Category: Baseball

by Mike Pavlichko

As Blackwell steps down from Ridge, here are the winningest coaches in the GMC, Somerset County, and who will move into the top ten

Ridge baseball coach Tom Blackwell told his players last week, and announced publicly Tuesday that he was stepping down as the Red Devils’ skipper, with just a couple of years left before he completely retires from teaching.

Blackwell will hang ’em up as one of the winningest active coaches in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Coverage area, entering and finishing the year in the top ten.

Here’s a look at the rest of the group in the Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County. We’re counting all wins, even at other, out-of-area schools, as long as those coaches are still in the CJSR area.

  1. Dennis McCaffery, St. Joseph-Metuchen (533-178): The vast majority of those wins came in 25 years as the head coach at Cranford, where he was 511-154 from 1999 through 2024. He came to the Falcons last season when Mike Murray stepped down, and went 16-7, winning the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament on four straight walk-off wins, including a grand slam in the final off the bat of senior JP Zayle. This year was a rebuilding year, as the team went 6-17 after graduating a slew of seniors.
  2. Lou Urbano, South Brunswick (337-289): Urbano made his return to coaching this year at South Brunswick, after spending much of his career in the northern end of Middlesex County, where he coached at all three Woodbridge schools – JFK (1987-1989), Colonia (1994-1995) and Woodbridge (2008-2017) – as well as at St. Joseph-Metuchen (1997-2006). This year’s team turned a 4-20 record into a 12-12 mark, a formidable achievement considering Urbano said there were only 20 kids in the program when he took it over.
  3. Larry Santowasso, Rutgers Prep (370-298-1): The Argonauts are always in the thick of things in Somerset County, even winning the county tournament as a 12-seed in 2023, a year they just got off to a slow start, just 2-6 when the SCT began. But they came on strong to go 12-9 the rest of the way, with berths in the Prep B and Non-Public North B sectional finals. This year’s team went 17-8.
  4. Glenny Fredricks, Spotswood (359-207-2): Glenny started his career at Freehold Boro, spending a year there in 2003, then was an assistant in New Brunswick before coming to the Chargers in 2005. Two years later, he became just the second coach in GMC history to win a division title, the GMC Tournament, a sectional title, and a state title (Group 2). The other? The legend himself, Jim Muldowney, with Edison in 1993.
  5. Vinnie Abene, Edison (334-269): The Eagles helped Abene flip-flop with Mike Lepore, Jr., of South River, as he trailed the Rams’ head coach by one win, and now is in front of him by one. Edison went 19-8 this year, with injuries at various points to their top three starting pitchers – all going to play D1 in college – derailing what could have been a really special season.
  6. Mike Lepore, Jr., South River (333-340-2): It was another solid season for the Rams, who went 17-10 this year. Lepore – whose dad also was a legendary baseball coach and won 291 games at South River, Cedar Ridge and Madison Central, while also coaching the Ram football program, and baseball at Middlesex County College – is a lifer, and next season will be his 30th at the school.
  7. Tom Blackwell, Ridge (328-211): In a year where everyone seemed to beat everyone – Immaculata won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, Watchung Hills won the Somerset County Tournament – Blackwell went out a North 2 Group 4 champion with a gritty group that, win or lose, played from start to finish. They finished 19-11 this season and won the North 2 Group 4 title over a Watchung Hills team they lost to in the SCT semis. While his program has had numerous 20-win seasons, it’s ironic that his two sectional titles came in seasons where they did not reach that mark.
  8. Pete Mueller, Montgomery (312-291): While the Cougars went just 9-18 this year, Mueller is one of six coaches on this list – four of which are from Somerset County – who have been with one school their entire head coaching careers.
  9. Max Newill, Bridgewater-Raritan (271-221): The Panthers bounced back from a seven-win season in 2025 with a 13-17 campaign this year, including trips to the Somerset County Tournament and North 2, Group 4 semifinals. And in 2024, Bridgewater pulled the same trick Fredricks and Muldowney of the GMC did: they won the Skyland Delaware – also going undefeated in league play overall – then won the Somerset County Tournament, the North 2, Group 4 title, and the state Group 4 championship, setting a new program record for wins as they went 30-3.
  10. Chris Banos, Somerville (236-149): Banos has been the Pioneers’ mentor since 2015, and he’s won everywhere he’s been. As a player for Jim Muldowney at Edison, he went to the 1995 Group 5 final. As an assistant at JFK under Jerry Smith, the Mustangs won the Group 3 title in 2009. And after a few years as head coach at Dunellen, he landed in Somerville, winning the Group 3 state championship over Allentown.

