"I never even had anybody else warming up," Gloucester Catholic coach Dennis Barth said.
Murphy, a righthander, allowed the Ironmen's only run of the game on a swinging-bunt RBI single with two outs in the fifth inning.
"That's how much he was in command," Barth said. "It was his game."
Murphy might not even be the best pitcher on his team next season. The Rams await the return of junior righthander Mike Shawaryn, who was 7-0 with a 1.56 ERA and 44 strikeouts as a sophomore. Shawaryn, who is expected to be among the most highly recruited players in the Class of 2013, missed most of this season with an arm injury that is expected to be healed in time for most of this summer's Brooklawn American Legion season.
Gloucester Catholic won't be the only team with an imposing rotation next season.
Washington Township, which finished 24-3, returns its top three pitchers in junior righthanders Billy Grubb (7-1) and Matt Long (7-0), and sophomore righthander Mark Scarpa (6-2).
Bishop Eustace will bring back junior righthander Zac Gallen as well as sophomore lefthander Devin Smeltzer. Gallen, who struck out 50 with just 15 walks in 40 2/3 innings, fired a three-hitter in a 6-2 victory over Cherokee in the title game of the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic and a six-hitter in a 4-1 victory over Paul VI in a key Olympic National game May 15.
Gallen also was dynamic in a hard-luck, 4-0 loss to Gloucester Catholic in the Non-Public A semifinals.
Smeltzer, who wasn't eligible until May after transferring from Eastern, was 2-0 and struck out 21 in just 14 2/3 innings.
St. Augustine will return junior righthander Chris Oakley, who has committed to North Carolina, as well as sophomore righthander Joey Gatto. The 6-foot-7 Oakley, who has touched 93 m.p.h. on the radar gun, struck out 10 in a two-hit victory over Christian Brothers in the Non-Public South A tournament.
Cherokee will return hard-throwing junior Sean Kelly, who went 5-0 this season and won some of the Chiefs' biggest games. The righthanded Kelly, who has touched 92 m.p.h. on the radar gun, struck out 10 in a 4-1 victory over Washington Township, shut down Paul VI in a 12-0 victory, and earned the win in a 6-4 triumph over Eastern in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals.
Lenape junior lefty Kevin Milley was 5-3 and earned playoff victories over Millville and Pennsauken, while Haddonfield junior righthander Jason Cavanaugh (8-1) won his final eight decisions.
Haddon Township junior righthander Pat Burns was 8-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 521/3 innings, while Delsea junior righthander Bryan Dobzanski was 4-1 after recovering from a shoulder injury, with a pair of shutouts in the South Jersey Group 3 tournament as well as a 1-0 victory over Group 4 power Toms River South in which he retired 19 consecutive batters.
Hammonton sophomore righthander Justin Smith was 10-2 with a 1.37 ERA and 52 strikeouts. He threw nine complete games, including three shutouts.
Burlington City junior righthander Pedro Perez struck out 16 in a victory over Central Jersey champion Florence and struck out 14 in a one-hit shutout of New Egypt. He finished the season with a 7-2 record, an 0.90 ERA, and 111 strikeouts.
Holy Cross junior righthander Jon Mackie was 6-0 with a 1.75 ERA, while GCIT sophomore righthander Jake Danner was 7-1 with a 1.31 ERA and fired a shutout in a South Jersey Group 2 tournament victory over Haddonfield.
Contact Phil Anastasia
at 856-779-3223, panastasia@phillynews.com, or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter. Read his blog, "Jersey Side Sports," at www.philly.com/jerseysidesports
