Category: Baseball Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

More movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, after No. 1 Immaculata and No. 2 Middlesex hold serve

The two two high school baseball teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten didn’t move at all this week, but most of the rest did.

And with division play mostly out of the way in the GMC, things could get really interesting this week with crossovers heading into Friday morning’s seeding meeting. Same in Somerset County with the last few games before Tuesday’s seeding by the league coaches.

Immaculata (12-3) remains No. 1, as it has been for the past four weeks, after a 3-0 week gone by. The Spartans picked up a Tuesday/Thursday sweep of Hunterdon Central, including a 4-1 home win Tuesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington, and a 14-0 road win just a mile or so away on Thursday. Saturday, they blanked Old Bridge 9-0 in the finale of Spotswood’s E4M showcase. Their last game before the SCT seeding will be Tuesday afternoon, a big one at Watchung Hills. It’s the first of two between the teams, but the only one before the meeting.

Then, it’s to the GMC at No. 2, where Midddlesex (15-2) remains in the same position as last week. The Blue Jays went 2-1, with a sweep of Colonia, both games 4-0 decisions, including a home win Thursday heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They lost Saturday at Westfield, 2-0, and have two big games this week, playing up against the GMC Red Division. They’ll welcome St. Joseph-Metuchen to Mountainview Park on Monday, and visit East Brunswick on Thursday. A win in either game could give the Blue Jays a strong argument for the No. 1 seed in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament.

The other team that will be considered for that top-seed is Edison (12-4), which went 4-1 this past week. They blanked Woodbridge 1-0 Monday, then lost at St. Thomas Aquinas, 3-2, on Tuesday, before returning the favor with a 5-0 home win Thursday. Then, they played two on Saturday, first beating North Brunswick 15-4, then topping JP Stevens, 7-2. The Eagles have three games before Friday’s GMC seeding: Monday at Metuchen, Tuesday at home against East Brunswick, and Spotswood at home on Wednesday.

At No. 4 is Ridge (11-5), down one spot from last week after playing just one game, falling 4-3 at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday. The Red Devils have lost four straight – including two to Immaculata and another at North Hunterdon – after starting the season 11-1. They will host Hillsborough on Tuesday.

In the five spot, it’s Watchung Hills (10-3), which re-entered the rankings at seven last week, and now is up two more spots after a 3-0 week. That included a 6-2 win over Hillsborough on Tuesday, an 18-8 win at Hillsborough on Wednesday, and a 6-2 home win Friday over South Plainfield. Monday, they get a crack at defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston at home, then host Immaculata on Tuesday less than four hours before the seeding meeting. They’re in the same division – the Skyland Delaware – but will only meet once before the meeting; their second is Thursday. Should the Warriors win, could that be enough – at 11-3, not counting what happens against the Highlanders, to earn a top-seed? Watchung Hills did lose twice to Ridge, and that could hurt them, but also consider if they beat GL how that might be seen by the coaches. It’s definitely not insignificant.

At No. 6 is Rutgers Prep (10-2). The Argonauts won their only game this week, an 11-1 drubbing of Phillipsburg, but they get a chance at two Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams before Tuesday’s SCT seeding meeting: Bridgewater Monday, North Hunterdon Tuesday. Both are on the road.

Colonia (9-5) falls two spots this week to No. 7 after an 0-2 week, both losses coming to No. 2 Middlesex. The first, on Tuesday, was a 4-0 home loss. Then, they lost on the road by the same score on Thursday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, they get crossover with a pair of Red Division opponents: Old Bridge Monday at home, then at St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday.

At No. 8 is Old Bridge (9-8). The Knights went 3-2 in the week gone by. They started with a 10-4 loss to East BRunswick, but came back to sweep St. Joseph-Metuchen with a 5-1 road win Tuesday and a 9-4 home win Thursday, sandwiched around a 12-1 win at Monroe Wednesday. The finished up with a 9-0 loss Saturday to Immaculata in Spotswood at the E4M Showcase.

Back in at No. 9 after a week out is South Plainfield (8-8). The Tigers split two games this week, beating Monroe on Monday, 12-3, then taking a 6-2 loss Friday at then-No. 7 Watchung Hills. They visit Spotswood Monday and are at Monroe Wednesday looking for a series sweep, before entertaining JFK on Thursday.

And holding at ten is Carteret (12-3). The Ramblers went 2-0 this week, with a 12-2 win over New Brunswick on Monday at home, then a 15-1 road win against the Zebras on Wednesday. This week, they visit Perth Amboy Magnet Tuesday and host Highland Park on Thursday.

