Delsea baseball sets new standard despite loss to Morris Knolls in state final

Delsea coach Joe Smith directed his team to a 27-4 record and an appearance in the Group 3 state final in 2024. The Crusaders fell short to Morris Knolls, 11-3, at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans Park in Hamilton, New Jersey on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Thomas Maxwell/D2 Sports Network

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - Expectations were high for the Delsea Regional High School baseball team in 2024.

State championships were a common theme in Franklin Township this season.

The Crusaders football program had dominated its way to its first Group 3 state title in school history with a 28-3 win over West Essex at Rutgers University.

Delsea's wrestling team followed suit and cruised to a 45-25 win over Cranford in the Group 3 wrestling state final.

The baseball program felt capable of its own state title run. The Crusaders appeared in two straight South Jersey Group 3 finals in 2022 and 2023. The Crusaders upset top-seeded Ocean City, 4-0, in 2022 to win the bracket. In 2023, Delsea was upset by No. 9 seed Mainland in the sectional final.

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