Mighty Oaks installed as No. 3 in preseason JUCO basketball poll, but there’s something voters ought to know; plus, baseball, softball coming together in fall
By Al Musekwitz
Riverview Sports News
The preseason JUCO Division 3 men’s basketball poll came out Monday and, boy, was Salem CC coach Mike Green surprised.
If the poll were anything more than a reflection of last year’s national tournament finish it likely wouldn’t have installed the Mighty Oaks as a very ambitious No. 3 behind national champion Northern Essex and runner-up Dallas College-Richland.
| PRESEASON POLL | PTS |
| Northern Essex (9) | 105 |
| Dallas Richland | 98 |
| SALEM CC | 91 |
| Riverland | 84 |
| Dallas North Lake | 77 |
| Joliet | 70 |
| Ridgewater | 63 |
| Dallas Eastfield | 56 |
| Montgomery Co. | 49 |
| Genesee | 42 |
| Northampton | 32 |
| Dutchess | 28 |
| Herkimer | 13 |
| Virginia Peninsula | 11 |
| North Country | 10 |
Maybe in time they’ll get there – or beyond — but as things stand now they are but a shell of last year’s longtime No. 1 and national championship contender. All their returning starters are currently academically ineligible and are working to regain good standing in time for the second semester.
“I was like, geez, man, good luck, man, because we’re not the No. 3 team in the nation today. We’re not,” said Green, who enters his fourth season as head coach. “When you set aside Idris (Rines) and Nasseem (Wright) and Saaid (Lee), we’re middle of the pack in Region 19. Hopefully, those guys do what they’re supposed to do and we’ll be better later, in the second semester.”
There was a twinge of bitterness in Green’s disappointment with the academic performance of the players. He’s hopeful at best they can turn it around, but it’s a wait and see proposition. The players continue to practice and scrimmage, so they’ll be able to blend with the newcomers if they get their eligibility restored, but they can’t play in real games.
“After what they pulled on me last year I’m not sure,” Green said. “I don’t think it’s fair for the team. I don’t think it’s fair to the coaches. I don’t think it’s fair for the institution. Everybody was trying to help these guys and for them to lay down it’s bigger than basketball for me.”
If they are successful, it could be a season similar to two years ago. The Mighty Oaks went 9-4 as they waited for their Big Three – Akeem Taylor, Jyheim Spencer and Tamir Powell – to become available in the second semester, and once they hit the court the team went 17-4 the rest of the year and finished fifth in the national tournament.
The Mighty Oaks are coming off their weekend Jamboree in Philadelphia. The event went well, but the results could’ve been better for the hosts. Salem went 1-2 with losses to Cecil and Prince George’s and a win over Harcum in the last game of the event. Wright and Lee were among 15 standouts at the jamboree.
“It’s too fast for some of these guys right now,” Green said. “The freshmen, a little shook up, it went fast. I tried to warn them, but it’s hard to warm them; they had to see it themselves. Our freshmen were a little shook up, the older guys, it was tough for them to catch a rhythm in the first two games because I was subbing so much. But we got a good glimpse of what we’ll look like.”
They scrimmage Cheyney at home Thursday. They open the season Nov. 10 at Ocean, a team they beat by 20 three times last season.
FALL BALL: Fall practice for JUCO baseball and softball teams is all about getting to know the players, their capabilities and the combinations that will work together long before they get turned loose in the spring. When there are a lot of new players, the quicker you can discover all those things the better chances for success there will be.
Salem CC softball coach Angel Hernandez has 13 freshmen on his roster to blend with a handful of returning starters. It’s the kind of mix you’d think would take a while to come together, but in their three games this weekend the Mighty Oaks looked like they had been together for months instead of just one, prompting the usually discerning Hernandez to say “that was probably the most fun in a fall weekend I’ve had” as a coach.
If they tallied all the numbers he figured they won two of the three games, but that wasn’t the point. It was the way they played that got his attention.
“They just showed up,” he said. “We have a young group, so to see their work in a month’s span against some good competition was good. It was good to see. They were locked in and hopefully that translates to the spring. I think it will.”
Returning pitcher Jordyn Busch looked particularly sharp. She threw five innings, giving up one hit, no walks and striking out seven. The Mighty Oaks got homers from freshmen infielders Addison Tupper and Emma Perryman.
“This is a collective team, that’s what I think I like about them,” Hernandez said. “There’s not going to be someone who’s going to lead everyone, but it’s going to be a collective effort. I think that’s what’s made it fun. Everyone was feeding off that knowing if I didn’t get on someone got on for me, or I got a bunt down moved two runners (and) caused chaos, that’s what we’re going to need.
“They have it somewhat figured out, the team aspect, connecting well, and we did it in a month’s span. It’s a big ask to try and get everyone on board like that and they did it really well. It’s going to be exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
Coach John Holt’s baseball team is a typical work in progress in the fall. They’ve played six games so far and have Chestnut Hill this weekend, a showcase with RCSJ-Cumberland and Lincoln before the fall ends. Pitchers are getting an inning or two at a time and position players are moving around “all over the place” as they try to find the best nine for the spring.
“I’m pleased with the program we’re making,” Holt said. “We’ve got some growing up to do, but that’s part of the fall.”
There is no doubt who is pick is for the World Series. It’s the Brewers and the reason is simple.
“The 200 Club,” he said. “The 200 Club.”
Baseball people pick up on the reference immediately. For the uninitiated it’s the SFW reference tattooed on Pat Murphy’s bicep for the Milwaukee manager’s not-so-SFW mantra for being aggressive, energetic and resilient on every pitch.
“I’m a big Pat Murphy guy,” Holt said. “I’ve listened to Murph talk a few times. A lot of the stuff he teaches is a lot of things we try to work on here. He plays baseball. They’re not going to sit there and wait for a three-run home run. My brand of ball. People call me old school for that.”
