BASEBALL: Mainland’s Coaches vs. Cancer showcase features seven teams in state’s Top 20

STAFF REPORT

While the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic may be the premier baseball tournament in South Jersey, the Coaches vs. Cancer — formerly hosted by Millville and now by Mainland Regional — is one of the best showcases in the state. This weekend the annual event will feature a host of great matchups that include seven teams ranked in this week’s nj.com Top 20, including the No. 1 overall team in Gloucester Catholic and No. 5 Kingsway.

Other ranked teams making an appearance at the event include No. 6 St. Augustine Prep, No. 12 and host Mainland Regional, No. 13 Cherry Hill West, No. 15 Delsea Regional and No. 16 Southern Regional. All those teams have a combined record of 62-6 so far this season.

The showcase begins on Friday afternoon with one of the classic coaching matchups, as Atlantic City’s Brent Bean and Bridgeton’s Mike Valella go at it again. Those teams will play at 4 p.m. in a game that has become a rivalry specific to this showcase. But this year, the teams are both in the Cape-Atlantic League’s United Division, so they’ll actually play each other again twice next week in a conference home-and-home matchup.

Friday’s slate also features a nightcap at Jerome Avenue in Margate as Mainland welcomes in Rumson-Fair Haven of the Shore Conference.

Saturday is loaded with eight games on Mainland’s varsity and JV fields, as well as a 7 p.m. game in Margate featuring Highland vs. Spotswood. Shawnee and Kingsway battle it out at 11:30 a.m. on the varsity field followed by a matchup between Bishop Eustace and Millville at 2 p.m.

The best matchup of the weekend comes at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday as Gloucester Catholic takes on St. Augustine Prep. This is one of the most intense baseball rivalries in the state and always draws a huge crowd. Last year the Rams won, 2-0, as Joe Vaccarella and Evan Brasburger combined to limit St. Augustine to just four hits — three of which were singles — while striking out nine.

Delsea, one of the hottest teams in the state right now, hosts perennial Shore Conference power Jackson Memorial at 4:30 p.m. to close out the weekend.

Here’s a look at the full schedule:

All games at Mainland’s varsity field unless otherwise noted

FRIDAY

4pm Schalick vs. Cape May Tech (JV field)

4pm Atlantic City vs. Bridgeton

4pm Paul VI vs. Audubon (Jerome Avenue, Margate)

7pm Mainland vs. Rumson-Fair Haven (Jerome Avenue, Margate)

SATURDAY

9am Southern vs. Hammonton

10am Timber Creek vs. Overbrook (JV field)

11:30am Shawnee vs. Kingsway

12:30pm Cherry Hill East vs. Vineland (JV field)