Category: High School Baseball

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: NJSIAA Group 1 Finals: Middlesex 3, Midland Park 2

It was worth the wait for Middlesex!

The Blue Jays finished off a 23-5 campaign by winning their seventh state title – a record among GMC and Skyland Conference schools – defeating Midland Park 3-2 in the NJSIAA Group 1 Championship Game, begun Saturday at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton, and finished Monday afternoon at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex up in Bergen County.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action live on Central Jersey Sports Radio on June 16, 2025.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  NJSIAA Group 1 Semifinal: Middlesex 4, Schalick 3 (8 inn.)

The Middlesex baseball team is back in the state finals for the second time in five years – after winning it all in 2021 – after a 4-3 win over Schalick in the state Group 1 semifinals. Pinch-hitter Dalton Michael won it with a single to left field, driving in Marcus Lavornia for the walk-off.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Mountainview Park in Middlesex on June 9, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Jays, in a pinch! Dalton Michael’s walkoff conjures spirit of ’21 championship team as Middlesex drops Schalick, 4-3, in extras

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 Final: (9) Hillsborough 13, (2) Old Bridge 6

The ninth-seeded Hillsborough Raiders overcame a 6-3 deficit, scoring ten runs over the final three innings to beat second-seed Old Bridge, 13-6, in the Central Jersey Group 4 Championship Game. The win was Hillsborough’s third sectional title, and first since 2012.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge on June 5, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Hillsborough rallies late to shock Old Bridge, 13-6, in CJ4 title game for program’s first title since 2012, third in school history

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 Semis: (2) Old Bridge 4, (3) Edison 3 (8 inn.)

Akhil Penkala’s walk-off single with nobody out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave second-seed Old Bridge a 4-3 win over third-seed Edison, to put the Knights in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game for the second time in three seasons.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge on June 3, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Oh, Penkala! Old Bridge walks it off after Hascup surprise relief appearance holds off Edison for 4-3 win in 8 to send Knights to CJ4 title tilt

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals: (1) Ridge 3, (9) Bridgewater-Raritan 0

Behind s ten-strikeout, complete game shutout from senior ace Aidan Stieglitz, top-seed Ridge beat nine-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, 3-0, in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinals.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Diamond Nation in Flemington on May 29, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Stieglitz sparkles – again – and throws complete game shutout over Bridgewater-Raritan to send top-seed Ridge into North 2, Group 4 semis

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  Jim Muldowney GMC Championship: (5) St. Joseph-Metuchen 7, (11) Edison 4

Fifth-seeded St. Joseph of Metuchen won its league record ninth GMC title – and third in the last five years – with a 7-4 walk off win over 11th-seed Edison, thanks to a grand slam from senior JP Zayle.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick on May 24, 2025:

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: Here’s the full game broadcast as seen on Central Jersey Sports Radio’s YouTube channel!

FULL COVERAGE:

Grand Zayle! St. Joseph wins Jim Muldowney GMC Championship, 7-4 over Edison, on walk-off grand slam by JP Zayle

St. Joseph head coach Dennis McCaffery on wild GMCT title win, plus the “glue” that held it all together: longtime assistant Jerry Rippori

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final: (5) New Brunswick 5, (2) East Brunswick Magnet 2

New Brunswick won its first tournament championship of any kind since taking the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 1 title in 1985 and 1986, as the fifth-seeded Zebras beat second-seed East Brunswick Magnet, 5-3, to win the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Edison High School on May 23, 2025:

GAME STORY: New Brunswick claims Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational with strong mound work from starter Garcia, Henderson closing it out

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  SCT Finals: (1) Immaculata 3, (2) Ridge 0

Second-seed Immaculata won its record 15th Somerset County Tournament Championship with a 3-0 win over top-seed Ridge, thanks in part to a solid six innings from starter Jackson Trego, and a two-RBI double by Colin Kassai that gave the Spartans’ starting pitcher some breathing room.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 21, 2025:

GAME STORY: Spartans win! Immaculata tops Ridge, 3-0, to win record 15th Somerset County title

MORE COVERAGE:

Immaculata’s 15th SCT championship came after four seasons of hard work by Cust and his program to bring home another trophy

This one brought CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko a smile: Immaculata’s Jayden Capindica wins a championship in the ballpark where he grew up

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  SCT Semifinals: (1) Ridge 11, (4) Rutgers Prep 0

Top-seed Ridge walked off fourth-seed Rutgers Prep in a ten-run rule win, 11-1, fueled by three home runs – by Jake Dolan, Casey Kucerka and Bode Ganny – in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, clinching its fifth straight berth in the title game.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 19, 2025:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  SCT Semifinals: (2) Immaculata 1, (11) Franklin 0

Junior Ryan Auten struck out 13 hitters en route to a no-hitter, helping second-seed Immaculata get past 11th-seed Franklin, 1-0, to get to its first Somerset County Tournament final since 2019, when it won the second of back-to-back championships, and its record 14th SCT title overall.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 19, 2025: