No. 1 Immaculata hosts No. 2 Ridge looking for a sweep and bigger lead in SCT top seed race

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s top dogs in baseball have already battled once, and they’ll do so again on Wednesday afternoon.

The latest matchup is the second half of a home-and-home two-game set between No. 1 Immaculata and No. 2 Ridge, a day after the Spartans took the first game 3-0. Pitchers Cole Raymond and Bryson Auten combined for a two-hit shutout, and the offense came from two RBIs — including a home run — from senior catcher Owen Schilling, and a single from sophomore outfielder Brian Cilento.

If all goes to plan for Immaculata, it hopes to be more of the same in the second leg on Wednesday.

You can hear that game live – with no paywall or subscription needed – on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame at 3:45 pm and first pitch at four with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The Spartans have played some solid baseball all year long, and are 7-1 against New Jersey teams, with the lone loss coming against Delsea on Saturday.

Immaculata’s pitching and defense have helped push the team to its strong start, and with star senior Ryan Auten on the mound Wednesday, could continue to be a strength.

Auten, committed to Wake Forest, has been brilliant in all three starts this year. He sports a 1.62 ERA and 35 strikeouts — an average of almost 12 per game — and has progressed even after last season, according to head coach Kevin Cust. At times, he wasn’t as sure in his execution, while still working a 2.80 ERA, but that has flipped for the better in the opening month of his senior season.

On the offensive side, the Spartans’ mix of experience and young talent have shown themselves across the year, and the coaching staff has continued to emphasize a strong approach of throwing strikes and hitting strikes.

It worked on Tuesday, as Immaculata drew six walks and seven hits. Now with its ace on the mound, the Spartans aim for a sweep of a fellow state-ranked team, and one it’s battling for Somerset County Tournament seeding at that.

With a win, Immaculata could only strengthen its hold on the prospective top seed in the tournament, while a Red Devils victory makes the conversation a bit more intriguing.

As the defending champions, the Spartans look to get back to the mountaintop, and a win against a fellow contender could go a long way in clearing the path to do so.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust about the Spartans’ season, and their huge series with Ridge: