being hydrated is key.
3) MOST IMPRESSIVLEY, someone at Deptford kept an official box score. The kind that reporters get at professional and college games. It included shooting percentages, turnovers, second-chance points, points in the paint, etc. I have this person to credit for writing a very informative game story, which is difficult to do at the high school level.

NOW...To summarize the past few days...

1) New Providence made a great run to the Group I semis. The Pioneers' victory over Highland Park in the Central I sectional final is a candidate for Courier News Game of the Year. I wish fans were allowed to see how the game against Wildwood would have unfolded without Shelly Montagna in foul trouble because I would have given New Providence a puncher's chance, but it is just as well because neither team is coming close to beating University in the Group I final.
2) It was a difficult sight to see Watchung Hills lose to Columbia in the North 2 Group IV sectional final. I've come to know those five seniors and coach Sandy Whelan very well during the past three years, and I can tell you they epitomized the good in high school sports. While the group went 0-3 in championship games (2008 Somerset County Tournament final and two straight sectional finals), they turned a former perennial loser into the best public school program in Somerset.
3) Gill St. Bernard's plays on! How many of you even knew that the Knights were still alive? Not many, but that's just the way the school near the cow farms likes it. Gill faces Marist in the Non-Public North B sectional final at 5 p.m. tonight at Belleville High School, and most people I've talked to say it's a 50/50 game. What this unheralded team is doing is very special, and you should join the bandwagon now. If you haven't seen Gill play, the team -- especially sophomores Daisha Simmons and Niiya Ruth -- is worth the price of admission. Even if that is a steep $6 for state games.

DON'T FORGET TO KEEP POSTING YOUR OPINIONS FOR COACH OF THE YEAR, PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND THE THREE ALL-AREA TEAMS....Nobody has correctly guessed the Top 5 I have penciled in right now, though one person did guess four out of five.

It's not too early too start talking postseason awards

The best debate ever on this block came last March when it was time to talk about Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and the 15 spots on First-, Second-, Third-Team All-Area. I hope we can duplicate that this year because I think the field is just as wide open as in the past. I certainly have my frontrunners and secondary candidates but don't want to get myself in trouble for leaving anyone out.
SO YOU TELL ME...Who is the best player? Who did the best coaching job? If you get really bored and adventurous, tell me who the top 15 players are.
Just remember, I cover 34 teams. That includes all of Somerset County, all of Hunterdon County, Westfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Governor Livingston, Plainfield, New Providence, Union Catholic, Piscataway, South Plainfield, Middlesex, Piscataway Tech and Dunellen.

Central Jersey Group I preview story

In case you missed my preview on tonight's Central Jersey Group I final, this is it from the Home News site. Our stories sometimes only appear on that paper's site and not www.c-n.com, so I encourage you to check both if you are looking for something. Sorry for the inconvenience.

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/SPORTS03/803030409/1047

North-South game

In case you haven't heard, North Hunterdon's Emily Tewksbury, Piscataway's Brittany Myatt and South Plainfield's Blaire Houston have been selected to the North-South All-Star game. Tewskbury will play for the North team against the two Middlesex County stars on the South side. The game is scheduled for 12 p.m. March 22 at the Ritacco Center in Toms River.

(For an update on the state tournament, scroll down to today's first post)

State update

To the poster who asked where the roundup from Wednesday's games are, I have attached the link below:

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/SPORTS03/802280372/1013

To no surprise of mine, it has been an enormously successful first three days of the state tournament for local teams.
The area has only had seven teams (Plainfield, Mount St. Mary, South Hunterdon, Governor Livingston, North Plainfield, Franklin and Montgomery) eliminated, and North Plainfield and Franklin each lost to another local team (Somerville and Piscataway, respectively).
I attended three games so far (Montgomery vs. South Brunswick, South Plainfield vs. Union Hill and Somerville vs. North Plainfield) and must say I was wowed by South Plainfield's performance. I had not seen the Tigers play since late December and was surprised at just how good some of their lesser known players have gotten.
The Somerville vs. North Plainfield game was as good of game as I've seen all year for the following reasons:
1) The atmosphere was great. Both team's students and fans did a great job showing up and being loud.
2) It was competitive from start to finish, no big leads.
3) It was well-officiated. The free-throw disparity was huge, but that is not the officials' problem here. It was a result of Somerville attacking the basket and North Plainfield settling for too many jumpers.
This is a candidate for my "Game of the Year" in the postseason wrap-up.

Have you seen any really good games? Or really good plays? Tell me about them. I will be at Watchung Hills-Piscataway on Friday night and Saturday remains TBA.

Start talking state tournament...

You saw my bracket-by-bracket predictions and analysis in Saturday's Varsity section. Now it's time for you to tell me who you think is going to win what sections and why:

To review, I picked:

Piscataway in North 2 Group IV
Shabazz in North 2 Group III
Trenton in Central Jersey Group IV
Rumson Fair-Haven in Central Jersey Group II
Highland Park in Central Jersey Group I
Morris Catholic in Non-Public North A
Marist in Non-Public North B

My rankings of the five local teams with the best chance of winning a sectional title (in order):
1. Piscataway (North 2, Group IV)
2. Middlesex (Central Jersey Group I)
3. North Hunterdon (North 2, Group IV)
4. Watchung Hills (North 2, Group IV)
5. New Providence (Central Jersey Group I)

Congratulations to winners & a personal gripe

Congratulations to Hunterdon Central and Rutgers Prep on winning their respective county tournaments Saturday night. My preseason number one and three made me look good, and my preseason number two (Piscataway) and number five (Westfield) can keep it going today in their respective county finals.

But the real reason for this post is that I want to put out there something that the area coaches are to classy to talk about.
I thought the officiating in the Somerset County Tournament this season was notably disappointing.
People always say that officials are doing a good job if you are watching the game and don't notice they are there. Well, that was impossible in the SCT. Whether it was ticky-tack calls in crunch time or whistles blown every five seconds for an entire 32 minutes, the SCT officials certainly made their presence felt in every game I attended.
I admit I attend more SCT games than any other county tournament, but in the few games of the Union County Tournament and Hunterdon/Warren Tournament that I did see in person, this was not a problem.
Yet in the SCT, officials owned the spotlight. Officiating is a tough job and one I am not cut out for -- seriously, I did it for a while at the junior high school level and could not hack it -- it just seemed like the officials in this tournament played too big of a role in dictating outcomes.
Some examples:
-- Rutgers Prep shot 18 free throws to Watchung Hills' four in the SCT final.
-- Rutgers Prep had a similarly large advantage in free throws attempted (I don't have the exact numbers) against Franklin in the SCT semifinals.
-- While the foul calls were evenly distributed, there were far too many in the SCT semifinals between Bridgewater-Raritan and Watchung Hills. Several fans in the area of the stands where I was sitting could not believe how often one particular official blew the whistle. It literally was every possession down the stretch.

FOOTNOTE: This is not meant to taint Rutgers Prep's victory. I've said all year that I felt RP was the best team in Somerset County, and its method of attacking the rim certainly lends itself to attempting more free throws than its opponents. This is just a recurring theme I am left with after watching seven SCT games.
Care to comment?

County/Conference Finals Predictions

(THIS IS THE THIRD -- AND HOPEFULLY FINAL -- POST OF THE DAY. MAKE SURE YOU SKIM DOWN TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER TWO)

I'm hoping the tournament finals bring more juice to this blog than the semifinals did.
Debate with me. Debate with each other. That's what the comments section is for, but I urge you to hold off talking about the state tournament until Monday. It's too much for me to think about right now with a crazy weekend ahead.
Saturday's Varsity section will have scouting reports for each of the four games, a full story advance on the Somerset County Tournament final and a section-by-section preview of the state tournament.

Here is the link to the basketball podcast where boys basketball writer Jerry Carino and I talk about the games and mention the state tournament:
http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/podcasts/frezza/frezza0221.htm

Now for predictions. I warn you the scores might here be a little different than on the podcast, but I will keep the same winners. I threw those podcast scores out without much thought.

Somerset County Tournament final, 1 p.m. Saturday at Franklin High School:
Defense and rebounding will rule in this much-anticipated game. The fewer fouls whistled, the better the odds of a Watchung Hills victory.
***Rutgers Prep 49, Watchung Hills 44

Hunterdon/Warren Tournament final, 7 p.m. Saturday at Voorhees High School:
Hunterdon Central has the more talented roster, but picking against Voorhees in this game is dangerous. Carmen Cook's teams always overachieve and winning here would be another example of that.
***Hunterdon Central 46, Voorhees 42

Union County Tournament final, 3 p.m. Sunday at Roselle Catholic High School:
Westfield beat Elizabeth by double-digits twice during the regular season. I see no reason why this is different.
***Westfield 44, Elizabeth 34

Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament final, 1 p.m. Sunday at South Brunswick High School:
I've been saying it all season and some of you have been disputing it all season: Piscataway is very good. Good enough to make a run in the state tournament and definitely good enough to win a third straight GMCT crown.
Piscataway 66, Cardinal McCarrick 59

Hillsborough's Jim Reese retiring....

In case you missed it in Friday's papers -- which probably are buried under six inches of snow somewhere on your doorstep -- Hillsborough coach Jim Reese retired Thursday after 14 years at the post.

Here is my story with two quotes and Reese's record and background:

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS03/802220394/1013

Reese was great to me during my three years covering girls basketball. He would talk after a win or a loss, or I could call him at home anytime for a quote about anything. Personable coaches like him make my job easier and more enjoyable. He will be missed.
As my friend Geoff Mosher, who preceded me covering girls basketball and had the beat for six years, said upon hearing the news:
"They should hang his sweater from the rafters."

Reese's last act of good will as a head coach was to help me preview the Somerset County Tournament final. Hillsborough lost to Rutgers Prep and split two games against Watchung Hills this season. Here is what he said:

"The key for Rutgers Prep is if they don't turn it over a lot, I'd give them the edge. They have a freshman point guard (Jacquie Pizzuto) who is going to be a great player -- she is a very good player -- but she is a freshman in the finals for the first time."

"I would think that (Jessica) Zigarelli has to have a big game for Watchung Hills to win. She's the one player on their team can really step up and deliver a big game."

Key matchups: Forwards Stephanie Lupo (Watchung Hills) vs. Ranait Griff (Rutgers Prep) & point guards Susie Schaffer (Watchung Hills) vs. Jacquie Pizzuto (Rutgers Prep)

"I think given the two (Rutgers Prep's one senior but a deep bench versus Watchung Hills' five seniors and small bench) I like the depth factor, but you're talking to a coach who won two county championships in the last three years with no depth."

"I think (Watchung Hills coach) Sandy (Whelan) has done a great job. That program was terrible when she took over."

"Being in many finals, the one thing I've noticed is most of the time both teams play well."

Reschedulings....

All 3 girls basketball tournament finals scheduled for tonight have been rescheduled. Here is the new schedule:

Saturday:
Hunterdon/Warren Tournament
at Voorhees (site change)
Hunterdon Central vs. Voorhees, 7 pm

Sunay:
Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament
at South Brunswick High School (site change)
Piscataway vs. Cardinal McCarrick, 1 pm

Sunday:
Union Couny Tournament
at Roselle Catholic
Westfield vs. Elizabeth, 3 pm

Hunterdon/Warren Tournament quarterfinal results

1-North Hunterdon 45, 8-South Hunterdon 15
2-Hunterdon Central 71, 7-Warren Hills 22
3-Belvidere 62, 6-Delaware Valley 43
4-Voorhees 59, 4-Philipsburg 34

The Belvidere-Delaware Valley box score will not be in the paper because I did not get it until past deadline, but some highlights for the Terriers included 13 points by Candita Curcio and 10 rebounds by Chloe Early.

Voorhees-North Hunterdon and Belvidere-Hunterdon Central are the match-ups for Tuesday's semifinals at Hackettstown High School.

Somerset County Tournament semifinals predictions

Predictions are back...even though I am proving only to be good at picking the obvious winners and bad at guessing the upsets. I do deserve credit for trying to pick upsets, though, don't I? My record would be much better if I picked only the favorites.
That said, I will now pick the favorites, but I URGE YOU TO READ SATURDAY'S NEWSPAPER. It has much, much more on the games, including a coach's analysis for both games. I figure you are more likely to listen to a coach than to me.
Special thanks to Immaculata's Jen Hilgenberg and Gill St. Bernard's Mergin Sina for agreeing to help me with those scouting reports.

Rutgers Prep vs. Franklin, 2

Girls basketball might be a guard's game, but this match-up is for the forwards. There are quite a few on both sides (Darnae Beverley, Taylor Jeffers, Felicia Mgbada, Ranait Griff, Kelsey Rene, Ranjana Chakravarthy) capable of coming up big. Both teams have plenty of experience, too, and I am expecting an extremely well played game. I think it will be up for grabs with 2:00 to play, and the Argonauts execution in the halfcourt makes for the slimmest of differences.
Rutgers Prep 49, Franklin 48

Watchung Hills vs. Bridgewater-Raritan, 4

Before I knew anything about girls basketball in this area, Watchung Hills supposedly was a downtrodden program and Bridgewater-Raritan had a strong program. You can all verify that -- I have, no matter how difficult it is for me to believe. For the three years I've known Somerset County basketball, it's been the complete opposite. Watchung Hills has been knocking -- maybe even pounding -- on the door to the SCT final and Bridgewater-Raritan has immensly struggled. Would I be surprised if Bridgewater-Raritan played another great game with its nothing-to-lose underdog mentality? No. But I think the door opens this year for the Warriors.
Watchung Hills 52, Bridgewater-Raritan 41

Minor-league baseball: The Surf will do anything

Remember the Atlantic City Surf? They were the Somerset Patriots big Atlantic League rival before splitting for the shorter-season Can-Am League after the 2006 season. Well, here is something from The Associated Press that I read today:

"Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposed toll hikes are influencing even minor league baseball.The Atlantic City Surf will refund the game-day tolls from the Atlantic City Expressway near Exit 4 for fans attending that night's game. Patrons will get $1 off the price of their game ticket, covering the 50-cent toll coming and going at the Pleasantville interchange.The Surf play at Bernie Robbins Stadium, just off Exit 2 on the expressway. The season starts in late May."

Somerset Patriots: Chiaravalloti inks deal

One day after the Somerset Patriots lost their first baseman from last season (Josh Pressley) to the Florida Marlins organization, the Patriots replaced Pressley with former Road Warrior Vito Chiaravolloti.
The slugger from Middletown is a graduate of Christian Brothers Academy and a former farmhand for the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. He had a career year with the 2007 Road Warriors when he hit .296 with 32 doubles, 18 home runs and 91 RBIs. He also had more walks than strikeouts.
Here are some quotes from Chiaravalloti, who I spoke to Tuesday night via telephone:

"I was fortunate that I set myself up well with a good year and there were tons of teams calling."

"I wanted to play for Somerset all along and I was hoping they were going to come in with an offer. Once they expressed interest, all I needed to hear was that I was going to play every day. I felt in independent ball that's the best place to be. It's a beautfiul stadium, great fans and it's 30 minutes from my house. My family was real excited I was going to be close to home."

He said his disappointing stats from his two Double-A seasons, 2005 and 2006, were a case of injuries, namely a pulled oblique muscle and an elbow injury that required surgery

"Last year was important to me come out and I had to prove that, if I was healthy, I could still hit. Every year, I was healthy I've made an All-Star team in what ever league I've played in."

"It was a matter of me getting back on the map. I think Somerset is going to be the perfect place for me to hopefully make a splash."

"I told my agent I don't like playing the game of wait until the last second and scrounge for a team. Number one, I don't think it's fair to the teams to lead them on. Also, for myself, I want to put my mind at ease that this is where I'm going to play this year. I have a place and I'm ready to go

On being with the Road Warriors:
"I really did enjoy that. I learned a lot about myself and what it takes to grind out a season. For me, it was an experience I'm glad I had, but you only want to have once. The majority of the time you're there just there to lose, so it's nice to have some expectations, and try to win a championship."

Somerset Patriots: Pressley to the Marlins

Somerset Patriots first baseman/designated hitter Josh Pressley has inked a deal with the Florida Marlins and will report next Monday to spring training with the Triple-A team. He was planning on returning to Somerset for a second season and had even begun recruiting other players to the team before the Marlins called.
Pressley hit .281 with 92 hits, 18 doubles, 13 home runs, and 55 RBI in 327 at bats over 102 games played for the 2007 Patriots. During the playoffs, Pressley hit .333 with eight hits, two home runs,and six RBI in six post-season games.
In a gutsy move that proved his desire to win and loyalness to the team, Pressley, who played through various injuries most of the season, delayed knee surgery needed at the end of the regular season until after the season so that he could participate in the postseason.
He was a fan and media favorite for his work ethic and approachability.
Pressley has experience in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Mets, KansasCity Royals, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Florida Marlins organizations. He began the 2006 season at the Triple-A level for the Red Sox, then split the rest of the season in Double-A for the Cardinals and Marlins, who liked him enough to re-sign him Monday.
I talked to Pressley over the phone for a few minutes after the the deal was announced and here is what he said:

"I know a lot of guys in their front office. It's a real opportunity to play every day in Triple-A. Spring training is only 35 minutes from my house (in Florida) so it's a really good fit."

"It was going to take a very good opportunity to get me away from Somerset. I just wanted to go into an opportunity where I was going to get to compete and be at as high a level as I was in Somerset."

"I'm at the point in my career where I need to know I'm going to be getting at-bats."

"It was hard for me to make that call to (general manager) Pat (McVerry) and to (director of player procurement) Brett (Jodie) and to tell them. But they were great. They said, 'This is what we're here for.' Their support even now has just been amazing."

"It's going to be weird not playing there. I wish I could play there and at the same time have the opportunity that the Marlins are offering. Unfortunately but fortunately I had to move on."

"When they brought me in to their Double-A team (in 2006) I wasn't really prepared. When they brought me in (this time) they said, 'We know you didnt really have a opporunity here.' I have a relationship with them which is important. It's really all about relationships, and I've know these guys going all the way back to my Devil Rays days."

"The whole (Somerset) atmosphere was so refreshing. It got me back to loving the game of baseball."

"I had every intention of coming back (to Somerset). I've been recruiting. After I had my surgery and came out on other side it was a question of 'How was it going to feel after my third knee surgery.' It felt better than it did all year.'"

Hunterdon/Warren Tournament seeds

I think these are the seeds in the HWT as decided by the coaches Sunday afternoon. I say "think" because a colleague called me but I had trouble hearing the message and no coaches called me. If I hear that I'm wrong, I'll make the changes ASAP.
I must admit that I was surprised that Belvidere jumped ahead of Voorhees even though Belvidere is undefeated and Voorhees has six losses. I thought the level of competition faced made enough of a difference.
That's enough of my thoughts, what do you think of this tournament? It's only a 10-teamer, but some of the best basketball in the area is played out west.

1. North Hunterdon
2. Hunterdon Central
3. Belvidere
4. Voorhees
5. Phillipsburg
6. Delaware Valley
7. Warren Hills
8. South Hunterdon
9. Hackettstown
10. North Warren

HWT ballot and SCT Quarterfinals Predictions

Here is my ballot for the Hunterdon/Warren Tournament, which gets seeded Sunday. If you want analysis on why I placed teams where, you will have to read the girls basketball notebook in Saturday's paper. It is addressed.

1. Hunterdon Central; 2. North Hunterdon; 3. Voorhees; 4. Belvidere; 5. Phillipsburg; 6. Warren Hills; 7. Delaware Valley; 8. South Hunterdon; 9. North Warren; 10. Hackettstown.

SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS:

I'll give you a score and one or sentences on each game, but, again, for more in-depth analysis...wait for it...wait for it...READ THE NOTEBOOK. I can't give everything away without getting the company 50 cents in return.

Rutgers Prep 56, North Plainfield 42: A close game initially, Rutgers Prep eventually wears down North Plainfield.

Watchung Hills 50, Immaculata 47: Be careful picking a blowout here. Immaculata plays its best basketball at this time of year on Saturdays and will be hungry to make up for Thursday night's 12-point output.

Montgomery 46, Bridgewater-Raritan 39: This is one of those "How difficult is it to beat a team three times in the same season?" kind of games. I say difficult. But not difficult enough for an upset.

Gill St. Bernard's 64, Franklin 62: To be honest, I don't have any inkling who is going to win this game, and that is why I am picking it close. Franklin can run with Gill St. Bernard's in a way not many teams can, so how will the Knights react to that?

GMC Tournament seeds announced today

The following is from my colleague Mark Spivey at the Home News Tribune:

The two-time defending champion Piscataway High School girls basketball team was awarded the No. 1 seed for the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament for the third straight year with the event was seeded at East Brunswick High School Friday morning.

The Chiefs wrapped up their Red Division schedule a perfect 14-0 by beating East Brunswick on Thursday. New Brunswick and Cardinal McCarrick, which finished undefeated in the White and Blue Division play, respectively, received the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds. None of the top three seeds have gone head-to-head this season.

Five of last season's top six seeds were also seeded within the top six this time around, with South Brunswick and South Plainfield going fourth and fifth.The tournament will commence with a single play-in game between No. 25 South River and No. 24 J.P. Stevens tomorrow and will include eight first-round games on Monday and second-round games on Wednesday.

The quarterfinals will be played at South Brunswick High School on Saturday, Feb. 16; the semis will be played at Middlesex County College on Monday, Feb. 18; and the final is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway.