Monroe dropped out from No. 9 after a 1-3 week, leaving the Falcons at 8-9. They lost 7-6 on Monday at Toms River South, at South Plainfield on Tuesday 12-3, and 12-1 to Old Bridge at home on Wednesday, before snapping the skid with a 6-3 win Saturday at home over Colts Neck.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Five:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rough week for most of Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but Immaculata remains No. 1

While the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten went just 14-13 in the past week, leading to additional volatility in the rankings, Immaculata remains at No. 1 for a fourth straight week, a position it’s held this year for all but the preseason list.

It was also a bit of a light week, with many games rained out on Saturday.

The Spartans (9-3) went 2-1 in the week gone by, with a pair of wins over then-No. 2 Ridge, 3-0 in Basking Ridge on Tuesday, and 6-0 at Diamond Nation in Flemington, on Wednesday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. ‘Lata took a loss, though, on Friday, falling 8-1 at Delbarton, the top-ranked team in the state.

Meanwhile, Ridge (11-4) loses the No. 2 spot after their 1-3 week, which included those losses to Immaculata, and a Friday loss at North Hunterdon, 6-2. They opened the week with an 8-7 home win over Pingry on Monday.

That all opened the door for Middlesex (13-1) to move up to No. 2. The Blue Jays have won nine straight, including three games last week. After opening with an 8-3 win at JFK on Tuesday, Middlesex swept Sayreville with a 2-0 home win Thursday and a 9-7 road win Friday.

Edison (8-3) holds in the fourth spot after a 1-1 week. They opened it up with a 9-0 win at East Brunswick on Tuesday, but were no-hit in a five-inning loss to Woodbridge on Thursday, 14-0.

Colonia continues it’s rise, as the 9-5 Patriots move up a spot to No. 5 this week. After a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Spotswood, Colonia came back to sweep Perth Amboy,m winning 7-2 at home on Thursday, then again 6-3 on the road on Friday.

Rutgers Prep (9-2) shot up this week from ninth to sixth, after a 2-0 week that now has them on an eight-game winning streak. The Argonauts swept a pair from Somerville, winning 6-2 on the road Tuesday, then 5-0 at home Thursday. Prep also had its Saturday game at TD Bank Park against South Plainfield – originally scheduled to air live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – moved to later in the season, due to rain.

Watchung Hills (7-3) re-enters the rankings at No. 7, on the strength of a 2-0 week. The Hustlin’ Warriors were 6-2 winners at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday, then beat them back at home on Wednesday, 10-5.

In eighth is Old Bridge (6-6), down one spot after a split week. The Knights lost 4-1 Tuesday at South Plainfield, but came back home Thursday and beat Monroe, 9-5.

The No. 9 position goes to Monroe (7-6), which fell from No. 5. The Falcons were 0-2 in the week gone by, including an 8-1 loss on Tuesday at home to St. Thomas Aquinas, and a 9-5 loss Thursday at Old Bridge.

And holding in tenth is Carteret (10-3), despite a 1-2 week The Ramblers were 12-5 winners over North Brunswick on Monday, but then were swept two games by JP Stevens, including a 3-1 road loss in North Edison Wednesday, and a 10-0 home loss on Friday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Four:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams roll on again in Week Three, but bottom-half turmoil brings Old Bridge, Rutgers Prep into Bellamy & Son Paving baseball rankings

For a second straight week, the top four teams continued to win – leaving Immaculata, Ridge, Middlesex and Edison right where they’ve been – but everyone else keeps beating each other up, and two new teams join the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Three.

Immaculata (7-2) remains in the No. 1 position after a 2-1 week. In Skyland Conference play, the Spartans swept Bridgewater-Raritan – 13-3 at home, and 5-2 on the road – Tuesday and Thursday, before falling 7-3 to Delsea in a non-conference game on Saturday.

Holding at No. 2 is Ridge (10-1), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They swept a Tuesday-Thursday series from Watchung Hills – 12-10 on the road, and 13-3 at home – before an 8-3 win over Bernards Saturday completed the perfect week.

Immaculata and Ridge square off this week in a huge two-game set that will have a lot of say in which team – at least at this point – takes the inside track for the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament. The seeding meeting is Wednesday, May 6th.

Middlesex (10-1) continues to roll as well. The Blue Jays went 5-0 this past week, sweeping Metuchen 2-1 on the road Tuesday, and 6-2 at home Thursday. Middlesex then beat Voorhees Saturday, 11-2, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game at North Brunswick Community Park, and took a 13-2 decision over JFK Saturday, before beating Wood-Ridge (Bergen County) on the road Sunday, 15-1.

