Salem CC wants its fans to have an enjoyable college football experience, but will not be promoting tailgating as they’ll be playing on high school campuses
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
With the countdown clock reading 28 days before camp opens and 54 days before the inaugural game, Salem Community College officials are fine-tuning the details for the first season of football.
Everyone involved with the start-up want all who come to their four home games this inaugural season to have an enjoyable college football experience, but due in part to the nature of their scheduling the Mighty Oaks will not be promoting one of the more spirited elements of its traditions.
Because all their home games will be played on various high school campuses around the county that are alcohol- and tobacco-free, the college will not be promoting tailgating.
“We can’t do tailgating,” said SCC assistant athletics director Angel Rodriguez, who duties include overseeing game-day operations. “It’s a high school field and it’s a high school complex, ‘tailgating,’ that word, because it’s not an actually college venue, we can’t advertise for tailgating. We’re working through the fan experience so we do have ideas … about what’s going to actually be able to happen, but as far as the word ‘tailgating,’ we’re not promoting tailgating.
“We’re not advertising anything along those lines right now, just because it’s not our full-staff function. If it were an on-campus location, we could be flexible with a lot of that. Because it’s off-site and we’re utilizing a lot of the game-day staff already for each venue, it’s not something that we’re promoting. Plus, we’re on school grounds, so school grounds prohibit drinking and alcohol and all those … things.”
That’s not to say fans can’t create team spirit in spirit-less ways. Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas, whose school hosts the August 29 opener with Hudson Valley CC and the Oct. 17 game against Sussex CC, said he encourages grilling and other tailgating activities in the parking lots before the game, but alcohol is out. Police will have a presence in the lots to enforce compliance.
“We going to do things a little differently than we would do at a high school game,” Thomas said. “Obviously, we are alcohol- and tobacco-free, that’ll be something the police will be looking at, but in terms of the environment and cooking out, bringing a grill, we support all those things and we want people to come to Pennsville, come to our campus, have a good time, but do it in a safe way that follows the rules of a high school venue.
“We’re not going to control what happens off campus. Obviously, we don’t want people coming in super intoxicated, things like that, at games, but we realize it’s a little different environment than high school, but we still have to maintain the laws and the requirements we have when you do host an event on our campus.”
SCC athletics department officials are scheduled to meet Tuesday to solidify their game-day details. Thomas is schedule to meet with them Wednesday.
Ticket prices and packages also are among the items to be finalized. They are expected to fall in the $5-$10 range on a per game basis and purchasable through an electronic ticketing system.
In the games at Pennsville, the Mighty Oaks will use the Eagles’ stadium locker room, while the visiting team will use the middle school for pre- and in-game operations and then have access to the high school locker room and showers post-game.
The Mighty Oaks’ other two first-year home games will be played at Schalick Sept 12 and Penns Grove Sept. 19. Those schools’ game-day operations were not immediately known.
The games at Schalick and Penns Grove are scheduled for noon kickoffs. Game times for the two Pennsville games are not set, but are believed to be 1 p.m. (to accommodate Hudson Valley’s travel) and noon, respectively.
Since the school’s announced its plan to start football last fall, the program has received overwhelming support from within the region. Head coach Jay Accorsi and his evolving staff are expected to welcome more than 80 players when camp opens Aug. 3. Thomas, for one, is “very excited” to have the Mighty Oaks football program on his campus.
“I think this is an awesome opportunity for Salem County,” he said. “It’s an awesome opportunity for Pennsville and our community to really show off our great facility that we have here. There are a lot of our student-athletes who will benefit from this program even in this coming year.
“(Lineman) Jacob Hand is one who has already signed on to play, so we’re excited to be able to see Jacob at the next level on his home field again. I think there are going to be a lot of other kids who come through our program that this opportunity is a great opportunity that then provides further opportunities after the community college setting to move on to a D-I, D-II, D-III school and still have eligibility.”
Category: SALEM CC
Countdown continues
Still much to do, but things moving along towards Salem CC football’s first camp, Rodriguez promoted to assistant AD, and more from the notebook
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — The summer is supposed to be a time to unwind, relax and recharge, but when you’ve got a football program to get off the ground and opening day fast approaching there never seems to be enough time.
It’s 44 days before the opening of Salem Community College’s first fall football camp and 47 days before the first practice, and things are moving along.
Boxes of uniforms are all over athletics director Bob Hughes’ office, cartons of gear have been piling up in the field house, major practice equipment and storage containers have arrived, “mysteries” are being solved on the practice field, coaches still need to be hired and players are coming on board in droves.
“It’s still a work in progress,” head coach Jay Accorsi said. “There’s so much to do.”
During a conversation earlier in the week Accorsi said the Mighty Oaks have more than 70 players in the fold with the anticipation of hitting their minimum target of 80 during the weekend. He could have more than twice that many if he wanted with all the interest the program has received since it was announced in the fall and launched in January, but he’s trying to be “intentional” in the vetting process to “make sure it’s a quality operation.”
A stable of 110 players would have everyone feeling more comfortable going into camp, 80 gives them sufficient numbers to get underway.
“I was hoping we’d be done (on the player front), just selfishly, so I could get to football and everything else, but we’re going to go all the way into training camp in August; that’s just how it’s going to be,” Accorsi said. “I didn’t want it to be that way, the program’s just not there yet … We’re close, but we’re going to be doing it all the way through camp. It is what it is, but it just shows the numbers … We’re getting four or five emails, I’m getting three or four texts, every day.”
The program has announced more than 40 signees on its social media channels and that traffic is expected to increase as high school seniors are walking across the graduation stage still uncertain of their football plans and others are learning two potential JUCO landing spots in the region are moving up to the NCAA Division II ranks. The reach has gone into Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, where there is currently no NJCAA football.
The players who have committed/signed fill every position on the team except specifically kicker and punter, and Accorsi said they have players who can handle those specialties if the Mighty Oaks don’t land one in the signing class. Camp opens Aug. 3, with practices to start Aug. 6.
“When we hit the 80 mark it’ll be pretty big,” Accorsi said. “We’re close. We might hit it this week, and then that’ll be pretty big for me.
“That’s the one that’s kept me up. Not that I don’t think we could get to it – we will – it’s just getting there. We went from 60 to 70 just over the (previous) weekend. That’s the next hurdle. I think when we get to 80-85 I’ll feel good and when we get everything situated down on the practice facility then I’ll feel really good. And then when I get the coaches, for me, that’s probably the last piece.”
He hopes to add two to five more assistants over the next two weeks. Athletic department officials are expected to announced ticket prices and other game-day details around the Fourth of July. They took to social media this weekend to show New Jersey football’s newest jersey.
SUMMERTIME NOTES: Mighty Oaks softball coach Angel Rodriguez has been promoted to assistant athletic director where he’ll be responsible for, among other things in addition to his coaching duties, game management and sports information. Athletics director Bob Hughes said Rodriguez’ previous experiences in the athletic department “have made a tremendous impact on our programs” … The volleyball court has been installed in the field house in the run-up to that program’s maiden season in the fall … Men’s basketball has added depth to its roster in the offseason. The Mighty Oaks’ schedule is expected to have three JUCO Division II regular-season games, including Delaware Tech, no in-season tournament and scrimmages with Goldey-Beacom and Cheyney
| ANNOUNCED SALEM CC FOOTBALL PLAYERS |
| PLAYER | HOMETOWN/SCHOOL |
| Aiden Alexander | Kingsway/Kutztown |
| Rabiou Alidou | Philadelphia/Audenried |
| Jayden Ali-Ward | Lawnside/Sterling |
| Maxwell Batten | Wilmington, Del./St. Marks HS |
| x-DJ Binck | National Park/Gateway |
| Jerrell Burks | Bridgeton |
| Quyan Cade | Pleasantville |
| Zahir Cobbins | Jersey City/Delran |
| Robert Daly | Pittsbrove/Schalick |
| Sam DaSilva | Delran |
| Jayir Davis | Camden/Eastside |
| Jeremiah Days | Mount Laurel/Lenape |
| Jordan Dozier-Pinkett | Wildwood |
| Sean Ferebee | West Deptford/Williamstown |
| Sean Gresham | Fairfax, Va/Falls Church |
| Ryan Goodmond | Newark, Del./Newark |
| M.J. Hall | Woodstown |
| Jacob Hand | Pennsville |
| Aidan Hill | Wilmington, Del./Brandywine |
| Xavier Lee | Newark/William Penn HS |
| Jermar Jones | West Deptford/Chestnut Hill |
| Eric Jordan | Wildwood |
| Darion Joyner | Blackwood/Washington Twp. |
| Kahmaj Kearney | Smyrna, Del. |
| Ke-Marley Mason | Marlton/Cherokee |
| Lamar McCoy | Millsboro, Del./Cape Henlopen |
| Jamere Metts | Philadelphia/Clearview HS |
| Hayden Miller | Glendora/Triton |
| John Pettigrew | Bellmawr/Triton |
| Brian Pritchett | Bridgeton/Sussex CC |
| Jovanni Rios | Salem |
| Jack Robinson | Maple Shade |
| Kaleb Ross | Elkton, Md./St. Elizabeth HS |
| Jeremiah Russell | Bridgeton |
| Jayden Sanchez | Sewell/Washington Twp. |
| Ben Secouler | Cherry Hill |
| x-Brody Selfridge | Sewell/Clearview |
| Noah Shields | Blackwood/Highland |
| Charlie Shute | Newark, Del./Conrad HS |
| Jamar Smith | Glasgow |
| Raheem Tomoney | Philadelphia/Hudson Valley CC |
| Deven Tompkins | Bridgeton/Cumberland Reg. |
| William Torres | Willingboro |
| Tyler Walker | Manalapan/New Haven |
| Quaddi Walls | Clayton |
| Demere White | Millville |
| Demetris Williams | Clayton |
| Kielle Woodard | Bridgeton/Cumberland Reg. |
| Erik Worley | Sicklerville/Winslow HS |
Keeping track
Here is an update on former Salem County high school players on the next level through May 10
Baseball
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | GP | BA | H | HR | RBI |
| Elijah Crespo, Penns Grove | RCSJ-Cumb | 17 | .217 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Lucas D’Agostino, Schalick | RCSJ-Cumb | 26 | .274 | 17 | 1 | 26 |
| Andrew Pedrick, Woodstown | Harford CC | 33 | .398 | 39 | 3 | 39 |
| Lucas Prendergast, Woodstown | York | 41 | .403 | 62 | 5 | 28 |
| Jarrett Pokrovsky, Schalick | Penn | 38 | .297 | 46 | 2 | 21 |
| Terrell Robinson, Salem | Rosemont | 27 | .260 | 19 | 0 | 9 |
| Jackson Schalick, Schalick | Frostburg | 54 | .378 | 68 | 8 | 63 |
| Caiden Spinelli, Woodstown | Rosemont | 32 | .340 | 35 | 0 | 15 |
| Connor Starn, Pennsville | Keystone | 10 | .154 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rocco String, Woodstown | Salem CC | 33 | .255 | 25 | 3 | 25 |