The seeds:

1. Piscataway (16-6)

2. New Brunswick (16-2)

3. Cardinal McCarrick (19-2)

4. South Brunswick (12-7)

5. South Plainfield (11-7)

6. Colonia (12-7)

7. Woodbridge (14-7)

8. South Amboy (11-7)

9. Bishop Ahr (14-6)

10. East Brunswick (11-9)

11. Edison (10-10)

12. Middlesex (14-7)

13. Spotswood (12-7)

14. North Brunswick (7-8)

15. Sayreville (9-10)

16. Perth Amboy (6-11)

17. Highland Park (13-6)

18. Old Bridge (8-13)

19. Carteret (6-13)

20. Monroe (4-17)

21. Dunellen (11-7)

22. Metuchen (4-16)

23. J.F. Kennedy (3-18)

24. J.P. Stevens (2-19)

25. South River (1-20)

Union County Tournament seeds announced today

Here are the Union County Tournament seeds:

17-Roselle vs. 16-Benedictine, winner vs 1-Linden; 9-Governor Livingston vs. 8-Plainfield; 21-Roselle Park vs. 12-Dayton, winner vs. 5-Roselle Catholic; 20-Union vs. 13-Union Catholic, winner vs. 4-Elizabeth; 19-Oak Knoll vs. 14-Summit, winner vs. 3-A.L. Johnson; 22-Brearley vs. 11-Hillside, winner vs. 6-Scotch Plains-Fanwood; 23-Rahway vs. 10-Cranford, winner vs. 7-New Providence; 18-Kent Place vs. 15-Mother Seton, winner vs. 2-Westfield.

You Union County readers have quite te challenge ahead of you. I've had two posts about the Somerset County Tournament generate 30 and 21 comments, respectively. That's quite a lot for a blog of this nature. Can you Union County readers meet that challenge and prove there is as much interest in what happens in that tournament as in the SCT?

P.S. Thank you Terence for the early post on the top nine seeds.

Weekend Review

So I went 3-for-4 on my Somerset County Tournament predictions as Immaculata, North Plainfield, Bridgewater-Raritan and Gill St. Bernard's advanced. The only one I got wrong was picking Hillsborough to beat Gill St. Bernard's, which is ironic because early in the season I was on the Gill bandwagon, saying "Gill and Rutgers Prep could meet in the SCT final" to several of my colleagues.

Also, let us make sure not to lose track of big wins by South Hunterdon and Plainfield on Saturday that qualified both schools for the state tournament at exactly .500. Timothy Christian had an opportunity to do the same this weekend but finished one game under .500 thanks to a loss to Ross Corners (N.Y.) on Friday night. The Tigers responded with a too-little too-late win Saturday afternoon.

***A major theme during and after the game was the play of Immaculata sophomore point guard Shauna Mulkerin, who reminded reporters, fans and both coaches of former Somerville native and Immaculata star Lindsay Melone.
Melone owned the Somerville-Immaculata rivalry for the past four years, not just with points, assists and steals, but with savvy, unheralded little plays.
Mulkerin -- who even looks a little like Melone -- did those same things Saturday during an 18-point effort, and the comparisons couldn't be helped.
I chatted with Melone, who was in the stands as a fan, after the game but did not ask her about Mulkerin.
Hilgenberg did mention after the game that she thinks Mulkerin greatly benefited from battling one-on-one in practice against Melone, who told me she has left Richmond University where she started the year as a walk-on and is attending Delaware.

Here are some leftover quotes from the Immaculata-Somerville game that I attended Saturday night but wrote only a few paragraphs about because of the late starting time.

JEN HILGENBERG, IMMACULATA COACH:

"It was just a huge game for them (our players) because we've been struggling all year. And it's Somerville-Immaculata. They are just more pumpe dcup when it comes to play Somerville."

On her team:
"When they play intense, they are a very good team."

IMMACULATA SENIOR GUARD BRITTANY MUSCATELL

"I've never lost to Somerville and I never want. I told them (my teammates) that. This is a game you don't want to lose. It's all about pride."

On scoring eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter, all from the free-throw line:
"I couldn't score earlier in the game, but free throws are an important part of the game."

SOMERVILLE COACH CORBY SWAN

On Mulkerin:
"I've never seen her play like that. She picked a great game to play like that."

"I can't make it anything else (than just any another game). I can't allow this game to deter our path. We still have the conference and the states to worry about."

Upset Alert

Here are my picks for Somerset County Tournament second-round action Saturday:
(Every year I pick at least one major upset at this level and I've never been correct)

9-North Plainfield (46), 8-Mount St. Mary (42)
The Canucks won the first meeting by three points and Noelle Hynes and Lori Nieves are playing too well right now.

10-Immaculata (39), 7-Somerville (36)
When is Somerville going to beat Immaculata? The Pioneers struggles in this rivalry are well documented (1o straight losses and its uglier if you go back further). They might have the better team, but psychological roadblocks can be tough to overcome and the Spartans won the first meeting a few weeks back.

6-Bridgewater-Raritan (51), 11-Pingry (34)
The Panthers won last season's meeting in the first round of the tournament by 28 points and were nowhere near as good of a team as they are right now. That spells trouble for the Big Blue. Do I expect Pingry to lose by 28 or more? No. Do I expect Pingry to win? Definitely not.

AND THE BIG ONE...

12-Hillsborough (66), 5-Gill St. Bernard's (60)
It would mark the second consecutive season that the 12th seed has beaten the fifth seed in this tournament. The only question is whether or not Hillsborough can score enough points to win a high-scoring game because Gill St. Bernard's is going to get its points. My feeling is the Raiders are a team you don't want to play right now, having won three of four, including beating Watchung Hills. And, as one opposing coach said to me this coach, the mere presence of veteran Hillsborough coach Jim Reese is worth a few points on the scoreboard.

Patriots: Marsonek signs with Nationals

In one of the more surprising announcements I've ever come across, former Somerset Patriots right-handed pitcher Sam Marsonek has signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. It is unknown at this time which minor-league affiliate Marsonek will report to.
Marsonek accumulated a 6-8 record, a 5.03 ERA, and 59 strikeouts in 93 innings over 35 appearances for the 2007 Patriots. He made 14 starts.
Marsonek, who was coming off major shoulder surgery when the season began, was 3-1 with a 4.88 ERA in six games pitched in August and had a 0.93 ERA and ten strikeouts in five games pitched in September.
His struggles returned during the postseason, however, and his ineffectiveness out of the bullpen was a major reason why the Patriots lost Game 1 of the Atlantic League Championship Series.
But the key word with Marsonek last season was "potential." Pitching coach and director of player procurement Brett Jodie saw that potential in Marsonek, and it is the reason he never was released despite constant rumors that he might be sent home.
A former first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers, Marsonek has three seasons of Triple-A experience with the New York Yankees and made one major-league appearance for the club.
Off-the-field, Marsonek is a quiet person who largely kept to himself and that was often taken for arrogance by members of the Patriots. I had little interaction with him, but found he never shied away from talking after a performance -- no matter how good or bad -- and that is rare in the Atlantic League.

Patriots: New Scoreboard at Commerce Bank Ballpark

Straight from the press release:

SOMERSET PATRIOTS TO INSTALL NEW STATE OF THE ART SCOREBOARD USED BY MAJORLEAGUE TEAMS Bridgewater, NJ-
In celebration of the Tenth Season Celebration of Commerce Bank Ballpark, the Somerset Patriots have announced that the team will install a brand new high-definition digital scoreboard designed and manufactured by Daktronics Inc. of Brookings, S.D for the 2008 season.
The high-definition technology of the new scoreboard model is currently being used by the Pittsburgh Steelers with installations this spring by the Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Indianapolis Colts.
The scoreboard model is also the same that will be used by the New York Mets and the New York Yankees when their new ballparks open in 2009.
“We felt that this was a great time to install the new state-of-the-art high definition scoreboard to add to our fans’ enjoyment of the Somerset Patriots experience. Entering our tenth season at Commerce Bank Ballpark, we wanted to upgrade certain aspects of the ballpark to keep the entertainment valueat its highest possible level. The scoreboard has always been a big part of the entertainment here and this new scoreboard is going to take us to a whole other level as it will be one of the best throughout all of sports,” said Patrick McVerry, President/ General Manager of the Somerset PatriotsBaseball Club.
The state-of-the-art system features the latest Daktronics video technology with the capabilities to present live and recorded video images, colorful animation and vivid graphics with incredible brightness and wide-angle visibility.
The video display is approximately 36 feet wide by 13 feet high. Daktronics HD-X technology offers a long lifetime with minimal maintenanceand low power consumption, providing value and excitement for years to come.
The Patriots are also adding a full color, digital LED lower board to the replace the current section of the scoreboard. The lower board display willmeasure approximately 36 feet wide and three feet high.
The display uses LED technology to present images and information with wide-angle visibility and incredible brightness for even greater flexibility of messages. The line score portion of the scoreboard will also be upgraded with LED technology to better display the balls, strikes, outs, runs, hits, errors,and the player at bat.
The installation will be about a two-week process beginning on April 1st to be ready for the middle of April. The 2008 Somerset Patriots schedule has been released and can be viewed at www.somersetpatriots.com. The Somerset Patriots have placed Season Tickets and Group Tickets on sale for the upcoming All-Star Season.

Math & Basketball

Is it possible to seed the Somerset County Tournament (and others like it) based on math?
At least one area coach thinks so.
I had an interesting conversation with that person Thursday night.

The basics:
Each team gets one point for a victory, plus additional points depending on the size of the school it beat. In other words, a victory over Ridge would be worth four points (one for the win, three because Ridge is a Group III school).
The same formula would be used for all winning teams with victories over non-public schools counting for points based on enrollment. If Pingry has a Group I enrollment, it would be a group one school, and beating the Big Blue would be a two-point win.
When it comes time to seed the tournament, the team with the most points is the top seed and the team with the least points is the 16th seed.
No challenging for seeds. No coaches wasting an off day at a 2-hour meeting.

The problem:
Why would a Group IV school ever want to play any Group I team? If the Group IV school wins, there is little to gain -- even if the Group I is a powerhouse such as University. If the Group IV school loses, there is plenty to lose.

Of course, I became a writer because I'm bad at math (not realizing at the time how many box scores I would have to handle) so someone else would have to tell me if this is a valid idea. If it is not, how can it be tweaked to become valid?

Updated SCT seeds

As promised, here is my updated ballot for the Somerset County Tournament field. An original ballot through last Thursday's game ran in this past Saturday's paper, and below you fill find the link to the podcast featuring boys basketball writer Jerry Carino and I analyzing our ballots. Keep in mind, however, that what you hear on the podcast was taped prior to knowing any of Tuesday night's results. If you want the most recent ballot, read here. If you want some a good laugh or two, listen to the podcast.