Edison (7-2) holds at No. 4 this week, going 2-1 in the week gone by. The Eagles opened the week in fine fashion with a complete-game, 13-strikeout no-hitter from Connor Murphy in a 4-0 home win over St. Joseph-Metuchen heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They beat the Falcons again in Metuchen on Thursday, 5-3, before falling 10-4 to Columbia Sunday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

WATCH: The final out of Connor Murphy’s no-hitter against St. Joseph-Metuchen

Holding at five is Monroe (7-4). While the Falcons went just 2-3 this week, they closed the weekend with a huge win. After falling to Hightstown in a non-league game on Monday, they then got swept by Woodbridge, 8-0 and 2-1. But they rebounded nicely with an 8-4 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in North Edison on Saturday, then Sunday, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, Monroe knocked off the No. 18 team in the state, perennial power Red Bank Catholic, 5-2. To date, it’s the only win by a GMC school over a team ranked in the NJ.com statewide Top 20.

(Ridge has the only other one, a 7-4 Opening Day win over West Morris, currently ranked No. 14).

Staying in sixth is Colonia (7-2), which split four games this week. They started with a 14-4 win at Metuchen Monday, in a makeup from earlier in the year, then split with South Brunswick, taking an 8-6 home loss Tuesday before winning on the road Thursday, 13-4. The Patriots then lost to Spotswood on Saturday, 3-1.

Back in at No. 7 is Old Bridge (5-5), which was ranked in the preseason, but fell out in Week One. The Knights went 2-2 last week with a tough schedule. After beating East Brunswick 11-10 Tuesday, they came back Friday and beat South Plainfield 9-3 in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they lost to state No. 4 Seton Hall Prep, 3-2, then fell 4-3 to Westfield Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Down one spot to eight is South Plainfield (6-5), which also went 2-2 last week. The Tigers split with St. Thomas Aquinas, winning 6-4 on Tuesday, but losing on the road Thursday, 7-5. After Friday’s loss at Old Bridge, the Tigers rebounded with a 4-2 win over Millburn in the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick on Saturday.

Making its season debut at No. 9 is Rutgers Prep (7-2). The Argonauts climb into the rankings on the strength of a 4-0 week, which began with a pair of 10-0 wins over Montgomery Tuesday (away) and Thursday (at home). On Friday, they beat Union Catholic in the Autism Awareness Challenge, 17-10, then won at Hopewell Valley on Saturday, 12-4.

Carteret (9-1) holds in tenth, on the strength of a 3-0 week. The Ramblers swept Piscataway in a Monday-Wednesday two-game set – 9-2 at home on Monday, then 10-9 away in the second game – before beating North Brunswick 13-0 Saturday in the Autism Awareness Challenge at Community Park.

Two teams dropped out this week. No. 8 Watchung Hills beat Cranford Saturday 5-4, but took a pair of losses to Ridge, 12-10 and 13-3, while South Brunswick also went 1-2 in the week gone by. The Vikings split a pair with Colonia – winning an 8-6 road game Tuesday, but losing 13-1 at home Thursday – then lost Saturday to Metuchen, 8-3, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Three:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top four stay the same, led by Immaculata, Ridge, in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 2 baseball rankings

There was much more stability in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week 2 of the high school baseball season, with the top four teams remaining right where they are. There was minimal movement below that, with Monroe rising and Watchung Hills joining the rankings after a 3-0 week, knocking out Bernards.

Immaculata (5-1) holds at No. 1 after 1 2-1 week down in Florida playing teams from around the country. The Spartans beat Riverdale Baptist (MD) 6-0 on Tuesday, fell 7-2 to Winter Park (FL) Wednesday, then beat Proctor (NY) 13-12. They’ll return this week for a Tuesday/Thursday home-and-home with Bridgewater-Raritan.

Holding in second is Ridge (7-1), which got in five games this week, and won four of them. After a 6-4 win over Randolph at home on onday, the Red Devils lost 12-7 to Hunterdon Central on Tuesday. But they rebounded to split the Delaware Division series with a 9-5 win in Flemington Thursday, followed by a 12-8 win Saturday at Warren Hills. Sunday, they beat New Providence, 11-8

Middlesex (5-1) is the top GMC team in the rankings, holding at No. 3, and the first of three straight league teams all with the same record. The Blye Jays were 15-4 winners Tuesday at Perth Amboy, then split with South Brunswick. They lost 3-2 to the Vikings at home Thursday, but came back to win on the road Saturday, 6-2.

Next is Edison (5-1), holding at four. The Eagles went to 5-0 with a 10-8 win at South Plainfield Tuesday and a 7-1 home win Thursday over Monroe, but lost 2-0 to the Falcons on Saturday to split the season series, taking their first loss of the season.

Monroe (5-1) – which is tied with Edison for first in the GMC Red Division after their split – moves up a spot to fifth. Besides their games with Edison, they finished off a two-game sweep of St. Joseph-Metuchen on Tuesday with a 4-3 win, helping them go 2-1 in the week gone by..

Colonia (5-0) also moves up a spot – to sixth – as the GMC White Division leader went 3-0 in the past week. Tuesday, the finished off a two-game sweep of JFK with a 12-2 home win, then swept two from Sayreville with a 7-1 home win Thursday and a 13-3 road win on Saturday.

Down to seventh is South Plainfield (4-3), which went 2-2 in the week gone by. After taking their first loss of the season at Edison two Saturdays ago (before the most recent rankings) they lost their next two, 9-2 to Cranford, and then 10-8 at home again to Edison. But they bounced back with a two-game sweep of Woodbridge, including a 4-3 home win Thursday and an 8-5 road win Friday.

New to the rankings this week, Watchung Hills (4-1) enters at No. 8. The Warriors had a 3-0 week, including a 9-1 win at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday, a 7-6 walk-off win over the Panthers at home Thursday, and a 12-2 win at Roxbury on Saturday.

South Brunswick (4-2) is down a spot to nine. After a 3-0 start, the Vikings dropped their first game of the year 5-1 at Sayreville Tuesday, but rebounded with a 3-2 road win Thursday, handing Middlesex its first loss of the year. But the Blue Jays earned a split Saturday, beating South Brunswick, 6-2.

In tenth is Carteret (6-1), which dropped one spot. The Ramblers beat North Plainfield Monday 2-1, then were 5-4 winners at South River Wednesday, before taking their first loss of the season at home to the Rams, 7-2, on Thursday.

Dropping out is Bernards (3-2), which was swept 11-2 and 16-0 by Gill St. Bernard’s in a two-game home-and-home, before rebounding with a 7-3 win Saturday at home over Franklin.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Two:

by Mike Pavlichko

A new No. 1 baseball team in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, while a tumultuous week adds four new clubs to the mix

There were some great games, big wins, and some pleasant surprises through the first week of the high school baseball season in New Jersey. And while there’s a lot more baseball to be played, there are four new teams joining the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten in Week One, with a brand-new No. 1 team.

St. Joseph-Metuchen – last year’s GMC Tournament champion at 16-7 – has gotten off to a surprising 0-4 start. And while they’ll still likely be in the mix as we get closer to county tournament season, the winless start has made room for a new No. 1, with nine of the ten teams in this week’s rankings being unbeaten

The new No. 1 team is Immaculata (3-0), the defending Somerset County Tournament champs. The Spartans opened upo with a sweep of Hillsborough, wininng 3-0 on the road Tuesday, then 3-0 at Diamond Nation in Flemington Thursday before taking a 5-3 home decision over West Essex on Saturday.

The three teams right behind the Spartans all moved up a notch as well, and all are undefeated.

Ridge (3-0) is in second, picking up victories over three different teams to open 2026. They won 7-4 at West Morris Tuesday, then opened Skyland Conference play with an 11-1, five-inning win over Montgomery Thursday, followed by a 4-0 shutout win at Rutgers Prep Saturday.

In third is defending state Group 1 champion Middlesex (3-0). The Blue Jays avenged a season sweep at the hands of Spotswood last year with a 6-1 Opening Day win over the Chargers at home, then a 12-1 (full seven-inning game) win at “The Swamp” on Thursday. They topped Perth Amboy on Saturday at home, 4-2.

And in fourth is Edison (3-0). GMCT finalists from a year ago, they won their opener Tuesday at Old Bridge, then two straight at home: 2-1 over the Knights on Thursday, and 5-4 in eight innings on Saturday over South Plainfield, rallying with two runs in the seventh to send it to extras.

Moving up two spots to fifth is South Plainfield (2-1). Before the loss to Edison Saturday, they swept a season-opening home-and-home with then-No. 1 St. Joe’s, 11-1 in five in Metuchen on Tuesday, then 6-2 at home on Thursday.

Joining the rankings at No. 6 is Monroe (3-0). The Falcons swept East Brunswick in its first two games – with a 10-7 Opening Day road win on Tuesday, and a 5-2 win at home Thursday – then beat previously-No. 1 St. Joseph Saturday in Metuchen, 6-2.

Up one place to seventh is Colonia (2-0). The Patriots beat Metuchen on Tuesday, 2-1, and after the Bulldogs rescheduled their Thursday meeting for later in the season, beat in-town rival JFK 13-3 in five innings Saturday.

The last three teams all are new to the rankings, starting with South Brunswick (3-0) at No. 8. The Vikings swept Perth Amboy to open the season, 13-2 at home Tuesday, then 8-6 at home on Thursday. Saturday, they picked up a 1-0 win at Sayreville.

