On Thursday, all eyes in Morris County will be on Montville High School’s baseball diamond at 7 pm for the baseball final. The County Tournament has reached its championship matchup with teams with completely different storylines.
Delbarton is poised to make their 5th consecutive appearance in the Morris County title game, a feat that began with the likes of Anthony Volpe and Jack Leiter. On the flip side, the Chatham Cougars have been on a thrilling tournament run, notably crushing top-seeded Morris Knolls this past Saturday. Let's delve into the intriguing details of the MCT Finals matchup.
Familiar Foes
These two teams have already met twice this year, back in April, where Delbarton swept both games in a span of six days. The past few years have not been kind to the Cougars in their matchups, with the Green Wave dropping their last five games to the defending county champs.
Chatham has not scored a run against Delbarton since the 5th inning of last year's April 21st matchup. Since that game, the Green Wave have not allowed a run, outscoring the Cougars 24-0 in those three games.
Probable Pitchers:
Both teams are set to have their starters from the semis pitch Thursday, with Wes Maskimow and Aiden Dill only needing three days rest per the NJSIAA pitch count rule.
Chatham will also have Trent Jenks available to go; whether they start him or have him come on in relief of Maskimow remains to be seen, but it's a good bet that Maskimow gets the start after a stellar performance against Knolls.
Delbarton will have all their top three arms ready for the county final. Aiden Dill looks to be in line for the start after out-dueling Tommy Martin in the semifinals, holding Randolph to two hits and no runs in 5.1 innings pitched.
The Green Wave can also go to AJ Saccento (1.40 ERA) and Christian Zebrowski (0.50 ERA), who have been their top two arms thus far in the season. Dill, Saccento, and Zebrowski have struck out 120 combined this year as a top trio in the state.
History in the Making
Thursday night's final out will mark a significant moment in the history of Morris County baseball. Will Delbarton secure their 5th consecutive MCT title, a feat that would etch their name in the county record books? Or will the Cougars create one of the greatest tournament upsets the county has ever seen, adding a new chapter to their legacy?
Final Thoughts
The stage is set, and two teams that know one another very well have been waiting five days for this moment. This game has all the makings of a classic but can also go south quickly and become a blowout.
Forget the previous matchups; forget the history between these two teams; everything changes when it comes down to just one game. The fire that has been lit in this Chatham team is one that coaches dream of in high school baseball.
Throughout the entire tournament, they have overcome blown leads and have blown out top-seeded teams proving that baseball is more than just numbers and there is a heartbeat to every single game.
Delbarton is a team that can contend for the State Title and will go in as heavy favorites to try and capture another MCT Title. If this game stays close early on, the Cougars may very well have a chance to pull the upset. The game's first three innings will ultimately decide if Delby etches their name into the history books or if the Cougars have one last upset for us.
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Be sure to check out JerseySportingNews.com for the MCT Final Recap!
Photo by Mick Haupt
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