Delco baseball Super 7, May 16

The last full week of the baseball season is upon us. By this time next week, the Class AAAA teams will be gearing up for their first playoff games, and the Catholic League will have used its doubleheader Saturday to whittle its playoff contenders down to a mere four teams. That’ll bring resolution to a topsy-turvy season in which consensus among the Delco contingent has been difficult to discern. The latest installment of power rankings (pdf) makes some determinations, but the math only says so much. Here’s the human spin of what’s going on around Delco. (Records based on games reported through May 15.)

Final full day of the Central League baseball regular season. Here’s what the standings look like: pic.twitter.com/A0DuFTE1FA

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 16, 2016

1. Haverford School 20-7 Last week: No. 1

The first (only?) Delco team to 20 wins this season is 4-0 against Central League opposition and 2-0 against the Catholic League. It’s the Inter-Acs (4-5) that are pesky. As always seems to be the case for Bob Castell’s bunch, the pitching is coming along late in the season. Cameron Miller has pitched back-to-back seven-inning shutouts, a two-hitter of Episcopal then a no-no against Germantown Academy, and Mike Warnick gave up just one run in six frames in a 1-0 loss to Springside Chestnut Hill last outing. That pitching resurgence could help the Fords claim some redemption via the PAISAA tournament.

2. Interboro (16-0) Last week: No. 2

I’m buying into the Bucs, maybe not as the best team in District One yet but as potentially the best team in Delco soon. Lo and behold, Interboro and Haverford School are slated to play Wednesday. In any event, the most impressive aspect of the Bucs unbeaten run may be this: They’ve allowed 17 runs in 16 games. Since surrendering six runs to Academy Park in an 11-6 win April 14, Bucs pitchers have conceded a grand total of six runs in 11 games. It’s one thing to go unbeaten through a weak league. It’s another to do so with the level of domination the Bucs have displayed.

3. Marple Newtown (13-6) Last week: No. 4

Winners of six of seven, the Central League is Marple’s to lose Monday when they travel to Strath Haven. A win guarantees them at least a share of the title. The parity in the Central League has Marple only 13th in District One, which seems oddly low. In any case, the Tigers are looking dangerous because of a lineup that just keeps hitting, led by Alden Mathes’ insatiable thirst for extra-base hits. Going into the postseason, the thought of having Ricky Collings in Game 1 and some combination of Vince Greco, Cameron Mathes and Scott Hahn for the second game makes the Tigers a daunting out.

4. Springfield (12-5) Last week: No. 3

Pitching depth sets the Cougars apart, as was on display last week with the games against Strath Haven and Radnor. Mike Smith and Jared Morris are an excellent 1-2 punch. Ben Thorpe is pretty strong as a No. 3, and Dave Strawley is an effective reliever if used well in the postseason. If Brian Francis manages the staff right, this could be a team that springs a surprise from the 19th seed it currently sports.

5. Garnet Valley (11-5) Last week: No. 7

I can’t believe I’m elevating the Jaguars in a week that they lost to Ridley (which also has a win over Haverford, I should say). The Jags are 23rd in the district, and Lower Merion Monday is an absolute can’t-lose that should cement their place in the field. I find Springfield, Garnet Valley and Strath Haven tough to separate. Pitching depth gives Springfield the edge. But behind Marple (and Conestoga), Mike Bechtold makes Garnet Valley the most dangerous team in a one-and-done tourney. The bats also inspire more confidence than Strath Haven.

6. Episcopal Academy (12-14) Last week: No. 5

The good news is that Cam Van Hoorebeke is back, starting Saturday’s game against Carroll. The bad news is that he lasted 15 pitches and two thirds of an inning, saddled with five runs allowed. The big lefty is just a junior and his long-term arm health is the obvious priority, so there’s little more than a game of ‘what if’ to consider in pondering his health situation this year.

7. Strath Haven (10-7) Last week: No. 6

Here’s a stat: In only three of 17 games this season have Strath Haven and its opponent each scored three or more runs. Two of those were bare-minimum, 4-3 games (one in eight innings), and the other was the 5-4, 11-inning affair with Springfield. That says something good about the Panthers pitching staff and bad about their bats. Still, the Panthers are 4-1 in one-run games, so they know how to steer out of tight spots. At 16th in the latest power rankings, the Panthers are in good shape.

Honorable mention: Haverford (10-8, the Fords sit 24th in the 26-team field, so avenging a loss to Ridley is an absolute must Monday); Archbishop Carroll (7-10, look who’s riding a four-game winning streak. When it comes to the Catholic League tournament, deploying a pitcher of James Kelly’s ability automatically gives the Patriots a chance. And then, who knows what can happen?); Bonner & Prendergast (9-7, the Friars stemmed the tide of a four-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Archbishop Ryan Friday. The problem? They’ve scored seven runs combined in the last six games. No wonder they’ve only won two of them); Cardinal O’Hara (9-8, the big difference for the Lions is pitching: They have allowed four runs or fewer in each of the last seven games, going 4-3 in that stretch. Credit Billy Neill and the return of Luke Zimmerman for the more consistent pitching); Radnor (8-9, exclude the 0-5 start and Radnor is 8-4, including a four-game winning streak snapped Thursday by Springfield, and poised to make a mark in the AAA tournament); Academy Park (11-6, apparently the Knights are in good shape in the district in 18th, but that’s with an inaccurate record, so standby).