At nine is Carteret (4-0) out of the GMC Blue, which scored 40 runs in four games over the first week. After a 4-3 home win Monday over East Brunswick Magnet, the Ramblers beat the Tigers on the road Wednesday, 12-6, then won 13-8 at North Plainfield on Thursday, and 11-1 Saturday at home against Long Branch out of the Shore Conference.

And at ten is Bernards (2-0). The Mountaineers were 8-1 winners on Opening Day Monday against Summit, and beat Del Val at home 4-0 on Wednesday.

Dropping out were No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen (0-4), as well as No. 8 Hillsborough, No. 9 Old Bridge, and No. 10 Woodbridge, the last three all 1-3 on the season.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week One:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending GMC, SCT champs St. Joseph-Metuchen, Immaculata open season at No. 1, No. 2 in Bellamy & Son Paving preseason Top Ten

It’s never easy to predict how any high school team – in any sport – will do from year-to-year, what with graduation losses and unproven talent. The year before can be a guide, but who knows who a new group will respond, or if a new coach will reignite a program that struggled the year prior.

That said, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, and last year’s teams will mainly get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the preseason Bellamy & Son Paving High School Basketball rankings.

Defending GMC Jim Muldowney Tournament Champion St. Joseph-Metuchen will begin the year at No. 1. Though the Falcons (16-7) lose a ton of pitching – more than 134 out of 161 innings pitched by Joseph Barca, Richard Zangara and Domenic Erbafina – the bats may be able to carry them until second-year veteran skipper Dennis McCaffery sees what his young pitching staff has. The Falcons won the GMCT last year as a five seed, taking all four games in their final at bat, and they never led for a single at bat in the entire run.

Last year’s Somerset County Tournament champion holds in second place, Immaculata. At 17-8, they were also Skyland Conference Delaware Division co-champions with Ridge, and they’ll bring back a good amount of pitching. While they lose Rob Sikorski to graduation, their top two pitchers in terms of innings thrown – Jackson Trego and Ryan Auten, both seniors – return.

Ridge checks in at No. 3. Going 20-7 a year ago, the Red Devils lose ace Aidan Stieglitz but have a good chunk of returnees that should keep the Red Devils right in the thick of things, a year after sharing the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with Immaculata, and reaching both the Somerset County Tournament and NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 finals.

The only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win a state title last year, Middlesex begins the year at No. 4. The Blue Jays (23-5) were a GMC Tournament final four squad, and beat Midland Park to win the NJSIAA Group 1 title, their first since 2021. They bring back all but ten of their 193 innings pitched last year, led by senior Chris Kozak and junior Dominic Long.

Checking in at No. 5 is Edison, which is overflowing with quality pitching. The GMC Tournament runner-up Eagles (17-11) have four Division 1 commits. Pitchers Robert Roma and Dom Innocenti are set with Wagner, while Connor Muprhy is going to Monmouth.

No. 6 is Colonia, which went 23-5 a season ago, falling to South Plainfield in the North 2, Group 3 sectional title game. While Seton Hall-bound Colin Kroner returns to the mound, starter Cory Pascarella is gone to graduation and now playing at Monmouth, as is Matt Fasulo (.289, 19 RBI) at Rutgers-Newark.

At No. 7 is South Plainfield, which took some big graduation losses, including the middle of the infield (Dan Kapsch at short, Nick Irizarry at second). And of four pitchers for the North 2 Group 3 champion Tigers (18-11) who threw at least 15 innings last year and pitchers Kevin Penny, Aiden McCarthy and Mike Castagna are gone, more than three quarters’ of last season’s innings pitched.

Checking in at eight is Hillsborough. The defending Central Jrsey Group 4 champs were 14-11 last season, but lose a ton, including pitchers James Drinkwater, Brayden Fox (also an outfielder) and Krish Patel, as well as hitters like Andrew Advani and catcher Alex Reiling, among others.

In ninth is Old Bridge. The Knights were 18-11 last year as well, and made the Central Jersey Group 4 finals, falling to Hillsborough. They lose two aces in Justin Hascup and John Smith, with Brady Meyer the most experienced pitcher coming back. The lineup may have fewer question marks, but head coach Matt Donaghue always has a deep roster, it’s just a matter of experience.

And checking in at ten, it’s Woodbridge. the Barrons were 18-8 last year and GMC Red Division champs. They’ll take a hit losing pitcher Ryan Leach to graduation, but Kevin Arroyo returns after throwing 63 1/2 innings a year ago, with a 1.11 ERA and 62 strikeouts.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving 2026 Baseball Preseason Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough makes big jump in Week 10 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten as many teams shuffle after state tourney wins, losses

While the top two teams remained the same, Hillsborough made a big jump from the ten spot last week to No. 3 as the Raiders stunned previous No. 6 and second-seed Old Bridge with ten unanswered runs to win the Central Jersey Group 4 championship back on Thursday.

