Category: Baseball Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge and Immaculata flip after split, as Red Devils take No. 1 spot in Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten

Volatility was again the name of the game early this baseball season in the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, as Ridge and Immaculata flip-flop, with the Red Devils taking over the No. 1 spot this week.

Ridge (4-1) took its first loss of the season Wednesday at the hands of Immaculata, 10-4 at Diamond Nation, but then blanked the Spartans 8-0 up in Basking Ridge on Thursday. Immaculata (4-1) fell to second. Those were the only games both teams played this week.

Woodbridge (6-0) holds steady at third after a 3-0 week. The Barrons beat South Brunswick at home on Monday, 5-1, then swept East Brunswick, winning 13-4 on the road Tuesday and 8-3 at home on Thursday.

Checking in at No. 4 is Hillsborough (5-1), which swept previous No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan, winning 3-0 on the road Wednesday, then rallying from a 4-0 deficit to win on a walk-off by T.J. Westlake, 5-4 in eight innings at home on Thursday, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

South Plainfield (4-2) drops a spot to fifth after a 2-1 week. The Tigers won 4-3 at Old Bridge Tuesday, then were blanked 1-0 by the Knights on Thursday, before rebounding with a 5-3 win over Millburn Sunday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, which was moved to Union Catholic due to unplayable field conditions at North Brunswick Community Park.

Colonia (4-1) is up a spot to sixth. The Patriots split with St. Thomas Aquinas this week, beating the Trojans 2-0 at home Wednesday, then falling to STA Thursday, 7-6, in North Edison.

Making its season debut at No. 7 is Middlesex (5-1), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They completed a Tuesday-Wednesday sweep of North Brunswick – winning 1-0 at home, then 13-3 on the road, before taking out Robbinsville 9-4 Saturday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game at JP Stevens on Saturday.

Old Bridge (4-4) drops two spots to No. 8 after a 2-2 week. They opened with a 4-3 home loss to South Plainfield Tuesday, rebounded with a 6-2 win at Edison Wednesday as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then got the Tigers back with a 1-0 win on the road Thursday. They then lost 6-3 at home to St. Joseph of Metuchen in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, also heard on CJSR.

Monroe (3-3) falls one spot to ninth after a 1-2 week. The Falcons won 2-1 at Edison Tuesday, but lost to 3-1 to the Eagles on Thursday at home, then fell 3-1 to Livingston at JP Stevens on Saturday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

And Spotswood (4-2) falls one spot to tenth after a 2-2 week. They opened with a 5-2 loss Tuesday to Sayreville, then won Wednesday at Perth Amboy 5-2. They earned a split with the Bombers after a 2-0 road win Thursday, but then fell 8-6 to Somerville at home Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Dropping out was Bridgewater-Raritan, which began the season No. 1, but is 0-4 after two losses each to Immaculata in Week One and Ridge in Week Two.

Below is the full Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending state Group 4 champs Bridgewater-Raritan will start season with No. 1 Ranking in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

As the 2025 high school baseball season gets underway across New Jersey, with a handful opening up later this weekend and this weekend – we’ll have Spotswood vs. South Amboy on the air Saturday morning for our season-opening broadcast at 11 am – it’ll be a familiar face at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

Defending Group 4 state champions Bridgewater-Raritan opens the preseason rankings at No. 1. The Panthers went 30-3 last season, winning the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, the Somerset County Tournament, and the North 2, Group 4 title, the latter en route to the Group 4 state trophy.

Coming in second is Old Bridge, which went 20-9 last year and won the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

Third in the preseason is South Plainfield. At 22-6-1 last season, the Tigers won the GMC Red Division, but lost in the finals to Old Bridge.

Starting the year in fourth will be Immaculata, which was 17-9 last year and has bolstered its pitching coming off its Skyland Conference Raritan Division title a year ago.

Ridge (21-9) checks in at five, after a 21-9 year and a trip to last season’s Somerset County Tournament finals, where they fell to Bridgewater-Raritan.

