JP Zayle of St. Joseph awaits a pitch from Edison’s Connor Murphy that he would hit over the left field wall to walk-off with the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament Championship on May 24, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
St. Joseph-Metuchen’s Non-Public South A playoff win over Immaculata has put the Falcons at No. 1 in the Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten, it’s first time back in the top spot since Week 8 of the 2022 season, in the May 23rd rankings.
St. Joseph (16-6) – the fourth seed in North A – won its only game last week, beating fifth-seed Immaculata 5-4 on Friday afternoon in Metuchen. Having a 5-3 lead going into the seventh, it was the firs time in seven games the Falcons didn’t win a game in their final at bat. They won the GMC Tournament on a walk-off grand slam against Edison by JP Zayle, going the entire tourney without ever having a lead, winning all four games in their final time at the plate. They’ll visit top-seed Christian Brothers Academy in the sectional semifinals Wednesday. The time has not yet been announced.
Immaculata (17-8) saw its season end with the loss to the Falcons, after they had won their opening round game against 12-seed Camden Catholic 13-2 on Tuesday.
Ridge (19-5) stays put at No. 3, with a 2-0 week. The tops-seeded Red Devils were 3-0 winners over 16-seed Plainfield in the North 2, Group 4 first round, then beat 9-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 3-0 in the quarterfinals on Thursday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Ridge will host four-seed Elizabeth at 4 pm Wednesday in the semifinals.
Holding in fourth is Edison (17-10). The Eagles are the third-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and scored a pair of 4-2 wins this week in the state playoffs, over 14-seed Sayreville in the first round, and over 11-seed Franklin in the quarterfinals. Edison is in the semifinals for the first time since 2016, and will seek its first trip to a title game since 2007 when the Eagles play at second-seed Old Bridge Tuesday at 5 pm, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Fred Cole Field.
Middlesex (19-5) checks in at No. 5, winning both state games this week in Central Jersey Group 1. The top-seeded Blue Jays were 10-0 winners over 16-seed Keyport in the opening round, then beat nine-seed South Hunterdon 8-1 in the quarterfinals. Next, they get fourth-seed Shore in the semis at home at Mountainview Park, Tuesday at 4 pm.
Old Bridge (17-10) re-enters the poll at No. 6. The Knights are the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and walloped 15-seed North Brunswick 13-0 in the opening round before escaping with a 1-0 win over 10-seed Manalapan in the quarterfinals. They host third-seed Edison at 5 pm Tuesday in the semifinals on CJSR.
Holding at seven is Colonia (22-4), the top-seed in North 2, Group 3. The Patriots beat 16-seed Lincoln 16-0 on Tuesday in the opening round, then blanked 8th-seed Middletown North 5-0 in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Patriots host 4th-seed North Hunterdon Tuesday at 4 pm in the sectional semis.
South Plainfield (16-10) checks in again this week at No. 8, after two playoff wins in North 2 Group 3, the other side of the bracket from Colonia. The Tigers beat 14-seed Rahway 15-0 in the first round, then picked up a 5-2 win over 6-seed Cranford in the quarters on Thursday, in a “home” game they had to play at the Cougars’ home field due to poor field conditions at their own field. South is in the semis Tuesday at second-seed Millburn.
Woodbridge (18-7) moved up to No. 9 this week, as the Barrons – the two-seed in North 2, Group 4 – picked up a pair of wins in the state tournament this week: 11-1 over 15-seed Piscataway in the first round, then 2-1 over seven-seed Columbia on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Next, Woodbridge gets third-seed Westfield at home, 4 pm Thursday, in the semis.
And finally, Hillsborough (12-10) re-enters at No. 10, with the Raiders winning two road games in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs this week. The ninth-seeded Raiders got a 6-2 win at eight-seed Freehold Twp. on Tuesday in the first round, then beat Skyland Delaware Division rival and top-seed Hunterdon Central 3-1 Friday afternoon in Flemington. Now, they get a home game in the semifinals, where they will host 12-seed Montgomery, which knocked off five-seed New Brunswick and four-seed Hightstown to get there.
Dropping out were No. 5 Rutgers Prep (13-10) and No. 9 Spotswood (15-10).
Below is the complete Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten:
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