No. 1 still belongs to St. Joseph-Metuchen (16-7) – at least for now – even though the Falcons’ season ended with a 6-4 loss at top-seed Christian Brothers Academy in the Non-Public South A semifinals last Wednesday. And Immaculata (17-8) remains at No. 2, with their season ending the week prior with a loss to St. Joe’s in the sectional quarterfinals.

Hillsborough (14-10) moves up seven places from No. 10 after two wins in the state tournament, 10-0 over 12-seed Montgomery in Tuesday’s semifinals, and 13-6 in the CJ4 title game at Old Bridge Thursday. The Raiders have won six straight and are 8-3 since May first.

Down a spot to four is Ridge (20-7), after a 1-2 week. They lost a one-off against DePaul, 11-4, on Monday, before beating Elizabeth, 5-1, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals Tuesday. But, they lost to Westfield, 9-6, in the sectional title game Thursday.

Up three places to No. 5 is South Plainfield (18-10). The Tigers topped Millburn at home, 8-1, in the North 2, Group 3 semis on Tuesday before hanging on to beat South Plainfield (18-10) – which dropped two spos to No. 7 – in the sectional final, 5-4. The Patriots were 1-1 last week, beating North Hunterdon 1-0 in the sectional semis to get to the title game against South Plainfield.

In between them at No. 6 is Middlesex (21-5). The Blue Jays outscored their opponents 17-1 in two state games last week, beating Shore in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals, 10-1, on Tuesday, before reclaiming the title from three-time defending champ Point Pleasant Beach, 7-1, on Friday.

Down two spots to No. 8 is Old Bridge (18-11), which beat Edison, 4-3, in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals Tuesday, before losing to Hillsborough 13-6 in the title game Friday.

Edison (17-11) drops to ninth after losing its only game last week, 4-3 to Old Bridge in the Central JErsey Group 4 semifinals.

And falling one spot to tenth was Woodbridge (18-8), which lost its only game, 8-4 on Tuesday to Millburn in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals.

Here’s the complete Week 10 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph claims first No. 1 ranking in two years, dethroning Immaculata after state head-to-head

St. Joseph-Metuchen’s Non-Public South A playoff win over Immaculata has put the Falcons at No. 1 in the Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten, it’s first time back in the top spot since Week 8 of the 2022 season, in the May 23rd rankings.

St. Joseph (16-6) – the fourth seed in North A – won its only game last week, beating fifth-seed Immaculata 5-4 on Friday afternoon in Metuchen. Having a 5-3 lead going into the seventh, it was the firs time in seven games the Falcons didn’t win a game in their final at bat. They won the GMC Tournament on a walk-off grand slam against Edison by JP Zayle, going the entire tourney without ever having a lead, winning all four games in their final time at the plate. They’ll visit top-seed Christian Brothers Academy in the sectional semifinals Wednesday. The time has not yet been announced.

Immaculata (17-8) saw its season end with the loss to the Falcons, after they had won their opening round game against 12-seed Camden Catholic 13-2 on Tuesday.

Ridge (19-5) stays put at No. 3, with a 2-0 week. The tops-seeded Red Devils were 3-0 winners over 16-seed Plainfield in the North 2, Group 4 first round, then beat 9-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 3-0 in the quarterfinals on Thursday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Ridge will host four-seed Elizabeth at 4 pm Wednesday in the semifinals.

Holding in fourth is Edison (17-10). The Eagles are the third-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and scored a pair of 4-2 wins this week in the state playoffs, over 14-seed Sayreville in the first round, and over 11-seed Franklin in the quarterfinals. Edison is in the semifinals for the first time since 2016, and will seek its first trip to a title game since 2007 when the Eagles play at second-seed Old Bridge Tuesday at 5 pm, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Fred Cole Field.

Middlesex (19-5) checks in at No. 5, winning both state games this week in Central Jersey Group 1. The top-seeded Blue Jays were 10-0 winners over 16-seed Keyport in the opening round, then beat nine-seed South Hunterdon 8-1 in the quarterfinals. Next, they get fourth-seed Shore in the semis at home at Mountainview Park, Tuesday at 4 pm.

Old Bridge (17-10) re-enters the poll at No. 6. The Knights are the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and walloped 15-seed North Brunswick 13-0 in the opening round before escaping with a 1-0 win over 10-seed Manalapan in the quarterfinals. They host third-seed Edison at 5 pm Tuesday in the semifinals on CJSR.

Holding at seven is Colonia (22-4), the top-seed in North 2, Group 3. The Patriots beat 16-seed Lincoln 16-0 on Tuesday in the opening round, then blanked 8th-seed Middletown North 5-0 in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Patriots host 4th-seed North Hunterdon Tuesday at 4 pm in the sectional semis.

South Plainfield (16-10) checks in again this week at No. 8, after two playoff wins in North 2 Group 3, the other side of the bracket from Colonia. The Tigers beat 14-seed Rahway 15-0 in the first round, then picked up a 5-2 win over 6-seed Cranford in the quarters on Thursday, in a “home” game they had to play at the Cougars’ home field due to poor field conditions at their own field. South is in the semis Tuesday at second-seed Millburn.

Woodbridge (18-7) moved up to No. 9 this week, as the Barrons – the two-seed in North 2, Group 4 – picked up a pair of wins in the state tournament this week: 11-1 over 15-seed Piscataway in the first round, then 2-1 over seven-seed Columbia on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Next, Woodbridge gets third-seed Westfield at home, 4 pm Thursday, in the semis.

And finally, Hillsborough (12-10) re-enters at No. 10, with the Raiders winning two road games in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs this week. The ninth-seeded Raiders got a 6-2 win at eight-seed Freehold Twp. on Tuesday in the first round, then beat Skyland Delaware Division rival and top-seed Hunterdon Central 3-1 Friday afternoon in Flemington. Now, they get a home game in the semifinals, where they will host 12-seed Montgomery, which knocked off five-seed New Brunswick and four-seed Hightstown to get there.

Dropping out were No. 5 Rutgers Prep (13-10) and No. 9 Spotswood (15-10).

Below is the complete Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Somerset County champion Immaculata rises to No. 1, GMC champ St. Joe’s to No. 2 in Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

The completion of the two county tournaments in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area gives us new teams at No. 1 and No. 2 in the Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten.

Somerset County Tournament winner Immaculata (17-5) retakes the top spot from Ridge for the first time since Week 1, when they wrested the top spot away from Bridgewater-Raritan after an Opening Day win and opening week sweep over the Panthers. The Spartans were 4-0 this week, with a win over Franklin, 1-0, in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals – on a no-hitter by Ryan Auten – and Wednesday in the title game, 3-0 over Ridge. They also won non-conference games Tuesday against North Brunswick, 7-3, and at West Morris on Saturday, 4-1, outscoring their four opponents 19-4 during the week.

READ MORE: Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater sends dozens off to college baseball and softball; trained three baseball champs in 2024, and New Jersey’s current No. 1 baseball team

Red hot St. Joseph-Metuchen (15-6) takes the second spot, going 2-0 in the week gone by and continuing to win games late. After beating Spotswood last Saturday in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament semifinals, 4-3 in walkoff fashion, Joe’s began the week with a 2-1 eight-inning win at Westfield, breaking a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth. It was their eighth straight win, and fifth in a row in their last at bat. But the ultimate topper was Saturday, when they trailed 4-2 heading into their final at bat in the bottom of the seventh, got one run to cut it to 4-3, then won the GMC crown 7-3 on a walkoff grand slam by JP Zayle. The Falcons won all four of their GMCT games in walk-off fashion.

Ridge (17-5) falls to third, on a 2-1 week. They beat Rutgers Prep Monday, 11-0, in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, then lost to Immaculata 3-0 in the title game Wednesday. The Red Devils rebounded with a 7-1 win Friday at Chatham.

Holding in fourth is Edison (13-9), which won its eighth and ninth straight games with a Monday victory at Carteret, 7-3, and an 8-1 win at Somerville on Tuesday. But that streak got snapped in dramatic fashion Saturday, when St. Joseph beat them to win the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship with a 7-4 walkoff.

Rutgers Prep (13-9) went 2-1 in the past week and holds in fifth. After a Monday loss to Ridge, 11-0, in the SCT semifinals, they rebounded with a Tuesday 7-3 win at Princeton Day, and a 7-4 win at Millburn on Saturday.

Holding at No. 6 is Middlesex (17-5), which went 2-0 in the week gone by. The Blue Jays beat two Union County teams at home this week via shutout: Scotch Plains-Fanwood 1-0 on Tuesday, and Union 2-0 on Friday.

Colonia (20-4) moves up two spots to No. 7, becoming the first team from the CJSR coverage area to reach 20 wins this season. (The next closest teams are Ridge and Middlesex, with 17 each.) The Patriots went 3-0 in the week gone by, with a 1-0 win at rival Woodbridge on Monday, a 7-3 home victory over Bloomfield Wednesday, and a 10-0 win over Carteret at home on Thursday.

South Plainfield (14-10) drops a spot to No. 8, splitting two games this week. The Tigers won at Dayton on Tuesday, 6-1, but came back with a 10-5 loss at Elizabeth on Friday.

Also splitting two games last week was Spotswood (15-10), which dropped to nine. The Chargers got blanked 6-0 by Monroe at The Swamp on Tuesday, but rebounded with at 8-3 home win over Ewing on Wednesday.

And holding at No. 10 is Woodbridge (16-7), which went 1-2 this week and has gone 3-3 in its last six games. The Barrons dropped a 1-0 home decision to Colonia on Monday, rebounded with a 3-2 win at JFK to complete their township series Tuesday, then lost Friday at Perth Amboy, 4-3.

Below is the complete Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Wide-open GMC Tournament roils Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten in Week 7 from third on down

We all knew the GMC Tournament would be a wide open event this year, but now it’s wreaked havoc on the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Seven. The top two teams – Ridge and Immaculata – are unchanged, but everyone else shuffled. Three teams dropped out and two new teams entered. (Two teams were tied for 10th last week.)

Ridge (15-4) is at No. 1, but a lot could be said about that Monday afternoon when the top-seeded Red Devils take on fourth-seed Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals at TD Bank Park at 4 pm. Ridge won its only game last week, 7-1 over Bernards in the quarterfinals, and won an earlier meeting with the Argonauts this year, 8-6, on April 19th. You can hear today’s game on CJSR by clicking here, or you can watch a YouTube live stream with our play-by-play. Coverage is presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater.

Immaculata (12-7) lost two of three last week, but won their Wednesday SCT quarterfinal, 10-9 over Hillsborough, rallying from three runs down in the seventh to walk it off without the benefit of a hit. They dropped a Monday decision, 11-10, to DePaul, then fell Thursday to Somerville 6-5, but they second-seeded Spartans are back in action in the SCT Monday at 1 pm taking on 11th-seed and upset-minded Franklin. You can also hear that game on CJSR by clicking here, or you can watch a YouTube live stream with our play-by-play. Coverage is presented by Zoned Sports Academy of Bridgewater.

But from here on out, it gets messy.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (13-6) makes its debut at No. 3, after reaching the GMC Tournament final with a walkoff win against Spotswood Saturday, 4-3 in the semis. The cardiac kids had a 3-0 week, beating Sayreville 1-0 in eight innings on a walkoff on Monday in the first round, then Metuchen 1-0 Thursday in the semis in nine innings, also on a walkoff.

They’ll face Edison (13-9) – making its debut at No. 4 – Saturday in the finals at 2 pm on CJSR. The Eagles beat Old Bridge 2-1 in 12 innings Monday in the first round, then pounded GMC White Division champion St. Thomas Aquinas 9-1 in Thursday’s quarterfinal round, before picking up a 3-0 win over Middlesex in the semis this past Saturday.

At No. 5 is Rutgers Prep (11-8), up two spots in the rankings this week. After a Monday loss at Montgomery, 4-2, they beat Somerville 6-4 in the SCT quarterfinals Wednesday, setting up Monday’s meeting with Ridge at 4 pm in the semis at TD Bank Park. Listen on CJSR by clicking here, or you can watch a YouTube live stream with our play-by-play.

Middlesex (15-5) is an interesting one, as the Blue Jays had two big GMC Tournament wins during the week – Monday at Colonia, 3-1 in the first round, then again in the quarterfinals Thursday, holding on for a 5-4 victory over South Plainfield. But, they would fall Saturday, 3-0 to Edison in the semifinals.

South Plainfield (13-9) falls to seventh, on a 1-1 week. The Tigers beat Perth Amboy 11-0 in the first round of the GMCT on Monday, but holding on for a 5-4 victory over South Plainfield.

Spotswood (14-9) moved up to nine after a 2-1 week. They beat Monroe, 12-1, in the GMCT’s first round Monday, then topped South River and Julius Rosado 4-0 on Thursday in the quarters, before falling to St. Joseph in Saturday’s semifinals, 4-3.

Colonia (17-4) drops from five to nine. They were eliminated in the first round of the GMC Tournament with a 3-1 loss to Middlesex Monday, though they came back with three wins, two against non-conference squads, including 3-2 over Marlboro Thursday, 3-2 at South Brunswick Friday, and 1-0 at home against Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Saturday.

And dropping six spots to ten is Woodbridge (15-5). The Barrons became the second top seed since COVID to get knocked out in the first round of the GMCT – the other was Kennedy knocking off Monroe in 2021 – with a 2-1 loss to South River Monday. But the Barrons bounced back with an 11-0 win over Middlesex Friday, and a 14-5 rout of JP Stevens Saturday.

Below is the complete Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten: