North Brunswick’s Frankie Garbolino bats in the GMC Tournament Quarterfinals against Middlesex on May 18, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The North Brunswick Raiders have made two Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament finals in the program’s history, but that was a long time ago.
It was 2010, and the second straight trip for the Raiders, who lost to lost to neighboring rival South Brunswick 9-2, a year after getting blanked by St. Joseph-Metuchen 6-0 in 2009.
Last year, the Raiders were a win away from the tourney’s final game. And though Rutgers-bound star Zach Konstantinovsky threw a one-hitter in a six-inning complete game, striking out six, North Brunswick couldn’t push a single run across in what was a semifinal doubleheader that set a GMCT record for the fewest runs scored in the two games combined: a miserly total of six. (The semis and finals also combined for a record low eight runs scored.)
This year, 6th-seed North Brunswick (16-8) will try to get back there with a limited Konstantinovsky, who threw 86 pitches in Tuesday’s opening round 7-0 win over Colonia – postponed from Monday due to a stormy forecast – meaning he’ll have to be mighty efficient with the 64 he’ll be allowed in Saturday’s semifinals against 7-seed East Brunswick (13-10).
Had Monday’s opening round not been postponed, Konstantinovsky would have been free and clear to go up to 110.
READ MORE: North Brunswick outlasts Middlesex in GMCT quarterfinal slugfest, 14-3
First pitch for the game, the opener of the GMCT semifinal doubleheader, is scheduled for noon, and can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – driven by Dayton Toyota Service, Route 130 in South Brunswick – with pregame at 11:45 am. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will call all the action from Ray Cipperly Field at East Brunswick Tech. Click here to listen.
It’ll be the second meeting between the teams this year. They played in late April in a GMC crossover that the Raiders won by walk-off 5-4 on back-to-back homers by Konstantinovsky and Omar Carreras.
Click below to hear North Brunswick head coach Mark Blevins talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
Should delay games till Monday. Kids are not use to heat index of 100. Dangerous for kids and adults no need to get some one sick.