By Scott Huff
Suburban One League baseball is unlike its scholastic brothers – basketball and football.
In contrast to both, non-league games do not figure into placement in the post-season playoffs. The lone factor in seeding for the district playoffs is how each team competed within its own conference.
“The competitor in me wants all the games to count for something,” said Upper Moreland head coach Ernie Rehr. “The coach in me understands that you can develop more kids in those non-league games. But when it’s all said and done, I wish that 20 games counted and not just the 14 games we play in the conference.”
“When I went to the seeding meeting, I asked why we don’t count the non-league games like they do in basketball,” said Abington head coach Dave Torresani – who also coached basketball for North Penn and Abington. “It was a question that was never really answered. It isn’t going to change anytime soon.”
“The good things about the non-league games is that you can play kids who come to practice everyday but might not be good enough to compete with the regular kids on the varsity,” said Neshaminy head coach Dennis Cox. “A lot of teams won’t play their best players in a non-league game, and those games don’t give you a good barometer on how good teams really are.”
And how good are baseball teams?
Baseball, unlike its brothers basketball and football, doesn’t always put its best team on the field. Pitching defines how ‘good’ a team is on any given day, and a team’s #1 pitcher certainly can’t pitch every single inning of every single game.
“Whenever we throw Keith Moyer, we have a great chance of winning the game,” said Souderton head coach Mike Childs. “And that can be said of almost every team in the league – they feel they can win with their #1.”
The only thing for certain as the SOL teams make their final drive for playoff spots is uncertainty.
Stay tuned.
Suburban One League National Conference
Neshaminy (6-1) is going to have a brutal schedule as the Redskins play three conference games in three days.
“This is what it’s all about,” said Neshaminy head coach Dennis Cox. “There are no easy games, and we should be seeing some very good arms along the way.”
Neshaminy will travel to Truman (5-4) to meet the contending Tigers, will host Abington (3-5) on Wednesday, and then host first place Council Rock North (7-1).
“We saw a great pitcher in our loss last week to Council Rock South,” said Cox in reference to the Skins 3-1 loss to the Golden Hawks. “Greg Welsh is the type of pitcher that can make you look bad.
“The rest of the season is going to be very interesting,” added Cox. “You can only play one game at a time.”
National Conference Standings
1. Council Rock North Indians [7-1]
2. Neshaminy Redskins [6-1]
3. Council Rock South Golden Hawks [5-4]
4. Pennsbury Falcons [5-4]
5. Truman Tigers [5-4]
6. Abington Galloping Ghosts [3-5]
7. Bensalem Owls [2-6]
8. William Tennent Panthers [1-8]
Continental Conference
Souderton (1-8) is accustomed to playing for conference titles, District One playoff slots, and a position in the state tournament.
Not this year.
“We had a meeting today, and we have a plan as to want we want to accomplish for the rest of the season,” said Souderton head coach Mike Childs. “We came up with a good list, now we have to go out and execute for the last two weeks.
“We could have a say as to who wins this conference,” added Childs. “Really, anybody can beat anybody. And up until last week, we still had a chance if we could have put some wins together.”
The Indians season could be summed up in their recent loss to North Penn – 2-0.
“Keith Moyer threw a great game – a one-hitter,” said Childs. “But the one hit he gave up was a two-run homer (to Mark Fuse), and we lose the game.
“You name it, we haven’t done it,” added Childs. “We haven’t hit, we don’t run the bases well, and we haven’t been consistent with our pitching.
“Our seniors still have two weeks left in their (high school) careers,” continued Childs. “I would like to send them out with some wins.”
Continental Conference Standings
1. Pennridge Rams [6-2]
2. Central Bucks South Titans [6-3]
3. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters [5-4]
4. North Penn Knights [5-4]
5. Quakertown Panthers [4-3]
6. Central Bucks West Bucks [4-5]
7. Central Bucks East Patriots [3-5]
8. Souderton Indians [1-8]
American Conference
Upper Moreland (5-3) plays host to Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-3) in a key conference game Tuesday.
“The standings are so close, I told the kids that I don’t know who to root for,” said Upper Moreland head coach Ernie Rehr. “We can’t worry about what everyone else is doing, we have to take care of the games we play.
“We are going to have to rely on our offense to get us some runs this week,” added Rehr. “We play three games in three days, and our pitching is going to need support.”
In another important conference game today, Upper Dublin (5-3) will be on the road to take on first place
Wissahickon (6-3).
“We have begun to execute much better in recent games,” said Wissahickon head coach Shannon Gunby as the Trojans are on a six-game win streak. “The team that executes the best in the last two weeks is going to win the league.”
American Conference Standings
1. Wissahickon Trojans [6-3]
2. Upper Merion Vikings [6-3]
3. Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals [5-3]
4. Upper Moreland Golden Bears [5-3]
5. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials [5-3]
6. Norristown Eagles [4-4]
7. Springfield Spartans [3-6]
8. Cheltenham Panthers [0-9]
On-Deck – Tuesday -Suburban One League baseball
National Conference
Neshaminy (6-1) @ Truman (5-4)
Council Rock North (7-1) @ William Tennent (1-8)
Council Rock South (5-4) @ Bensalem (2-6)
Abington (3-5) @ Pennsbury (5-4)
Continental Conference
Central Bucks East (3-5) @ Pennridge (6-2)
Hatboro-Horsham (5-4) @ Central Bucks South (6-3)
North Penn (5-4) @ Souderton (1-8)
Quakertown (4-3) @ Central Bucks West (4-5)
American Conference
Cheltenham (0-9) @ Upper Merion (6-3)
Springfield (3-6) @ Norristown (4-4)
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-3) @ Upper Moreland (5-3)
Upper Dublin (5-3) @ Wissahickon (6-3)
Suburban One Sports.Com Super Seven
(subject to daily change)
1. Council Rock North Indians
2. Neshaminy Redskins
3. Central Bucks South Titans
4. Pennridge Rams
5. Wissahickon Trojans
6. Upper Merion Vikings
7. Council Rock South Golden Hawks
(under consideration – Truman Tigers, Pennsbury Falcons, Hatboro-Horsham Hatters, North Penn Knights, Quakertown Panthers, Upper Moreland Golden Bears, Norristown Eagles, Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials, & the Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals.)
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