Central Jersey Group 1 Finals Preview: Middlesex, Point Pleasant Beach are well-acquainted with each other

It’s uncanny.

For two high schools that find themselves 50 miles apart, they seemingly get together every year.

There’s nothing to do with luck, though. It’s that the Middlesex and Point Pleasant Beach baseball teams have been just that good over the last decade.

The Blue Jays have won the fourth most state championships in NJSIAA history, and the most of any team in the Greater Middlesex or Skyland Conferences – six of them – all since 1990. But in Central Jersey Group 1, it’s been pretty even over the last decade or so.

And so they will meet again for the title, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will have it covered.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1 CHAMPIONSHIP

Teams:
(1) Middlesex Blue Jays (20-5, 8-4 GMC White Division, 3rd place)
(2) Point Pleasant Beach (20-7, 12-1 Shore Conference B South Division Champions)

Head Coaches:
Middlesex: Blaze Iannetti (1st season, 20-5)
Point Pleasant Beach: Angelo Fiore (11th season, 178-105)

Date and Time: Thursday, June 5th, 4:00 pm
Location: Mountainview Park, Middlesex
Follow for Updates: Alec Crouthamel on Twitter

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Middlesex
First Round: def. (16) Keyport 10-0 (5 inn.)
Quarterfinals: def. (9) South Hunterdon, 8-1
Semifinals: def. (4) Shore, 10-0 (5 inn.)

Middlesex coach Blaze Iannetti on the Blue Jays’ semifinal win over Shore

Point Pleasant Beach
First Round: def. (15) Henry Hudson, 13-0 (5 inn.)
Quarterfinals: def. (7) South Amboy, 12-2 (6 inn.)
Semifinals: def. (6) Delaware Valley, 5-0

STAT LEADERS:

Middlesex:
Batting Average: Dalton Michael (.471), Dominic Long (.380), Lucas Blanco (.364), Dom Parenti (.345)
RBIs: Chris Kozak, Owen Reynolds (16), Luke Jones, Dominic Long, Dom Parenti (15)
Walks: Marcus Lavornia (15), Sean Hughes (14)
HR: Dom Parenti, Owen Reynolds (1)
Stolen Bases: Dom Parenti (12), Marcus Lavornia (10)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Dominic Long (61), Chris Kozak (60)
ERA: Chris Kozak (0.89), Dominic Long (1.47)

Point Pleasant Beach:
Batting Average: Daniel Lubach (.512), Dylan Ryan (.444), Tommy Conroy (.438)
RBIs: Daniel Lubach (45), Noah Banick (26), Brody Powers (23)
Walks: Tommy Conroy (26), Noah Banick (18), Antonio Acevedo (16)
HR: Daniel Lubach (6), Noah Banick, Tommy Conroy, Chris Napolitano, Brody Powers (1)
Stolen Bases: Tommy Conroy (23), Daniel Storch (8), Brody Powers (7)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Noah Banick (53), Bennett Moberg (51), Tommy Conroy (50)
ERA: Thomas Slobiski (1.97), Tommy Conroy (2.14)

THE LOWDOWN:

This one could come down to the immovable object and the irresistible force, Middlesex pitching against Point Peach hitting. It’s not just the batting average, the Gulls hitting .350 and the Jays .315. Point Beach has a murderer’s row in the lineup, including junior catcher Daniel Lubach, who’s hitting a whopping .512 on the year, with 45 RBIs. Counting his 44 hits on the year, that means he’s averaging just over a run batted in per hit, and a half a run driven in per at bat. That’s pretty astounding, and it should be interesting with Dom Long the likely starter Thursday, who comes in with an ERA of 1.47.

Then again, both teams have scored a lot of runs in the state playoffs. Middlesex has outscored its three opponents by a total of 28-1, shutting out first round opponent Keyport and Shore in the semifinals, both by 10-0 scores in five-innings. They only run allowed came against South Hunterdon. Long was the starter in that game, and struck out ten in a complete game four-hitter. Point Beach also has pitched two shutouts, also coming in their opening round and semifinal games, outscoring their three opponents 30-2. Those only two runs came against South Amboy in the quarterfinals.

Despite the Gulls taking on a GMC team in the section, and Middlesex playing two Shore foes in the postseason, there are no common opponents between the two, but plenty of familiarity.

RECENT MEETINGS:

You want recent meetings? We have plenty.

Under Justin Nastasi – who’s now an assistant at Hillsborough, but took over the Middlesex program in 2015 – the Blue Jays won their first title of his tenure in 2015, beating Shore Regional. After a loss in the semis the next year to South River, Middlesex played Point beach every year in Central Jersey Group 1 from 2017 through last season, winning their first four matchups, but losing the last three.

Middlesex beat Point Pleasant Beach in the quarterfinals in 2017 en route to another CJ1 title, then topped them each of the next three seasons in the title game, in 2018, 2019 and 2021. (There was no high school baseball in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) But Point turned the tables in 2022, beating the Jays in the finals that year and the next, knocking them out last season in the semifinals.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY:

Middlesex has 14 sectional titles to its credit, the first coming in 1965 in Central Jersey Group 2. They wouldn’t win again until they were in CJ1, almost 20 years later, taking the title in 1982, then again three years in a row from 1990 to 1992 and again in 1994. It would be nine years before they won again in 2003, then 2007 and 2013, before winning five under Justin Nastasi in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Middlesex also has six state titles, the fourth most in history. Only nine teams have won more. Gloucester Catholic has won a record 21 state titles, and no one else more than eight.

Point Pleasant Beach has three titles to its credit, all coming the last three seasons, winning Central Jersey Group 1 in 2022, 2023 and 2024. They made the state finals for the first time last season, losing to North 1 champion Pompton Lakes.