CHRIS LaCHALL/Courier-Post Wayne Krenchicki hopes his team is prepared to play better in the second half of the season.

The Camden Riversharks began their inaugural season with high expectations on and off the field.

Off the field, the team has experienced one high after another.

The team sold out its opening day in less than two hours after individual tickets went on sale. Following the hectic days leading up to the home opener, when the public got its first glance at Campbell's Field, a single game record of 7, 192 fans was established.

The fan support enabled the team to finish the first half with the third-best average attendance of the Atlantic League's eight teams.

On the field, the Riversharks have been a different story.

Manager Wayne Krenchicki spoke for the entire front office Monday night, the last day of a dismal first half.

``They have three days off,'' Krenchicki warned. ``They better come back ready to play.''

Krenchicki and four players won't be getting the full three days off as they participate in tonight's all-star game in Newark at Eagle Bear Stadium. Dan Held will be a designated hitter in the game while pitchers Del Matthews, Ryan Schurman and Jimmy ``Slim'' Williams are also on the roster. Krenchicki will manage the team.

So, with one half of the inaugural season in the books, here's where the Riversharks stand:

Coaching

highly respected independent league manager. He also came in with a team he and general manager John Brandt put together without some of the financial restraints that Krenchicki had as manager of Lehigh Valley last year.

On paper, the team looked like it could compete for the South Division title with the winner of the last four halves, Somerset.

On the field, however, the team finished the first half 24-39 and lost four times to last-place Lehigh Valley.

Give Krenchicki credit - he never went away from his his philosophy of being aggressive. On more than one occasion, the manager sent runners to force the defense to make a play. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

The fact is, sometimes the team just couldn't play aggressively, because of a lack of speed or because the game situation wouldn't allow the Riversharks to challenge an opponent.

Wrong or not, Krenchicki also was willing to speak his mind and never let his team question who was in control. Sure, injuries did play a part in the struggles of the first half but that excuse can only go so far.

Krenchicki and his staff get a B-minus mainly for sticking to their beliefs and aggressive approach.

Infield

has been solid throughout the first half. His .282 batting average and his team high 23 RBIs have given the Sharks some solid production in the middle of the lineup through the first 63 games. A bruised left forearm slowed him somewhat for two weeks, but overall he's been the most most consistent player on the field.

At the other corner has been former Phillie and team captain Kim Batiste.

Batiste has struggled at the plate and finished the first half hitting .252. Defensively, he has looked both brilliant and awful at times. On sharp balls hit to him, Batiste can look like Brooks Robinson.

Unfortunately, it seems the 33-year old has lost a step and has watched more than his share of singles go through the hole between short and third. His 10 errors are second highest on the team.

Up the middle is where the injuries have hurt the most.

John Dorman, Yuri Sanchez and Bishop Eustace Prep graduate Brian Sherlock have combined for the bulk of the action. Sanchez and Sherlock were seen as second basemen, but when Dorman was shelved with a bad shoulder and thumb, Sanchez moved to short.

Defensively, Sanchez and Sherlock were solid. When Dorman returned, Sanchez left to play in Taiwan, and Sherlock subsequently broke his left leg on a takeout play at second.

The Sharks have been in dire need of help in the infield for most of the season. Offensively, Dorman has picked up his production, but his 14 errors lead the team.

Overall the group gets a D-plus.

Outfield

ly it could stay together for a significant amount of time.

First, injuries have been a major problem. Darrell Nicholas was seen as the No.3 hitter, and his speed would give the Sharks some options on the bases. Nicholas has battled through several injuries and looks to contribute in the second half. That is after playing only 24 of the first 63 games and getting only 75 plate appearances.

Jacob Brumfield has battled through a nagging hamstring injury. The right fielder has shown signs of improvement but will be one of the keys to any improvement of the team in the second half.

Thomas Howard and Gil Martinez both hit over .300, but both have moved on to other leagues.

The most solid and versatile outfielder has been Haddon Township graduate Brad Strauss.

Strauss hit .271 over the first half. More importantly, he played all three outfield positions and has made some appearances at third. While he has struggled lately, Strauss hit over .300 for much of the first half and remains the most consistent member of the outfield that's still with the team.

Give the group a C-minus, with the understanding that once healthy, this could be the team's strong point.

CatchingThe acquisition of Guillermo Garcia has been one of the best moves of the year. Garcia has given the lineup some punch. Once he proved he could play significant innings behind the plate, he made Sean Mulligan expendable. Garcia came to the Riversharks as a first baseman/third baseman.

Mulligan was the biggest disappointment of the first half.

After an all-star season a year ago with Bridgeport, his lackluster play behind the plate and even weaker efforts at the plate brought the entire squad down. His batting average never climbed above .200.

To compound problems, Mulligan was a cancer in the clubhouse, according to several people close to the situation.

Joe Goodwin, on the other hand, has done whatever has been asked of him. Unfortunately, his nine errors have hurt the team more than once.

Despite not being here anymore, Mulligan still has an effect on the position's grade. Give them a D.

Pitching There is no manipulating the stats in this situation.

The team's ERA is 5.28, a half-run worse than Lehigh Valley, which just happens to be the worst team in the league. Camden's staff is in dead last overall and a full run worse than the sixth-best staff, at Nashua.

At the same time, the Sharks have not been without strong performances.

Matthews, after a two-week stint in Mexico, Schurman, Benny Lowe and closer Williams have had all-star first halves. Then again, Lowe has already moved on.

Still, the three have kept the Sharks in games. Add in Derek Root, who has had several strong outings and looks to be a solid No.2 starter behind Matthews, and the second half should be brighter.

Schurman spent most of the first half in the bullpen, but the struggles of the rest of the starters forced him into the starting rotation.

The biggest disappointment has been Rod Bolton.

Bolton was being counted on as the staff ace before the season. His 3-7 record with a 9.67 ERA isn't a misprint. But everyone, from the front office to the locker room, sees Bolton as the one person who can turn things around. If Bolton, currently in the bullpen, can turn his season around and somehow get back in the starting rotation, the second half may hold a better result.

Even so, we're not grading on potential. The staff has been the worst in the league and, despite some bright spots, just can't get a passing grade.

Overall

The Sharks showed at times that they could contend with the top teams in the league. Remember, this was a team that started off the year 7-3. But how many eight-game losing streaks can any team endure? How many 25-inning stretches with four earned runs can any pitching staff endure? And how many times can a team give up 10 runs and expect to win?

The city of Camden and South Jersey have shown that they are ready to embrace a team. Attendance and enthusiasm have steadily grown.

But how many times are fans going to come out and want to cheer - and not be given the chance to do so?

On the field, the Sharks get a D-plus.

Hopefully, the second half will prove this team deserved the chance it got from the region.