Non-Public Group B Preview: St. Thomas Aquinas treks to Hamilton to challenge juggernaut Gloucester Catholic for state title

The year was 2006, and it was the last time St. Thomas Aquinas (then called Bishop Ahr) won a sectional title, that is until this year.

It was their only piece of state hardware in baseball, again, until this season.

And then they go for their first ever state title Thursday night, they will be going up against one of the all-time great baseball programs in New Jersey scholastic history. Gloucester Catholic, the defending Non-Public B champion, has won 20 state titles, more than any other program in the Garden State, and it’s not even close.

Next on the list is Bishop Eustace, the team the Rams beat in the Non-Public South B title game this year, with a paltry eight by comparison, along with Don Bosco and Seton Hall Prep.

But Aquinas is used to the underdog role. They finished second in the GMC Blue this year, coming right down to the wire against Spotswood, which swept them in the final week to claim the division title.

Thursday night, they will be huge underdogs, as the Trojans (19-8) take on Gloucester Catholic (26-2) for the Non-Public Group B Championship down at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton. Game time is set for 7 pm, with pregame at 6:40 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko has the call; click here to listen.

Scroll through the article for stats, news, notes, interviews and more on both teams.

NON-PUBLIC GROUP B FINAL:

St. Thomas Aquinas Trojans

19-8 overall
8-4, GMC Blue Division (2nd place)
Non-Public North B Champions

Gloucester Catholic Rams

26-2 overall
10-0, Tri-County Conference Royal Division Champions
Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic semifinalist
Non-Public South B Champions

Date and Time: Thursday, June 6, 2024 – 7 pm
Location: Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ Park, Hamilton, NJ
Coverage: Live broadcast on Central Jersey Sports Radio (Click here to listen!)

Head Coaches:
St. Thomas Aquinas: Tom D’Agostino, 7th season (82-93)
Gloucester Catholic: Dennis Barth, 23rd season (578-117-1)

Pitching Probables:
St. Thomas Aquinas: Gavin Sansone (6-0, 1.17 ERA)
Gloucester Catholic: Tate DeRias (5-2, 0.72 ERA)

Interviews:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino

Gloucester Catholic head coach Dennis Barth

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

St. Thomas Aquinas (#2 seed, Non-Public North B):
First Round: bye
Quarterfinals: def. (10) Timothy Christian, 10-0
Semifinals: def. (3) Gill St. Bernard’s, 7-5
Finals: def. (5) Rutgers Prep, 5-3 (RECAP)

Gloucester Catholic (#1 seed, Non-Public South B):
First Round: bye
Quarterfinals: def. (8) Princeton Day, 8-2
Semifinals: def. (4) St. Rose, 7-2
Finals: def. (2) Bishop Eustace, 2-1

PLAYOFF STAT LEADERS:

St. Thomas Aquinas:
Batting Average – Will Bethea (.833, 5-for-6), Jack Valenzuela (.600), Nikash Patel (.500)
RBIs: Gavin Sansone (5), Will Bethea (4)
HR: Will Bethea, Gavin Sansone (1)
Stolen Bases: Gavin Sansone (3), Jack Valenzuela, Declan DiCarlo (2)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Louis Rizzolo (13)
ERA: Louis Rizzolo (0.96)

Gloucester Catholic:
Batting Average: Jake Terranova (.571), Tate DeRias (.444), Noah Danza (.364)
RBIs: Jake Terranova, Tate DeRias (4) (three others with 3)
HR: None
Stolen Bases: Jake Terranova, Tate DeRias, Noah Danza (3)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Joe Vaccarella (12)
ERA: Jack Mustaro, Sal Marziana, Evan Brasberger, Tate DeRias (0.00)

THE LOWDOWN:

It wouldn’t be going out on a limb to say this will be a huge challenge for Aquinas, going up against the No. 3 team in the state. The only teams ahead of Gloucester Catholic in the statewide rankings are Delbarton at No. 1, followed by Cherry Hill West, one of the Rams’ two losses this year, coming in the 50th annual Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, their league’s postseason tournament.

The Trojans are having their best season in the eight years (seven seasons) led by alum Tom D’Agostino. His first three years saw a total of 20 wins, the three years before the missed COVID season. But since then, it has been a steady progression for the program, from 13-15 the year after COVID to 15-8, 15-11 and now 19-8 this season.

Will Bethea has been a big part of it. He’s 5-for-6 in three state tourney games so far with a home run and three walks, plus four runs batted in. He was having a fine season overall, hitting .293 in 27 games, with a team-best 33 RBIs, but he has upped his game in the postseason.

With a 2.64 team ERA, their pitchers give them a chance. Gavin Sansone gets the nod for this one, with a 6-0 record and a 1.17 ERA. He’s appeared in eight games this year, and the Trojans have won seven of them. The only loss in a game he started was a 3-2 defeat in the first round of the GMC Tournament to South Brunswick. But he threw nine innings, allowing no-earned runs, and the Trojans lost in 14 innings.

Gloucester Catholic has a lot of history, none of which really matters with current players other than they fact that they’re the defending Non-Public Group B champions. The title they won last year was their 20th overall, more than any other school in New Jersey.

They hit very well, batting .342 on the season, though that’s down a bit in the state tournament to .312, while Aquinas is hitting .295 overall, but .333 in the states. The Rams are a little more balanced throughout the lineup, led by Jake Terranova, who’s 4-for-7 in NJSIAA state play. On the season, he’s hitting .419, while Noah Danza leads the team at .430 with 27 runs batted in, second only to Guy Lynam, with 30 RBIs.

On the mound, it’ll be Miami-bound senior Tate DeRias, who’s 5-2 with an 0.72 ERA, his two losses coming to Cherry Hill West and Delbarton, ranked Nos. 2 and 1, respectively, in the state. He’s struck out 78 and walked 20, allowing just five earned runs all year in 48 1/3 innings pitched.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Championship History…

St. Thomas Aquinas is in the state final for just the second time ever. They lost in 2006, when they were in the Non-Public A title game, to Seton Hall Prep.

Meanwhile, defending Non-Public B champion Gloucester Catholic is 16-5 in the Non-Public B final, and before that, 4-0 in the A final. They won Group A titles in 1999, 2000, 2012 and 2013.

Group B titles came in 1973 and ’74, 1980 – a team head coach Dennis Barth was a part of as a student at Gloucester Catholic – 1984 through 1986, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2011, 2017 and 2018, and again last season. Barth has won 11 titles as a coach at GC, and one as a player.

First repeat…

Tate DeRias will be the first Gloucester Catholic pitcher to make a second appearance in the state tournament. The first three wins went to Evan Brasberger, Joe Vaccarella, and DeRias, with Jack Mustaro and Sal Marziani also seeing action. But all five pitchers have appeared in only one game, at least until today.

No Common Opponents or Recent Meetings…

There are no common opponents between the two, nor have they played anyone from their opponents’ league. And they haven’t played each other in a while. Their last meeting was in 2014, in the state tournament, with Gloucester Catholic winning 15-5. They also won their matchup the year prior, 10-0, also in the state tournament.

Non-Public Group B Championship History…