By MICHAEL RADANO
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

Just how important can a homestand be for a team that's 14- 22 in the second half and 38-61 for the entire season?

You may be surprised at the answer.

"All nine games are are important," Camden Riversharks manager Wayne Krenchicki said. "But these three are the key."

Entering Thursday night's series opener with the Somerset Patriots, the Sharks were in second place, which may say more about the Atlantic League's South Division than it does about the Sharks, who are six games behind front- runner Somerset.

Somerset, the division's winner of the previous four halves, is the only team in the group with a record over . 500, at 20-16.

"If we win just one, we're OK," Krenchicki said. "If we can win two, better, and if we can sweep, we're only three games out. If we get swept, well, we're in trouble."

To be fair, the Sharks have shown signs of life over the last week and a half. They also have a couple of reasons to look at the home stretch with some anticipation.

The Sharks have won five straight, a team high in a season that has seen three eight-game losing streaks. The streak coincides with a recent housecleaning by Krenchicki and general manager John Brandt that saw the departure of, most notably, Kim Batiste and Jacob Brumfield.

Both were seen as keys to a potent lineup but they didn' t live up to their billing. In addition, the two spent more time in the trainer's room than on the field.

To replace them, the Sharks picked up infielder Raul Rodarte, infielder Isaisas Nunez, right-handed pitcher Steve Reed and right-handed pitcher Mike Busby. Add in the return of Gil Martinez from the Taiwan League and this also- ran suddenly looks like a contender, albeit a distant one.

Rodarte and Nunez have combined to go 11-for-23 with four doubles and five RBIs.

"We have a lineup that I'm excited to put on the field," Krenchicki said. "Now's the time to see how we match up with the best team in the league (Somerset)."

As for the future, the Sharks play 21 of their final 26 games at home. The only two trips left are a pair of games in Newark, over Labor Day weekend, and a trip to New Hampshire to play Nashua the final week of the season.

Along the way are, including Thursday night, six games with first-half winner Somerset and six with the traveling road show that is Lehigh Valley, which is 11-26 this half.

The Riversharks also have three games at the end of this homestand with Atlantic City. The Surf have floundered over the last month and are 14-23 in the second half.

"I don't want to look to far ahead," Krenchicki said. "I know it's overused, but we have to look at it one series and game at a time."

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