http://www.c-n.com/specialsections/podcasts/frezza/frezza0122.htm

1. Rutgers Prep 14-1
Locked up the No. 1 seed with Watchung Hills' lost Tuesday night
2. Watchung Hills 10-3
Tuesday night's loss to Franklin hurts, but enough to drop past this spot
3. Montgomery 10-4
Another team that didn't help itself Tuesday by losing to Immaculata. Still, this position should remain theirs.
4. Franklin 8-6
No doubt the Warriors get a double bye after beating Watchung Hills
5. Bridgewater-Raritan 5-9
By virtue of not getting the Panthers' result against Hillsborough on Tuesday night, they stay where I had them all week.
6. Gill St. Bernard's 8-3
Would be fifth if it beat Bridgewater-Raritan. Would likely have beat Bridgewater-Raritan if leading rebounder Niiya Ruth had played.
7. North Plainfield 7-3
My pick as a "team to watch" before the season is finally clicking. Erase an early season loss to Somerville and who knows how much better this seed becomes.
8. Immaculata 3-10
Yes, Immaculata is 3-10. And, yes, I still put them eighth. The Spartans' schedule is one of the area's most challenging and wins against Somerville and Montgomery in the past four days greatly improved this stock.
9. Hillsborough 2-10
No latest result (See: 5. Bridgewater-Raritan). Tough schedule (See: 8. Immaculata).
10. Mount St. Mary 8-3
Eight straight wins -- including five in the county -- made the Mount Lions a great story. Three straight losses, including one to North Plainfield on Tuesday, has cost them lots of ground at the seeding table.
11. Somerville 9-4
That loss Saturday to Immaculata doesn't look so bad anymore thanks to Montgomery's duplicating the feat.
12. Pingry 9-4
One county game, one county win (against Ridge), and one Katie Occhipinti. She's good. Go see her.
13. Ridge 3-10
Lost to Somerville and Pingry head-to-head. Could get a rematch with one in the 12-13 game.
14. Bound Brook 3-8
Moved up from 15 by beating Bernards last Friday. Could win a first-round SCT game, too.
15. Bernards 5-9
It used to be this team was thought of as a sleeper in the SCT. No more. Graduating a 2,000-point scorer can do that, you know?
16. Manville 1-12
Anyone know the last time the Mustangs won an SCT game? If so, post it in the comments section. Thanks.

Surprise Weekend

What a busy two days.
My notebook on the Somerset County Tournament seedings and Top 10 rankings -- both of which are due to my editors at the end of Thursday night -- seem to have been virtually rendered insignificant by what I've tabbed as "Surprise Weekend."
I'm not ready to call it "Upset Weekend" because with all these the teams around the area looking more and more evenly matched, I'm not sure what's an upset and what's not anymore. But I still was surprised to see in the past two days that:


1) North Hunterdon beat Hunterdon Central

2) Hun routed Hunterdon Central

3) Watchung Hills barely slipped past Bridgewater-Raritan

4) Westfield beat Scotch Plains-Fanwood (mild surprise)

5) Pingry beat Ridge

6) Immaculata beat Somerville



I will have an updated version of my Somerset County seeds on my blog by Wednesday afternoon in time for the coaches meeting later that night. Until then, here are the links to what ran in Saturday's paper and my new Top 10 as of all games completed Saturday night.



http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080119/SPORTS03/801190313/1013

http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080119/SPORTS03/801190314/1013



1. Rutgers Prep 13-1

2. Piscataway 10-3

3. Voorhees 9-4

4. North Hunterdon 10-2

5. Hunterdon Central 11-4

6. Watchung Hills 10-2

7. Montgomery 10-3

8. Westfield 8-3

9. Franklin 7-6

10. Scotch Plains-Fanwood 7-5

Reasons for some of the changes:

-- I'm ready to say Rutgers Prep is the best team in the area, and I know at least one opposing coach who agrees with me. RP beat Hun, which beat Hunterdon Central by 29 on Saturday.

-- Voorhees gets the edge among the three Hunterdon County schools, all of whom are 1-1 against each other. This is mere opinion because you could argue these teams in any order.

-- Watchung Hills and Montgomery are both playing great right now, but they fall a few spots for no other reason than because someone has to when Voorhees and North Hunterdon are moving up.

Remember, by the time the next Top 10 runs in next Saturday's paper, this Top 10 could be very different. All rankings subject to change. But enjoy for this now.

PATRIOTS: Lockwood going Crabbing?

The Atlantic League's Southern Maryland Blue Crabs selected Somerset Patriots center fielder Mike Lockwood in Tuesday's expansion draft.
Lockwood, 31, hit .278 with 23 home runs, 92 RBIs and 90 runs scored in 2007, the best season of his nine-year professional career.
But don't expect to see Lockwood playing in Waldorf, Md. anytime soon.
"I probably would not come back to the Atlantic League, even though I enjoyed it," Lockwood said. "If I can't get a look (from a major-league organization) with the year I had last year - not that it was a great year, but it was a good year - nothing is ever going happen with my age."
The Patriots expressed interest in retaining Lockwood, but he made it clear that he would prefer to play in either Mexico or Italy, if at all.
In my opinion, it seems as if Southern Maryland got the short end here.
Neither Lockwood nor the Patriots were contacted by the Blue Crabs to inquire about the former Athletics and Red Sox prospect's future plans, which do not include the Atlantic League.
With strict guidelines mandating that only player from each of the other seven teams can be drafted, it seems as if this was a wasted pick. The Patriots had plenty of talent this season, and there must have been an unprotected player with a better chance of returning to the league next season.
The Patriots lost right-handed pitcher Mike Johnson to the York Revolution in the 2006 expansion draft, but he never signed. Lockwood is the biggest name drafted off the roster since Lipso Nava was taken by the Camden Riversharks in 2000.

Changing my point on 1,000 points

During the past two years, I have questioned the meaning of 1,000 career points, saying that the milestone has lost some of the significance as more and more players see four years of varsity action. For a while, it seemed as if some local hoopster was scoring their 1,000th career point in girls or boys basketball every other day.
A little less than halfway into this season, I've come to reconsider my stance on this argument.
Perhaps the frequency of 1,000 points over the past two seasons had more to do with the number of outstanding players in the area, and not with the number itself.
The past two seasons were a golden age of talent not expected again for a long time. With less players reaching 1,000, the number again seems high enough to warrant attention.
Pingry's Katie Occhipinti and Governor Livingston's Lauren Munick are the only two local girls to reach 1,000 this season and both were three-year stars for their team expected to hit 1,000.
I know this is a debate we had on this blog last season and we don't need to rehash old material, but since I am changing my mind, I'm wondering if the decrease in 1,000 point scores has made any of you reconsider your opinion on its meaning.

Most Improved Teams

Here is a list of the teams I think have improved the most since last season.
Did I forget anyone? Tell me.
But remember, a good team, such as Hunterdon Central, is not ranked because the Red Devils also were very good last season.
This top 10 is strictly based on one team's improvement during the past 12 months and has nothing to do with how I think they would fare in a match-up with another team on the list:


1. Mount St. Mary
2. Bridgewater-Raritan
3. South Hunterdon
4. North Hunterdon
5. Rutgers Prep
6. Plainfield
7. Ridge
8. Delaware Valley
9. Gill St. Bernard's
10. Middlesex

FOR MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL: Check out Saturday's notebook. It contains a feature on an assistant coach with a familiar name to women's basketball loyalists, an item on a team that has been decimated by injuries like no other in the area, a bunch of quick hits that you might not know and the real Top 10 rankings.

Two results in case you missed them

From Saturday:

1) Voorhees 35, Watchung Hills 32
Voorhees: Shawnee Bernstein (five steals), Noelle Polhemus (12 points and seven rebounds), Melanie Ferdinand (eight points and six steals)
Watchung Hills: Stephanie Lupo 11 points, Michelle Peterpaul 10 points

2) Warren Hills 42, Delaware Valley 38

3) Hunterdon Central 45, Morristown 30

The first result is interesting if for no other reason than it perplexes me.
Hunterdon Central, Watchung Hills, Montgomery and Voorhees should have a four-team tournament in the middle of January just so that I can make sense of their comparative scores. We can call it the Dunleavy Needs Help Tournament.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, here is why I find my rankings difficult to make:

-- Voorhees beat Watchung Hills but lost to Montgomery
-- Montgomery beat Voorhees but lost to Watchung Hills
-- Hunterdon Central lost to Watchung Hills
-- Watchung Hills beat Montgomery but lost to Voorhees
** Voorhees plays host to Central tonight and I will be in attendance. If you think I'm going to make a predicition, guess again.

Girls basketball: Small Schools Top 5

I got this idea from a coach who told me the Easton Express, which covers some of the same West Jersey schools as the Courier News, does it. It's basically a chance for smaller schools (Groups I and II and Non-Public B) to see their names in a ranking system since the Top 10 is often dominated by the bigger schools. Here is my Small Schools Top 5 as of Friday afternoon:

1) Rutgers Prep
2) Gill St. Bernards
3) Somerville
4) Delaware Valley
5) Mount St. Mary

To go further, here is my Small Schools Top 5 with only public schools:

1) Somerville
2) Delaware Valley
3) Governor Livingston
4) Middlesex
5) New Providence


DISAGREE? TELL MY WHY BY POSTING A COMMENT...

Atlantic League: Realignment and other changes

(We interrupt from high school girls basketball coverage to bring you the following announcement:)

The Atlantic League announced Thursday that it has realigned its two divisions for the 2008 season, a change brought on by the addition of the expansion Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. In another change, the divisions, previously known by North and South, have been renamed the Freedom and Liberty divisions.
The new make-up:

Liberty:
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Bridgeport Bluefish
Long Island Ducks
Camden Riversharks

Freedom:
Lancaster Barnstormers
York Revolution
Somerset Patriots
Newark Bears

Here are the quotes from the press release:


“I am excited as we move into our second decade that we are able to keep our traditional rivalries intact in this new divisional setup,” AL founder & CEO Frank Boulton said. “It is with the addition of SouthernMaryland and in the best interest of the league to create these two new divisions and move away from our North/South setup.”

“The key is keeping the rivalries intact,” AL Executive Director Joe Klein said. “And we have done that.”

Here are my thoughts on what it all means:

1) Forget about a rematch of the 2007 Atlantic League Championship Series. Newark and Somerset are in the same division now.

2) I like that the league is concerned about keeping its few rivalries in tact. Somerset-Newark isn't much of a rivalry but it once was. Long Island-Bridgeport and York-Lancaster actually do have rather intense rivalries, if you believe that.

3) I like that the league made a concerted effort to break up the four teams owned by the Opening Day Partners group. There was a lot of fear -- led by Patriots manager Sparky Lyle -- that those four teams (Southern Maryland, York, Lancaster and Camden) would end up in the same division and then work together loading up certain rosters while depleting others to finagle playoff spots. The best way to put an end to controversy is to head it off at the start, and the league seems to have done that here.

4) Mike Ashmore of www.atlanticleaguebaseball.com says that the league's setup (140 game-season where each team plays the other seven 20 times regardless of division) renders even having divisions pointless, especially if the divisions are no longer based on geography.
I understand the point, but respectfully disagree. I like divisions because I think they promote rivalries and I also think that, for example, being six games out of first place in a four-team division is an easier deficit to overcome than being six games out of first place in an eight-team league-wide field. A balanced schedule is one thing, but at the end of each half, you are still chasing only the teams in your division and that makes those games matter more than intra-divisional games.

5) Freedom and Liberty are not very good names for divisions. When did the AL become the symbol of athletic patriotism? As if having a team named the "Patriots" was not enough.
North and South, A and B, Boulton and Klein, Apples and Oranges, Balls and Bats, etc. would all been more suitable names. I understand they wanted neutrality in the names, but this is silly.