Matt Fasula hits for Colonia in a game at JP Stevens on April 25, 2024. (Photo: @DaWizofCTown on Twitter)
The top five teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving baseball rankings saw no change this week, combining to go 18-2 in the week gone by, but the bottom half saw some changes, including one new team.
Bridgewater-Raritan remains No. 1, while Colonia steps into the rankings at No. 9, with previous No. 9 Watchung Hills dropping out after a 1-4 week, their win a 7-6 victory coming from an April 11th game previously marked as a tie against Pingry, but completed last week.
Top-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan (16-2) had a 4-1 week, the Panthers’ only loss coming to Lawrence on Wednesday. They bookended that with wins over Cherokee in Trenton and at Ridge – as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio – on Monday and Tuesday, then beat Hunterdon Central and Somerville at home on Friday and Saturday. B-R is ranked No. 3 in the state, and are expected to be awarded the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament when the coaches make their selections Monday night. CJSR will have full coverage with the bracket after its unveiled.
Holding at No. 2 is South Plainfield (15-3). The Tigers went 4-0 last week, clinching a share of the GMC Red Division with a win at St. Joseph on Tuesday, beating Scotch Plains-Fanwood Wednesday, then taking the Red outright with an 11-9 home win over St. Joe’s heard on CJSR, wrapping up with a 3-1 win at Livingston on Saturday.
Holding in third is Spotswood (17-1-1), which went on a 5-0 tear last week. The Chargers got a revenge win at JFK on Monday, then swept a home-and-home Tuesday and Thursday from St. Thomas Aquinas to claim the GMC Blue Division. They topped Dunellen 5-2 in their annual night game at Michelin Field in Milltown – Milltown student attend Spotswood – and beat East Brunswick Magnet Saturday.
Old Bridge (13-5) remains in fourth after a 3-0 week, including a home-and-home sweep of Monroe that left them with a second place finish in the Red Division, and a win over Edison.
Woodbridge (14-3) rounds out the top five, staying put there after a 2-1 week that included a home-and-home sweep of Perth Amboy, then a Saturday loss at Monroe, 11-8.
Ridge (12-6) climbed up a spot to sixth, thanks to a 3-1 week. The Red Devils won out at Phillipsburg Monday, then lost 6-2 at home to Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday as heard on CJSR, before finishing the week with two wins: Friday at Hillsborough at Saturday at Watchung Hills.
Monroe (9-8) dropped to one place to seventh after a 1-2 week. They got a nice win over White Division champion Woodbridge in a GMC crossover Saturday, rebounding from a home-and-home sweep at the hands of Old Bridge on Tuesday and Thursday.
Immaculata rebounded from an 0-3 week two weeks ago to go 3-0 this past week, improving to 12-3. The Spartans had won nine in a row to start the season before that skid, but this week won at Somerville Monday, at Franklin Tuesday and at Rutgers Prep 19-8 on Thursday.
Joining the rankings for the first time in its three-year history is Colonia. The Patriots are 11-4 and went 4-0 last week, as they continue a late-season surge. They won at Rahway Monday, then swept a home-and-home from Middlesex Tuesday and Thursday, before closing out the week Friday with a 9-1 win at Roselle Catholic.
Dropping two spots to tenth this week is St. Thomas Aquinas (10-5). The second place team in the GMC Blue Division lost all three games this week to division foes: Piscataway on Monday, and a Tuesday-Thursday home-and-home with Spotswood that decided the division title.
Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week 5:
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