Just two weeks into the regular season, all but two of the Shore Conference teams have suffered at least one loss and the two undefeated teams play in the deepest division in the conference. This means that sooner or later ranking teams at the Shore will require some CV imperfections to be overcome, which is pretty much inevitable in any baseball season.

For now, the two remaining undefeated teams are making an ascent into the top five after both starting the season in the second half of the Top 10, while the rest of the field consists of seven teams with at least two losses already. With the shutdown of the Shore Conference tournament just one week from this Wednesday, the comparisons are already substantial.

1. Jackson Memorial (5-2, 2-0) Last week: 1

Jackson Memorial’s two losses came in the batting final against strong out-of-zone teams. In every loss – one to St. Augustine and the other to Kingsway – the Jaguars got a solid exit from one of their co-aces, but the opposition knocked them out of the game and took advantage of the box. lifters. At Shore, meanwhile, Jackson Memorial is 4-0 with a 43-10 cumulative score against those teams. This week, the Shore’s No.1 team will face Toms River East twice, then start two games against Toms River North on Friday.

2. Red Bank Catholic (7-1, 3-0) last week: 2

As the season approached, it seemed clear that Red Bank Catholic would be in contention for the Shore’s best team when Shane Panzini was on the mound, but it wasn’t so clear how the Caseys would be level with other pitchers on the mound. While the throwing performance outside of Panzini has been inconsistent, the Red Bank Catholic attack has caused thunder, including 43 runs in four wins last week.

3. Middletown North (6-0, 3-0) last week: 7

A streak of Class A North squads begins with Middletown North, which has yet to give up a game and claimed its first real notable victory of the season, beating Howell on Thursday behind an impressive outing from senior Colin Dowlen. The Lions will be tough with Dowlen and Danny Frontera on the mound and have shown some ability to put leads on the board so far. The schedule is accelerating this week, with another game against Howell and the first of a two-game showdown with Manalapan.

4. Township of Freehold (6-0, 5-0) Last week: 9

The Patriots have set the tone in the Class A North race at this point, winning their five games in the division. Last week, Freehold Township handed Middletown South their only two losses by cooling off the Eagles’ red offense. Two weeks into the season there are only two undefeated teams left and although Middletown North is another A North team with a perfect score, Freehold Township’s perfect record has almost 40% of the division schedule on the books. .

5. Manalapan (5-2, 2-1) Last week: 3

Manalapan’s streak against Howell last week had just about it all: a 12-10 brawl the Braves pulled off, a pitching duel that followed Howell and, overall, two very good Class A North teams. exchanging blows. Manalapan followed with a spectacular victory over the ABC on Saturday, followed by a victory at Memorial West New York later in the afternoon. Two teams are now ahead of the Braves in the Class A North standings, but Manalapan is still in a good position to move up the standings in the Shore’s most stacked division.

6. Middletown South (6-2, 1-2) last week: 5

Continuing with the Class A North contenders, Middletown South lost two games at Freehold Township this week, but it remains the only team to beat the Eagles this season so far. Among Middletown South’s casualties are two ranked teams Red Bank Catholic and Toms River North and the Eagles have scored double-digit points in those two wins.

7. Howell (5-2, 1-2) last week: 8

A 2-2 record for the week was a solid result for Howell given the competition, but it could be even better than it looks. The Rebels continue to stand out, even as potential No.1 contender Chris Ellison recovers healthy enough to pitch and co-ace Vin Impresa had a tough outing against Manalapan to start the week. Daniel Furlong and Ryan Bilello both performed well and junior Nick Gomes – who stood out in the Last Dance World Series in July – just returned from an injury at the end of the week.

8. Colts Neck (4-2, 2-1) last week: unranked

Colts Neck enters the Top 10 for the first time this year and breaks the race for Class A North teams. The Cougars’ two losses were ugly – 11-2 against Howell and 13-2 against Wall – but Colts Neck also earned 10 points against Manalapan and St. John Vianney, as well as an additional win against Wall to bounce back. back from the loss of the rash.

9. Toms River North (3-2, 2-0) last week: 6

Toms River North’s two losses came against Top 10 teams (Red Bank Catholic and Middletown South), so the Mariners had no real risk of dropping out of the standings. The wins aren’t bad either (two over Brick Memorial and one over Ranney), but teams ranked ahead of Toms River North at the moment have more killer wins on their CVs. The week ahead is a huge one for the Mariners, with the next two against Central and Jackson Memorial just on the horizon for a wrap-up series next Friday and Tuesday.

10. Wall (5-3, 3-1) Last week: Uncategorized

Although they lost to the team they are replacing at No.10 (Rumson-Fair Haven), the Crimson Knights are back in the fold after parting with the Colts Neck, beating Manasquan’s throw and giving Shane Panzini a tough time before ultimately losing to Red Catholic Bank. Wall is still learning more about his pitching team, but at 8.75 points per game against good pitchers, the roster is undeniably good.

Abandoned

St. John Vianney (1-2, 1-2) last week: 4 – The Lancers are still progressing through the season after having to stay home for the first week. Tuesday’s game against the Colts Neck with ace Ryan Sekman on the mound will be important.

Rumson-Fair Haven (4-2, 1-2) last week: 10 – Two losses to Holmdel and one more scare at St. Rose left the Bulldogs down, but Rumson showed his potential in week one.

Top 10 Watchlists

Catholic Donovan (5-1, 2-0) – The Griffins continue to beat baseball, which earned them a Point Boro sweep last week.

Matawan (5-1, 3-0) – Apart from a narrow loss to Raritan, Matawan has won and won big throughout his season, edging his opponents 60-16.

Brick Memorial (3-4, 0-2) – Although the Mustangs have a loss record, two of the losses are against Toms River North, one is an opening day loss to Ranney and the other to the undefeated Egg Harbor. Brick Memorial also handed Donovan Catholic their only loss and beat ABC and Lacey, so the strength of the schedule is worth celebrating.

Lacey (4-2, 3-1) – After a 4-0 start, Lacey lost a few one-point games to Barnegat and Brick Memorial. The throw will keep Lacey in the chase throughout the season in what will be a competitive Class B South race.

Central (3-1, 3-0) – Cam Leiter’s kickoff gave Central a spectacular victory over Toms River South in their only game last week, which pushed the Golden Eagles to a quick 3-0 start in Class A South with a big series against Toms River North coming up.

Christian Brothers Academy (2-3, 1-2) – The ABC took a few bumps, with two heartbreaking losses to Brick Memorial and Manalapan, but wins over Seton Hall Prep and Marlboro along with encouraging performances keep the Colts on the list of teams to watch as the season is developing.