Red Raiders Learn Playoff Opponents in Baseball and Softball

The Ocean City High School baseball team officially begins its South Jersey title defense May 23.

The road to the championship won't be easy.

The defending NJSIAA Group III South champions learned Thursday night they received the No. 9 seed, and will play at No. 8 Seneca. The winner takes on top-seeded Highland on May 27.

The Red Raiders softball team is the No. 15 seed and takes on No. 2 Kingsway on May 26. The winner plays No. 8 Deptford or No. 1 Timber Creek.

The Ocean City baseball team (11-8) started the season by winning seven of their first eight games, but then lost six of eight.

Seneca (9-6) also played its best baseball in the beginning of the season, losing five of its past seven games.

Seneca features 6-foot-4 Kevin Comer, one of the top pitching prospects in the state. Comer, who has a fastball in the 90s and has agreed to pitch at Vanderbilt University, recently starting pitching again after having a few minor nagging injuries.

"I think if we get their No. 1 (Comer), who is one of the best pitchers in the state, then we have our work cut out for us," Ocean City Craig Mensinger. "If we play like the way can, we are capable of beating them.

"We can play anybody if we play our best and put it all together. We definitely will come ready to play. The kids look forward to the challenge."

Highland awaits the winner. Ocean City knows the Tartans well, beating them last season in the playoffs, and playing them in a scrimmage this season.

"We know them well, and we did well against them in the scrimmage," Mensinger said. "But you have to get there first."

The Red Raiders softball team has won two games this season, and has dropped six straight games.

Kingsway is a perennial power and has won three straight games, and has won nine of its past 11 games.