Old Bridge senior Frank Papeo hits a two-run homer against North Brunswick in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals on May 8, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
For a team that was pegged to compete for the GMC Red Division title this year – coming off a Central Jersey Group 4 championship, and a trip to the state final – to fall short stung.
“There’s a chip on our shoulder,” says head coach Matt Donaghue.
You might not be able to see it physically on their shoulder Saturday when the third-seeded Knights take on top-seed South Plainfield for the GMC Tournament championship game at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, but it’ll be there.
It’s the product, at least in part, of a two-game, home-and-home sweep they suffered at the hands of the Tigers in the next to last week before the GMC seeding meeting, a sweep which cost them the division title, and the top seed in the county tournament.
It’s only been three weeks since, and they sure haven’t forgotten.
You can hear Saturday’s GMC title game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call for pregame at 1:30, first pitch at 2 pm. Click here to listen.
South Plainfield is 19-3-1 on the season, and the Tigers have one more game today before Saturday, a non–conference game with Notre Dame. Third-seed Old Bridge is 17-7.
And both teams are in the statewide rankings. Old Bridge debuted this week at No. 18, while South Plainfield is ranked 11th.
The Knights don’t hit like South Plainfield does – the Tigers are hitting .326 while Old Bridge is at .294 – but they seem to get key hits in all the right spots, like they did last year. And their pitching has been superb. Of their three stars – Frank Papeo, Justin Hascup and JT Meyer, pick your poison – head coach Matt Donaghue will go with Papeo, who’s 3-1 with an ERA you can barely make out: 0.23.
Papeo has been on the shelf for a little bit, with some arm soreness, but you can bet Hascup and Meyer will be available if they need to come in the game, with a short hook in a winner-take-all game if Papeo gets into trouble. And every option will be on the table, with the state tournament not starting for public schools until next Thursday.
Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the Knights as they head into Saturday’s GMC Tournament championship:
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