Tourny Time!

The Somerset County Tournament seeding meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at
Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

The top four seeds will receives byes into the quarterfinals, while the fifth through eighth-seeded teams receive first-round byes.

With Somerset Tech joining the varsity ranks this year, there will be 17 teams in the tournament for the first time, necessitating a play-in game into Saturday’s first round, tournament director and Bridgewater-Raritan athletic director John Maggio said.

The 17th seed will play at the 16th seed Thursday or Friday, with the winner playing at the ninth seed Saturday.

The second round is scheduled for April 28 and the quarterfinals for May 5, both at the higher seeded schools. The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, May 9, and the final slated for 7 p.m. Saturday, May 12 at North Branch Park in Bridgewater.


Here is how I would seed the tournament (records through Monday):

1. Montgomery (4-1) – With everything else being equal, the Cougars should be granted the top seed if, for no other reason, because they are the defending champions. That said, Montgomery is also 4-1, with its only loss coming Saturday to state powerhouse Cherokee at the Rancocas Valley Tournament. The Cougars have been to the final the last two seasons, and, despite graduating four top starters, could be there again come May 12. The only concern is, outside of Watchung Hills, Montgomery hasn’t played any of the county’s top teams so far this season.

2. Immaculata (3-0) – The last time the Spartans went to the county final it was 2000 and co-head coach Erica Bell was pitching Immaculata to its second straight championship. In 2007, with victories over Hunterdon Central and Hillsborough under the Spartans’ belts thanks to the bats of Jen Lapicki and Caitlin Piazzola, as well as Piazzaola’s right arm, Immaculata could be headed to its first final in seven years.

3. Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1) – The Panthers’ 2-0 victory over Hillsborough on April 9 gives them the higher seed here, and if not for a loss to Scotch Plains-Fanwood on April 7, you could make a strong case for Bridgewater-Raritan being awarded the No. 2 seed. The Panthers haven’t played in the final since 2001, and haven’t won a crown since 1998. With junior righty Lauren Fitzsimmons and junior first baseman Lindsay Durant leading the way, this could be the year Bridgewater-Raritan returns to glory.

4. Hillsborough (3-3) – The Raiders have been to the county final five straight seasons, winning three straight from 2003-2005. But Hillsborough is off to a disappointing 3-3 start, including losses to Immaculata and Bridgewater-Raritan, after it lost seven regulars to graduation. Meanwhile, a brutally tough early-season schedule, which included state Group IV champion North Hunterdon, has doomed the Raiders to a .500 start. Should Hillsborough meet Montgomery in the semifinals, it would be a rematch of last season’s championship game and should be another classic.

5. Mount St. Mary (4-0) – The Mount Lions went to the semifinals last season where they saw their county run ended by Montgomery for the second straight year (the teams met in the quarters in 2005). With right-hander Danielle Accardi’s skills in the circle and at the plate making Mount Lions fans almost forget about graduated ace Cassie Searles, who went 15-5 with a 0.79 ERA, we could be looking at another Montgomery-Mount St. Mary battle in the semis. Don’t be surprised to see Mount St. Mary make a serious run at their first-ever trip to the county final.

6. Somerville (5-1) – The Pioneers' only loss has been to Mount St. Mary, while Somerville has handled quality teams in Hackettstown and 2006 Group I finalist Belvidere. While the Pioneers are probably a longshot to make a run at the final four, don’t expect them to be an easy out.

7. Watchung Hills (1-2) – The Warriors, who fell to Hillsborough in last year’s semifinals, returned their entire starting team but, through just a three-game sample, hasn’t shown they belong among the county’s elite. That’s not to say Watchung Hills won’t be a dangerous opponent for whoever it draws in the tournament. Like the rest of the Skyland Delaware East, anyone can beat anyone on any given day, and should the Warriors click over the next four weeks, they could be back in the final for the first time since 2004 when they wrapped up a five-year run in the championship game that included two crowns.

8. Bernards (4-3) – The No. 8 through No. 10 seeds really could go any way, and it promises to be among the biggest points of contention at Wednesday’s meeting, with a first-round bye on the line. I’m going to go with the Mountaineers here. Though Bernards has three losses, they’ve come to three of the four best teams in the lower divisions of the Skyland Conference – Mount St. Mary, Delaware Valley and Somerville. Still, should the seeding go my way, and if the Mountaineers can get past their second-round opponent, a quarterfinals date with the Mount Lions would be a tall order for Bernards, which has not been to the county final since 1981.

9. Pingry (2-1) – I’m seeding the Big Blue here simply because of their winning record. Pingry has played just three games, beating Glen Ridge and Morris Catholic and losing 8-3 to Cedar Grove, the reigning state Group I champion. The Big Blue should defeat anyone it faces in the first round, and could even win a second-round game, but a victory in the quarterfinals is a long shot for Pingry, which has never played for the county crown.

10. Ridge (1-4) – The Red Devils are victims of their schedule. As a Group III school, Ridge has had to endure the perils of the Delaware Division and it’s showed, as the Red Devils have had to deal with North Hunterdon, Watchung Hills, Hunterdon Central and Hillsborough in the early season. Ridge’s only victory was out of conference, over Morristown on opening day. The Red Devils only shot at a trip to the quarterfinals will be drawing someone other than Watchung Hills, unless a 7-0 loss to the Warriors on April 5 was merely a fluke.

11. Bound Brook (2-3) – The Crusaders should win their first-round game, but a victory in the second round will be tough, though not impossible. Bound Brook has a rich Somerset County Tournament tradition, as the Crusaders appeared in 10 straight championship contests from 1990-1999, winning six titles.

12. Rutgers Prep (4-2) – The Argonauts will be favored in their first-round matchup, but figure to be heavy underdogs in round 2. Rutgers Prep has throttled the likes of Wardlaw-Hartridge, Purnell and Saddle River Day, while falling to Pennington 13-2, and to Montgomery 6-3 -- though the Cougars sat most of their regulars.

13. Manville (1-5) – The Mustangs lone victory was by one run over North Plainfield on April 3, after losing to Bound Brook 10-2 on opening day. The Mustangs, which won the Sky Division of the Mountain Valley Conference last season, graduated several top players and have found life in the Skyland a bit more challenging. The right matchup could see Manville sneak out of the first round, but even that’s a longshot.

14. Gill St. Bernard’s (2-1) – Sure, a winning record is all well and good, but when you consider one of those wins came over Lacordaire by just one run, and the other was over Purnell, well, the Saints are going to have their hands full no matter who they draw here. Gill’s 22-2 loss to Wardlaw-Hartridge also makes one raise an eyebrow.

15. North Plainfield (0-5) – The Canucks gave Manville a game on April 3, and played well against South Hunterdon and North Warren. Still, first-year coach Jim Miller has some work to do if North Plainfield is going to regain its competitive form of the late 90’s and early part of this decade.

16. Franklin (0-3) – The Warriors haven’t won a game in three years, as their losing streak is up to 42 games. If, as expected, Franklin draws Somerset Tech in the play-in game, that streak could come to a merciful end.

17. Somerset Tech (0-3) – Not only have the Runnin’ Jags failed to win a game though their first three contests as a varsity program, Somerset Tech has managed only two hits to date. A play-in game against Franklin should be very, very interesting.


There it is, folks. Please, feel free to comment. Agree? Disagree?

Make sure to check back here Wednesday evening as I will be attending the seeding meeting and will post the seeds and matchups here as soon as they’re official.