Mark Geist of Middlesex run the bases in an undated photo.
The Middlesex High School trophy case may soon be running out of room for all the hardware Justin Nastasi’s Blue Jays have been racking up since he took over as head coach in 2015.
Buying an extra case should be an expense the Board of Education welcomes.
In a baseball town, the Blue Jays have turned it up a notch to an unprecedented level of success, four sectional championships in five years – including two Group 1 titles – and potentially more on the way this year.
They have done it with an incredible one-two punch of timely hitting, and solid pitching, a combination that has been amplified here in the postseason:
To wit: Against their first three opponents this state playoff season, the Blue Jays have outscored their opponents 33-1.
Only Kenny Yonker has given up a run in the NJSIAAs, in one inning of work in a starter-by-committee opening round 16-1 win over Piscataway Tech.
Otherwise, the Jays have gotten two complete games from their starters.
Stephen Young blanked South Amboy on three hits in a 6-0 win in the quarterfinals, and on Wednesday, Aidan Kozak shutout Florence in a five-inning, 11-0 mercy rule win, allowing just two hits.
Oh, and did we mention Piscataway Tech only managed one hit in that opening game?
So, yeah: opponents have scored one run on six hits in three NJSIAA tournament games so far.
Couple that with some power hitting? It could spell trouble for Point Beach, 0-5 against Middlesex since the Blue Jays moved down from Group 2 after the 2012 season. They’ve been outscored 39-5 in that span, shutout once, and haven’t scored more than two runs in any of the matchups.
Wednesday against Florence, Middlesex knocked out nine hits. Two were home runs, there was one triple, there were three doubles, and four singles.
Doesn’t look like the Jays have any plans to let up, either.
Click below to heard Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about the Blue Jays’ postseason and the title game against Point Beach: