Battle-tested GMC Red foes South Plainfield, Monroe set to go in first GMCT semifinal Saturday

It’s almost like the standings don’t matter.

Sure, we hear that all the time, but the GMC Red Division is a gauntlet, and just about any team could come out of there and win the GMC Tournament. That’s the general consensus.

And at least one of these teams will have a crack at it, as fifth-seed South Plainfield and ninth-seed Monroe will do battle Saturday in the first of two semifinals in the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament at East Brunswick Magnet School.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live coverage, followed by Middlesex and Old Bridge in the second game at 2:30 pm.

Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen or watch here on our YouTube channel.

Here’s a closer look at the first semifinal game of the day:

(5) South Plainfield (13-10) vs. (9) Monroe (11-12)
at East Brunswick Magnet School
12 noon on Central Jersey Sports Radio
Audio Stream: (LISTEN LIVE)
Video Stream: (WATCH LIVE)

PROBABLE PITCHERS:
South Plainfield: Aiden McCarthy (6-1, 2.67 ERA)
Monroe: Ben Faigin (5-1, 1.55 ERA)

PREVIEW STORIES:

• Gutty South Plainfield has seen veterans influence younger Tigers, seeking second trip to GMC finals in three years
• Ninth-seed Monroe seeks its highest point of rollercoaster season, trip to title game in GMC Tourney semifinals

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

South Plainfield: The Tigers have had a series of streaks this season. They won two, lost three, won three, lost two, won two, and so on. But the only streak that mattes now is the two straight they’ve won coming into Saturday’s game, both in the GMC Tournament. In Monday’s first round, they Ninth-seed Monroe seeks its highest point of rollercoaster season, trip to title game in GMC Tourney semifinals, picking up a 2-1 victory. In the quarterfinals on Wednesday, they won another squeaker, 7-6 over Metuchen, getting out of a first-and-third two-out jam in the bottom of the seventh with a 1-6-3-4-5 pickoff of the potential tying baserunner on third.

Monroe: The Falcons have been on a bit of a rollercoaster, too, and came into the GMC Tournament having lost eight of their last nine games. But they’ve been hot in the county event, scoring nine runs in both games, and allowing only three runs total. First, they knocked off eight-seed Colonia 9-2 on Monday in the first round, then bounced top-seed Edison 9-1 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

TOP HITTERS:

South Plainfield: The Tigers’ all-time hits leader, Dom Massaro – with 150 over four seasons – almost can’t get out. He’s hitting a whopping .571 this season with 25 runs batted in, and leads the team in those categories, as well as hits (48), doubles (17) and stolen bases (19). But others like Andrew Bena and Aiden McCarthy – who’ll be on the mound Saturday, can hit as well. McCarthy is batting .315 with 22 RBIs and two home runs. (Massaro has a pair, as well.)

Monroe: The Falcons’ starting pitcher is tearing the cover off the ball as well, hitting .522 with 16 runs batted in and two homers. That’s Ben Faigin, while his battery mate, senior catcher Justin Mangano, is hitting .387 with nine runs batted in. Their llineip is a little more top heavy than the Tigers. Faigin also leads the team in stolen bases with 20, and they’ve swiped 49 this year, more than any of the other three teams vying for a trip to the finals this weekend.

LAST FINALS BERTH:

South Plainfield: The Tigers were in the finals two years ago as the top-seed, but lost to third-seed Old Bridge, 6-5. We could see that matchup again, with the Knights taking on Middlesex in the second semifinal Saturday afternoon. South Plainfield has been to six finals, but won their only one in 2018 as the 14th-seed, topping 12-seed Perth Amboy 2-1 in 12 innings. They’ve also had finals appearances in 2014, 2011, 1991, and 1990, and are 5-1 in GMC title games.

Monroe: The Falcons last made the GMC Finals in 2017, when they were the sixth-seed and lost to top-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1-0. Two years prior they won their first trophy as the second, seed, blanking eight-seed Sayreville, 1-0, in eight innings. At 1-3 in finals, they also reached the title game in 2013 and 1994

PAST COVERAGE:

South Plainfield

• Gutty South Plainfield has seen veterans influence younger Tigers, seeking second trip to GMC finals in three years
• GMCT Quarterfinal Roundup: Monroe ousts top-seed Edison, Old Bridge wins pitchers duel, Middlesex tops Aquinas, South Plainfield holds off Metuchen
• Big day for No. 8 South Plainfield, as McCarthy no-hits No. 7 Old Bridge in 4-1 win, Massaro sets Tiger all-time hit record
• INSTANT REPLAY: Old Bridge 9, No. 7 South Plainfield 3
• Timely hitting, pitching, send Old Bridge past No. 7 South Plainfield, 9-3, and put Knights ahead of Tigers in GMC Red
• As GMC Red beats each other up, Old Bridge and South Plainfield tussle in Friday matchup at Fred Cole Field
• No. 5 Edison forces extras, then walks it off on Lutz single in 8th to top No. 7 South Plainfield 5-4, in wild finish to battle of unbeatens
• Defending North 2, Group 3 champs South Plainfield will have much work to do to repeat after mass graduations in key spots

Monroe

• Ninth-seed Monroe seeks its highest point of rollercoaster season, trip to title game in GMC Tourney semifinals
• GMCT Quarterfinal Roundup: Monroe ousts top-seed Edison, Old Bridge wins pitchers duel, Middlesex tops Aquinas, South Plainfield holds off Metuchen
• Nine-seed Monroe upsets top-seed Edison in dominant road victory, advances to GMC semifinals
• GMCT Recap:  Monroe knocks off Colonia in only first round upset, as seven other higher seeds advance
• No. 5 Monroe goes on the attack early, hangs on to stun state-ranked Red Bank Catholic, 5-2, in Autism Awareness Challenge; plus all weekend Challenge scores