Is Toms River The Baseball Capital of New Jersey?

I don’t know if you can simply proclaim Toms River as the baseball capital of New Jersey because in truth there is no such thing.  However it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to call it that and I don’t know how much of an argument you would get either locally or really anywhere in the state.

I bring this up as the Toms River East Little League has gone 2-0 in the Mid-Atlantic Regional and following Monday’s 3-1 win over Maryland now has a couple of days to prepare for their next game against the Pennsylvania champions from the Upper Providence Little League Thursday night at 7pm…a game that will be televised live by ESPN.  If the kids from Windsor Avenue can win that game they will be assured a spot in the finals and a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.  It would be the fourth such trip for the little league from the east side of town to go along with 1995, 98 & 99…of course the middle one resulted in the “Beast of the East” winning the World Series.

Meanwhile it was only in 2014 that the Toms River Little League on Mapletree Road produced a state champion and a team that made a great run into the semifinals of the regional in Bristol, Connecticut.  So you have two little leagues in the same town with a championship history.

Of course there also the matter of high school baseball as Toms River East, North and South have produced a long list of championship teams and outstanding players.  The fact that the winningest coach in state history is the legendary Ken Frank of the South Indians only adds to that.

So if you live in Toms River go ahead and say you are a resident of the baseball capital of New Jersey…who is going to argue with you?