So, when we start the 2027 in about nine months, who will be in that tenth spot with Blackwell retired and Mueller, Newill and Banos move up a spot? That would be Leo Danik, who coached at South Brunswick, Dunellen and JP Stevens before landing in Metuchen in 2015, where he’s been ever since. After a 19-8 season, he’s now 212-154.

The next winningest coach in Somerset County is Watchung Hills’ Joe Tremarco, Central Jersey Sports Radio’s 2026 Somerset Coach of the Year. The Warriors were 18-9 this season and won the Somerset County Tournament, setting him up bat 172-148 heading into 2027.

These win-loss records were compiled from multiple sources. If you believe any of these are in error, please email us at mike@cjsportsradio.com.

Woodbridge shortstop Gavin Slicner (6) hits a ball.
by Alec Crouthamel

Woodbridge’s Gavin Slicner is Central Jersey Sports Radio GMC Player of the Year after star-studded senior season

Sometimes in high school baseball, you see a stat that makes you rub your eyes to make sure you read it right.

Woodbridge shortstop Gavin Slicner could’ve wrote a whole book of those in his senior year.

The Barrons’ leadoff batter put up a stellar senior campaign and is the winner of the 2026 Central Jersey Sports Radio GMC Player of the Year.

Slicner had already put up a solid junior campaign, but came into his senior year with a determination to build and get even better for his follow-up.

The shortstop put up eye-popping offensive numbers as a senior, batting .517 on the year (including a .966 slugging percentage), with 12 extra-base hits and nine home runs, all team-highs. And even after doing the damage with his bat, Slicner was still a threat on the basepaths with 26 stolen bases to lead Woodbridge.

And the numbers weren’t of the empty kind at all. Slicner came through in countless big spots as a clutch hitter, with plenty of his 32 RBIs playing big roles in Barrons victories.

Comparing his junior and senior seasons, he raised his batting average – already at a solid .400 mark – by over 100 points, added 14 more RBIs, and hit six more home runs.

And while this is print, what we can’t show you is all the defensive gems he turned in at shortstop.

Slicner played a big role leading a veteran-laden Woodbridge squad, with an extremely strong senior class, flanked by standouts such as Xavier Diaz, Kevin Arroyo, Michael Gurovich, and Billy Mansfield. It was a tight-knit group, one that had played alongside each other since their younger days in Little League, and they helped the Barrons win plenty of games.

They made the North 2, Group 4 semifinals twice and the quarterfinals once, and two GMC Tournament quarterfinals. That included a sectional quarterfinal appearance this year, where tenth-seeded Woodbridge knocked off seven-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and nearly took down second-seeded Bayonne on the road.

And the Barrons relied on Slicner plenty in that first-round win over Raiders, as he clubbed an insurance home run in the seventh as part of a three-hit, three-RBI day.

In the end, Slicner and his fellow veteran teammates put together a strong run of Woodbridge baseball to look back fondly on.

The righty shortstop won’t be veering too far away for his next step, either. Slicner will head to Edison to play baseball at Middlesex College after graduation. The Colts finished off a strong 38-17 year, making it to the NJCAA Region 19 / District Final Four Series.

They also featured two former Barrons, as well, in pitchers Drew Lukachyk and Eddy Nunez, as all three played together in 2023. Middlesex boasted 15 former GMC players on its 2026 roster, and will bring in the best of the conference this upcoming season.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with CJSR GMC Player of the Year Gavin Slicner from Woodbridge

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Connor Murphy, Edison: The Monmouth-bound senior had an ERA you’d need a microscope to see: 0.54, while going 5-1 on the season, including a no-hitter on April 14 against St. Joseph-Metuchen. He fanned 83 this year, after striking out 82 last year, and graduates with 207 career whiffs, and an ERA of just 2.05 for his four varsity seasons.
  • Grant Lorentzen, JFK: This kid does it all, and not just in baseball. While he was 4-5 as a pitcher despite a 1.97 ERA, he also hit .472 this season. He finished his career with 220 strikeouts and a 1.81 ERA over four seasons, while also logging 102 hits at the plate. And as an impressive side note, he was also a thousand-point scorer in basketball – finishing with 1,246 points – and finished his football career as a two-thousand yard receiver, with 2,470 yards and 34 touchdowns. He had 1,221 this past season along with 22 TD catches, one of the top single-season totals all-time in New Jersey. He’ll play baseball and football at TCNJ.
  • Chris Kozak, Middlesex: While Kozak and junior Dominic Long were really starters 1a and 1b this year – and the difference may at times have been microscopic, the senior Kozak gets the nod here. We saw him get his 200th strikeout late in the season against St. Joseph-Metuchen. Kozak was 6-2 this season with a 1.98 ERA, and fanned 76 hitters, a career high.
  • Ben Faigin, Monroe: Just a junior, Faigin – who’s committed to Rutgers – was 7-1 this season, winning three GMC Tournament games while allowing just four total hits, including a 9-2 first-round win over Colonia in which he threw an immaculate inning. He also got a 1-0 win over South Plainfield in the semis, and led the 9th-seeded Falcons to a 7-0 victory over Old Bridge in the GMC final; both were one-hit, complete-game efforts.
  • Matt Chin, Old Bridge: The senior hit .407 with 22 RBI and two home runs to pace the Knights’ offense this year, helping his team gain a berth in the GMC Tournament and Central Jersey Group 4 finals. He’s also an excellent and smart center fielder.
  • Aiden McCarthy, South Plainfield: “The Bull” is a Rutgers commit, and tough as they come. He was 8-2 this past season, always giving his team a chance to win the big game, including an upset of top-seed Chatham in the opening round of the North 2, Group 3 playoffs. McCarthy struck out 74 this season, and had an even 2.00 ERA, while also getting it done at the dish, where he hit .367 – the best of his career – with 28 RBI, ten doubles, and two home runs. He also no-hit Old Bridge in a 4-1 win on April 21.
  • Louis Rizzolo, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior and Marist commit was 8-0 this season, with a 0.90 ERA, and also got it done at the plate, batting .382 with 12 RBI and three home runs. In the state playoffs, he hit a big, early three-run home run at Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B semifinals, en route to a 7-3 win and berth in the championship game against St. Mary-Rutherford. A four-year varsity player, he never had an ERA over 1.74 in his final three seasons, and finished with a career 1.49 ERA.

by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge seniors Callanan, Nicholson and head coach Tom Blackwell talk CJSR Team of the Year honors, as veteran skipper also announces retirement

What a whirlwind year for the Ridge Red Devils baseball team.

They began the year 11-1, with an Opening Day win at West Morris bringing the program its 1,000th victory all-time. Then injuries hit, and they lost five straight in late April. After getting knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament in the semifinals by eventual champion Watchung Hills, they regrouped and rebounded to beat the Warriors in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 championship game.

They would fall in the state semifinals, 8-7, on a walk-off home run in extra innings at Ridgewood, but earn the final No. 1 ranking in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

After which, head coach Tom Blackwell told his team last week, after 21 years and 20 seasons as the Red Devils’ skipper, he would be retiring. Blackwell went 328-211 from 2006 through 2026 (there was no high school baseball in the COVID year) with his teams winning two Somerset County Titles (2011 and 2022) and two North 2, Group 4 titles in the state tournament (2021 and 2026).

It was the perfect way to end a coaching career, but so much more than that for Blackwell, a Ridge alum who played for the legendary Pete Hall, the namesake of the Red Devils’ baseball field.

In a rollercoaster of a season, Ridge is the 2026 Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Ridge seniors Kieran Callanan and Toby Nicholson, as well as retiring head coach Tom Blackwell:

The Ridge Red Devils: NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 sectional champions for 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
by Alec Crouthamel

Immaculata lefty Ryan Auten takes a big senior leap, and is 2026 CJSR Somerset County Player of the Year

Ryan Auten was already on a solid pace after his junior season.

The tall lefty sported a 2.80 ERA in 40 innings, with 69 strikeouts and 32 walks in his first season as a Spartan, after transferring in from Delaware Valley.

But Auten and his coaches knew there was still room to get even better.

The Wake Forest-bound southpaw took all of that room and then some, closing out his high school career with a dominant senior campaign, and has been named Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Somerset County Player of the Year.

COMING TUESDAY: Central Jersey Sports Radio’s GMC Player of the Year

On the season, he finished 7-1 with a 0.74 ERA in 57 innings, all career bests. He also attacked hitters at a wildly efficient level, upping his strikeouts to 114 this season alone — he came into the year with 142 over the previous three years combined — and just 12 walks.

Auten went from pretty good to flat-out dominant, thanks to a strong offseason plan to focus on attacking batters early in the count, and finishing them off, with plenty of simulated game environments leading up to the year.

He allowed just six runs all year, no more than two in any outing, and struck out double-digit batters in all but one start.

Even from the first time he stepped on the rubber as a senior, it was apparent Auten was in for a big year. He finished off an opening week sweep of Hillsborough with a four-hit shutout, striking out 15 Raiders in 100 pitches flat.

With a daunting fastball and wipeout breaking ball combination, Auten was able to put Immaculata in a good position to win every single time he went out to pitch. The Spartans won seven of his nine starts this year, with the only losses coming against Winter Park (FL), where he still struck out 12 batters in five innings, and in an epic 1-0 pitcher’s duel against Watchung Hills in the Somerset County Tournament final. Auten pitched into the extra eighth inning in that one and struck out 15, before ultimately reaching his pitch count.

This year gave him a bonus, as well. He got to share the field with his younger brother, Bryson, for the first time as a senior and a freshman in high school. The younger Auten contributed heavily at the plate and on the mound, looking into his bright future, as well.

After a stellar prep career, Auten is headed to the ACC with the Demon Deacons, where he committed in November of his junior year. Wake Forest has made five straight NCAA Tournaments, and will look to continue its high level with Auten joining the fold next season.

Click below to hear CJSR’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Immaculata pitcher Ryan Auten, the 2026 CJSR Somerset County Player of the Year:

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Li Perez, Rutgers Prep: A four-year varsity player, Perez had his best year on the mound, going 6-2 with a 1.49 ERA, striking out 102 – a year after he came up one shy of 100, logging 99 last season. But he also contributed at the plate, hitting .356, with 15 RBI and two home runs.
  • Rob Centamore, Watchung Hills: A big reason for the Warriors’ success in 2026, he did it with his arm and his bat. As a pitcher, the senior was 8-0 with a 0.97 ERA, best on the team. And a big win in the Somerset County Tournament semis propelled them to the finals, where they beat top-seed Immaculata. He also hit .353 (second to Jacob Jaconski at .460) with 22 RBI and led the team with three home runs.
  • Jake Dolan, Ridge: A senior centerfielder, not only did he hit .436 to lead the Red Devils, with a team-best 36 RBI – the most by any Ridge player since at least 2011, and the fourth-best single season total in program history – he was an excellent reliever. He pitched a perfect final inning and two-thirds to clinch the North 2, Group 4 championship, in a 3-2 win over Watchung Hills. In nine appearances, he allowed runs in only three.
  • Michael Lobosco, Bridgewater-Raritan: The senior catcher took over from the excellent JR Rosado full-time in 2026 and managed ten different pitchers this season, and even threw two innings himself. In addition to managing the staff well, helping guide the Panthers to semifinal berths both in the county tournament and state sectionals, he hit .352 to lead Bridgewater, with 26 RBI and one homer.
  • Luca Catanzarite, Immaculata: Just a sophomore, the Spartans’ centerfielder and leadoff hitter led the team with a .427 batting average, while knocking in 19 runs and hitting two home runs. He’ll be a centerpiece of the offense – and the middle defense – for years to come.
by Mike Pavlichko

Photo Gallery: We stopped by the new home of the NJSIAA state baseball finals at Rutgers, and all seemed to be having a good time

Free parking, free admission, a day in the sun with seat-back chairs, or a chance to spread out on a blanket on the grassy hill in left field.

That pretty much summed up a beautiful (if not on the warm side) Sunday afternoon at Rutgers University’s Bainton Field in Piscataway, where the NJSIAA held its four public state championship games, just a few days after crowning the Non-Public champions on Wednesday night.

Back when this reporter was calling Rutgers baseball games on student radio station WRSU 88.7 FM in New Brunswick, the field – not yet named Bainton – was a lot different: natural grass, smaller bleachers, and an uncovered platform behind the plate on ground level for a press box.

But in recent years, the field was completely turfed, and a video board and lights were added for night baseball. And this past off-season, the bleachers were replaced and expanded, including several hundred seat-back chairs behind home plate. The press box was relocated to the top of the bleachers, with room for media, a broadcast booth, and stadium operations booth, along with additional wings on the side for press.

Those upgrades, and the central location – with easy access from Routes 287 and the Turnpike – made it a no-brainer for the NJSIAA to move the finals to Rutgers from Veterans’ Park in Hamilton, where the natural grass surface limited play after rain, parking was limited, and a curfew affected some late-running games.

Let’s call the move to Bainton a home run for the NJSIAA and the 12 teams that got to play for state championships there. (Scroll down for all the state finals results.)

Here’s a photo gallery from our visit to the opening game of the day, the Group 3 state final, in which Old Tappan beat Brick Memorial 5-0 to win its second state title in program history:

A panoramic view of Bainton Field at Rutgers, home of the 2026 NJSIAA state baseball finals. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Fans watch Old Tappan and Brick Memorial play in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
A Brick Memorial meeting on the mound during the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brody Moore throws a pitch for Brick Memorial against Old Tappan the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Fans watch Old Tappan and Brick Memorial from the stands at the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Old Tappan players watch the state Group 3 final against Brick Memorial from the dugout at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Fans watch Brick Memorial play Old Tappan in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Old Tappan players watch the state Group 3 final against Brick Memorial from the dugout at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Caden Yoon of Old Tappan lays down a bunt against Brick Memorial in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brick Memorial and Old Tappan play in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brody Moore of Brick Memorial pitches against Old Tappan in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brick Memorial hits against Old Tappan in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

A.J. Aiello of Old Tappan earns a walk against Brick Memorial in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Old Tappan hist against Brick Memorial in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The new video board at Rutgers’ Bainton Field. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brick Memorial players watch from the dugout in between innings of the state Group 3 final against Old Tappan at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Bainton Field at Rutgers, home of the 2026 NJSIAA state baseball finals. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NJSIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES:

Wednesday, June 10:

  • Non-Public A: Delbarton 4, St. Augustine 1 (10 inn.)
  • Non-Public B: Gloucester Catholic 11, St. Mary-Rutherford 1 (5 inn.)

Sunday, June 14:

  • Group 4: Ridgewood 7, Kingsway 6
  • Group 3: Old Tappan 5, Brick Memorial 0
  • Group 2: Ramsey 4, Governor Livingston 2
  • Group 1: Point Pleasant Beach 10, Pompton Lakes 4
by Mike Pavlichko

Warriors move up, win SCT, and Watchung Hills’ Joe Tremarco is CJSR Somerset County Coach of the Year

Everyone knows the challenge of playing in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division.

You don’t have to be the first place team to make a deep run in the county or state tournaments, with Exhibit A being Bridgewater-Raritan.

And you don’t need to have won the division to win a postseason tournament either.

Not only did Watchung Hills finish second in the division – and beat top-seed and Delaware champ Immaculata in the county final – but they did it after moving up following a first-place finish in the Raritan Division (7-1) in 2025.

And yet, they went 7-3 in the Delaware this year, were the only team to beat the Spartans in Skyland Conference play, and won seven more games overall than they did in 2025, improving from 11-12 to 18-9, their best season since 2016, when they went 27-5 and reached the Somerset County final.

For all of that, Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Coach of the Year for 2026.

This year’s Hustlin’ Warriors never lost more than two games in a row all year. The first of those came against Ridge in mid-April, but they avenged those two losses in the semifinals of the SCT, with a 4-2 win that sent them to the title game, where Lucas Sheehan blanked Immaculata for a 1-0 win. In the process, he became the first sophomore to get a win in the county final since 1998, when Casey Cahill won his first of three finals, a feat that has never been matched.

Hills will graduate some key players this month, including Rob Centamore, who hit .353 with 22 RBI and three home runs. But the team may not have had the success they did without his arm; on the mound, the Ramapo-bound senior was 8-0 with a 0.97 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innigns pitched.

But Tremarco is quick to point out none of this happens without his assistants either: varsity assistant and pitching coach Joe Ascolese, JV coach Paul Leinbach, freshman coach Vin Crisafi and assistant manager/equipment maven James Soranno.

Fellow seniors Brody Griffith, Max Payne, Landon Pudlak, and leading hitter Jacob Jaconski (.460, 26 RBI, 2 HR) also will be missed, but there is plenty coming back that the Warriors will be a factor next season, and beyond.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s 2026 Somerset County Coach of the Year Joe Tremarco – and senior Rob Centamore – talk with Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

With historic season, Piscataway Magnet’s Greg Sampson is Central Jersey Sports Radio’s GMC Coach of the Year

The last time the Piscataway Magnet baseball team won a state tournament game, Ronald Reagan was President, and filling up your Toyota Corolla would cost you about ten bucks and some change.

And forget the fact that none of the current Raiders hadn’t been born yet; their parents were probably still in school at the time.

All that changed in 2026, when the Raiders exploded out of the gate to win their first 18 games of the season, won a county tournament game, not one but two state games in the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs, and finish their best campaign ever at 25-4.

They were one of the last few undefeated teams in the state – you could count them on one hand at one point, and have another finger left over – and grabbed the attention of the entire GMC, pulling for the underdogs who play on a beautiful grass field tucked between Rutgers’ Livingston Campus and the industrial Camp Kilmer area in Edison.

And after such a great year, Piscataway Magnet head coach Greg Sampson is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Greater Middlesex Conference Coach of the Year.

He couldn’t have done it alone, of course, not without talent. As a team, they hit .333,led by junior Vincent Canavan, who hit .467 on the season with 23 RBI. Another junior, Kyle Malchiodi, hit .379 and drove in 33 runs, while also going 8-0 with a 2.36 ERA. And junior Colton Lyerly also was rock solid on the mound; he went 8-0, too, and had a 2.02 earned run average, the best on the team.

Now, go back and read that last paragraph carefully. All those key players are juniors. And so is nearly everyone else. Their only senior had six at bats all season.

And even if they do move up to the GMC Blue Division next year, the Raiders will welcome it.

Click below to hear Piscataway Magnet head coach Greg Sampson talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, joined by juniors Colton Lyerly and Vincent Canavan:

by Mike Pavlichko

Skyland Conference 2026 All-Division baseball honorees unveiled

The coaches from the Skyland Conference have unveiled their 2026 All-Division teams, honoring 139 players from across its four divisions, including the 14 Somerset County schools in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

Here’s the full list of players honored, by division, with teams in alphabetical order:

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – DELAWARE DIVISION

First Team

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: Kellan Komline (P/OF), Michael Lobosco (C)
  • Hillsborough: Elijah Dawes (SS)
  • Hunterdon Central: Dany Contillano (OF), Nick Holot (OF)
  • Immaculata: Luca Catanzarite (2B), Owen Schilling (C), Ryan Auten (P), Cole Raymond (P)
  • Ridge: Jake Dolan (CF), Kieran Callanan (SS), Casey Kucerka (C)
  • Watchung Hills: Robert Centamore (P/DH), Jacob Jaconski (C), Lucas Sheehan (P)
Immaculata senior Ryan Auten threw a complete-game two-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over Ridge at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, on April 22, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: Kevin Kelly (3B/P), Andrew Schmeider (OF), Nick Spirra (2B/P)
  • Hillsborough: Tommy Kester (OF), Gavin Glazewski (P/1B), Jon Feltre (P)
  • Hunterdon Central: Jack Edwards (P), Liam Goyette (P)
  • Immaculata: Bryson Auten (P/3B), Justin Labrador (SS)
  • Ridge: Sawyer Paul (1B), Dimitri Romer (P/3B)
  • Watchung Hills: Brady Simo (3B), Stefano DiGeronimo (SS)

Honorable Mention:

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: Stephen Pikulin (1B/DH)
  • Hillsborough: Anthony Guerrero (OF)
  • Hunterdon Central: Cola Jacobs (P)
  • Immaculata: Jackson Lewis (OF)
  • Ridge: Lucas Grob (2B)
  • Watchung Hills: Landon Pudlak (2B)

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – RARITAN DIVISION

First Team:

  • Franklin: Stanley Madera, Mason Bonds
  • Montgomery: Ian Quinn, Henry Maddox
  • North Hunterdon: Hunter Brown, Alex Famolari, Brooks Lunger, Graham Berry
  • Phillipsburg: Nick Yaccarino, Chase Passmore, Mike Bracco
  • Rutgers Prep: Li Perez, Alex Perez, Maddox Chu, Ethan Nepomuceno
  • Somerville: Justin Snow, Michael Meyers
Rutgers Prep’s Li Perez pitches in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals against Bridgewater-Raritan in Somerset, NJ, on May 14, 2026. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

Second Team:

  • Franklin: Dylan Shah, Shayne Rooney
  • Montgomery: Jake Hayes, Alex Bender, Mason Neufeld
  • North Hunterdon: Ty Kane, Jason Krisanda, Zach Linzer
  • Phillipsburg: Wyatt Garrison, Kevin Buonocole
  • Rutgers Prep: Peter Wheeler, Mason Cimini, Okasha Asrar
  • Somerville: Matty Brong, Jordan Snow, Michael Murphy

Honorable Mention:

  • Montgomery: Liam McDonnell
  • North Hunterdon: Evan Doty
  • Phillipsburg: Brent Ottw
  • Rutgers Prep: Micah Krugar-Serrano
  • Somerville: Dalton Carman

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – VALLEY DIVISION:

First Team:

  • Bernards: Casey Hoeckele, Sean Arcelay, James Ferrante
  • Gill St. Bernards: Gavin Bucceri, Niko West, Joey Fava, Jack Markovich, Trip Hogarty
  • Pingry: Langston McDonald, Aaron Wu
  • Voorhees: Alexander Dyevich, Matteo Tramutola
  • Warren Hills: Cohl Stevens, Owen Spender
Pingry’s Zach Zaslow pitches against Montgomery at TD Bank Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

  • Bernards: Tyce Hanratty, James Gallagher
  • Gill St. Bernards: Andersen Eide, Noah Schultz, Jude Walters, Steve McRae
  • Pingry: Andrew Crowley, Zach Zaslow, Connor Lahay
  • Voorhees: Dylan Vernick, Jack Schlaudecker
  • Warren Hills: Reece Schott, Ryan Everett

Honorable Mention:

  • Bernards: Alex Frankfelder
  • Gill St. Bernards: A.J. Kolenski
  • Pingry: Michael Cardona
  • Voorhees: Turner Toombs
  • Warren Hills: Kyle Kucharski

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – MOUNTAIN DIVISION

First Team:

  • Belvidere: Jake Ackerman, Chris Knight
  • Bound Brook: Aiden Boehm, Ryan Cunha
  • Delaware Valley: Dylan Rasimowicz, Gabriel Miller, Cooper Fransen, David Hudock, Brooks Brunner, Carter Glacken
  • Manville: Collin Shimp, Brandon Shimp, Evan Canica, Josh D’Ambrosio
  • South Hunterdon: Trevor Lingerfield, Jack Budrewicz
Manville (in white) and Montgomery square off at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 7, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

  • Belvidere: Justin Hummel, Troy Boehm, Carter Crow
  • Bound Brook: Gabriel Valentin, Jayden Cruz
  • Delaware Valley: Chris Cialone, Matt Feeney, Danny Cialone
  • Manville: Aidan Johnson, Ben Canuso, Bobby Petrone
  • South Hunterdon: Trevor Sinkus, Landon Katz, Michael Budrewicz

Note: The Mountain Division coaches did not choose any Honorable Mentions.

by Mike Pavlichko

Back in Red (Scarlet): Edison alum Jaxon Appelman leaves Coastal Carolina, commits to Rutgers baseball

When Jaxon Appelman puts on his baseball jersey again, it will have a familiar color.

The Edison alum who graduated in 2024 after a four-year varsity career – with 296 strikeouts and a career ERA of 1.95 – spent the last two years at Coastal Carolina, but this spring entered the NCAA transfer portal, and now has found a new home.

He’s committed to play for Rutgers baseball.

Appelman saw limited action for the Chanticleers his freshman year, but this spring as a sophomore, he made 17 appearances, starting four games. He ended the season 0-3 with a 6.39 ERA, but logged 39 Ks, and only allowed opposing hitters a highly-respectable .224 batting average.

And he’ll be on a staff with another former GMC standout, the dominating Zack Konstantinovsky, who played at North Brunswick, as well as former Raider and shortstop Yomar Carreras, who was on Appelman’s travel ball teams back in the day.

In the end, that and the chance to play at home around family and friends at Rutgers – the first school to offer him a scholarship when he was still with the Eagles – was too much to pass up for his final two years of eligibility.

Click below to hear Edison alum Jaxon Appelman talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about committing to Rutgers:

by Mike Pavlichko

New No. 1 highlights final 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten as Ridge takes top spot

It’s not where you start, but where you finish.

But, to be honest, the Ridge baseball team didn’t have very far to go.

The Red Devils – the only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win an NJSIAA sectional title this season – finish the year at No. 1 in the final Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball rankings, and are the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division was a beast this year. Immaculata won the division, second-place Watchung Hills won the Somerset County Tournament, and Ridge beat the Warriors to win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title last Friday. The Red Devils’ season came to an end, however, in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon, in an 8-7 loss to Ridgewood on a walk-off, leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. They finish the year at 19-11.

Watchung Hills (18-9) – which lost two of three to Ridge this season – finishes second. In the past week, they beat second-seed Bayonne by run-rule, 10-0 in five innings, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals before falling to Ridge Friday in the title game.

Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion Monroe (15-14) comes in third. The Falcons were the tournament’s nine-seed, but beat five-seed Old Bridge to win the title two Saturdays ago in their season finale, after getting knocked out of the state tournament the day before the GMC final.

In fourth is Immaculata (22-6), which was knocked out of the state tournament in the Non-Public South A semifinals by CBA, 1-0 in eight innings. The Spartans won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division at 9-1, their lone regular season division loss coming to Watchung Hills, and they lost to the Warriors in the SCT title game as well.

At five is GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge (21-10), which won last Wednesday in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, 10-0 over Hightstown in five innings, but then lost in the title game, 14-1, at home to Hunterdon Central on Friday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 finalist South Plainfield (17-12) finishes sixth. They got the the title game with a 4-2 semifinal win at top-seed Chatham last Wednesday, but fell Friday to Cranford in the final, 10-5.

GMC White Division champion Middlesex (22-6) comes in at seven. The Blue Jays fell in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals last Wednesday to Shore, 2-0 at home, preventing them from having a chance to repeat as CJ1 and state Group 1 champions.

At eight is Edison (19-8). The Eagles – beset by pitching injuries later in the season – got knocked out of the stats in the first round, and the GMC Tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Monroe, but won the GMC’s top division, the GMC Red, with an 11-3 mark, finishing two full games ahead of second-place Old Bridge

Checking in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas (14-15) – ranked for the first time this season. STA reached the finals in Non-Public North B for the second time in three years with a 7-3 road win at second-seed Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. But the third-seeded Trojans lost at top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the title game last Friday, 11-7.

And in tenth, it’s Rutgers Prep (17-8). The Argonauts were Skyland Conference Raritan Division Co-Champions with North Hunterdon – who they split with in the regular season – finishing 8-2 in divisional play, and were knocked out of the states in the Non-Public North B semis last Wednesday by St. Thomas Aquinas, with a 7-3 loss.

Below is the complete and final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2026 season: