Shore Conference baseball Top 20: Who's the new No. 1? Who made major moves in the rankings?

There is no question baseball is one of the toughest sports to figure out who should be ranked where.

So much depends on pitching depth, who faces whom when and who pitches against certain teams.

This season, pitching depth around the Shore seems to be at a premium.

A wild week of results has produced a new No. 1 team in the Asbury Park Press Top 20 and major movement throughout the rankings.

Expect more to come as the divisional races come to a conclusion and the tournament season heats up.

Here is this week's Asbury Park Press Shore Conference Top 20.

1. CBA (6-2): Last week: No. 3.

The Colts move up to the top spot with last week's top two teams - Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic - losing multiple times last week. They are ranked ahead of Matawan because they went 3-0 last week and did nothing to warrant dropping behind Matawan.

2. Matawan (9-0): Last week: No. 4

The Huskies, who may have the best team they have ever had, have a compelling case to be ranked No. 1. Their pitching, led by Brandon Falco, Mark Kovach and Andrew Gendi, has been dominant. Matawan has outscored its opposition 88-6 and has recorded five shutouts. A major test against Ranney comes up next week.

3. Southern (8-1): Last week: No. 6.

The Rams bounced back from a defeat to Brick Memorial with solid wins over then unbeaten Toms River East and a 12-11 win eight innings over Brick in an Ocean County Tournament round of 16 game. The Rams host Jackson Memorial Wednesday and Toms River South Thursday in an OCT quarterfinal.

4. Toms River East (9-2): Last week: No. 5.

The Raiders' lone defeats are to Southern. They are still in the Shore Conference Class A South race with Southern and Jackson Memorial playing each other today. Toms River East also has a series remaining with Jackson Memorial.

5. Wall (7-3): Last week: No. 12.

The Crimson Knights move ahead of Red Bank Catholic because they are ahead of the Caseys in the standings, split with them and swept Shore while Red Bank Catholic was defeated by Shore on Tuesday. Wall's only defeats are to Monmouth and ace Collin Denton and RBC and ace Declan Leary.

6. Red Bank Catholic (6-5): Last week: No. 1.

The Caseys have lost three straight, including a 14-13 defeat at Shore on Tuesday. They were defeated by powerful Gloucester Catholic and by a very good Old Bridge team before that. Red Bank Catholic split with Wall and has a win over Jackson Memorial.

7. St. Rose (8-0): Last week: No. 16.

St. Roses makes the major move because of a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Manalapan in a Monmouth County Tournament preliminary round game. The Purple Roses begin a two-game series with St. Rose Wednesday.

8. Manalapan (7-4): Last week: No. 9.

Manalapan has a win over Christian Brothers Academy, sweeps of Howell and Freehold Township, a split with Colts Neck and the defeat to St. Rose.

9. Monmouth (7-2): Last week: No. 17.

The Falcons move way because they are in first place in Shore Conference Class A Central - a half-game in front of Wall and a game in the loss column ahead of Red Bank Catholic. They split with Wall and have swept Shore and Raitan.

10. Point Pleasant Borough (7-2): Last week: No. 8.

The Panthers are in first place in Shore Conference Class B South due to a split with Donovan Catholic and Donovan Catholic's defeat to Jackson Liberty. Point Borough ralled for wins over Jackson Liberty and Barnegat on consecutive days last week.

11. Donovan Catholic (7-4): Last week: No. 2.

The Griffins drop in the rankings more so because of what teams like St. Rose, Wall and Monmouth have done. They split with Point Pleasant Borough and Jackson Liberty and swept Pinelands and Lacey. When Virginia Tech recruit Jake Marciano pitches, they can beat anybody.

12. Middletown South (5-3): Last week: No. 10.

The Eagles have a formidable 1-2 pitching combination in Seton Hall recruit Mason Christopher and Brevin Bezick. They have a split with Colts Neck and swept a series from Howell.

13. Jackson Memorial (7-3): Last week: No. 7.

The Jaguars are at Southern today and then host Brick Memorial Thursday in an Ocean County Tournament quarterfinal. They and Southern are tied in the loss column in Shore Conference Class A South.

14. Ranney (6-3): Last week: No. 14.

The Panthers have won four straight, and on Monday, they avenged a defeat to Manasquan.

15. Point Pleasant Beach (9-0): Last week: No. 15.

The Garnet Gulls' come-from-behind win over Toms River North in an Ocean County Tournament round of 16 game keeps them in the top 15.

16. Brick Memorial (5-4): Last week: No. 11.

The Mustangs fall in the rankings, not because of anything they necessarily did, but because of what other teams did. They have a split with Southern. The defeat to Southern and one of the defeats to Jackson Memorial came in the last at-bat.

17. Shore (4-4): Last week: Not ranked.

The Blue Devils have won four straight, including Tuesday's wild come-from-behind 14-13 win over Red Bank Catholic. It was the third straight season Shore has defeated Red Bank Catholic at Shore.

18. Colts Neck (6-4): Last week: No. 19.

The Cougars split with Manalapan and Middletown South and have a win over Ocean.

19. Ocean (6-4): Last week: No. 20.

The Spartans have a split with Ranney, a win over Manasquan and a defeat to Colts Neck.

20. Manasquan (4-4-1): Last week: No. 13.

Manasquan has lost four straight, but it does have a win over Ranney.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ baseball Top 20: Who is the new No. 1? Who moved up?