| Chase Swain, Woodstown | LaSalle | 51 | .389 | 79 | 9 | 39 |
| Mike Valente, Woodstown | Salem CC | 10 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brent Williams, Woodstown | G-Beacom | 37 | .292 | 40 | 3 | 25 |
| PITCHER | SCHOOL | GP | W-L | ERA | IP | K |
| Evan Biddle, Salem | Frostburg | 9 | 1-0 | 8.10 | 10.0 | 7 |
| Lucas D’Agostino, Schalick | RCSJ-Cumb | 11 | 5-2 | 1.88 | 52.2 | 53 |
| Ben Foote, Woodstown | Caldwell | 7 | 1-1 | 9.82 | 7.1 | 5 |
| Jack Holladay, Woodstown | Neumann | 8 | 0-3 | 9.43 | 21.0 | 16 |
| Peyton O’Brien, Pennsville | Harford CC | 7 | 0-0 | 1.74 | 10.1 | 12 |
| Luke Pokrovsky, Schalick | Penn | 12 | 0-1 | 12.89 | 14.2 | 15 |
| Terrell Robinson, Salem | Rosemont | 4 | 0-0 | 8.10 | 6.2 | 2 |
| Caiden Spinelli, Woodstown | Rosemont | 2 | 0-0 | 27.00 | 1.1 | 1 |
| Rocco String, Woodstown | Salem CC | 5 | 0-1 | 29.08 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Mike Valente, Woodstown | Salem CC | 9 | 2-1 | 5.84 | 24.2 | 12 |
| Luke Wood, Pennsville | McDaniel | 10 | 5-1 | 5.09 | 46 | 37 |
Softball
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | GP | BA | H | HR | RBI |
| Emily Holladay, Woodstown | Hartwick | 16 | .190 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| Tulana Mingin, Woodstown | East Stroudsburg | 55 | .321 | 59 | 0 | 6 |
| Ava Ortiz, Salem | Salem CC | 15 | .474 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Savannah Palverento, Pennsville | Salem CC | 44 | .413 | 45 | 2 | 39 |
| Lilly Peverelle, Pennsville | Salem CC | 47 | .476 | 70 | 8 | 60 |
| Bella Rappa, Pennsville | Salem CC | 38 | .440 | 44 | 0 | 43 |
| Cayla Sbrana, Schalick | RCSJ-Cumb | 27 | .304 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| Sawyer Simmons, Pennsville | Salem CC | 30 | .317 | 19 | 1 | 15 |
| PITCHER | SCHOOL | GP | W-L | ERA | IP | K |
| Savannah Palverento, Pennsville | Salem CC | 16 | 2-0 | 6.16 | 25.0 | 27 |
| Cayla Sbrana, Schalick | RCSJ-Cumb | 14 | 2-10 | 10.02 | 65.2 | 22 |
| Raegan Wilson, Salem | Salem CC | 23 | 11-6 | 5.80 | 89.1 | 51 |
Mighty Oaks swept out
Salem CC swept out of Region XIX baseball playoffs by Brookdale, second game hopes dashed by 16-run first inning
REGION XIX PLAYOFFS
Brookdale 11-18, Salem CC 3-3
FINAL FOUR TOURNAMENT
At Rutgers-Camden
Thursday’s first-round games
Camden vs. Brookdale
RCSJ-Gloucester vs. Middlesex
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
LINCROFT – It certainly wasn’t way the Salem CC baseball team had hoped their stay in this year’s Region XIX playoffs would go, but, after all, it was a tall order.
The Mighty Oaks thought they had caught a bit of a break when they got some outside help to jump up to the seventh seed in the bracket on the last day of the regular season, but second-seeded Brookdale proved just as challenging as the top seeded team they felt fortunate to avoid.
It was anything but easy. They were run-ruled in both games of their first-round playoff doubleheader Saturday, falling to the Jersey Blues 11-3 in seven innings and 18-3 in five.
“We knew coming in we’d have to play good baseball to be successful,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “Brookdale’s a good team. They took advantage of the mistakes me made.”
Game 2 started savagely. Brookdale scored 16 runs in the bottom of the first and held an 18-0 lead when play was halted before the start of the home third for lightning in the area. The big inning lasted longer than the delay.
The Jersey Blues (41-10-1) sent 20 batters to the plate; two guys batted three times. It was only 7-0 when starter Logan Peters got the second out of the inning, but the next nine Brookdale hitters reached safely. There were 11 hits, three errors, two walks, two hit batsmen, five wild pitches and a passed ball.
“It didn’t feel too great,” outfielder Cliff Wysinger said.
“I didn’t realize they batted around (that many times),” first baseman Tyler Hacker said. “The leadoff hitter saw me three times at first base. I didn’t realize until after we got back to the dugout. I felt we had played four or five innings.”
Peters was out after 14 batters and Anthony Pizzuti’s three-run homer that made it 12-0. Holt said the left-hander was making good pitches and stayed with him that long because he was still going to make enough of them to get out of it. He did. Brookdale just hit them.
“Honestly, Logan didn’t pitch bad, they just hit it where we weren’t,” Holt said. “They’re a good-hitting team. They kept finding hole — all day. He was making some quality pitches and those guys were finding those holes. We could’ve had 15 guys out there today and it seems like they would have found that (open) spot.”
In the big inning alone, Pizzuti was 2-for-2 with four RBIs; Ryan Tan was 2-for-2 with three RBIs; Ray Mulhern, was 2-for-3 with two RBIs; and Ryan Adams had two hits.
If that weren’t bad enough, the Mighty Oaks had to sit through a 32-minute lightning delay with the big inning and margin staring at them from the scoreboard. And they still had to play when they were way behind.
