Immaculata sophomore Josh Thompson throws a pitch in the Non-Public Group B title game against Ranney on June 15, 2022 at DeMeo Field at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The high school baseball season opened Monday across New Jersey, but two championship programs from 2022 will open Tuesday afternoon in Flemington.
That’s when defending Non-Public North B champ Immaculata (No. 9 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten) takes on defending Somerset County Tournament Champion and state-ranked Ridge (No. 1 in the Bellamy Top Ten) in the first game of the season for both schools.
It’s a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio beginning at 3:45, with first pitch at 4:00 from Diamond Nation in Flemington. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the action; click here to listen.
The Spartans, a bit inexperienced in 2022, may be a bit more experienced in some ways, by virtue of their run in the state tournament which took them to the group finals, where they lost to Ranney Prep, ranked No.2 in the state preseason.
But they are also younger, with just one senior on the roster, righty pitcher Greg Zimmerman.
But on Opening Day, the ball will go to junior Josh Thompson, who went 7-3 last season. He struck out 36 and walked 19 in 58 innings pitched, with a 3.98 ERA.
Thompson can also hit, a big plus since head coach Kevin Cust’s Spartans will be without the defensive play of infielder Jayson Labrador for the next two weeks due to injury. But he will be able to hit, and Cust says Labrador will DH for another position player because “we can’t lose his bat in the lineup.”
Labrador hit .329 last year with 11 runs batted in.
Click below for a preview of the game with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust:
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