Monroe is fifth, a year after finishing 16-10 and making the Central Jersey Group 4 finals. They’re followed by two GMC White Division teams in Woodbridge – 17-10 last year and division champs – then Colonia (19-7).

The last two spots go to teams that could make moves with a number of key players back. Spotswood starts the year at No. 9 after a 19-4-2 season and a Blue Division Championship, while Carteret finishes the list at ten, coming off an 18-7 campaign and a GMC Invitational Tournament Championship.

Below is the full preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge moves up in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten; Carteret nabs 10 after Invitational title

Winning the GMC Tournament championship was enough to move Old Bridge up a spot to No. 2 this week, while Bridgewater-Raritan remains No. 1, and Carteret enters the rankings at No. 10 after taking the GMC Invitational Tournament title.

Bridgewater-Raritan (21-3) is the only 20-plus win team in the CJSR area at the moment, and retains the top spot after a 3-0 week. They crossed over to the GMC Tuesday and beat St. Joseph-Metuchen 9-3, then topped Rutgers Prep 11-7 Wednesday before blowing past Montgomery 11-0 Thursday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. The Panthers host Watchung Hills in the SCT semifinals Monday at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 4 pm. Click here to listen.

Old Bridge (18-7) moves up to No. 2 after beating South Plainfield 6-5 Saturday to win the GMC Tournament title. The Knights also had a Monday win over Millburn and a loss to Sayreville on Wednesday in a 2-1 week.

Dropping to third is South Plainfield after the GMC finals loss to Old Bridge. The Tigers also played Spotswood to a 6-6 tie called on account of darkness Monday, beat Sayreville Tuesday 11-0, and lost 5-2 to Notre Dame on Friday in what was a 1-2-1 week gone by.

The next three teams stayed in the same spot this week, starting with Ridge (18-7) at No. 4. The Red Devils had a 3-0 week, with wins over Gill St. Bernards on Tuesday, then a 12-7 victory over Hillsborough in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, and a 6-0 Saturday crossover win against GMC foe South Brunswick. The Red Devils play Immaculata Monday in the SCT semifinals at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater at 1 pm, with pregame at 12:45. Click here to listen.

Immaculata (14-6) holds in fifth after a 1-2 week. They had a Tuesday loss at North Hunterdon, 4-3, and a 10-5 loss Saturday to Hamilton West sandwiched around a Somerset County Tournament quarterfinal win over Somerville Thursday, 3-2 in walk-off fashion. The Spartans play Ridge in the SCT semis Monday at 1:00 on CJSR.

Spotswood (18-3-2) holds in sixth, with a perfectly neutral 1-1-1 week. They played to their second darkness-inspired tie game of the season Monday, knotting up a 6-6 game with GMCT finalist South Plainfield. They then beat South Amboy 10-0 on Tuesday before falling 10-5 to Brick Memorial Saturday.

Woodbridge (17-8) is up one spot to seventh on a 2-2 week. The Barrons lost to Scotch Plains-Fanwood Monday, then came back and won 9-1 at Metuchen Tuesday and 3-1 against JFK Thursday, before falling 4-3 to Dayton on Saturday.

In eighth is Colonia (17-5), also up one spot. The Patriots have won six straight late in the season, going 4-0 this week, with wins at Piscataway and JFK, before coming home for a 9-0 win over Roselle Park, then heading back on the road for a 3-0 Saturday win at North Bergen.

Edison (14-11) drops to ninth after a 1-3 week. The Eagles fell 3-2 to Hunterdon Central Monday, then lost 11-0 at St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday before rebounding with a 3-0 GMC Red Division crossover win against East Brunswick Thursday. They closed the week with an 8-5 non-league loss at Robbinsville.

And joining the rankings in tenth this week is Carteret. The Ramblers are 17-6 and the GMC Invitational Tournament champions, after beating Gold Division winner South Amboy 1-0 Friday at Edison High School.

Below are the full Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan, South Plainfield retain top two spots, but nearly everyone else moves in Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

While the top two spots in the Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Rankings stayed the same, very little else did, thanks in large part to the way the first three main rounds of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament unfolded.

Holding on to the top spot is Bridgewater-Raritan (18-3). The Panthers were 2-1 this past week, dropping a non-league game at Howell on Monday, before defeating Somerset County opponents Immaculata on Tuesday, 7-1, and Watchung Hills Thursday, 4-3.

Then, South Plainfield (18-3) holds in second, on the strength of the longest winning streak in the CJSR-coverage area. The Tigers went 3-0 this week, all in GMC Tournament games, beating Perth Amboy 11-1 in the first round Monday, South Brunswick 10-9 Wednesday in the quarterfinals, and Edison Saturday in the semis, 8-3. They’ll be in Saturday’s GMC Tournament title game against Old Bridge.

Speaking of which, moving up a place to third this week is Old Bridge (16-6). The defending Central Jersey Group 4 champions would have to be considered a contender again this year, but the Knights also are in Saturday’s GMC Tournament finals, where they’ll take on South Plainfield, looking to bring home the county crown. The Knights won all three GMCT games this week, beating St. Joseph 6-4 on Monday in the first round, North Brunswick 8-5 in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, and Sayreville 10-0 Saturday in the GMCT semis.

Ridge (15-7) moves up from sixth to fourth on the strength of a 3-1 week. After a 12-2 loss Monday at Seton Hall Prep, the Red Devils came back won win 11-1 at Bernards on Wednesday, 8-3 against Rutgers Prep on Thursday, and Saturday at Mendham, by a 4-2 score.

In fifth is Immaculata (13-4) after a 1-1 week in which they lost 7-1 to No. 1 Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday, but rebounded to beat Hillsborough at home 5-4 on Thursday.

Spotswood (17-2-1) dropped to sixth, having only played one game last week, an 8-0 defeat at the hands of Middlesex Monday in the GMC Tournament’s first round.

Edison (13-8) rejoins the rankings at No. 7 after a cup of coffee in Weeks 2 and 3. The Eagles beat Piscataway 2-1 Monday in the GMCT’s first round, and topped Middlesex 1-0 in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, but were knocked out in the semis by South Plainfield on Saturday, 8-3.

Woodbridge (15-6) drops three places from No. 5 to No. 8 after a 1-3 week. They started with a 9-2 win over South River Monday in the first round of the GMC Tournament, but then lost three straight: a non-league game to Brearley 4-2 on Tuesday, to Sayreville 4-3 in Wednesday’s GMCT quarterfinals, and another non-conference game Saturday, blanked 1-0 by AL Johnson.

Checking in at No. 9 is Colonia (13-5), which holds from last week. The Patriots rebounded from a 1-0 loss to Sayreville on Monday in the GMCT first round with wins at Linden Thursday and at home over Carteret, 11-1, on Saturday.

And falling three places to No. 10 is Monroe (10-9). The Falcons lost 2-1 to North Brunswick Monday in the GMC Tournament Round of 16, then rebounded with a 12-1 win against Edison Thursday.

Dropping out was St. Thomas Aquinas (12-6), which had a 2-1 week, including a 3-2 loss to South Brunswick Monday in 14 innings in the GMCT first round. The Trojans rebounded with a 2-0 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood Tuesday, and a 15-5 rout of Middlesex on Thursday.

Below is the Complete Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top half of Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten has a good week; the rest shuffle, Colonia joins list

The top five teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving baseball rankings saw no change this week, combining to go 18-2 in the week gone by, but the bottom half saw some changes, including one new team.

Bridgewater-Raritan remains No. 1, while Colonia steps into the rankings at No. 9, with previous No. 9 Watchung Hills dropping out after a 1-4 week, their win a 7-6 victory coming from an April 11th game previously marked as a tie against Pingry, but completed last week.

Top-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan (16-2) had a 4-1 week, the Panthers’ only loss coming to Lawrence on Wednesday. They bookended that with wins over Cherokee in Trenton and at Ridge – as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio – on Monday and Tuesday, then beat Hunterdon Central and Somerville at home on Friday and Saturday. B-R is ranked No. 3 in the state, and are expected to be awarded the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament when the coaches make their selections Monday night. CJSR will have full coverage with the bracket after its unveiled.

Holding at No. 2 is South Plainfield (15-3). The Tigers went 4-0 last week, clinching a share of the GMC Red Division with a win at St. Joseph on Tuesday, beating Scotch Plains-Fanwood Wednesday, then taking the Red outright with an 11-9 home win over St. Joe’s heard on CJSR, wrapping up with a 3-1 win at Livingston on Saturday.

Holding in third is Spotswood (17-1-1), which went on a 5-0 tear last week. The Chargers got a revenge win at JFK on Monday, then swept a home-and-home Tuesday and Thursday from St. Thomas Aquinas to claim the GMC Blue Division. They topped Dunellen 5-2 in their annual night game at Michelin Field in Milltown – Milltown student attend Spotswood – and beat East Brunswick Magnet Saturday.

Old Bridge (13-5) remains in fourth after a 3-0 week, including a home-and-home sweep of Monroe that left them with a second place finish in the Red Division, and a win over Edison.

Woodbridge (14-3) rounds out the top five, staying put there after a 2-1 week that included a home-and-home sweep of Perth Amboy, then a Saturday loss at Monroe, 11-8.

Ridge (12-6) climbed up a spot to sixth, thanks to a 3-1 week. The Red Devils won out at Phillipsburg Monday, then lost 6-2 at home to Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday as heard on CJSR, before finishing the week with two wins: Friday at Hillsborough at Saturday at Watchung Hills.

Monroe (9-8) dropped to one place to seventh after a 1-2 week. They got a nice win over White Division champion Woodbridge in a GMC crossover Saturday, rebounding from a home-and-home sweep at the hands of Old Bridge on Tuesday and Thursday.

Immaculata rebounded from an 0-3 week two weeks ago to go 3-0 this past week, improving to 12-3. The Spartans had won nine in a row to start the season before that skid, but this week won at Somerville Monday, at Franklin Tuesday and at Rutgers Prep 19-8 on Thursday.

Joining the rankings for the first time in its three-year history is Colonia. The Patriots are 11-4 and went 4-0 last week, as they continue a late-season surge. They won at Rahway Monday, then swept a home-and-home from Middlesex Tuesday and Thursday, before closing out the week Friday with a 9-1 win at Roselle Catholic.

Dropping two spots to tenth this week is St. Thomas Aquinas (10-5). The second place team in the GMC Blue Division lost all three games this week to division foes: Piscataway on Monday, and a Tuesday-Thursday home-and-home with Spotswood that decided the division title.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan stays at No. 1, while Immaculata climbs; Watchung Hills, Aquinas debut in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

On the one hand, there was not a lot of upheaval. On the other hand, some more familiar faces are out, and some new faces are in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten for Week Three.

Watchung Hills and St. Thomas Aquinas make their debuts in the rankings this week. It’s the Warriors’ first time in the top ten since Week 2 in the rankings’ inaugural 2022 season, while the Trojans are making their first-ever appearance.

Bridgewater-Raritan (9-1) remains at 9-1 after a 3-1 week, with their lone loss coming out of league play, a 11-7 defeat at the hands of West Morris. They shutout Hunterdon Central 60- on Tuesday, beat North Hunterdon 2-1 on Thursday to sweep the season series with arguable the No. 2 team now in the Skyland Conference, and rebounded off Friday’s loss with a 10-3 win over Egg Harbor on Saturday.

The next two teams, both from the GMC, hold steady with 3-0 weeks. Old Bridge (9-2) remains second with a sweep of East Brunswick, 40- and 8-2, this week, while the Knights beat Red Bank Catholic 6-3 Sunday afternoon in the Autism Awareness Challenge at North Brunswick Community Park. Monroe (7-3) holds in third, beating South Brunswick 8-0 on Tuesday, South Plainfield 3-2 Thursday, and Jackson Memorial 5-3 Friday in the AAC.

Moving up three places from seventh to No. 4 this week is Immaculata. The Spartans are the only undefeated team left in the Skyland Conference, and went 3-0 again this week, edging Pingry Monday 2-1, Rutgers Prep on Tuesday 3-1, and Hunterdon Central on the road Saturday 6-4. The Spartans visit new top ten member Watchung Hills Tuesday at 4 pm, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports radio by clicking here.

Holding in fifth is Spotswood. The Chargers are 9-0-1, off to their best start in program history, and went 3-0-1 this week. They won at Somerville 7-3 Monday – in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then tied Marlboro at home 8-8 in a seven-inning game called due to darkness. Friday, they beat Paulsboro 10-6 in the Thank You Classic at Bellmawr, where head coach Glenny Fredricks picked up his 300th career win, then on Sunday, they topped South Brunswick 8-7 in the Autism Awareness Challenge, also heard on CJSR.

Woodbridge (9-1) remains in sixth, as the Barrons rebounded from a Tuesday home loss to Middlesex by a 4-3 score to beat North Brunswick 4-0 on Thursday, and East Brunswick 7-2 on Saturday.

South Plainfield (6-3) went 3-2 this past week, and moves up to seventh. The Tigers blew out North Brunswick on the road Monday, 37-6, then won 9-2 at Watchung Hills on Wednesday. They fell at Monroe 3-2 on Thursday, but came back to beat North Brunswick again 5-3 on Friday, before losing to Millburn 3-0 in the Autism Awareness Challenge on Saturday.

Edison (8-2) holds in 8th after a 4-1 week. They swept a Monday/Tuesday pair from JP Stevens, 11-0 and 13-0, then blanked Middlesex 4-0 on Thursday, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as senior Jaxon Appelman came within an out of a no-hitter. After a Friday 7-6 loss at Perth Amboy, Edison rebounded Sunday with a 14-6 win over Barnegat in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Watchung Hills (5-4-1) joins the rankings at No. 9. The Warriors had a 3-1 week, beating Franklin Tuesday 5-4, losing to South Plainfield 9-2 on Wednesday, then winning two in a row: Thursday at Montgomery 14-1, and Saturday 4-2 over Hillsborough. The Warriors host Immaculata Tuesday at 4pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio, a game you can hear by clicking here.

Also new this week is St. Thomas Aquinas at No. 10. The Trojans are 7-1, right behind Spotswood in the GMC Blue Division, and were 4-0 this past week. They swept a home/away two-game set with Metuchen, 6-0 and 7-1, then beat South River 12-0 on Saturday, before topping Voorhees 11-1 late Sunday at the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick.

Dropping out this week are No. 4 North Brunswick (3-7) and No. 8 Rutgers Prep (2-5). The Raiders went 1-4 in the past week, while the Argonauts were 0-3 in the week gone by.

Below are the full Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

A new No. 1 in Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving HS Baseball Top Ten as Bridgewater claims top spot

With a perfect 6-0 record, Bridgewater-Raritan has taken over the top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten in Week Two. Meanwhile, three teams dropped out, including last year’s GMC Tournament champions, St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Bridgewater-Raritan went 4-0 this past week, beginning with a 14-3 win at Roxbury, then took three straight home games, 6-0 over Hillsborough on Tuesday, 8-4 over 2023 SCT runner-up Ridge Thursday, and over state-ranked North Hunterdon Saturday, 7-1. The Panthers are back in action Tuesday at 5-1 Hunterdon Central.

Old Bridge (6-2) drops down to second this week after splitting a pair with North Brunswick. The Knights began the week with a second straight shutout win over St. Joseph, 5-0 Monday (as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio), then lost to North Brunswick Tuesday 6-2, getting revenge Friday with a 6-3 victory. They closed things out with a 7-2 win over East Brunswick.

Holding in third is Monroe (4-2), which went 2-2 this past week. After a loss at North Brunswick, 10-7, on Monday, the Falcons swept East Brunswick 10-4 and 11-1 in a Tuesday-Thursday home-and-home, then lost Saturday in a non-conference game at Hamilton West, 11-2.

North Brunswick (2-3) holds in fourth, going 2-2 this past week. They won their first two, 10-7 against Monroe Monday, then 6-2 at Old Bridge Tuesday, before losing their “home game” played at Old Bridge – due to poor field conditions in North Brunswick – 6-3. They followed it with a 4-2 loss at St. Joe’s on Saturday, the Falcons’ first win of the season.

Spotswood (6-0) is in fifth, one of four undefeated teams in the rankings. There Chargers finished off a home-and-home sweep of North Plainfield Tuesday with a 10-1 win, then took two from Piscataway, scoring 36 runs against the Chiefs in an 18-4 road win Thursday, and an 18-2 home win Saturday. Spotswood will play Somerville (2-2) Monday afternoon at Torpey Athletic Complex in Bridgewater, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 4 pm, with Mike Pavlichko on the pregame at 3:40. (Click here to listen.)

The third unbeaten team in the rankings is Woodbridge (6-0), which checks in at No. 6. The Barrons – like Spotswood – also piled on the runs this week. They won 9-1 at Sayreville Tuesday, then took a home-and-home from JP Stevens Thursday and Saturday, with a 20-0 road win followed by a 13-0 home victory.

At No. 7 is Immaculata (6-0), the fourth unbeaten team on the list, making its debut this season. After three wins against out-of-state opponents in their opening week, they went 3-0 back home in Somerset County, winning 3-0 at Montgomery Tuesday, 8-5 the next day at home against Watchung Hills, and again Thursday at home against Franklin, 13-5.

In eighth is Rutgers Prep (2-2), which split a pair this week. They won at Watchung Hills, 6-2, on Tuesday, then came back and lost to Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday, 8-7, after having Friday’s home game against Montgomery – which was scheduled to air on CJSR – cancelled due to field conditions.

The last two teams both make their season debuts in the rankings.

Edison (4-1) is in ninth. The Eagles went 2-1 this week after a 2-0 start, falling at Colonia 2-0 on Tuesday, before taking a Thursday-Saturday home-and-home from Sayreville, winning on the road 3-1, then winning at home, 7-6.

And in tenth is South Plainfield (3-1). The Tigers had a 2-1 week, dropping a Monday Red Division game at East Brunswick, 3-2, before taking a home-and-home from South Brunswick. They beat the Vikings Thursday on the road, 4-3, then came back with an 8-6 home win over South Brunswick.

by Mike Pavlichko

First-week results lead to volatility in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but Old Bridge and Bridgewater-Raritan remain No. 1 and No. 2, Monroe and Pingry make debuts

The top two teams in the Week One Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten didn’t change, but everyone else moved around, and two new teams joined the rankings this week.

Old Bridge (4-1) and Bridgewater-Raritan (2-0) remain No. 1 and No. this week, after getting their seasons off on the right foot.

The Knights handled two Shore Conference opponents, beating Manalapan on the season’s opening day, 2-1, then dropping Marlboro on Thursday, 7-6. After losing Friday to Don Bosco prep, 14-1, they rebounded with a 4-0 shutout win over St. Joseph-Metuchen in Linden. They’ll welcome in the Falcons for the back end of that home-and-home GMC Red Division set Monday night at 6:30, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here.

The Panthers knocked off a solid Rancocas Valley team on Monday, 5-3, then came back four days later with an 8-1 win at Scotch Plains-Fanwood.

Entering the poll at No. 3 this week is Monroe, which beat the two teams that occupied third- and fourth-place last week. They beat fourth-ranked St. Joe’s Friday, 8-1, then came back and topped third-ranked North Brunswick at home, 2-0, on Saturday.

North Brunswick (0-1) dropped to fourth with the loss to Monroe, while St. Joseph (0-2) dropped a spot to fifth, with following up the Monroe loss with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Old Bridge.

Spotswood (3-0) rises a spot to sixth, sweeping a Thursday/Friday home-and-home with Metuchen, 10-1 and 4-1, then winning 8-4 at North Plainfield on Saturday.

Woodbridge (3-0) also climbed a spot from sixth to seventh. The Barrons swept a home-and-home with Colonia, via a 9-2 road win and a 2-0 home win, then beat Sayreville 4-2 Saturday, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Making its debut this season in 8th place is Pingry. The Big Blue are 2-0 with wins over two of Somerset County’s three other non-publics; 2-0 at Rutgers Prep on Thursday, and 6-4 at Gill St. Bernard’s on Saturday.

Rutgers Prep (1-1) checks in at No. 9, with the loss to Pingry in its opener, but then a 4-2 win at Passaic Tech on Saturday.

And Ridge (0-2) sits in tenth, after falling to a pair of out-of-area teams: 6-2 at North Hunterdon Thursday, and 5-4 at West Morris on Saturday.

Dropping out were Sayreville (1-1) – which beat Middlesex Friday in its opener but lost 4-2 at Woodbridge Saturday – and Bernards, which hasn’t taken the field yet, as rain and field conditions wiped out their opening week of games.

Below is the complete Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge, Brigdewater-Raritan take top two spots in Bellamy & Son Paving Preseason High School Baseball rankings

The new season in high school baseball finds Old Bridge right where it left off in the old season: at No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten.

The Knights are coming off a 21-9 season in which they won the Central Jersey Group 4 championship by beating division foe North Brunswick in the title game, and went all the way to the state Group 4 final, falling 4-0 to Ridgewood. Old Bridge returns all but 13 of its over 200 innings pitched last season, led by seniors Frank Papeo and Justin “J.T.” Meyer.

Bridgewater-Raritan begins the year four places higher – at No. 2 – coming off a 23-7 campaign that saw them reach the North 2, Group 4 title game, losing at home to Bayonne. The Panthers – the highest-ranked Somerset County team – bring back pitchers Cory Rible and Matthew Fattore, both seniors, while Fattore, Devin Goldberg and Frankie Verano are among the top hitters back.

North Brunswick starts the season in third, the GMC Tournament runner-up from a year ago. And while ace Zack Konstantinovsky graduated and is now at Rutgers, seniors Alejandro Jabar and Kyle Anderson are solid arms back; both had ERAs a shade over two last season. And the lineup will build around heavy hitting Yomar (prounounced “JOE-mar”) Carreras, who batted .411 last season with 18 RBIs and two homers.

St. Joseph of Metuchen begins the season in third. Sure, they beat the Raiders in last year’s GMC Tournament title game, finishing 21-10, but they also lose a much larger portion of their lineup, a group that was together for the better part of three years since high school baseball resumed in New Jersey after COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 season. Juniors Joseph Barca and Matthew Friedman will be the early anchors in the rotation, but only senior Joseph Zammitti returns from the nine in the starting lineup for the Falcons in their Non-Public South A finals to Red Bank Catholic.

In fifth is Rutgers Prep, the defending Somerset County Tournament Champion. At 14-15 last season, they also made the Non-Public North B title game, losing to St. Mary-Rutherford. But among several graduates and transfers, they lose a pair of two-year starters who would have only been juniors: outstanding pitcher and Maryland commit Zach Fronio, who went home to North Hunterdon, and big hitter Andrew Parisi, who transferred closer to home to Ranney. But Max Treonze is back, and the Argonauts will look to some other arms that sat on the shelf last year recovering from injuries.

Checking in at No. 6 is Ridge, which was 25-4 last season, Somerset County Tournament runner-up. Their postseason came to a premature end due to a pitch count violation in the states. The Red Devils lose their three top pitchers to graduation in Connor Byrne, Brendan Callanan and Luke Somelofske, and while junior Aiden Stieglitz is back off a stellar sophomore campaign, head coach Tom Blackwell will have to find a lineup that can get the timely hits last year’s squad got more often than not.

In seventh is Spotswood, which went 21-8 a year ago. The Chargers were GMC Blue Division champs and reached the Central Jersey Group 2 finals, falling to Rumson-Fair Haven. Excellent pitcher Casey Cumiskey is off to Seton Hall, but his younger brother Carter – who will join him in South Orange in two years – will be back, after pitching to a 1.91 ERA in 44 innings last year, striking out 72, almost two per inning. Junior Breckyn DeAngelis – also one of the team’s better hitters – will see additional time on the mound, too, this year.

At No. 8 is Woodbridge, coming off a 20-6 season, their second straight 20-win campaign. (North Brunswick and St. Joe’s are the only other GMC schools to do that the last two seasons.) The Barrons didn’t lose a single pitcher to graduation, and the only senior starter gone is first baseman Ty Kobylakiewicz. Otherwise, the vast majority of a lineup that hit over .320 returns.

In ninth is Sayreville, which finished 15-10 last year, and won the GMC White Division, a half game ahead of the Barrons. Sayreville has a new head coach in Tim Ballard, who comes over from JFK to replace Mike Novak, who spent 20 years coaching the Bombers, including Ballard himself, who pitched for Sayreville, then went to Monmouth University. The Bombers should be good on the mound, but will be looking to fill some key spots in the lineup.

And Bernards comes in tenth, following a 15-10 season. They were the Skyland Conference Valley Division Co-Champions with Pingry last season. There’s no major turnover in the lineup, and two excellent pitchers return, including Evan Hoeckele, a senior who threw 41 innings last year to the tune of a 0.85 ERA, while fellow senior Charlie Gonella had a 1.54 ERA with the same workload.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge finishes No. 1 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top 10; Knights are CJSR Team of the Year

The Old Bridge baseball team reached unprecedented heights in 2023, reaching its first-ever state title game. And though they fell just a few runs short of an overall Group 4 title, the Knights – who won Central Jersey Group 4 for the first time in eight years – are the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving rankings, making them the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

Old Bridge finished 21-9 on the season, and beat North Brunswick 2-1 in the CJ4 title game, their first appearance in the finals since 2019. It was the first ring for head coach Matt Donaghue, who played for the Knights in high school under the legendary Fred Cole.

Scroll down for the full rankings.

Finishing second is St. Joseph-Metuchen (21-10), which was in the top ten during the season, but fell out in the last rankings before the state tournament started. The Falcons were the GMC Tournament champions, besting Red Division champion North Brunswick in the finals.

Ridge (25-4) finishes third in the rankings, despite the Red Devils’ being disqualified from the state tournament for a pitch count violation in their North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal game. Ridge had a successful season to that point, and still is one of the best teams in the area.

North Brunswick (21-7) comes in fourth in the final rankings, having won the Red Division in the GMC. But they fell just short in the league tournament finals, and lost to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

Checking in at No. 5 is Rutgers Prep (14-15), which had a wild season. The Argonauts started 1-6, then won five straight to win the Somerset County Tournament, beating the top two teams in the county en route: Bridgewater-Raritan in the semifinals and Ridge in the finals. They also made it all the way to the Non-Public South B title game, losing on a walk-off single at St. Mary-Rutherford.

Bridgewater-Raritan (23-7) comes in sixth. The Panthers were the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament, thanks to early wins over Ridge in-league, and Hunterdon Central out of conference.

Spotswood (21-8) had a terrific season, winning the GMC Blue Division title, and going all the way to the Central Jersey Group 2 title game, where the Chargers lost to Rumson-Fair Haven.

Woodbridge (20-6) comes in eighth, with its second straight 20-win season.

Coming in ninth is Middlesex (17-9), which made it all the way to the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game, where the Blue Jays lost to Point Pleasant Beach for the second year in a row.

In tenth is South Plainfield; the Tigers reached the GMC tournament semifinals – losint 2-1 to St. joe’s – and made the North 2, Group 3 semifinals, eliminated by Millburn in another 2-1 loss.

Below are the full, final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten Rankings for 2023: