Category: Baseball

by Mike Pavlichko

Greater Middlesex Conference releases new alignments for 2027 baseball season with few changes

The Greater Middlesex Conference opted to make very few changes when it released its baseball alignments for the 2027 season last week.

But perhaps the biggest move was one that did not happen.

Middlesex – coming off a GMC White Division championship – did not move up from to the Red Division, despite the Blue Jays’ division title, and the fact that “moving up” division winners has become more and more common in the GMC and other leagues, as they tend to veer away from using mainly school size as a determining factor.

White Division champs have moved to the Red for each of the past two seasons, as the trend started to take hold around the state.

St. Thomas Aquinas won the GMC White Division in 2024, then moved up to the Red for 2025. The year before, in a five-division alignment for 2023 that was short-lived – for just two seasons, the first in 2022 – Woodbridge won the White Division, and moved up to the Red for 2024, and stayed there in 2026. Sayreville won the White in 2022, but stayed in the division for 2023 and has remained there since.

But a move for Middlesex would have been unprecedented for the GMC, which traditionally has included the largest schools in the county, generally Group 4 schools; the Blue Jays are in Group 1, which includes the state’s smallest.

Ultimately, there are only four teams who will find new homes next season.

  • JFK: The Mustangs finished last in the White Division in 2026, and move down one to the Blue Division for 2027.
  • Piscataway Magnet: The Gold Division champions had a magical year, setting a program record with 25 wins, winning their first 18 games, earned their first-ever state tournament win and reached the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals. The Raiders move up to the Blue Division for 2027.
  • East Brunswick Magnet, New Brunswick: Coming off a head-to-head matchup in the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational in 2025 – won by the Zebras – they finished seventh and eighth in the eight-team Blue Division last season, and move down to the Gold for 2027.

The 2027 GMC Baseball divisions are as follows:

  • Red:  East Brunswick, Edison, Monroe, Old Bridge, St. Joseph,  St. Thomas Aquinas, South Plainfield, Woodbridge
  • White:  Colonia, Middlesex, Metuchen, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Brunswick, Spotswood
  • Blue:  Carteret, JFK, JP Stevens, North Brunswick, North Plainfield, Piscataway, Piscataway Magnet, South River
  • Gold:  Dunellen, East Brunswick Magnet, Highland Park, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy Magnet, South Amboy, Somerset Tech, Timothy Christian
by Mike Pavlichko

A few personal thoughts on the loss of a great reporter, and an even better man, Greg Tufaro

When Greg Tufaro, the longtime Middlesex County sportswriter, passed away this Monday, the news was a shock to many.

But it really shouldn’t have been. 

Not to say we all expected it.  No one did. 

But that was the point.  There were so many text messages I received from coaches, friends and acquaintances who didn’t even know he was ill.

And that’s the way Greg wanted it, because in his world, nothing was about him.

I truly believe much of that came about from his family, and the battles that his brave daughter Marisa fought all her life, with her father Greg and mother Cyndi alongside her every step of the way.

When Greg and I spoke exactly a week before his passing, when I called him to talk about him ending the charitable mission of the Marisa Tufaro Foundation, founded with his wife Cyndi in memory of their amazing daughter, who died all too young from cancer herself nine years ago, a complication of multiple heart surgeries, his voice was weak and raspy.  He wasn’t comfortable talking about the shutdown. It was too emotional.

That’s the way Greg Tufaro was, because it was never about him.

It was about the Foundation, or the kids and coaches he interviewed for his stories for over 30 years with the Home News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.

I first met Greg sometime in the late 1990s when he was on the Rutgers beat, and I was a student, covering the Scarlet Knights as well.  We shared dinner once – with my WRSU broadcast partner and our Targum colleagues – out in Portland, Oregon, covering the NCAA Women’s West Regional Final, where the Scarlet Knights clinched their first Final Four berth, beating UAB and Georgia en route to Philadelphia. 

Not a lot of guys would hang out with student reporters.  Greg did.

Later, we crossed paths often on the high school sports scene after I graduated and made the jump over to WCTC in New Brunswick, where I covered football and basketball.

North Brunswick QB Frankie Garbolino accepts the 2023 Marisa Rose Bowl MVP trophy on June 29, 2023 at Nicholas Priscoe Stadium in Woodbridge from (left to right) Cyndi Tufaro, Joe Bellamy of Bellamy & Son Paving, and Greg Tufaro of the Marisa Tufaro Foundation. (Photo: Korbid Thompson)

Greg actually interviewed me once.  It was 2018, and with the help of Piscataway football assistant John Thompson, we had “cracked” the Born Power Index, a new part of the NJSIAA football playoff formula, which was top secret.  We learned it was rewarding teams with better seeds for winning by large margins.  Seeing this injustice, he wanted to cover it, and gave me a ring.

He was so meticulous, didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.  He read the story back to me and my quotes, too, wanting to make sure he had everything right, down to the letter, and every dot on an i and cross on a t.  It had to be right.

Ask any coach he talked to and they’ll tell you the same kind of story.

That’s how Greg was.

Another time, I don’t remember if it was before or after that, we had a Friday night football show for a couple of seasons on WCTC called “Friday Night Football USA,” an offshoot of the long running Saturday show we did after Rutgers games.

The topic was a coach who got DQd for leaving the bench area to break up a scuffle.  Now it was my turn to interview Greg, and I got him on the air live to talk about it.  And his observation was that the officials could have handled it better, because the coach was not the problem, but rather trying to get his kids out of it.  The officials didn’t have to write him up, but they did.  It was great radio.

Then I headed off to cover a game, as a reporter, to get a story and tape for the next day’s show.  I got to the sideline, and my phone rang.  It was Greg.

Greg Tufaro (right) and his wife Cyndi at one of many charity events supported by the Marisa Tufaro Foundation. (Photo courtesy Marcus Borden)

“Mike, I gotta to apologize, I feel awful…” and he went into the most rapid-fire I-dont-even-know-what-to-call-it about how he felt like he threw the officials under the bus, these are good people, who am I to criticize? What if they heard me in the car on their way to a game, I feel terrible, etc., etc.  It took a couple of possessions as the game played out in front of me to talk him down.

“Greg,” I told him.  “You did nothing wrong.  You told me what you saw and gave your opinion.  That’s why I had you on.  Because you’re respected.  Don’t worry about it.”

After about ten minutes of back and forth, he took a deep breath, and I promised him it would be okay.  And it was.

That’s how Greg was.

When I started Central Jersey Sports Radio, he was so supportive of our venture, even though we might be competing for stories.  Told me this was a great thing I was doing.  I don’t tell a lot of people that.  Probably because of how he rubbed off on me.

Even when he got out of the sports reporting business and went to work with his good friend, Senator Patrick Diegnan of South Plainfield, we spoke occasionally. 

Mostly, I’d ask him advice.  How he’d handle something.  Should I even write this?  Am I on the right track? He’d compliment my work. 

I was a radio guy, but now I was writing more than I ever imagined.  I took it to heart.  Coming from him, it really and truly meant the world. 

The amount of people Greg Tufaro has touched, influenced, mentored, and helped, whether in sports writing, investigative journalism, with the Foundation, or in his legislative work is beyond even what you and I all know, and will ever know.

Because that was Greg Tufaro.  He wouldn’t tell you what he did, he just did it.

He didn’t ask for the honors, even though he was honored often.

He just did what was right.

Because that’s how Greg was.

Our deepest condolences to Greg’s wife Cyndi, his family, friends and colleagues.

Details on services for Greg Tufaro…

Relatives and friends may call from 1:00 – 5:00 PM on August 16th at the Costello-Runyon Funeral Home, 568 Middlesex Ave. (Route 27), Metuchen. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:15 AM on August 17th at The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, 548 Main St., Metuchen. Interment will follow at Hillside Cemetery, 52 Lincoln Ave., Metuchen.

by Mike Pavlichko

Longtime Middlesex County sportswriter, founder of Marisa Tufaro Foundation, Greg Tufaro passes away

Please scroll to the bottom of this story for details on services.

For some three-plus decades, if there was a story to be found in the sports world and beyond in Middlesex County – sometimes the story behind the story – Greg Tufaro was the guy who would have it.

And for the past nine years, if there was a good cause, the Marisa Tufaro Foundation – which he and his wife Cyndi founded after the passing of their daughter in January 2017 – would be involved.

On Monday, Greg himself passed away after a battle with cancer, according to Tim LeCras, a spokesman for St. Joseph of Metuchen High School, Greg’s alma mater, where he graduated in 1985.

Tufaro received many accolades.  He was named the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association New Jersey Sportswriter of the Year in 2015.  The New Jersey Press Association honored him more than a dozen times, with five first-place awards.

Tufaro, a Rugters University graduate, was well-known for his high school sports coverage, but also covered the Scarlet Knights after joining the Home News and Home News Tribune in 1989.

In 2021, he gave it all up to serve as Chief of Staff for State Senator Patrick Diegnan of South Plainfield (D-18), while continuing his work with the Marisa Tufaro Foundation, for which Diegnan also served on the Board of Trustees until the Foundation ended its charitable mission just last week, after nine years and more than a half-million dollars raised.

Details on services…

Relatives and friends may call from 1:00 – 5:00 PM on August 16th at the Costello-Runyon Funeral Home, 568 Middlesex Ave. (Route 27), Metuchen. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:15 AM on August 17th at The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, 548 Main St., Metuchen. Interment will follow at Hillside Cemetery, 52 Lincoln Ave., Metuchen.

Thoughts and rememberances from the local sports community…

Click here for CJSR football analyst Marcus Borden’s audio tribute to Greg Tufaro.

Joseph Ward, Woodbridge H.S. Athletic Director:

“I know everyone is going to say Greg was the nicest guy they ever met, and they are right.  They would be 100% correct to say that of course.  Greg was so kind, caring and sincere in the way that he treated people.  When he was talking to you, whether in person or on the phone, he made you feel like you were the most important person in the world.  He didn’t want to talk about himself, he wanted to hear how you were doing.   I am smiling as I write this, but if you were around Greg enough, you got to see another side.  Greg could lose it at times.  It may have been his computer not working, or not being able to connect to the internet, or pressure from his bosses to meet a deadline, etc.  He could hold his own in the language department in those moments, but then apologize to you 100 times for having to witness that.  I believe that it is what made Greg the exceptional husband, father, friend and writer that he was.  He was, even more so than he was nice, he was passionate! I know he was NOT this way so that he could say he was the best at anything, but so he could give you the very best that he felt you deserved.  He always made it about others, never himself.  I will miss my friend, but I take comfort in knowing that he is reunited with his beautiful daughter, Marisa.”

Marisa Tufaro Foundation Board of Trustees member, former East Brunswick H.S. Athletic Director, Frank Noppenberger:

“It was an honor and privilege to refer to Greg as a dear friend. His unending altruism and kindness to everyone was one of his many positive contributions to our society. An ideal role model for those contemplating a career in journalism, and his everlasting sincerity and caring will be remembered by all who knew him.  Greg, thanks for being a friend.”

READ MORE: A few personal thoughts on the loss of a great reporter, and an even better man, Greg Tufaro

Former Spotswood H.S. teacher and cheerleading coach Colleen Meyers, who led the cheerleading squads for the Snapple Bowl, and later the Marisa Tufaro Bowl senior football all-star game:

“I find myself at a loss for words with the news of Greg’s death.  My heart is shattered for Cyndi, and all who knew and loved him.  Greg touched many lives as a loyal and steadfast friend, and extraordinary husband and doting father, an exemplary journalist, and a champion for children in need.  The world was a kinder and gentler place because of Greg Tufaro.  I was greatly blessed to call him my friend.”

Edison H.S. football coach Matt Yascko:

“Greg was a great friend, I will always cherish our relationship. He was always so thoughtful and supportive of all the kids and teams he covered.  I will always remember how serious and thoughtful he took the all area teams; we would spend hours debating who the 3rd team linebacker would be and he would always find a way to recognize all who deserved it.“

From the Piscataway Football family:

“Greg Tufaro was the kind of reporter who was able to give recognition to a third-string fullback on an 0-9 team, along with giving due recognition to the all-state quarterback on the undefeated team which won the game.  Having been on both ends of that football spectrum, it was that kind of fairness and thoroughness which we came to love and respect at Piscataway. The efforts of Greg and his wife Cyndi through the Marisa Tufaro Foundation have produced a profound impact on so many lives, including those of many Piscataway student-athletes. While Greg’s life has come to an end, his unselfish giving to others will be an eternal lesson from which we can all draw.”

Former St. Joseph-Metuchen H.S. head coach, current Bound Brook assistant Rich Hilliard:

“I am at a loss for words.  We lost a great man , a great writer, and even more… a great friend to all.  My deepest heartfelt condolences to his family.  You will never be forgotten.”

by Alec Crouthamel

New Jersey umpires see “a dream come true” in Yankees’ Old Timers’ Day Game

Ask any kid growing up in the Tri-State area about their childhood dream for when they’re older. 

A good number of them will point to swinging the bat – or toeing the rubber – for the New York Yankees.

But another dream was accomplished in the Bronx on Saturday.

Four present or former NJSIAA umpires, Gary Giackette, Warren Bennett, Chris Parkhill, and Bill Killduff, donned the blue for the Yankees’ annual Old Timers’ Day game on Saturday. Bennett patrolled home plate, Killduff worked first base, Parkhill at second, and Giackette at third.

In an opportunity that the quartet all agreed was a “surreal” one, the afternoon was full of laughs and smiles as legends from many different eras of Yankees lore came together to put on a show.

The Bombers poked out a 3-2 victory over the Clippers, with plenty of highlight-reel plays from former Yankees of (relatively) young and old.

Many of these players brought familiarity to the four umpires, having seen plenty of star-studded talent come through the Garden State over the years. That includes Toms River-native Todd Frazier, who arguably won MVP honors with an RBI double and a wicked play at the hot corner. 

In a full-circle moment, Giackette and Killduff had seen Frazier make eye-popping plays in the infield for many years. Both of them umpired Toms River East American’s 1998 Little League state final victory over Randolph in Sayreville, on the way to winning the Little League World Series over Japan in Williamsport. 

Frazier starred at shortstop and on the mound that year, on the way to a powerhouse career at Rutgers and a ten-year stint in the MLB as a consistent fan favorite, including three months with the Yankees after a deadline trade from the Chicago White Sox.

The legends weren’t afraid to bring out the theatrics, either. 

Former star catcher Jorge Posada, whose No. 20 jersey was retired four years after retiring, tried to jokingly call an ABS (Automated Ball-Strike System) challenge in the first inning after Bennett called a breaking ball out of the zone.

His request was promptly denied by public address announcer Paul Olden. Another batter tried to do the same later in the three-inning showcase after a fastball up in the zone was called a strike, once again to no avail.

Maybe next year!

Umpires Gary Giackette, Warren Bennett, Chris Parkhill, and Bill Killduff wave to the crowd at the New York Yankees' Old Timers' Day Game (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Umpires Gary Giackette, Warren Bennett, Chris Parkhill, and Bill Killduff wave to the crowd at the New York Yankees’ Old Timers’ Day Game (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).

With their decades of umpiring experience, the four all have built up strong reputations across the state — Bennett is currently the first Vice President of the NJ State Federation of Umpires, and Giackette the secretary — while Kilduff retired two years ago after 50 years on the job.

And on Saturday in the Bronx, they got to do so in the big leagues.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with umpires Gary Giackette, Warren Bennett, Chris Parkhill, and Bill Killduff before umpiring the New York Yankees Old Timers’ Day Game:

Umpire Warren Bennett, calling balls and strikes at home with Bernie Williams at the plate (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Umpire Warren Bennett, calling balls and strikes at home with Bernie Williams at the plate (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Recently-retired Bill Killduff, calling an out at first base (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Recently-retired Bill Killduff, calling an out at first base (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Chris Parkhill, chopping it up at second base (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Chris Parkhill, chopping it up at second base (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Gary Giackette calling a ball foul at third base (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Gary Giackette calling a ball foul at third base (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
by Mike Pavlichko

After nearly a decade, and a half-million dollars donated, Marisa Tufaro Foundation wraps up its charitable mission

Ten years would have been a nice round number.

But so is a half-million dollars.

That’s what the Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated has donated to families and pediatric patients, charitable organizations and scholarship efforts around the state since its founding nine years ago, on July 30, 2017.

But all good things must come to an end, and the group’s founders have announced the end of the Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s charitable mission.

It was created by longtime Home News Tribune/MyCentralJersey sportswriter Greg Tufaro and his wife, Cyndi, in memory of their daughter, Marisa, who tragically passed away in January of 2017, on what would have been her 14th birthday.

Born with a cardiac defect, she survived six open heart surgeries and a heart transplant, but ultimately and heartbreakingly lost a valiant battle against a rare form of cancer.

Marisa Tufaro. (Photo courtesy Greg Tufaro)

Marisa had been hospitalized for more than two years, and yet was still able to be an honor roll student in Edison public schools and lived a “vibrant life that inspired,” the Tufaros said in a press release.

“We are eternally grateful and appreciative beyond words to all who have donated, volunteered, or hosted a charity event for our nonprofit, which has immensely benefited from the extraordinary kindness of thousands of supporters,” the Tufaros said in the release. “Through the remarkable generosity of others, we have been blessed and privileged to make a profound impact on countless lives. We have also been able to keep alive Marisa’s indomitable spirit and allow her legacy to be one of helping children in need.”

In all that time, there were toy collections, food collections, winter coat collections. There were school and baby supplies, children’s books, and many other physical donations that aren’t even included among the $500,000 raised and distributed.

Fundraisers included the large and small, from lemonade stands to GMC all-star games, and the Marisa Rose Bowl.

Greg Tufaro, who co-founded the Marisa Tufaro Foundation with his wife Cyndi, talks to Team Marisa and Team Rose after the inaugural Marisa Rose Bowl in 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Over the nine years of the Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s existence, nearly 60 high school seniors received $41,500 in scholarship money, and dozens more were able to spend a week at a summer art camp at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers in New Brunswick.

And the foundation gave back to many of the hospitals that treated Marisa, from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and more.

At home with Marisa Tufaro and the Tufaro family pup, Duncan. (Photo courtesy Greg Tufaro)

The foundation also was recognized as the Edison Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 “Organization of the Year,” was named a “Community Champion” in 2023 by the Metuchen/Edison/Woodbridge/South Amboy YMCA, and was a Hands of Hope Tee Off Against Hunger honoree in 2024 for “dedicated efforts in fostering positive change within the community.”

by Mike Pavlichko

Former North Brunswick, Rutgers standout pitcher Zack Konstantinovsky picked in MLB Draft by Washington Nationals

Zack Konstantinovsky – a two-time Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year at North Brunswick and standout at Rutgers – has been selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals.

“Zack K,” as he’s often called, was dominant on the mound as a Raider. In ten starts his senior season, he give up just eight runs, five earned, and fanned 88 – but he hit .469 and hit eight home runs. He was even more overpowering his junior year, striking out 120 hitters while walking just two, and allowing only seven earned runs in 67 innings pitched.

At Rutgers this past season, he was 4-5, with a 5.48 ERA, and was often the Friday starter in Big Ten weekend sets for Steve Owens’ club.

Konstantinovsky was chosen Sunday at 406 overall, in the 14th round by the Nats, and he joins teammate and former Franklin standout Peyton Bonds as MLB picks in 2026. Bonds – who is Barry Bonds’ nephew and the godson of Bobby Bonds – hit .352 with 29 RBIs and six home runs, while also stealing 13 bases for the Scarlet Knights this past season. He hit eight doubles and scored 31 runs.

That makes it 13 Rutgers baseball players to be drafted in the last five seasons under head coach Steve Owens.

Click here to listen to Zack Konstantinovsky talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko in his first interview since being drafted by the Nationals in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Many eyes were on Passaic Tech catcher Mickey Gilligan – who has a cannon for an arm and is a big-time slugger, too – but he went undrafted, and announced Sunday on social media he’s looking forward to playing at Rutgers, where he had previously been committed.

by Mike Pavlichko

Former Franklin, Rutgers standout Peyton Bonds picked by San Francisco in third round of MLB Draft; will other area players be chosen?

With the 90th pick overall, in the third round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, the San Francisco Giants take…

… former Franklin standout and Rutgers star Peyton Bonds.

A junior this past season, Bonds – who is Barry Bonds’ nephew and the godson of Bobby Bonds – hit .352 with 29 RBIs and six home runs, while also stealing 13 bases. He hit eight doubles and scored 31 runs.

The 12th Scarlet Knight to be drafted in the last five seasons under head coach Steve Owens, he’s also the fourth to be taken by the Giants all-time. The others are Bonds’ former teammate Trevor Cohen in the third round last year, Bill Malloy in the sixth round in 1996, and Robert Kenney in the 38th round in 1967.

The Major League Baseball Draft is being held in Philadelphia this weekend, with Day One on Saturday and Day Two wrapping up the event on Sunday.

Bonds hails from Somerset and hit .429 across three varsity seasons for the Warriors, with 21 runs batted in.

More to come?

In Saturday’s first four rounds, Bonds was the only New Jersey player drafted, though several are eligible. High school players are eligible immediately after graduation, as long as they have not yet enrolled in college. Once they do, they’re no eligible again until after their junior year, unless they turn 21 by August 1.

But several others are eligible, and one of the top prospects among them are is Alex Weingartner of St. Augustine Prep down in South Jersey. A Penn State commit, he can hit 94 to 96 mph on the mound, but has also been billed as a solid position player, with excellent speed.

Another is Mickey Gilligan, the outstanding catcher with a cannon for an arm – and a bat to match – out of Passaic Tech in Wayne. He’s also a Rutgers commit.

Immaculata’s Ryan Auten threw a complete-game no-hitter against Franklin in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals on May 19, 2025. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

From the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, Ryan Auten of Immaculata is eligible. The Somerset County Player of the Year spent two years with the Spartans – transferring in from Delaware Valley – and went 7-4 this season with a 0.74 ERA, while striking out 114 and allowing just a dozen walks. He surrendered just six runs all season, and is committed to Wake Forest.

North Brunswick’s Zack Konstantinovsky pitches in the GMC Tournament final on May 21, 2023 at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick. (Photo: MIke Pavlichko)

And filling both bills, Rutgers fourth-year junior Zack Konstantinovsky – a North Brunswick alum – also is eligible. He was a two-time CJSR GMC Player of the Year, honored after his junior and senior seasons with the Raiders, in 2022 and 2023. Not only could he pitch – in ten starts his senior season, he give up just eight runs, five earned, and fanned 88 – but he hit .469 and hit eight home runs.

by Mike Pavlichko

JFK’s Grant Lorentzen proves you can do it all, and be very good at it, too

Hitting a major milestone in any high school sport is a big deal.

Often, the game will stop, the ball will come out of play, and there are balloons and photo ops, then the game goes on.

For Grant Lorentzen, who’s just graduated from JFK in Iselin last week, he hit key milestones in not just one, nor two, but three high school sports.

  • In football, he was one of the top receivers in the state this year, with 55 catches for 1,221 yards, and 22 touchdowns, seven shy of the all-time state record. In three varsity seasons, he caught 149 passes for 2,470 yards and 34 scores.
  • In basketball, he became one of the few 1,000-point scorers in school history, finishing a four-year varsity career with 1,246 points, 78 from beyond the arc. And he was reasonably close to the program’s all-time leader, Jay Jorgenson (1974), who scored 1,403 in his career.
  • And in baseball, he finished his dual career as a pitcher and hitter, reaching the 100-hit and 200-strikeout plateaus. Lorentzen had 102 hits over four years on the varsity squad, while fanning 220 hitters across four varsity seasons.
JFK’s Grant Lorentzen (#11) scores on a punt return for a touchdown at Carteret on October 29, 2005. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

In an era where more and more student-athletes are specializing – playing just one sport, and then training the rest of the year in that sport – Lorentzen is a throwback, but also an example.

Lorentzen says his coaches always supported him playing multiple sports, so much so that he will even get to do it in college, where he’ll attend The College of New Jersey. First recruited by their baseball coach, he told them right from the get-go that he also wanted to play football. So, they worked out a schedule, and the rest is just future history.

Particularly with pitchers, many believe throwing year-round leaves a teenager more vulnerable to injury. A number of GMC hurlers didn’t make it through the entire 2026 season this spring. But Lorentzen managed to play eleven varsity seasons – and pitched – across four years and three sports at JFK.

Many coaches encourage the practice, and would rather see them play another sport at their school than be out of the building, playing travel ball.

And he still had the time to do some training in the off-season with Elite QB football training academy, under the tutelage of Matt Bastardi. He was often featured in Elite QB’s “Elite Performer of the Week” segment on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Lorentzen may not be a trailblazer. Many still play multiple sports. But he’s the perfect example of someone who not just played all three, but was damn good at all of them.

Click below to hear JFK grad Grant Lorentzen talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about being a three-sport athlete, and his future at The College of New Jersey:

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.