If you go by statistics, Jackson Memorial High School might be the best and most complete baseball team in New Jersey right now.
At the very least, the Jaguars look like a prime contender for the NJSIAA Group 4 Tournament championship.
Coach Frank Malta’s club is 14-2 and has outscored opponents 153-32. Its lineup and pitching staff are just dominating.
Let’s start with the lineup, since its success is not surprising. Malta knew he had a loaded group coming into the spring, and it has delivered in every facet.
“We thought it could be special and it is,” the coach said.
Just look at some of these fantasy baseball lines…
Senior right fielder and the No. 3 hitter in the order, Alex Iadisernia: .638 batting average, four home runs, 25 runs batted in, 25 runs scored.
Junior second baseman and leadoff batter Christian Pellone: .452 average, four homers, 20 runs.
Junior catcher and the No. 5 hole hitter Tom Cartnick: .311 average, four bops, 13 runs, 14 RBIs.
Junior first baseman and cleanup batter Carmine Petosa: .500, three homers, 20 runs.
Junior centerfielder and sixth hitter Ryan Lasko: .490, seven homers, 29 RBIs, 20 runs.
Senior shortstop and second batter Ahmir Cournier: .528, two home runs, 16 RBIs, 17 runs.
“We’re off to a pretty good start offensively,” Malta said. “The home runs are there. A lot of guys have good averages and are posting quality at bats.”
“We’re just doing really good things,” he added.
But it’s Malta’s pitching staff that’s been the real revelation. In March, before the regular season started, the coach expected to have two standouts in junior left-hander Nick Beetel and sophomore right-hander Matt Potok.
Both guys have pitched like aces, too. Beetel has three victories, a 2.49 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Potok is 5-0 with an 0.67 ERA.
But the staff also features two other elite arms who can start against any opponent. Senior left-hander Joe “Zep” Princiotta is 5-0 with a 1.70 ERA. Freshman lefty Zach Crotchfelt sports a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA. He has also allowed just two hits in 12 frames.
“They are right there with Potok and Beetel, guys we can give the ball to who will go five or six innings and give us every opportunity,” Malta said.
Princiotta could only last like 3-4 innings in 2018, but he improved his curveball and changeup in the offseason.
“He works quick and throws his secondary pitches for strikes,” Malta said. “And his breaking ball has good depth.”
Malta and his staff knew Crotchfelt had the stuff and gumption to compete as a freshman. They just didn’t know he’d be this good.
“We gave him an opportunity, so we sort of knew,” Malta said. “But he has just taken the bull by the horns.”
“He won’t let a batter control an at bat,” Malta added. “That’s been the key.”
“I just wanted to seize the moment and prove I belonged on varsity,” Crotchfelt said.
Both things taken together, the great lineup and pitching staff, beg only one question at this point: does Jackson Memorial have any room to improve before the Shore Conference Tournament and the South Jersey, Group 4 state sectional tournament?
Malta is a coach, so he thinks the answer is yes.
“We have to get better defensively,” he said. “One bad defensive game can end your season.”
“I feel like we have a great chance to go all the way,” Crotchfelt added.
