Headlined by the all-GMC Red Division matchup between North Brunswick and Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game, five area teams will try to take home state sectional titles today, and move on to next week’s NJSIAA Group Championship rounds.
In addition to the Knights and Raiders, Spotswood will play for the Central Jersey Group 2 title, while Middlesex seeks the Central Jersey Group 1 crown, with both playing on the road. And in North 2, Group 4, Bridgewater-Raritan will play for a championship at home.
Below, you’ll find details on all the games, with times, notes, links to previous coverage, and more.
North 2, Group 4 Final:
(5) Bayonne (24-6) at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan (23-6)
When: Friday, 3 pm (LISTEN LIVE)
Where: Bridgewater-Raritan HS
Coverage: Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call the play-by-play
How they got here:
Bridgewater-Raritan: def. (15) Dickinson 20-1 in first round, def. (7) Hunterdon Central 19-8 in quarterfinals, def. (3) Woodbridge 9-8 in semifinals (8 inn.)
Bayonne: def. (12) Union 14-5 in first round, def. (13) Phillipsburg 3-2 in quarterfinals, def. (8) Westfield 14-3 in semifinals
The Panthers probably expected to meet Ridge in the North 2, Group 4 title game, as many others around the area and some around the state might have expected. But that went by the board when the Red Devils were forced to forfeit their 8-1 win over Westfield in the sectional quarterfinals due to a pitch count violation. The Panthers were a Somerset County Tournament semifinalist (they lost to eventual champ Rutgers Prep 4-3 in the semifinals) and have been solid all year, having lost back-to-back games only once. They have scored 49 runs in three state tournament games so far, and no fewer than ten runs in any of the three. The down side is, after a 20-1 opener against Dickinson, they allowed eight and nine in the next two games over Hunterdon Central and Woodbridge. Sure, those teams can hit, but apparently so can the Panthers.
Bayonne is red-hot, having won 16 of its last 18 games. They’ve scored 31 runs in the state tourney so far, and the Bees have a veteran lineup, too, with 13 seniors on the roster, including the entire likely starting lineup Friday afternoon. Consider them a deceptive five-seed.
Bridgewater’s last trip to a sectional final was more than a decade ago, in 2010, head coach Max Newill’s third season. They beat Edison in the sectional finals, but lost in the group semifinals to Randolph. That crown came two seasons after what’s believed to be the first and only other sectional finals appearance in program history, in 2008. Bridgewater-Raritan was formed by the merger of the East and West high schools in 1992.
Stat Leaders
Bridgewater-Raritan: Devin Goldberg (.395 average); Matthew Fattore (27 RBI); Matthew and Michael Fattore (3 HR); Matthew Fattore (0.37 ERA); Cory Rible (32 Ks)
Bayonne: Aidan Paradine (.449 average, 40 RBI, 7 HR); Nolan Geissler (59 Ks, 0.99 ERA)
Recent Coverage of Bridgewater-Raritan
- Rutgers Prep ousts top-seed and state No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan, moves on to SCT finals on the arm of Fronio
- Combined one-hitter sends top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan to SCT semis with 5-0 win over Immaculata
- INSTANT REPLAY: SCT Quarterfinals – (1) Bridgewater-Raritan 5, (9) Immaculata 0
- Top-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan ready to go in quest for Somerset County Tournament title
- Bridgewater-Raritan’s hot start earns them top seed in Somerset County Tournament
- Bridgewater-Raritan makes case for No. 1 seed in SCT with statement win over Hunterdon Central
Central Jersey Group 4 Final:
(2) North Brunswick (21-6) at (1) Old Bridge (19-8)
When: Friday, 4 pm
Where: Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge
Coverage: Dylan Allen will provide live updates on Twitter; follow him at @DylanAllen_1.
How they got here:
North Brunswick: def. (15) Long Branch 10-0 in first round, def. (10) South Brunswick 5-1 in quarterfinals, def. (6) Monroe 4-3 in semifinals
Old Bridge: def. (16) West Windsor-Plainsboro North 3-0 in first round, def. West Windsor-Plainsboro South 10-0 in quarterfinals, def. (5) East Brunswick 8-0 in semifinals
Old Bridge is the only team to have beaten its six other opponents in the GMC Red at least once, and the Knights have beaten Old Bridge twice. Zack Konstantinovsky didn’t pitch in either of those games, and he’s not going to pitch today either. He went the distance in Tuesday’s semifinal win over Monroe, and hit two home runs in the process: a two-run shot to tie the game at 3-3 in the fifth, and a solo homer to win it in walk-off fashion in the seventh. North Brunswick – a GMC Tournament finalist – is No. 13 in the latest statewide rankings; Old Bridge is unranked. The Knights have not yet given up a run in three state tournament games, while the Raiders have won their last two in walk-off fashion.
Old Bridge last made the CJ4 finals in 2019, losing to Manalapan, 3-2. They won the title in 2015, beating Hunterdon Central 5-3, but they lost to South 4 champ Williamstown in the statewide Group 4 semifinals, 6-4. North Brunswick has only two sectional titles in its history; its first came in 1983 – the first in any sport for the school – knocking off two-time defending champion Ridge 6-5, while the second came in 1984, via a 10-5 win over Delaware Valley.
Stat Leaders
Old Bridge: Thomas Papeo (.410 average); Kyle McSorley (27 RBI, 6 HR); Frank Papeo (7 Ks, 1.56 ERA)
North Brunswick: Zack Konstantinovsky (.474 average); Konstantinovsky, Yomar Carreras (22 RBI); Konstantinovksy, Omar Carreras (8 HR); Konstantinovsky (88 Ks, 0.56 ERA)
Recent Coverage
Old Bridge
- Papeo, Meyer shut down East Brunswick, as McSorley’s blast and Old Bridge bats send Knights to CJ4 final
- INSTANT REPLAY: Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinal – (1) Old Bridge 8, (5) East Brunswick 0
- Old Bridge a win away from first sectional final berth since 2019
- NJSIAA unveils state baseball tournament brackets; Old Bridge, Ridge get top seeds, as expected
- Old Bridge puts some early distance between themselves and rest of GMC Red field with extra-inning, lightning-delayed win over North Brunswick
North Brunswick
- Five area teams to battle for public sectional titles Friday, as Bridgewater-Raritan, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Spotswood, Middlesex all advance
- Batts walk-off grand slam wins it for North Brunswick, all-GMC Red semifinals on tap in CJ4, nine area teams advance
- DelVecchio homer, Mulvaney complete game give St. Joseph record-tying 8th GMC Tournament title
- INSTANT REPLAY: GMC Tournament Final – (3) St. Joseph-Metuchen 2, (1) North Brunswick 0
- North Brunswick’s potent lineup, Rutgers-bound ace aim for second straight GMC Tournament title
- Reschedule of GMC final throws North Brunswick pitching a curve ball for states
- Carreras HR, dominant Konstantinovsky put defending GMCT champ North Brunswick back in the finals
- Back in the semifinals, back to their ace for North Brunswick in GMC Tournament
- Another rout for North Brunswick, as Raiders reach GMCT semifinals in dominating fashion
- North Brunswick will defend GMC Tournament title as top-seed, Red Division sweeps top four seeds
- North Brunswick clinches share of first-ever GMC Red title, top-seed in upcoming GMC Tournament, with 6-3 win at South Brunswick
- No. 8 North Brunswick topples No. 7 St. Joe’s to earn home-and-home Red Division sweep
Central Jersey Group 2 Final:
(3) Spotswood (21-7) at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven (20-5)
When: Friday, 4 pm
Where: Rumson-Fair Haven Baseball Field
How they got here:
Spotswood: def. (14) Monmouth 1-0 in first round (8 inn.), def. (11) Wall 4-3 in quarterfinals (8 inn.), def. (10) Delran 5-3 in semifinals
Rumson-Fair Haven: def. (16) Nottingham 1-0 in first round, def. (8) Bordentown 7-2 in quarterfinals, def. (12) Ocean Twp. 2-1 in semifinals
Don’t count out the Chargers against a Bulldogs team that’s always in the mix, and the defending champion. They may be 42-10 over the past two seasons, but you can bet Glenny Fredrick’s group doesn’t know any of those numbers. He just wants them to play their game. Sure, they can hit, but they can also small-ball you to death and will be aggressive on the basepaths – just ask any team that’s played them over the last nearly two-decades now. Carter Cumiskey got the start Tuesday in the semis against Delran, so expect the ball to go to his older brother Casey on Friday, with Jackson Walsh available to shut the door, if needed. Spotswood’s first two wins in this year’s state tournament came on walk-offs in the eighth inning. Rumson finished second in its division to the No. 1 team in the state, Red Bank Catholic, which plays St. Joseph-Metuchen Saturday at home for the Non-Public South A title. And the Chargers have already beaten two teams in their division, Monmouth and Wall, in the playoffs. Junior Jack Riva is hitting .386 to lead the team, while Reece Moroney is hitting .373, while eight different players have hit home runs, with 14 going out overall on the season. Senior Jack Hinchliffe is expected to get the ball for Rumson, with a 1.16 ERA in 36 1/3 innings pitched, logging 46 strikeouts against just eight walks.
Spotswood is in the sectional finals for the first time since they won the Central Jersey Group 2 title in 2010, beating Governor Livingston 7-5 for the championship. That came three years after they won the state Group 1 title in 2007, with a team that just this past winter was inducted into the Spotswood Athletics Hall of fame, led by dominating pitcher Willie Beard, who also was enshrined as an individual.
Stat Leaders
Spotswood: Casey Cumiskey (.548 average, 32 RBI); Carter Cumiskey (4 HR, 72 Ks, 1.91 ERA)
Rumson-Fair Haven: Jack Riva (.386 average, 18 RBI); Reece Moroney (3 HR); Owen O’Toole (0.33 ERA); Jackson Hinchliffe (46 Ks)
Recent Coverage of Spotswood
- Spotswood holds off Delran as Chargers clinch first sectional final trip in 13 years
- Spotswood walks off states win in extras, 14 others advance as NJSIAA playoffs begin
- Spotswood knocks off Woodbridge in GMCT second round on brilliant effort from Casey Cumiskey
- Cumiskey fans 10 to power Spotswood past South River to gain leg up in GMC Blue race
- Week One in the GMC finds Spotswood unbeaten, Edison surging, and a mish-mosh in the GMC Red
Central Jersey Group 1 Final:
(3) Middlesex (17-8) at (1) Point Pleasant Beach (22-5)
When: Friday, 4 pm
Where: Point Pleasant Beach HS
How they got here:
Middlesex: def. (14) Burlington City 8-1 in first round, def. (6) Palmyra 5-2 in quarterfinals, def. (2) Shore 7-2 in semifinals
Point Pleasant Beach: def. (16) Perth Amboy Magnet 14-0 in first round, def. (9) Bernards 10-0 in quarterfinals, def. (5) Manville 10-0 in semifinals
Amazingly, it’s Middlesex and Point Pleasant Beach back in the CJ1 finals again. This will be their fourth straight meeting in the title game, dating back to before COVID wiped out the 2020 season, with their first clash coming in 2019. The Blue Jays won that one and the 2021 matchup, all at home, but last year, Point Beach won at Mountainview Park. This will be the first time Middlesex will play the Garnet Gulls down the shore for the title in that stretch.
Aidan Kozak (.431 average) and Justin Gordon (.400) are the top two hitters on a team that’s right on the nose at .300 entering the finals, and the pop comes from Tomas Lavornia, who’s not far behind them at .390, but with four home runs to his credit. Pitching has been solid with Michael Canavesio – who didn’t throw a lot of innings last year – contributing a team-leading 43 2/3, with a 2.24 ERA and 52 strikeouts against just 12 walks. Point Beach on the other hand, is hitting .443 as a team – almost 150 points higher – and has a 2.35 team ERA. Freshman Tommy Conroy has 50 at bats and is hitting an eye-popping .560 on the season, with Colin Reingard hitting .517 with 24 RBIs and Kyle Kolans hitting .500 on the year. Daniel Lubach – another freshman – has six home runs on the year and is hitting .511 this season.
Stat Leaders
Middlesex: Aidan Kozak (.431 average); Tomas Lavornia (19 RBI, 4 HR); Aidan Kozak (1.40 ERA); Michael Canavesio (52 Ks)
Point Pleasant Beach: Tommy Conroy (.560 average); Colin Reinhard (24 RBI), Daniel Lubach (6 HR); James Larsen (1.48 ERA); Kyle Kolans (52 Ks)
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