Toms River North an Unlikely Contender for Jackon in SCT Final

Jackson Memorial being in the championship game of the Shore Conference Baseball Tournament is certainly not a surprise as the Jaguars have made it to the championship game in each of the last four years. However, when Jackson steps onto the field at FirstEnergy Park Monday Night they will be meeting an unlikely opponent in Toms River North.

While the Mariners are a perennial championship contender they began the SCT as the #15 seed and would have a tough road to travel on their way to the finals. In their only home game North edged Point Beach before surprising Red Bank Catholic, CBA and most recently Monmouth Regional on the road to advance to the home of the Lakewood BlueClaws for what will be the final baseball game of the year in Ocean County.

The senior-laden Mariners come into the title game with a 17-8 record and have won 7 of their last 8 games since losing to Jackson in the semifinals of the Ocean County Tournament. North has won the SCT twice before, most recently in 2005 and a third title would be the most surprising for Coach Ted Schelmay’s squad.

Of course beating the Jaguars will not be easy as Jackson has won all three meetings between the teams on their way to a 24-3 record.

Coach Frank Malta’s squad won the Ocean County Tournament and a shared the Class “A South” title with Toms River South so the red and black is seeking its third championship of the season.

The top seeds have rolled past St. John Vianney, Brick Memorial and Middletown South by a combined score of 15-0 on their way to a fourth consecutive SCT Final.

Jackson has come up short in each of the last two championship game matchups after winning it all in 2009 but they will have ace pitcher Brandon Holup on the mound Monday looking for his fifth straight shutout.

Game time is 8 p.m.