“It especially feels worse because it’s the last game,” outfielder Jason LeBold said. “You don’t want to say it knocks the wind out of your sails because you always want to say you’re in the game and try to come back, but it is a tough thing to do because you feel almost unmotivated. Sixteen in the first is pretty tough and we know the rules are different in the playoffs so that makes it even harder for the comeback, but you have to stay in it and never give up.”
They did go down swinging. They scored three runs in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Aiden Nestor and LeBold before Hacker flew out deep to center for the final out of the season.
“At the end of the day we’re two-and-out,” Holt said. “It’s not where we want to be, but I try to look at the big picture. We’ve established a program here that’s expected to be in the playoffs now. It’s no long an ‘if we make it” kind of deal. That’s something to hang our hat on.”
The opener started well for the Mighty Oaks (23-28), as they held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 after batting in the third. Hacker, playing in his 100th game in a Salem uniform, homered in the first inning. LeBold put them up 2-1 in the third with an RBI single.
Salem starter Pat Seitzinger got one time through the Brookdale lineup with just one run scoring, but the Jersey Blues got him the second time around, batting around to score four in the third. Reliever Louie Rivera didn’t have Seitzinger’s early luck as the Blues reached him for four runs across two innings in his only time through their lineup.
The Blues scored four in the third on a leadoff walk and five consecutive singles and five in the fourth, highlighted by Nicco Maribo’s RBI double that ended Seitzinger’s day and Pizzuti’s first two-run homer off Rivera.
“They didn’t really hit a lot of balls hard in my opinion,” Seitzinger said. “They had four ‘real’ hits in my opinion. The rest were endcap singles; tough break.
“I was confident. The first inning went well, struck a kid out (Pizzuti). Second inning they hit that home run, but a solo shot, don’t really hurt. Third inning they got some lucky hits in my opinion and gave up four runs. It’s tough.”
Hacker drove in the Mighty Oaks’ third run of the opener with a single in the fifth. It was his 94th career RBI, tying Demetrius Deramus for second on the school’s all-time list since the program’s revival. He finished his Salem career as the school’s all-time leader in stolen bases since the revival (92) and second in hits (121).
Holt called him “a heck of a baseball player.” The Florida native appreciated the compliment and the faith the coach placed in him from the start.
“I think Coach Holt took a chance on me (when) no one did,” Hacker said. “All the stuff in high school, getting injured, that kind of stuff, it was like I quit baseball. I get it, but he brought me in, took a chance on me and gave me a shot, and that allowed me to prove myself not only to him, but to myself again and everyone else in the country. If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to show my skill set.”
| Salem CC | 101 | 100 | 0- | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Brookdale | 014 | 510 | x- | 11 | 15 | 1 |
| Salem CC | 000 | 03- | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Brookdale | (16)20 | 0x- | 18 | 16 | 1 |
Friday sports report
Here are the scores and highlights from Friday night’s Salem County sports calendar; includes Saturday’s schedule
FRIDAY’S GAMES
SOFTBALL
CLEARVIEW 11, SCHALICK 4: Sienna Garrison hit her eighth homer of the season and Ella Redheffer homered twice as Clearview rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Garrison’s three-run homer in fourth inning put the Pioneers (13-5) ahead 6-4. Redheffer’s first homer got them on the board in the third and her second gave them an 8-4 lead. Khloe McGrath had three hits for the Cougars (11-4). Emma Cain had two.
DEPTFORD 16, SALEM 6: The Spartans (7-11) broke it open with a 10-run third inning. Teyla Solimon had a two-run single and bases-loaded walk in the big inning. Solimon, Brooke White and Sophie McGuire all had three RBIs in the game.
TENNIS
PITMAN 4, SCHALICK 1
Records: Schalick 6-8, Pitman 12-6
MIDDLE TWP. 5, WOODSTOWN 0
Michael Ratchford (M) def. Drew Stengel, 7-5, 6-4
Miles Stafford (M) def. Mason Shimp, 6-1, 6-0
Darp Patel (M) def. Luke Shaw, 6-1, 6-1
Kenny Martin-Dante Duca (M) def. Vincent Merendino-Nick DiTeodoro, 6-1, 6-4
Michael Zuzulock-MJ Murnagham (M) def. Connor Miller-Josh King, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 10-8
Records: Woodstown 11-6, Middle Twp. 16-1
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Region XIX Tournament
Camden 12-6, RCSJ-Cumberland 2-5, Camden wins series 2-0
Middlesex 11-14, Northampton 6-4, Middlesex wins series 2-0
RCSJ-Gloucester 10-13, Montgomery 2-1, RCSJ-G wins series 2-0
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
BASEBALL
Lee Ware Tournament, Woodstown
Woodstown vs. Camden Catholic, 10 a.m.
Cherry Hill East vs. Washington Twp., 10 a.m.
Consolation game, 1 p.m.
Championship game, 1 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Fred Powell Invitational, Williamstown
Woodstown vs. Williamstown, 9 a.m.
Mainland vs. Cumberland, 9 a.m.
Cherry Hill East vs. Absegami, 9 a.m.
Moorestown vs. Cedar Creek, 9 a.m.
Woodstown vs. Mainland or Cumberland, 11:30 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Region XIX Tournament
Salem CC at Brookdale (2), 11 a.m.
Rapczynski the pick
Wilmington University men’s assistant tabbed as the new women’s basketball coach at Salem CC; one former Mighty Oaks player who has come under his wing gives high praise
UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Wilmington University men’s basketball assistant J.J. Rapczynski will be the new Salem Community College women’s basketball coach, pending approval by the board at its meeting next week.
Rapczynski, a former Ursinus College guard, just completed his third season with the WilmU men’s team. He also was associate head men’s coach at Immaculate, and coached at West Chester, Widener and Neumann.
“I’ve known who he is for a long time,” Salem athletics director Bob Hughes said. “He comes from a long line of basketball people.”
The Mighty Oaks received 90 applications for the position. Rapczynski was among five finalists who included a longtime South Jersey high school head coach, two women’s assistant coaches from within Region XIX and a former Division I women’s player just starting her coaching career.
“He clearly had an understanding of recruiting in-state (and) knowledge of the region,” Hughes said. “He really seemed to the best fit … the one who the committee felt would work well here.”
Coach Rap scores high marks with one former Salem CC player, who predicts he’ll become a “historically great coach” with the Mighty Oaks. Akeem Taylor transferred to WilmU after leading the Mighty Oaks to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 national tournament and worked with Rapczynski on a daily basis.
“Coach Rap is a great coach with a high-level basketball IQ and a real understanding of the game,” Taylor said. “He’s big on player development and puts a lot of time into helping players improve their skills, confidence and overall approach. He holds players accountable, but also supports them, so you grow both on and off the court. He’s detail-oriented, communicates well and knows how to build relationships with his players.
“I think he will end up being a historically great coach at Salem and build a very successful program on and off the court.”
Rapczynski succeeds Brian Marsh, who stepped aside after a tumultuous 2025-26 season cut short with three games left when the arrest of four players left by the team without enough players to field a competitive team. Marsh coached the program through the first three seasons of its revival. He was 23-43 with a high-water mark of 11 wins last season.
Rapczynski brings a diverse collegiate coaching background to Salem, with experience across NCAA Division II and Division III programs on both the men’s and women’s sides of the game. He most recently served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Wilmington University, a position he has held since August 2023.
Prior to Wilmington, Rapczynski spent four seasons as the Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Immaculata University from 2019-2023. During that same stretch, he also worked with East Coast Power AAU as a National Coach and Skills Academy instructor, helping develop high-level student-athletes throughout the region.
His coaching résumé also includes a season as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Neumann University during the 2018-19 season, along with assistant coaching stops at West Chester University from 2016-18 and Widener University from 2012-16.
Rapczynski said he was “incredibly grateful” for the chance to become the Mighty Oaks’ head coach.
“I want to thank the college for the trust they’ve placed in me, and I cannot wait to get to work,” he said in a statement when the school announced his hiring Thursday. “I look forward to bringing enthusiasm and a strong culture back to the women’s program.
“One of the things that stood out to me most about Salem Community College was the momentum surrounding the school, the quality of the facilities, the positive campus environment, and most importantly, the people. I want our program to reflect that same standard every single day in everything we do. The people immediately made this opportunity feel special. From the administration to the staff, there’s a genuine sense of support, pride, and positivity throughout campus, and I’m excited to build a women’s basketball program that reflects that same culture.”
Mighty Oaks get their help
Ocean’s win over Montgomery gives Salem CC seventh seed in upcoming Region XIX playoffs, Mighty Oaks open post season at Brookdale as opposed to RCSJ-Gloucester
MONDAY REGION XIX BASEBALL
Camden 30, Delaware County 0
Ocean 12, Montgomery 11
RCSJ-Gloucester 9, Atlantic Cape 2
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
For one night, the Salem CC baseball team became big fans of an Ocean CC Vikings team they swept in three close games earlier this season.
The Mighty Oaks needed a little help to enhance their position for the upcoming Region XIX playoffs and they got it in the way of Ocean’s 12-11 win over Montgomery.
With the result in Toms River, the Mighty Oaks finish seventh in the Region XIX Division III standings and projected to play at region runner-up Brookdale in the opening round series that starts Saturday. Had the Ocean-Montco game gone the other way, the Mighty Oaks would have been reduced to the eighth seed due to tiebreakers and destined to open the tournament at top-seeded, three-time defending national champion RCSJ-Gloucester, a team that beat them in three one-sided games on Sophomore Weekend.
“The Oaks were all Vikings fans today,” first baseman Tyler Hacker said. “We all watched the game.”
The projected first-round pairings: Montgomery (17-16) at RCSJ-Gloucester (34-10), Northampton (30-17) at Middlesex (33-15), Salem CC (23-26) at Brookdale (38-10-1), Camden (25-15) at RCSJ-Cumberland (32-11-1).
“We’re excited to be a seventh seed as opposed to an eighth,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “Excited to be back in the regionals and establish Salem as a program that’s expected to be there year after year.
“I feel like if we play the way we are capable and play Salem baseball we can compete with anyone. Both of the teams we could have played are among the best in the country. Looking forward to the opportunity to get after it against the best.”
The Mighty Oaks were swept by Brookdale in the season series split apart by the weather that plagued the early portion of their schedule. They lost the doubleheader in early March right before their Myrtle Beach trip (17-7, 6-3) and lost Game Three a month later 21-5. They led Game Two 3-0 in the second inning, then gave up four unearned runs.
“Playing Brookdale or Gloucester, they got us during the regular season and we want to beat both,” Hacker said. “The closest games we had were with Brookdale, so we’re looking forward to playing them. We hit their pitching well, just came down to playing defense those games and we didn’t have it. Since then we’ve cleaned up our defense and are looking forward to winning two and meeting Gloucester back in the Final Four like last year.”
This week’s schedule
Here is the Salem County sports calendar for the week of May 4-10
MONDAY, MAY 4
BASEBALL
Glassboro at Penns Grove
LEAP at Salem Tech
Salem at Pennsville
Delran at Woodstown, 4:15 p.m.
Bridgeton vs. Schalick, Elmer LL, 6 p.m.
SOFTBALL
LEAP at Salem Tech, 3:45 p.m.
Pitman at Penns Grove
Schalick at Triton
West Deptford at Pennsville
Cinnaminson at Woodstown, 4:15 p.m.
BOYS GOLF
Schalick vs. Pitman, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Lower Cape May, Town & Country, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS GOLF
Schalick vs. Kingsway, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
TENNIS
Woodstown at Overbrook, 3:45 p.m.
TRACK
Clayton at Salem
Woodstown in Haddonfield Invitational, 5 p.m.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Highland, 3:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 5
BASEBALL
Penns Grove at Glassboro
Pitman at Salem
Salem Tech at Wildwood
Schalick at Overbrook
52nd Diamond Classic
First-round games
Pennsville at No. 4 Cherry Hill West
Woodstown at No. 3 St. Augustine
SOFTBALL
Penn Tech at Salem Tech, 3:45 p.m.
Overbrook at Schalick
Pennsville at Clayton
Penns Grove at Glassboro
Woodstown at Maple Shade, 4:30 p.m.
Salem at Pitman, 6 p.m.
GOLF
NJSIAA Playoffs, Cream Ridge GC, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick vs. Gloucester Catholic, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Pennsville, Sakima CC, 3:30 p.m.
TENNIS
Bridgeton at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Highland, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Clayton
Schalick at Wildwood, 4:15 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
BASEBALL
Clayton at Pennsville
52nd Diamond Classic
First-round game
Schalick at Doane
SOFTBALL
Millville at Woodstown
Salem Tech at Cape May Tech
GIRLS GOLF
Schalick vs. Washington Twp., The Birches, 3:30 p.m.
TENNIS
Burlington Twp. at Pennsville
Woodstown at Millville
TRACK
TCC Showcase, Delsea, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Haddonfield at Woodstown
THURSDAY, MAY 7
BASEBALL
Clayton at Salem
Overbrook at Woodstown
Pennsville at Wildwood
Penns Grove at Schalick
SOFTBALL
Salem at Clayton
Schalick at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Overbrook, 4:30 p.m.
Wildwood at Pennsville
BOYS GOLF
Carl Arena Tournament, Blue Heron GC
TENNIS
Pennsville at GCIT, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Williamstown
Washington Twp. at Schalick
BOYS LACROSSE
Triton at Woodstown
FRIDAY, MAY 8
BASEBALL
Schalick at Collingswood
SOFTBALL
Deptford at Salem
Schalick at Clearview
TENNIS
Schalick at Pitman
Wildwood at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Middle Twp.
SATURDAY, MAY 9
BASEBALL
Lee Ware Tournament, Woodstown
Woodstown vs. Camden Catholic, 10 a.m.
Cherry Hill East vs. Washington Twp., 10 a.m.
Consolation game, noon
Championship game, noon
SOFTBALL
Fred Powell Invitational, Williamstown
Woodstown vs. Williamstown, 9 a.m.
Mainland vs. Cumberland, 9 a.m.
Cherry Hill East vs. Absegami, 9 a.m.
Moorestown vs. Cedar Creek, 9 a.m.
Woodstown vs. Mainland or Cumberland, 11:30 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Region XIX Tournament
Salem CC at Brookdale (2)
Mighty Oaks are in
Salem CC baseball gets into the Region XIX field of eight without a play-in game after sweeping Union Saturday, looking for help from eliminated Ocean to get a better seed
REGION XIX BASEBALL
Saturday’s Games
Salem CC 16-8, Union 2-5
Camden 6-16, Northampton 5-5
Middlesex 5-10, Atlantic Cape 0-0
RCSJ-Gloucester 19-19, Delaware County 0-2
Brookdale 7-14, Ocean 1-5
RCSJ-Cumberland 4-22, Bergen 0-1
CCBC-Essex 7-13, Lackawanna 6-5
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The Salem CC baseball team got what it needed in the first game of Saturday’s regular-season ending doubleheader with Union. The Mighty Oaks got what they wanted from the day in the nightcap, but they had to work for it.
The Mighty Oaks secured the final spot in the eight-team Region XIX Division III playoff bracket with an dominating 16-2 rout in the opener, then they rallied from four runs down midway through the nightcap to win that 8-5 and give themselves a chance at a more favorable seed.
The doubleheader — and series — sweep, along with Brookdale’s sweep of Ocean, allowed the Mighty Oaks (23-26, 18-15) to make the bracket without having to deal with a play-in game with Ocean. Now they’ll become the biggest Ocean fans, hoping the Vikings can knock off Montgomery County Monday to give the Mighty Oaks the seventh seed and avoid top seed and three-time defending national champion RCSJ-Gloucester in the opening round.
If Montco wins the Monday game, the Mustangs and Mighty Oaks would finish tied for seventh in the standings, but Salem would be the eighth seed since the Mustangs hold the tiebreaker. The best-of-3 first-round series start Saturday at the sites of the top four seeds.
“We needed to win,” Mighty Oaks coach John Holt said. “We needed to control what we can control. We can control winning baseball games. We can’t control what happens with the other series that were going on. We just needed to control the variables we could control and we did that.
“At the end of the day the gameplan from the beginning was to win all three. Winning two out of three wasn’t an option. All along it’s we’ve got to win three. We did what we had to do to figure out how to win. It wasn’t pretty, but we figured it out.”
After having their way with the Owls (7-29) in the opener, the Mighty Oaks were held scoreless for the first four innings of the nightcap.
Meanwhile, the Owls scored four in the third as Salem starter Logan Peters lost the plate and his defense lost the handle. The Owls threatened again in the fourth, but Nick Reckard came on to get the final out of the inning before giving way to Tyler Hacker for the final three innings or however long it was going to take for the Mighty Oaks to pull it out.
They came to life in the fifth and tied the game on a pair of two-run singles by J.J. Pankowski and Hacker. Pankowski had two hits in the game and was on base in all three innings Salem scored down the stretch.
“When the inning starts I’m always telling the two batters before me get on for me because I know I’ll do the job,” the second baseman said. “Coach is always saying ‘pass the stick,’ so I just try to do my job, do whatever I can to get myself a ribbie and help the team get a rally going.”
Union retook the lead with an unearned run off Hacker in the bottom of the fifth, but Salem took it back for good in the sixth when Owls second baseman Hengel Brown threw to the first base side of the plate trying to cut down a run Pankowski’s ground ball and Roman Hernandez took a pitch off the helmet after the Owls intentionally walked Hacker in front of him to load the bases.
“I’m not looking to get hit by a pitch, but I am looking to get on base and get that winning run in no matter what it is,” Hernandez said. “It could’ve been a walk, a wild pitch, anything I could’ve done to help my team out. They’ve had my back, they’ve always cheered me on this entire season, it’s the least I can do to take one for the team.
“They intentionally walked Hacker to get to me, so I kind of took that personal, to be honest with you. The first couple swings I decided to swing for the fences a little bit, but then I realized that’s not the approach I needed to be having. I adjusted and got the game winning run.”
They added two insurance runs in the seventh on Chase Hortiz’ long sacrifice fly to left and Jason LeBold’s RBI single that handcuffed the third baseman.
Hacker stared down threats in each of his first two innings on the mound. He gave up the run in the fifth and In the sixth the Owls loaded the bases with one out, but he got out of it with a strikeout and ground out to third.
“I love it,” the sophomore right-hander said of the pressure. “You’ve probably heard the expression pressure make diamonds and if you want to be the best you’ve got to shine the brightest. No matter who the team is, no matter who we play, when we play them, how we play them, I want to win and if it’s up to me I’m going to make it happen.
“I think my willingness to win rubs off on the team, so whatever needs to happen needs to happen. It’s easier to rally around someone who wants to win and is busting his butt to do that. I have full confidence in my guys. Even after the couple errors. It was like we’re gonna get these runs back and we’re gonna shut ’em down.”
Holt handed the ball to Pat Seitzinger for the game that would get the Mighty Oaks in the playoffs. Seitzinger, pitching on Carneys Point mound for only the third time in 12 appearances this season, although it was technically a road game.
The sophomore left-hander threw 90 pitches over five innings, giving up two runs, five hits and struck out four. He walked two and hit two. Joe D’Amato worked the last two, facing eight batters, striking out three and getting a double play.
“I felt good,” Seitzinger said. “I pitched in a big game last year, probably the biggest game, so I didn’t feel any pressure. I didn’t really have everything, but I felt good enough to win.”
The Mighty Oaks had 10 hits in the first game, but took advantage of five Union errors and 20 walks and three hit batsmen. Every batter in the lineup reached base at least once. Eight of the nine spots in the lineup scored at least one run.
Colin McLaughlin enjoyed his first-ever four-hit college game, going 4-for-4 with a sacrifice fly. The freshman third baseman kept it going in the nightcap with a single in his first at-bat and two walks in four plate appearances. He had been three for his last 26, but had cut down on his early-season strikeouts considerably.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “I feel as of recently I’ve been making pretty good contact here and it just felt really good to see those balls finally dropping, to see something go my way. Nothing changed at the plate, those balls were just falling today.”
Unlike Friday’s series opener that was tighter than it should’ve been, the Mighty Oaks took control of their destiny with three runs in each of the first three innings. Hernandez had a two-run double in the first, Hacker had a two-run single in the second, and McLaughlin’s sacrifice fly and two bases-loaded walks (among five passes in a row) highlighted the third.
NOTES: The Mighty Oaks serenades assistant coach Jake MacNellis with a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” in the outfield huddle after the game … Hacker picked up his national leading 60th stolen base of the season in the opener. He needs eight for 100 in his JUCO career … If the playoffs were to start today, RCSJ-Gloucester would host Montco, Brookdale would host Salem, RCSJ-Cumberland would host Northampton and Middlesex would host Camden. There are six game the next two days that would impact the standings, the most significant for Salem being Montco at Ocean.
| Salem | 333 | 141 | 1- | 16 | 10 | 0 |
| Union | 010 | 100 | 0- | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Salem | 000 | 042 | 2- | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Union | 004 | 010 | 0- | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| REGION XIX D-III | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 27-5 | 33-10 | 19-5 |
| Brookdale | 25-8 | 38-10-1 | 20-5 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 24-9 | 32-11-1 | 18-6 |
| Middlesex | 23-10 | 33-15 | 18-8 |
| Camden | 21-11 | 24-15 | 14-10 |
| Northampton | 21-11 | 30-17 | |
| SALEM CC | 18-15 | 23-26 | 15-11 |
| Montgomery | 17-15 | 17-15 | |
| Ocean | 15-18 | 18-21 | 10-15 |
| Bergen | 11-22 | 13-29 | 11-16 |
| Atlantic Cape | 5-27 | 5-27 | 2-22 |
| Union | 3-28 | 7-31 | 0-25 |
| Delaware County | 1-32 | 2-32 |
SUNDAY’S GAMES
Union at Northampton (2)
Monroe-Bronx at Brookdale
Suffolk CC at Middlesex (2)
Sussex at UConn-Avery Point (2)
MONDAY’S GAMES
Camden at Delaware County, resumption
Montgomery at Ocean
RCSJ-Gloucester at Atlantic Cape
Bucks County at Northampton
Close to clinching
Mighty Oaks in position to clinch a Region XIX playoff berth in final doubleheader of regular season after getting past Union in series opener
REGION 19 BASEBALL
Friday’s Games
Salem CC 11, Union 7
Brookdale 25, Ocean 6
RCSJ-Cumberland 12, Bergen 0
RCSJ-Gloucester 29, Delaware County 3
Camden 4, Northampton 3
Middlesex 16, Atlantic Cape 8
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The stage is set for the Salem CC baseball team to clinch a spot in the Region XIX playoffs, but the Mighty Oaks still have to take care of business in their final regular-season doubleheader. At least they control their own destiny.
The Mighty Oaks need only split Saturday’s twinbill with Union after Friday’s 11-7 win at The Treehouse to get into the region playoffs, whether it’s the eighth seed outright, a play-in game participant or a better seed.
A split will leave them 17-16 in region, satisfying the .500 or better record in region play caveat for qualifying; getting swept knocks them out. They can avoid a play-in game altogether if Ocean gets swept by current second-place Brookdale (Ocean lost Game 1 25-4) and they could finish as high as seventh if they sweep, Ocean gets swept and then beats Montgomery Monday, which is why they’re so intent on sweeping Union in Saturday’s doubleheader, which has been moved to the Carneys Point Rec Complex (with the Owls as home team).
“We just have to attend to our business,” right fielder Roman Hernandez said. “We played down to the level today, but we have to come out with energy and ready to kick their butt. We do have some pressure to win both of them (so) we can’t underestimate them. We’ve got to do our thing and play our way and not play down to the level.”
Pat Seitzinger is scheduled to get the ball for the Mighty Oaks in Game One. Interestingly, it will be only his third outing on the mound at The Treehouse – and it comes oddly enough in what technically is a road game. And just because they would clinch a playoff spot by winning the opener, it won’t change the way they approach Game Two.
“No, because we’ve got to win that one,” head coach John Holt said. “There’s a possibility of an 8-9 game. We don’t want an 8-9 game. That’s a one-game series on a Thursday. I’d rather control what we can control, win what we can win, and then let the cards fall.”
The game was a lot closer than it should have been given the teams’ positions in the standings. The Mighty Oaks (21-26) scored three runs in the first inning and opened a 5-1 lead in the second, and needed all of it. They never lost the lead, but they couldn’t shake the Owls (7-29).
It was a two-run game until the Mighty Oaks put three up in the seventh on a run-scoring error, Tyler Hacker’s sacrifice fly and Rocco String’s second RBI single of the game.
“Union played us tough,” Holt said. “They always seem to play us tough. Every year at the end of the year they always seem to find a way to make It a game with us.”
“I think some of our guys got out of our approach,” Hacker said. “Their guy wasn’t throwing very hard. We try to hit baseball hard and far, instead of putting it on the ground and doing our job.”
Hacker accounted for seven of the Mighty Oaks’ 11 runs. He had a two-run double in the first, a two-run single in the second and the sac fly for five total RBIs, and he scored twice. Hernandez had three hits and reached base four times. Cliff Wysinger and Jason LeBold both also reached four times.
“We get the stats before the game and see what the pitcher has done,” Hacker explained. “He walked a lot of guys, so going into the game we look for pitches we could hit, we could drive, and that’s what I did.”
Both of the Mighty Oaks’ statistical leaders added to their standing against the Owls. Hacker added two more stolen bases towards his all-of-JUCO leading total (56) on the way to his goal of 60 (and 100 career). Jason LeBold moved into solo second on this season’s Division III hit by pitch list after getting plunked in his first two at-bats. He’s now been hit 21 times – from head to toe.
“The thing for me is I don’t move out the way; I just let it hit me,” he said. “I’ve been called twice for learning into them. I just don’t really move out the way.
“Everyone in the dugout after I get hit by a pitch makes a big joke out of it. I know they find it fun. They know I get hit a lot, I just laugh it off. I had a lot last year for the little number of games I played. The Cumberland game here I got hit five times, in the head twice, everywhere. Now it’s just a big joke with all of them.”
There was a scary moment in the fifth inning when Salem starter Seth McCormick collapsed hard on the mound after his left leg buckled as he delivered a warm-up pitch. As scary as the scene looked, and he was helped off the field, team officials expect the sophomore right-hander to be all right. He already was dealing with elbow issues.
| Union | 010 | 112 | 110- | 7 | 13 | 4 |
| Salem CC | 321 | 101 | 30x- | 11 | 11 | 1 |
| REGION XIX D-III STANDINGS | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 25-5 | 31-10 | 19-5 |
| Brookdale | 23-8 | 36-10-1 | 18-5 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 21-9 | 29-11-1 | 15-6 |
| Northampton | 21-9 | 30-15 | |
| Middlesex | 21-10 | 31-15 | |
| Camden | 19-11 | 22-15 | 14-10 |
| Montgomery | 17-15 | 17-17 | |
| SALEM CC | 16-15 | 21-26 | 13-11 |
| Ocean | 15-16 | 18-19 | 10-13 |
| Bergen | 11-19 | 13-26 | 11-13 |
| Atlantic Cape | 5-25 | 5-25 | 2-20 |
| Union | 3-26 | 7-29 | 0-23 |
| Delaware County | 1-29 | 2-29 |
Riverview Sports News 