Bridgewater-Raritan with its 2024 Somerset County Tournament championship trophy. (Photo: Vin Ebenau)
The recipe for success has been much the same for the Bridgewater-Raritan baseball team the entire season, which is the main reason they’ve been able to run the table so far: Skyland Conference Delaware Division championship, Somerset County Tournament Championship, and North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Championship.
And if they are to win the state Group 4 title for the first time in the merged Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s history, there will be no new Coke here, no tinkering with the formula. It’ll be Panthers Classic, thank you very much.
For the uninitiated, that’s solid pitching, timely hitting – some small ball mixed with power – and sound gloves in the field. It’s worked so far to the tune of a program record 29 wins. But 30 would be the biggest.
Saturday night at 7, Bridgewater (29-3) will face South Jersey Group 4 champ Eastern (25-6), in the NJSIAA Group 4 state title game down at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ park in Hamilton. Pregame is set for 6:40 pm with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Click here to listen.
The Panthers are sectional champs for the first time since 2010, and were especially hungry for one after losing in last year’s North 2, Group 4 final to Bayonne. Everyone has contributed.
In the Group 4 semis against Livingston, an 8-1 win Monday for the Panthers, Matt Fattore hit a two-run homer to open the scoring. Frankie Verano, hitting just .167 battling an injury – but somehow with 14 RBIs – knocked in the third run, and, later, a fourth, to be a major contributor in the game.
And the early lead staked to Kellan Komline took any pressure off, and kept head coach Max Newill – who earned his 250th coaching victory in the game – from having to use his excellent stopper/closer Cory Rible, keeping him fresh for Saturday night.
Everyone contributing: another part of the Panthers’ success in 2024.
Click below to hear Bridegwater-Raritan head coach Max Newill talk about the Panthers’ and their Group 4 title game matchup against Eastern:
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