Sports Friday

Albert Einstein once said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” For that reason alone you have to give credit to the horse racing officials behind the major schedule change at Monmouth Park this summer.

Attendance at Monmouth and most other tracks around the country has been declining so rather then just try different promotions the Oceanport facility will change the way they do business. Monmouth Park opens tomorrow and the 50-day summer meet will be conducted on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only through Labor Day.

Top-seeded Toms River South has advanced to the semifinals of the Shore Conference Baseball Tournament after shutting out Howell 5-0 Thursday.
Monmouth University-bound lefty Andrew McGee threw a 3-hitter and struck out 9 while also doubling in a pair of runs. An interested spectator at the game was former Indian star Todd Frazier, now playing for the Cincinnati Reds Triple A team in Louisville. The Bats had a morning game at nearby Lehigh Valley so after going 1-2 Frazier came home with his parents and will head back for tonight’s game. While Todd has been struggling and is batting only .192 he told me he feels very comfortable at the plate and is confident things will turn around.

Also in the Shore Conference Tournament, 11th seeded Jackson Liberty scored two runs in the top of the 7th to tie the game and an inning later stunned Wall 5-4. The Lions now play town rival and defending champion Jackson Memorial in the semifinals.

8 weeks from tonight the US Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic will be played at Matawan High School, matching the best recently-graduated seniors from Monmouth and Ocean County against one another. Last night players, coaches, game officials and others gathered at Wall High School for media night, sponsored by Jersey Mike’s Subs. The head coaches for the July 16th football game are Joe Martucci of Matawan and Toms River East’s Charlie Diskin. Lacey coach Lou Vircillo has done a tremendous job in running the game along with the Shore Football Coaches Foundation and we will broadcast it live on the Shore Sports Network.

Matt Harmon and I will broadcast tomorrow’s BlueClaws-West Virginia game on 1160 and 1310AM. First pitch at FirstEnergy Park is 4:05.