Mingin’s milestone

Saturday softball: Mingin surpasses 100 career hits in Woodstown victory; Pennsville splits in Vinick Tournament

SATURDAY SALEM COUNTY SOFTBALL
Woodstown 7, Camden Catholic 1
Millville 6, Pennsville 2
Pennsville 9, Ocean City 7

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – One of the first goals Tulana Mingin set for herself when she started playing varsity softball was to collect 100 hits before she graduated.

Saturday morning, the dream that seemed so long ago became a reality.

The Woodstown senior shortstop became the 11th player in the program’s history – and first since 2018 – to reach 100 career hits while she collected four of them in the Wolverines’ 7-1 victory over Camden Catholic.

It took her 199 at bats and 60 games to reach the milestone.

“It means a lot; I’m really excited about it, because I work really hard on my hitting and it’s nice to see it pay off,” Mingin said. “Going into my freshman year I would think about it because it’s something really cool to do and not a lot of people do it in this program, so it’s a big deal.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it when I was younger, but as it got closer I started to think I’m getting pretty close to it, it would be really cool.”

The East Stroudsburg signee needed only one hit for the milestone entering the game and wasted little time getting it.

Leading off the bottom of the first, she belted the second pitch she saw into left centerfield for a triple. Unfortunately, she was stranded there as the Wolverines loaded the bases but failed to score.

Hit No. 101 was more productive. It was a two-out RBI single to left that put the Wolverines up 1-0. She ended up all the way at third as she circled the infield as the Irish tried to get the lead runner at the plate.

“I was a little bit anxious, but I was pretty relaxed because I know I can’t worry about that stuff,” she said. “I was just going to try to do my best in every at bat, and it worked out.”

Indeed. Teams are still trying to figure a way to get her out. She went 4-for-4 against the Irish and has yet to make an out in eight plate appearances this season (6-for-6 and two walks). In fact, she has reached base in each of her last 10 plate appearances going back to the final game last season. She has been hitless in only nine games in her game, just four over the last three seasons.

“There’s no words to describe how great of a player she is and what she means to our program, what she means to me as a coach,” Woodstown coach Dave Wildermuth said. “She’s just a great all-around player. She works really hard at softball. She deserves every milestone that she reaches and every honor that she receives.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed like yesterday and today the way teams are shifting on her, they end up pulling the infield in and the outfield up because they think she’s just a slap hitter, but you can see she can drive the softball. If you want to cheat your outfield up on her, she’s going to put the ball over your head or in the gap.”

And that’s what produced the milestone triple. The Irish pulled the fielders in and she got a pitch that looked up in a zone and power slapped it into the left centerfield gap. With her speed that typically turns walks into doubles within a couple pitches, she went into third standing up.

Her 103 total hits (in 202 career at-bats) are now 10th on the Wolverines’ all-time list. The next milestone is the all-time mark – 131, set by Gracee Roberts in 2018 – but that’s not on her mind right now.

“I try not to think about stats like that because then it’s just going to make me play for myself instead of the team and I just need to do my best and not worry about that,” she said.

Grace White, the 1A in the Wolverines’ tandem of aces, gave up four hits and struck out 11 from the circle. The run the Irish (0-1) scored was unearned, coming around on an two-out infield throwing error.

Freshman catcher Lila Bowling, who won the position after an early call-up from the JV camp and according to Wildermuth “has earned the respect of all the upperclassmen,” made three veteran plays behind the plate to keep the Irish off the board.

In each of the first two innings she retrieved balls that went to the backstop and flipped it back to White in time to cut down runners trying to score from third. And then in the fourth she started an inning-ending catcher-to-first-to-home double play with runners at second and third to kill that threat.

“I’ve played with older girls my whole life so I’m kind of used playing with older girls,” Bowling said. “I’m not really worried about anything, I go out there and do whatever.”

The Wolverines (2-0) return to action Monday at home against Pennsville. The game will have a 4:30 p.m. start to give the solar eclipse time to safely clear the area.

WOODSTOWN 7, CAMDEN CATHOLIC 1

Camden Catholic (0-1)	000 001 0-	1 4 0
Woodstown (2-0)	012 202 x-	7 8 3

WP: Grave White. LP: Megan Donnelly. 2B: Dani Brown (CC), Ellie Wygand (W), Hannah Hitchner (W). 3B: Tulana Mingin (W).

Freshman catcher Lila Bowling made three sharp defensive plays from behind the plate to keep Camden Catholic off the board early in its game with Woodstown. On the cover, Woodstown shortstop Tulana Mingin displays the ball and banner commemorating her 100 career hits.

Ron Vinick Tournament

PENNSVILLE 9, OCEAN CITY 7: Kylie Harris and Bella Farina, two of the mainstays on the Pennsville LL Senior World Series team last summer, both had three hits with Farina hitting two homers as the Eagles won the consolation game of the tournament.

They lost their tournament opener to host Millville 6-2.

Harris went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Farina went 3-for-3 with solo homers in the third and sixth innings and four RBIs. Lilly Birney hit an inside-the-park homer in the fifth. Brooke Douglas went 4-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs for Ocean City.

CONSOLATION GAME
PENNSVILLE 9, OCEAN CITY 7

Ocean City (1-2)	001 303 0-	7 10 2
Pennsville (2-1)	102 411 x-	9 10 2

WP: Savannah Palverento. LP: Jessica Mooney. 2B: Brooke Douglas (OC), Kylie Harris (P). 3B: Kylie Harris (P). HR: Brooke Douglas 2 (OC), Bella Farina 2 (P), Lilly Birney (P)

Woodstown’s All-Time Hits List

PLAYER	HITS	YEAR
Gracee Roberts	131	2018
Megan McCurdy	128	2014
Amy Gray	126	1994
Sarah Morgan	122	2018
Raechelle Hatchell	117	1993
Kim Duus	115	1994
Bethany Mills	108	2001
Amanda Clark	107	2000
Kristen Merkle	105	2000
x-Tulana Mingin	103	2024
Kim Merkle	102	1997

x-Active

Friday roundup

Here is a compilation of sports results from around Salem County Friday; includes college baseball, boys tennis, girls lacrosse

College baseball

RCSJ-CUMBERLAND 9, SALEM CC 4

The Dukes squeezed all nine of three runs into the sixth and seventh innings.

Yen Rodriguez, who’s made a mid-season Mookie Betts move going from right field to shortstop, homered for Salem and Cole Dawson drove in a pair of runs. Ben Charbonneau had three hits

The Mighty Oaks led 1-0 in the fifth, but the Dukes scored five in the sixth, then after Salem got within a run added four in the seventh.

Boys tennis

PENNSVILLE 3, DELSEA 2
Andrew McWilliams (D) def. Gabe Schneider, 6-3, 6-0
Maddox Efelis (P) def. T.J. Natalie, 6-2, 6-2
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Zeph Kell, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Noah Bohn-Noah Flitcraft (P) def. Eli Croce-Jacob Bramble, 6-2, 6-3
Dominik Maronski-Zach Natalie (D) def. Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

WOODSTOWN 3, KINGSWAY 2
Tim Schwienbacher def. Filip Mirkovic, 6-4, 6-4
Drew Stengel def. Dominic Palladino, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6
Nick Decinque (K) def. Erich Lipovsky, 6-3, 6-2
Joseph Kurpis-Ben Stengel def. Charlie West-Tyler Wilkinson, 1-6, 6-2, 10-8
Aiden Shoemaker-Nolan Steurer (K) def. Jason LaFord-Mason Shimp, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8

HADDON HEIGHTS 3, SCHALICK 2
Ben Mazzucco (H) def. George Gould, 6-4, 6-1
Ryan Connor (H) def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-1, 6-0
David Santana (S) def. Milan Stocker, 6-1, 6-0
Mike Pender-Gavin Ewing (H) def. Conor O’Toole-Rocky Monticello, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7
Kayden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski (S) def. Josh Harris-David Maher, 6-1, 6-2

Girls lacrosse

PAUL VI 19, WOODSTOWN 2: Paul IV’s Ava Diaz had eight goals and three assists, while Ave Martin and Emma McCarthy each had four goals and four assists. Delaney Walker scored both goals for Woodstown.

Salem County slams

Pedrick’s grand slam gives Woodstown the lead for good against Schalick; Fatcher’s first career homer a slam for Pennsville

FRIDAY BASEBALL
Pennsville 29, Penns Grove 3
Pitman 16, Salem 2
Woodstown 9, Schalick 4

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Andrew Pedrick hit a grand slam in the fifth inning Friday to give Woodstown the lead on Opening Day and from the reaction it got you’d have thought another earthquake was shaking the area.

Pedrick’s blast broke a 2-2 tie and sent the Wolverines to a 9-4 victory over rival Schalick. The response to his first varsity grand slam, which you could hear all the way to the softball field at the front of the complex, took him back to his Little League days.

“I’ve never heard anything like that, it was amazing,” he said. “Maybe Little League. I think when I was 11 I hit a grand slam and the place was going crazy, but there’s nothing like that.

“Off the bat I think everybody started to yell. It felt good. I just said, ‘Get out.’”

There might be something to that earthquake thing. Earlier in the day, Salem County residents felt a 4.8 magnitude quake that was centered in Hunterdon County. There was 4.0 magnitude aftershock centered about 15 miles from the original tremblor at just about the time Pedrick connected.

The slam was big on a number of fronts. Pedrick made a bad throw on a tailor-made double play that gave Schalick its second run of the fourth inning, so the blast brought a sense of redemption. The first time he came to the plate after the error, he singled home the Wolverines’ first run in the home fourth and then in his next at bat he hit the slam.

He went 3-for-4 in the game, his fourth career three-hit game against the Cougars. He was 3-for-4 against them in last year’s season-opener, too.

“It was a really good swing to left-center field,” Wolverines coach Marc DeCastro said of the slam. “He got jammed a lot earlier in the game so it was nice to see him be able to see that and still get it the other way.

“I know he’s disappointed in himself, too, because of the double-play ball that would have got us out of the inning; he’s so much better than that. I’m happy for him. He makes that mistake and he’s disappointed and now the next opportunity he gets he can either sink because he’s upset about that or he can challenge himself to forget about that and do something for the team and that’s what he did.”

Pedrick wasn’t the only Wolverine to homer in the game.

Jack Holladay provided Woodstown some insurance with a two-run shot in the sixth. It was his first career home run on “the big field” and helped him avoid an oh-for on Opening Day. Teammates standing around his post-game interview roared with approval when the first baseman was reminded he has a similar sounding name as the MLB’s top prospect, Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday.

“It felt good for me,” he said. “I was just thinking stay up the middle. I was trying to get my first hit on the day. It didn’t feel good off the bat, but I think the wind helped out a lot.”

The Wolverines hit 15 homers last season. They had one in their season opener, but just two through their first seven games. There’s a sense this could be a power hitting team because it’s virtually the same team as a year ago only one year older and stronger.

“We look for our pitch a lot so when we get it we’re ready to hit it out,” Pedrick said.

Until each team broke through in the fourth inning, Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky and Woodstown’s Aaron Foote were matching zeroes. Pokrovsky got all 10 of his outs in 3 1/3 innings via strikeout but he threw 94 pitches. Foote gave up three hits and struck out four in 3 1/3 innings.

WOODSTOWN 9, SCHALICK 4

Schalick (0-1)	000 202 0-	4 10 0
Woodstown (1-0)	000 243 x-	9 5 0

WP: Michael Valente. LP: Lucas D’Agostino. 2B: Ricky Watt (S). HR: Andrew Pedrick (W), Jack Holladay (W).

PENNSVILLE 29, PENNS GROVE 3: Sophomore Stevie Fatcher hit his first career home run in his first at-bat of the season – a grand slam in the first inning – and Logan Streitz threw four innings of shutout ball for his first career win.

Fatcher, 8-for-23 with two extra-base hits as a freshman last season, went 2-for-2 with five RBIs against the Red Devils. Luke Wood had four RBIs, Jeff Wagner (two hits) had three, and Connor Starn, Mike McClincy, Jovanni Rios and Streitz each had two.

Streitz allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one on 53 pitches. Elijah Crespo had two of Penns Grove’s four hits.

The 29 runs were Pennsville’s most in a game since a 31-8 win over Wildwood in May 2018.

PENNSVILLE 29, PENNS GROVE 3

Penns Grove (0-1)	000 03-	3 4 2
Pennsville (1-0)	894 8x-	29 13 1

WP: Logan Streitz. LP: Dylan Hyatt. 2B: Luke Wood (Pv), Jeff Wagner (Pv). HR: Stephen Fatcher (Pv).

PITMAN 16, SALEM 2: The Rams scored a pair of runs in the first inning to get their season off to a fast start, but some loose fielding and lack of command that followed conspired to send them to an Opening Day defeat.

Three Pitman pitchers held the Rams to two hits – a single by Caleb Clair in the first inning and a double by Colin Finney in the third. The Rams scored their two runs in the first on a bases-loaded error. The Panthers broke it open with nine runs in the fourth.

PITMAN 16, SALEM 2

Salem (0-1)	200 00-	2 2 9
Pitman (1-0)	412 9x-	16 8 3

WP: Jude Engstrom. LP: Terrell Robinson. 2B: Colin Finney (S), Stephen Devanney (P), Aidan Stranahan (P).

Cover photo: Woodstown’s Andrew Pedrick (L) talks with Brent Williams after hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning against Schalick Friday.

Back in the circle

Woodstown’s Boultinghouse back in the circle after third ankle surgery, doesn’t miss a beat; Pennsville opens its season in big way

FRIDAY SOFTBALL
Pennsville 27, Penns Grove 0
Woodstown 15, Schalick 3

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – When Liv Boultinghouse stepped into the circle for Woodstown’s season opener Friday afternoon, the thoughts going through her head were solely on the things she needed to do to get hitters out. The surgery she had in November was the farthest thing from her mind.

Considering all she has gone through in her playing career, some might think it a minor miracle she was even in the circle at all. The surgery she had on her right, push-off ankle was the third on the joint in seven years, but she didn’t give it another thought as she faced down rival Schalick in Top-15 South Jersey matchup on Opening Day of coach Dave Wildermuth’s final season.

The senior right-hander gave up six singles, one earned run, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter over five innings in the Wolverines’ 15-3 win over the Cougars.

“I’ve been dealing with this since I was 6 years old,” Boultinghouse said of the ankle troubles. “Nobody ever figured out what it was until 2017.”

She’s had surgeries on the ankle every three years since – 2017, 2020, 2023 – with the latest being the most intricate, cutting out scar tissue and the nerves entrapped within it. Through it all she was determined to keep pitching, this year more than ever.

And that became a reality when Wildermuth handed her the ball as the Opening Day starter he knew she was going to be all along.

“It felt really good,” she said. “I knew I was going to be able to do it. I was eager to get in the circle and play in the game.”

She promptly threw strikes on her first four pitches of the game and threw only one ball in the first inning. She threw 66 pitches total, 54 for strikes. She gave up a run in each of the first two innings, but once she found her rhythm – and her offense supported her with a bunch of runs – she was dominant.

“She’s a gamer,” Wildermuth said. “I don’t think she had any walks today. She’s a strike machine; she throws the ball over the plate. She’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but if you’re going to beat her you’re going to have to hit the ball because she’s not going to give you any free passes.”

After falling behind early, the Wolverines took the lead with four in the bottom of the second. Ellie Wygand’s two-run single broke a 2-2 tie and gave them the lead for good. They broke it open with nine in the third, highlighted by Wygand’s two-run triple.

“I was a little worried about coming out slow because we hadn’t been able to get outside, hadn’t been able to get on the field, hadn’t been able to see any live pitching,” Wildermuth said. “But I knew we were going to put the ball in play, and we did.”

The Wolverines pounded out 13 hits in the game, including five doubles and a triple. Cara Delia and Lila Bowling each had three hits, Tulana Mingin and Wygand each had two.

Mingin, the leadoff hitter, went 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. She walked her first two times up, hit a game-tying two-run double in the third and a single in the fourth. She now has 99 career hits and can hit the century mark Saturday against Camden Catholic.

When it comes, she will be the 11th player in program history with 100 hits or more and the first to reach the milestone since 2018.

“I did the best I could with what I was given,” Mingin said. “I guess it’ll just make tomorrow a little bit less pressure because it’s only one hit I’m looking for. I’ll get it when I get it. I can’t worry about that.”

The game marked the start of Wildermuth’s final season with the Wolverines. He’s retiring at the end of the school year. Mingin has said the players want to give their coach “the best last season.”

Wildermuth, meanwhile, isn’t thinking about anything but the season in front of him and what it’s going to take to make a deep run in the playoffs.

“I’m really not thinking about the end of the season yet, I’ll think about that when we get down towards the end of the season,” he said. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy my time with this team and spending time with the girls and being out there and trying to win and have fun.

“When the time comes it’ll be pretty emotional for all of us, but right now I’m just trying to take it one game at a time.”

WOODSTOWN 15, SCHALICK 3

Schalick (0-1)	110 01-	3 6 5
Woodstown (1-0)	049 2x-	15 13 4

WP: Liv Boultinghouse. LP: Abby Willoughby. 2B: Lila Bowling 2 (W), Cara Delia (W), Hannah Hitchner (W), Tulana Mingin (W). 3B: Ellie Wynand (W).

Woodstown All-Time Hits Leaders

PLAYER	HITS	YEAR
Gracee Roberts	131	2018
Megan McCurdy	128	2014
Amy Gray	126	1994
Sarah Morgan	122	2018
Raechelle Hatchell	117	1993
Kim Duus	115	1994
Bethany Mills	108	2001
Amanda Clark	107	2000
Kristen Merkle	105	2000
Kim Merkle	102	1997
x-Tulana Mingin	99	2024

x-Active

PENNSVILLE 27, PENNS GROVE 0: Kylie Harris went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and the next four hitters in the Pennsville lineup drew a total of 13 walks. The first five hitters were a combined 6-for-9 with 14 walks and 12 runs scored.

Savannah Palverento walked three times and scored five runs. Avery Watson was officially 0-for-0 in the game, but walked four times and scored four runs. Sierra Stultz allowed two hits from the circle, walked none and struck out seven in four innings.

PENNSVILLE 27, PENNS GROVE 0

Penns Grove (0-1)	000 0-	0 2 3
Pennsville (1-0)	9(13)5 x-	27 8 0

WP: Sierra Stultz. LP: Yeneris Garcia. 2b: Kylie Harris (Pv).

Getting to know …

Salem Tech/Woodstown’s Sarah Seiden

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of in depth interviews with athletes in Salem County. Coaches, if there is a player in your program with an interesting background or backstory the community would be interested in “Getting To Know …”, forward details in an email to Riverview Sports News at al.muskewitz@gmail.com

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Sarah Seiden is living one of the more interesting and completely by-the-book experiences afforded New Jersey high school athletes. She’s a two-sport standout competing for two different schools.

She goes to Salem Tech year-round because of the academic program and runs cross country for it in the fall. But in the winter and spring months, because the Chargers don’t offer the sport, she makes the 3.2-mile drive up Route 45 after school to run indoor and outdoor track for her sending school, Woodstown. She’s set school records for both.

On top of all that, she’s taking college classes at Salem CC that will allow her to get a college degree before she even graduates high school.

The junior sat down with Riverview Sports News at the Woodstown Diner on a rainy Tuesday afternoon before practice to talk about the unique experience, what it means for her schedule, friendships and wardrobe, and her hopes for the season ahead.

The Wolverines hit the track for the first time this season Thursday – weather permitting.

RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: I’m really intrigued about this two-school thing. Explain why you go to Salem Tech and get to compete for Woodstown? It sounds like it presents some interesting logistical challenges.

SARAH SEIDEN: I was really intrigued about Vo Tech’s programs. I’m in the medical academy with it. Their college classes really hooked me in because I’m able to get my associate’s degree before I graduate and I’m enrolled as a student at SCC, which is really cool.

They have a different way of doing it (at Woodstown). They do AP classes where classes at my school are just college classes. My chemistry class counts for my high school credits and my college credits, which is really cool. So, I do that both at once. I really like that.

We don’t have a track at VoTech. We also don’t have baseball fields and stuff, so if you want to play a sport that they don’t offer then you go back to your sending district and can play there, which is great for me because I have all my friends at Woodstown and I love playing with them and I’ve also known the coaches there for years, so I was really happy I was able to do that.

This year was my first year running cross country for (Salem Tech). I never ran cross country before this year and that was really cool to do. Woodstown does have a cross country team, but since my school offers it (you have to compete there). You can’t pick and choose.

It does get confusing sometimes because I have two separate MileSplits, so my times for different schools were not in the same place so I was worried that recruitment and stuff would be harder for me because my times are in different places. But we were able to find a way to mesh them.

RSN: Your closets must be full of stuff. Do you have a bunch of Woodstown orange and a bunch of VoTech navy blue?

SS: I do. My closet is filled to the brim. I definitely have a lot more Woodstown orange and blue than I do my own school.

RSN: Do you have to make sure you’re wearing the right stuff where you are and have you ever worn something from one to the other?

SS: Never by accident, but sometimes I’ll just show up to my school and cross country meets with all this Woodstown gear on because that’s just what I had. I have all this athletic wear and track suits from Woodstown so I’ll just wear that to those meets.

RSN: Do you get weird looks when you’re in class wearing Woodstown stuff knowing you have to practice VoTech cross country in the afternoon?

SS: Yeah, they kind of give me some crap about that, but it’s all fun.

RSN: Are there any others like you there?

SS: No other person on my cross country team is sending district from Woodstown who runs track for Woodstown, but there’s one senior, Abby Melle, who is like me and goes to VoTech but runs track for Woodstown; she also swims.

A bunch of my classmates do all their own sports, but go to the different schools. My friend does wrestling and softball for Pennsville; she comes in with all her Pennsville gear.

RSN: So are you a VoTech kid, a Woodstown kid and what’s your diploma going to say when you graduate?

SS: (Laughing) It depends on the day. I used to have some regrets about going to VoTech because it’s not a traditional high school. Sometimes there’s a bit of a difference between them, but at the end of the day it’s all my friends there and it’s all fun.

RSN: What’s it like emotionally when you compete against your Woodstown friends in cross country?

SS: My old (track) coach, Steve New, was/is the cross country coach for Woodstown and I didn’t run for them, I run for (Kimberly) Kraky who is now our (Woodstown) track coach, which I was very excited about. He (New) had all this fun with it. He would call me traitor, get out of here, because I wasn’t his kid for that. We were always trying to beat each other and that fueled us a lot.

RSN: On the track you run the 400 and 800, set school records in both relays and now you’re embracing the 400 hurdles. What is it you like about all these events and how has your development in the hurdles been going?

SS: Track was my only running sport; I’ve done that since freshman to now. Cross country is very new for me. I always thought of myself as mid-distance/sprinter and I did cross country so I could stay in shape. I didn’t know if I would like it or not, then I kind of realized this could be my thing, too. That kind of shifted all my coaches’ gears to try to find where they want to put me to best benefit myself and the team. I think this year I’m mainly staying in that mid-distance area.

(The hurdles) is just such a fun race for me. I love the 400 hurdles. I’ve been told I have the build for it because I have long legs. It looked fun to me from afar and I really wanted to try it. I asked my coach one day to try it and he didn’t want to let me at first because I had already established my races, but he finally let me one day and it was so much fun and I had such a good time with it and I ended up doing pretty OK with it.

RSN: What do you do away from competition? How to you decompress?

SS: I just love hanging out with my friends and my boyfriend, (Salem Tech basketball player and cross country runner) Tyler Zampino. He pushed me a lot during the season and that was another thing that kept me going. We’re very competitive with each other. I’ve just got to beat him. I will get one under my belt.

I love traveling. For state outdoor last year we got to stay at a hotel and that was so much fun. We stayed overnight and we went out to dinner the night before and it was just so much. It was just a great time.

RSN: What are your hopes and expectations for yourself and the team this season?

SS: I’m really excited to see the dynamic with our new coach. I loved her in cross country and I love her now for a track coach. I think she’s going to be a good asset to the team.

I really am excited to continue with the 400 hurdles and just improving my times. Indoor season I mainly focused on the 400 because our 4×4 team went to the Meet of Champions. I’ve been doing that race for the longest time, so I want to get my time down and PR for that.

The 800 (that broke the Woodbury Relays record last spring and won this year’s Group I indoor title) should be pretty cool, too. Katie Deal graduated so we don’t have her anymore and she was a big part of both those races, but we think we’re still going to be pretty good and solid with (returnees Kayla Ayars, Seiden and Arie Still) and we can keep working and improving our times and we can still be in that same good place.

RSN: Do you have an idea where you want to go for college and will running be a part of it?

SS: Now is definitely the time I should be researching more than I am. I think I’m just trying to learn about all types of college to see where I want to go and see what interests me. I do want to run in college.

Cover photo: Sarah Seiden runs the hurdles for Woodstown (L) and cross country for Salem Tech. (Submitted photos)

This week’s schedule

Here is the sports schedule for Salem County teams for the week of April 1-6; all games 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY

BASEBALL
Schalick at Woodstown
SOFTBALL
Schalick at Woodstown
GOLF
Delsea girls vs. Schalick, Centerton CC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown

TUESDAY

BASEBALL
Pennsville at Clayton
Penns Grove at Glassboro, 10 a.m.
Salem vs. Pitman, Alcyon Park
SOFTBALL
Glassboro at Penns Grove, 10 a.m.
Clearview at Woodstown
OLMA at Schalick
Pennsville at Clayton
Pitman at Salem
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Mercer County CC, 3 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Mercer County CC (2), 3 p.m.
GOLF
Washington Twp. girls at Schalick, 3:30 p.m.
Schalick boys vs. West Deptford, River Winds GC
Gloucester Catholic vs. Salem Tech, Sakima CC
BOYS TENNIS
Cunberland at Woodstown

WEDNESDAY

BASEBALL
Schalick at Millville
SOFTBALL
Ocean City at Woodstown
Penns Grove at Cumberland
Schalick at Clearview
TRACK
Pennsville at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Overbrook
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Westwood GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Paul VI, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Clearview at Woodstown
BOYS TENNIS
Middle Twp. at Pennsville

THURSDAY

BASEBALL
Salem at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Pitman at Schalick
SOFTBALL
Pennsville at Salem
Woodstown at Penns Grove
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC (2), 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Schalick boya vs. Overbrook, Kresson GC
Clearview vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL, 3:30 p.m.
Pennsville vs. West Deptford, Riverwinds GC, 3:30 p.m.
TRACK
Schalick at Woodstown
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Woodstown

FRIDAY

BASEBALL
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Schalick at Woodstown
SOFTBALL
Paulsboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Schalick at Woodstown
COLLEGE BASEBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Penns Grove, Sakima GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Delsea at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Kingsway, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Haddon Heights
GIRLS LACROSSE
Woodstown at Paul VI
TRACK
Schalick at Woodstown

SATURDAY

BASEBALL
Salem, Schalick, Clayton at Gloucester City, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Cedar Creek, 11 a.m.
SOFTBALL
Camden Catholic at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Raritan Valley at Salem CC (2), noon
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Schalick at Deptford Relays, 9 a.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
Washington Twp. at Woodstown, 10 a.m.

Getting to know …

Woodstown’s Tulana Mingin

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of in depth interviews with athletes in Salem County. Coaches, if there is a player in your program with an interesting background or backstory the community would be interested in “Getting To Know …”, forward details in an email to Riverview Sports News at al.muskewitz@gmail.com

WOODSTOWN – If teams got to pick a player’s walk-up music as they came to the plate the undisputed choice for Woodstown shortstop Tulana Mingin would be the Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started.”

From her spot in the lineup, the senior gets the Wolverines going and is usually right in the middle of any rally they put together. When this season is over, she will have collected 100 career hits and leave as the program’s all-time hits leader.

Mingin is all about softball, but when she’s not leading the Wolverines on the field you will usually find her taking a nice stroll in the park or dropping a hook in the water to wait on the next big fish to bite.

With the pressure of making a college choice behind her – she signed with East Stroudsburg in November – her mission for her senior season is simply to go out and have fun while doing all she can to ensure retiring coach Dave Wildermuth goes out with a bang.

RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: When did you first fall in love with softball. I’m sure you played a bunch of sports growing up, but what was it about softball that did it for you?

TULANA MINGIN: I started to really like it when I started playing travel ball; the more I played it, the more I would enjoy it. I really started to love it a few years ago, like sophomore year, when I was playing travel because I saw just a complete different level of competition and seeing all the other good players it just made me want to be great.

RSN: What are some of the experiences softball has afforded you that you might not have had otherwise?

TM: Aside from making my best friends, I got to travel all across the East Coast. We even went to Colorado this past summer. I got to stay there for a week. It’s really cool to see the different parts of the U.S. I’ve never been that West before and I wouldn’t go there unless I was playing softball.

I got to see a lot of mountains in Colorado. In Massachusetts I got to see seals an stuff, so I know there’s probably a Great White (shark) somewhere in there.

RSN: You’re in line for a couple milestones this year. You need three hits for 100 – maybe Monday? – and will probably set the program’s career hits record. What do those things mean to you?

TM: It is important to me because I put a lot of time into this so it’s nice to see when it pays off. To see you’re the all-time leader for something is just crazy to think about for a whole program.

(Getting 100 hits) was something I thought about when I started playing high school softball, that was my first goal, to try to get 100 hits in my whole career. If I get it I’ll be really happy.

RSN: You’re known as a slap hitter. How does that style fit into the way the game is played?

TM: I think it’s important to have some slappers in the lineup because it creates chaos on the defense and there are multiple things you can do – you can play small ball, you can bunt, soft slap, hard slap. You’re just trying to direct the ball; you look at the field and see where everybody’s positioned and try to hit it where they’re not.

RSN: You’ve been a 2-hole hitter in the lineup, but Coach Wildermuth told me a while back he might put you at leadoff (she batted first in Saturday’s scrimmage with Sterling). If that does happen what does it do for your style of play; does it alter your approach at all? I guess, really, you’re only leadoff in the first inning.

TM: When I’m in the 2-hole, if someone’s on in front of me, it takes away a slap to the shortstop or second baseman because they can get the force at second. When I have nobody on base, it expands what I can do. I come in with a different approach depending on the situation, but I’m usually just reading the defense and seeing where I should place the ball.

I’ve been leadoff my whole life, not every single time but I’m used to it. When I was younger I would always bat leadoff, even before I was lefthanded, so I’m kind of used to being the first batter and just having that mindset and not being nervous about it.

RSN: Wait. What? Before you were left-handed?

TM: Yes, I was a right-handed batter until my freshman year. I switched over the winter of my freshman year right before the high school season. I was a good hitter before, but decided to switch because I wasn’t a power hitter and I knew my speed would be more beneficial for recruiting if I was a slapper. I just went completely lefty instead of being a switch hitter so I could just focus on getting good at that.

RSN: They tell me you eat it up defensively at short, too. What do you think about your defensive skills. Shortstop traditionally is like the best athlete on a team.

TM: I really like taking ground balls at practice. Just getting different ground balls at practice really helps me. Just getting reps in outside of team practice.

RSN: Tell me a little about your recruiting. I know you signed with East Stroudsburg in November. What separated them from whoever else you were considering and how did signing fulfill a lifelong dream from you?

TM: I loved it when I toured there. It felt like someplace I could live and be happy with. I really like the softball program. I really like the coach. And all the girls on the team were nice. Going to their camps and seeing how they run practices made me want to be a part of that.

I was kind of looking at a lot of D-I, D-II schools local because I don’t want to go too far. So I was looking at FDU (Teaneck), Wilmington, Georgian Court, West Chester, Bloomfield.

RSN: Here’s the fun stuff. What do you like to do away from the field; how do you decompress?

TM: I like to be outside, so I like to go on walks. Watch movies. I like to fish when it’s nice out, so after softball I’ll go fishing with my friends. I catch a lot of fish; I get pretty lucky with that. It’s fun. It’s really relaxing. It’s a time for me to think about stuff.

The biggest fish I caught? I don’t know how many pounds, but I’ve got a picture of it. It’s like this big (holding her hands about 12 inches apart). I threw it back. I’ll get a bigger one.

RSN: Have you ever considered being a Phillies ball girl down the foul line at Citizens Bank Park?

TM: I’ve thought about that before. That sounds really fun and to continue working with sports would be really fun. One of the girls who graduated from ESU softball does that (MacKenzie Lewis was a Phillies ball girl in 2023). I haven’t thought about it that much, but it would be something fun to do. I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up yet.

RSN: Back to the serious stuff to finish up. The last two years you had some hard-luck losses to Audubon that knocked you out of the playoffs. How much has that stuck with you and drive you this year?

TM: This year I want it more than anything, especially with two losses by one run in such close games. Audubon’s a really good team so I know it’s not going to be easy, so that just pushes me to want it more. Everybody wants to beat Audubon after the past two years because we know we can do it.

RSN: And lastly, Coach Wildermuth is retiring at the end of the school year. What was that like when he told the girls of his plan, what’s he meant to you and your career and what will that dynamic mean for the season that starts Monday at home against Schalick?

TM: Obviously we’re going to want to have a really good season for him for his last year. Our all seniors, he’s leaving with us, so it’s our last season, too, and it means a lot.

Everybody was sad when he said that. They knew it was coming because he’s, like, retired before. I’m sure there will be crying whenever the last game is. No tears were shed yet, but it’s definitely something sad when you think about it, but we still have a whole season ahead of us; we’re not thinking about that yet. We want him to have the best last season.

This week’s schedule

Here is this week’s Salem County sports schedule for the week of March 24-30; all games 4 p.m. unless noted, x-scrimmage

Sunday

COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Brookdale, 1 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Northampton at Salem CC (2), noon

Monday

BASEBALL
x-Cumberland at Woodstown
x-GCIT at Pennsville
x-LEAP at Penns Grove
x-Millville at Schalick
SOFTBALL
x-Pennsauken Tech at Penns Grove
x-Pennsville at GCIT
x-Salem at Winslow
GOLF
Woodstown vs. Burlington City, Burlington CC
BOYS TENNIS
x-Pennsville at Gateway, 3:45 p.m.
x-St. Augustine at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE
x-Woodstown at OLMA
BOYS LACROSSE
x-Millville at Woodstown

Tuesday

BASEBALL
x-West Deptford at Pennsville
SOFTBALL
x-Salem at Lindenwold
BOYS TENNIS
Schalick at Gateway
x-Woodstown at Millville
TRACK
x-Camden Co. Tech at Pennsville
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Lehigh Carbon CC, 3 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC (2), 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday

BASEBALL
x-Cumberland at Schalick
x-Deptford at Woodstown
x-LEAP at Salem
x-Penns Grove at Bridgeton
SOFTBALL
x-Cumberland at Schalick
x-Deptford at Woodstown
x-Paulsboro at Pennsville
GOLF
Pennsville vs. Gloucester Catholic, Westwood GC, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
x-Pennsville at Delsea, 3:45 p.m.
x-Woodstown at Millville
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Lehigh Carbon CC at Salem CC (2), noon

Thursday

BASEBALL
x-Clayton at Penns Grove
x-Gloucester at Salem
SOFTBALL
x-LEAP at Salem
x-Millville at Pennsville
x-Penns Grove at Clayton
x-Sterling at Woodstown
GOLF
Schalick vs. Woodstown, Town & Country GL
TRACK
x-Penns Grove, Bridgeton at Salem

Friday

BASEBALL
x-Paulsboro at Schalick, 11 a.m.
SOFTBALL
Millville at Pennsville
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Sussex (2), 1 p.m.
GOLF
Woodstown at Delran, Golden Pheasant GC

Saturday

GIRLS LACROSSE
x-Washington Twp. at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
BOYS LACROSSE
x-Woodstown at Absegami, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Keystone College JV, noon

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of March 17-23; all games 4 p.m. unless noted, x-scrimmage

Sunday

COLLEGE SOFTBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC (2), noon

Monday

BOYS TENNIS
x-Mainland at Woodstown

Tuesday

BOYS TENNIS
x-Schalick at Cumberland
x-Pennsville at St. Augustine
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Lehigh Carbon CC (2), 3 p.m.

Wednesday

BOYS TENNIS
x-West Deptford at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
x-Millville at Schalick
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
SUNY-Orange at Salem CC (2), 3:30 p.m.

Thursday

BASEBALL
x-Gateway at Salem
x-Pennsville at Williamstown
x-Schalick at Highland
x-Woodstown at Clearview
SOFTBALL
x-Cedar Creek at Schalick
x-Woodstown at Gloucester City
GOLF
Woodstown vs. Triton, Valley Brook CC
BOYS TENNIS
x-Woodstown at Palmyra

Friday

BASEBALL
x-Pennsauken Tech at Penns Grove
SOFTBALL
x-Kingsway at Woodstown
x-Pennsville at Delran
x-Salem at Bridgeton
BOYS TENNIS
x-Millville at Pennsville
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Brookdale CC, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday

SOFTBALL
x-Pennsville, Cedar Creek, Williamstown at Buena, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Brookdale CC at Salem CC (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Delaware Tech at Salem CC (2), noon

It’s Trautz’ time

Woodstown board approves quarterbacks coach’s promotion to head football coach

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — It’s funny the way things work out sometimes.

A year ago Frank Trautz took a middle school social studies teaching job in Woodstown not for anything as ambitious as being a head coach in waiting but just to get more coaching experience under a successful veteran like John Adams. Twelve months later, he is the Wolverines’ new head football coach.

Trautz was approved by the Woodstown-Pilesgrove district board Thursday night to succeed Adams, who announced at the end of January he was stepping away from coaching after 14 seasons to devote more time to his family.

Trautz, 32 and just five years older than Adams was when he got the job, was the Wolverines’ quarterbacks coach under his predecessor. In his new position he will continue to coach quarterbacks and now call the plays.

This will be Trautz’ first head coaching job. He will meet with the team Friday and then begin the transition to his program. It shouldn’t be a difficult transition for player or coach, as they all know each other and his offensive philosophy very much aligns with Adams’.

“It’s funny sometimes how life works out,” Trautz said. “To wind up in just a great spot teaching and coaching I feel incredibly lucky and incredibly fortunate that life has led me to this point.

“I was really excited when I came to Woodstown last year and getting to work with John on his staff; it’s a real special place. I’m very honored and humbled to be picked as the next guy to take over this program. It’s certainly really, really big shoes to fill. Coach Adams has done just a tremendous job building up this program to where it is and I’m just very excited to step in and get rolling.”

He said he had no idea Adams was going to step aside this winter when he came aboard. His “anticipation” was to be an assistant coach “for quite a few years” under the Wolverines’ coach.

“When I got the teaching job at Woodstown I had the opportunity to join John’s staff and I felt incredibly fortunate coming from a great program at Haddonfield to join another really, really great program here at Woodstown and to coach under another tremendous coach,” he said. “You can always be learning more. I don’t think there’s ever what you’d say is the perfect time and that’s kind of how I looked at it.

“I had the opportunity to keep learning from a really, really good coach in Coach Adams and I would have taken all the learning I could get from him … It’s something I wasn’t necessarily seeking out at this exact time, but I I feel that I’m ready and excited to accept this new chapter and challenge in my life.”

Woodstown officials interviewed two finalists, principal Richard Senor said. Being in-house was important, but wasn’t the underlying factor in Trautz rising to the top. He’d been around the game all his life – his father was a long-time successful high school coach and coached him – and he cut his teeth in 10 years as an assistant at Lindenwold and Haddonfield.

“We’re very glad and very fortunate to have someone in house,” Senor said. “I think that’s so important to the strength of the program, just the accountability for the students to know the coach is in the building and easily accessible if need be, but at the end of the day we want to hire the best person for the job, whether they’re an in-house candidate or not..

“To me, having the in-house person is just an added benefit, but I wouldn’t say it was the main criteria that we’re looking for. (Trautz) knows what it takes to have a successful program and maintain a successful program.”

The board also accepted the resignation of boys basketball coach Phil Campbell and the retirement of softball coach Dave Wildermuth (effective at the end of the school year). Senor said while an in-house candidate is desirable if one is available, the search for their replacements will focus on finding the best candidate for the job.

Trautz had been Campbell’s assistant and JV coach, but said his energy and focus is on the football program.

Trautz’ approval fills the final opening in one of the more tumultuous Salem County football off-seasons in recent memory. Three of the county’s five football-playing schools have had to replace their head coaches since the end of the 2024 season, the most turnover in the county in more than 15 years.