Tag: Andrew Goldan

May 27, 2022May 28, 2022 by Mike Pavlichko

Future Rutgers stars Goldan and Konstantinovsky: the unflappable vs. the unhittable

Andrew Goldan is hard to rattle. As a sophomore, in his first varsity season at St. Joseph of Metuchen, he calmly, coolly, and collectedly, went the distance in the 2021 GMC Tournament championship game for the win.

In this year’s semifinals, with Donovan Zsak laboring through three innings, still getting a little twinge in that Tommy John-repaired elbow, Goldan – a full-time starter – jumped in as a reliever and kept Woodbridge off the board for the final four innings en route to a 9-1 win and a berth in this weekend’s finals.

Zack Konstantinovsky is hard to hit. The North Brunswick junior had an impressive sophomore campaign, striking out 70 and walking only ten. That’s a tough act to follow.

But follow it, he did. This year? Heading into Saturday’s GMCT finals, he’s racked up 101 strikeouts. And he’s walked only a single solitary batter.

Just one.

How impressive have both of them been? Well, both are going to play major Division I college baseball in the near future. And neither will be playing too far from the high school fields they currently call home.

*Click above to learn more about how to be an umpire and join the NSJFU.*

Goldan’s family just has to head a little further down Route 27, and Konstantinovsky’s just up Routes One and 18 to Piscataway, where both will soon call Bainton Field home, as they play for the Steve Owens’ Scarlet Knights.

Goldan will join them next year; Zack in a couple of years. They’ll be joined by JT Kroner of Colonia, another solid GMC arm.

And when they get there, they’ll find Chris Brito, a Perth Amboy alum who is RU’s full-time first baseman this season as a redshirt junior.

The two will square off this Sunday as the starting pitchers in the GMC Tournament Championship Game, which will be played at noon at Ray Cipperly Field at East Brunswick Tech. It was rescheduled from Saturday, due to thunderstorms in the forecast.

You can hear the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame beginning at 11:30 am. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will call all the action; click here to listen.

Click below to hear Zack Konstantinovsky and Andrew Goldan talk about their decisions to go to Rutgers, their connection with the GMC, and Saturday’s matchup:

May 21, 2022May 23, 2022 by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph pecks away at Woodbridge to earn second straight trip to GMC title tilt

There was one big inning, when St. Joe’s batted around, sending nine men to the plate in the fourth.

And still, they could have had more, but only came away with three runs.

There were a lot of small crooked numbers on the scoreboard when all was said and done, as the top-seeded Falcons scored in all but one of the six innings in which they batted, in a 10-1 victory over 5th-sedd Woodbridge in the GMC Tournament semifinals Saturday, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Now, the defending champions will get to try to make it two titles in a row, something no other team in the league has done since 2008 and 2009, which also happens to be the last time the Falcons did it.

The top-seeded Falcons will face 6th-seed South Brunswick in the GMC Tournament championship game next Saturday at 2 pm at Ray Cipperly Field on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The guns were out Saturday afternoon at Cipperly Field – radar guns, that is – as MLB prospect Donovan Zsak took the mound to start the game. But it was only his fifth appearance of the year, as he eases back into things following Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss all of last year.

And though he only allowed a single run – in the third inning – and he had his velocity, he struggled and labored in the heat – 93 degrees with a heat index of 97 at first pitch.

In his four innings of work, Zsak struck out five, walked three, and allowed just five hits, but he was going deep into counts, going full count on five batters. Woodbridge also wasted several two-strike pitches with a plethora of foul balls, making Zsak work even harder.

Normally, chasing him from a game would be a good thing. But not when the opponent is St. Joe’s, and when head coach Mike Murray has Rutgers-bound senior Andrew Goldan waiting in the wings.

Maybe the scouts, who cleared out like someone had yelled “fire” in a crowded theater once Zsak was in the dugout for good, should have stuck around to see what Goldan could do. In four innings of work, he blanked the Barrons, allowing just three hits – all singles, one of them an infield hit. He struck out seven and walked none.

All the while St. Joe’s was adding to a 3-1 lead. After picking up two in the first, and getting back the run Woodbridge got in the top of the third on a sac fly by Christian Azcona, the Falcons got scored three times in the fourth, three more times in the fifth, and one more time in the sixth, for good measure, teasing the ten-run rule, leaving six runners on base in their final three at bats.

And St. Joe’s didn’t exactly crush the ball, nor did they play small ball. They only had four extra base hits among their 11 in the game, plus a two-base error on Woodbridge left fielder Tim Deignan.

With Eddie Nunez and Josh Vazquez entirely unavailable – spent in the first round and quarterfinals to get here, Matt Troche started the game for Woodbridge (19-5) and took the loss, allowing six runs in three and one-third innings of work.

Zsak got the win for Joe’s (20-6).

Click below for postgame reaction from St. Joseph’s win over Woodbridge in the GMC Tournament Semifinals:

St. Joseph senior Andrew Goldan

St. Joseph head coach Mike Murray

Notes and Nuggets:

Among the best: The win by St. Joseph puts the Falcons in their ninth GMC Tournament final, all since 2004. And that ties Edison for the most appearances ever in the GMC title game, with nine, although the Eagles did it all from 1990 to 2001, and haven’t been back since.

Gunning for the best: St. Joe’s is also one title shy of Edison’s record eight GMCT crowns. They’re 7-1 all-time in the finals, while Edison is 8-1.

Back-to-back: If the Falcons can win the title, it will be the second time they won it back-to-back, having also turned the trick in 2008 and 2009, the last GMC team to do so. Only one other team has won at least consecutive titles. Edison won in back-to-back years in 1998 and 1999, and before that won four in a row from 1992 to 1995.

Nice game: Thomas Zammitti had a good day at the plate for the Falcons, with three singles, a run batted in, two runs scored and a walk. Josiah Brown knocked in two runs on a 2-for-2 day. He scored in the first, had a walk in the third, drove in a run in the fourth, and had another run score when he reached on a two-base error in the fifth.

Spreading the love: Six different Falcons scored in five of St. Joe’s six at bats. Will Ramsay and Zammitti scored twice. Mark Gialluisi had three runs scored.

June 6, 2021June 6, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

“Goldan!” St. Joes wins seventh GMC Tournament title behind scoreless, 10 K effort from Andrew Goldan

It was another sterling, dominating, phenomenal – name another adjective – pitching performance from junior Andrew Goldan, who struck out ten in six and two-thirds scoreless innings to lead St. Joseph of Metuchen to its seventh GMC tournament crown.

The second-seeded Falcons beat fifth-seed South Brunswick 2-0 Monday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio and powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Goldan finished the GMC’s 3-0, allowing only one earned run in 20 1/3 innings, striking out 20. His ERA in the three GMC games was 0.34.

St. Joe’s got a run in the second when Christian Azcona singled to lead off, and Jack Kern reached on a bunt, and an error on South Brunswick catcher Joey Chegus on the throw to first.

Colin Layner walked to load the bases and Xavier Arana walked to drive in the run.

The Falcons manufactured an insurance run the hard way in the third, when Robbie Carvelli led off with a double, and Tyler Delvecchio singled to move Carvelli’s pinch runner, Ryan Kim, him to third.

After a popup to second by Azcona, Kern laid down a perfectly executed suicide squeeze to bring in Kim from third.

St. Joseph (18-11) is now 7-1 all-time in the GMC title game, with all those wins coming since 2004. South Brunswick (14-9) is 2-2 all-time in GMC finals, and has lost two straight.

They last appeared in 2019, and lost 2-1 to Old Bridge.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from St. Joseph’s GMC Tournament win:

St. Joe’s pitcher Andrew Goldan

St. Joe’s head coach Mike Murray

June 1, 2021September 6, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Instant Replay: St. Joseph back in GMC finals on another strong outing from Goldan

There was one pitch he wanted back, but in the end it didn’t matter.

Junior Andrew Goldan three-hit Edison Monday afternoon, as 2nd-seeded St. Joseph of Metuchen beat the 6th-seeded Eagles 3-1 in the GMC Tournament semifinals heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

The win earned Joe’s its seventh trip to the finals since 2004, where they are unbeaten in six prior trips, the last coming in 2017.

Goldan finished the day with six strikeouts, and the only run he allowed was on a one-out homer in the sixth inning by Edison shortstop Walker Zampella. He buckled down to get a ground out and fly out after that, and despite a minor threat in the top of the seventh by the Eagles, was never in any serious trouble.

The Falcons also managed only three hits in the game, as Mark Gialluisi scored in the first on a single by Robbie Carvelli.

St. Joe’s added two more runs in the third, when Carvelli singled again with two on, and Tyler Delvecchio grounded into a 4-6-3 double play with a runner on third.

Falcons’ head coach Mike Murray said after the game Goldan would get the start in the final against South Brunswick, next Sunday at noon at Ray Cipperly Field at East Brunswick Tech. The game can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving, with air time set for 11:30.

Click below to hear the complete game broadcast of St. Joe’s GMCT semifinal win over Edison:

May 31, 2021June 1, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joe’s advances to GMCT final behind another strong outing from Goldan

Second-seed St.Joseph of Metuchen held off 6th-seed Edison with a 3-1 GMC Tournament semifinal win Monday afternoon, to propel the Falcons to the league’s title game next Sunday in East Brunswick.

In a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio powered by Bellamy & Son Paving, junior Andrew Goldan struck out six and allowed just one run – a homer to Edison shortstop Walker Zampella – to get the win.

With a bye in the state tournament, a non-conference game this week, and their first-round game not until Friday, Goldan can now sit out the week and rest to be full-go with no pitch count limit for next Sunday’s final at Ray Cipperly Field against 5th-seed South Brunswick.

That game can be heard at 12 noon on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame tentatively set for 11:30 am.

Robbie Carvelli drove in Mark Gialluisi for the game’s first run in the first inning.

The Falcons then scrapped for two more runs in the third – the second of which would prove to be decisive – in an inning where they worked out two walks, a single, and a hit batsman.

St. Joe’s will make its seventh trip to the GMC finals, all since 2004, in which they are 6-0 all-time. They beat Monroe 1-0 in 2017 in their last trip.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from St. Joe’s win over Edison in the GMC Tournament semifinals:

St. Joseph junior pitcher Andrew Goldan

St. Joseph head coach Mike Murray

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Goldan looks to pitch St. Joe’s into GMC finals

Got a big game?

Give the ball to Andrew Goldan.

The junior had to work his way back from a tendinitis issue early this season, but ever since has been lights out for St. Joseph-Metuchen.

With a record of 5-0 and a 0.51 ERA, you might as well jsut turn out the lights and say “the party’s over” when he takes the mound.

Edison will surely be of a different mindset with ace Dom LaPelosa on the mound, and a lineup that includes slugging first baseman Sal DellaFave, who has six home runs this season.

Second-seed St. Joe’s (16-9) and 6th-seed Edison (16-6) square off Monday at 2:30, in a GMC Tournament semifinal game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call the game live.

What’s unique about the Falcons is they come into Monday’s semifinal with Edison having lost four of their last seven games. How can that be?

St. Joe’s schedules frequent out of conference games to challenge themselves, and – at this time of season – their younger pitchers.

Those four recent losses – the first of which was a defeat at the hands of Monroe, which got the top-seed in the GMCT but was ousted in the first round – include a 10-6 decision at St. Peter’s Prep, a 7-6 loss at Pope John, and an 8-2 loss at Seton Hall Prep.

Click below to hear St. Joseph head coach Mike Murray talk about his late-season scheduling strategy, and the Falcons’ season so far, leading up to Monday’s semifinal matchup with Edison:

May 15, 2021May 15, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph, Middlesex clinch division title shares, South Plainfield takes GMC White outright heading into final week before Tourney seeding

With wins Saturday afternoon, St. Joseph of Metuchen clinched at least a share of the GMC Red Division, while Middlesex staked its claim to at least part of the GMC Blue Division, heading into a critical week for league tournament seeding.

The GMC will draw out brackets for its conference tournaments Thursday morning at 10 am, with Central Jersey Sports Radio providing up-to-the-minute coverage. Follow us on Twitter at @cjsportsradio for all the details.

In a battle of the Falcons – and the top two teams in the GMC Red – St. Joseph came up with a 2-0 road win behind a three-hit gem from junior Andrew Goldan, who struck out six and didn’t walk a single Monroe hitter in throwing a complete game.

Click below to hear St. Joe’s pitcher Andrew Goldan talk about his winning effort Saturday against Monroe:

Josiah Brown’s RBI single in the top of the sixth gave St. Joe’s a 1-0 lead, and Tyler DelVecchio’s double in the seventh added an insurance run.

Click below to hear St. Joe’s head coach Mike Murray talk about the win, and preview Monday’s rematch with Monroe in Metuchen:

The teams will rematch on Monday in Metuchen at 4 pm. Should St. Joe’s win, they’d be the GMC Red Division Champions outright. Should Monroe win, they would clinch at least a share.

It’s expected the winner of the red would be the top seed in the GMC Tournament. A St. Joseph win Monday makes them a lock; a Monroe win would put a potentially difficult decision in the hands of the seeding committee.

Meanwhile, in Spotswood, Middlesex shutout the Chargers 10-0 in six innings. The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead into the fifth and exploded for eight runs – four apiece – in what turned out to be the final two innings of the game.

Raiden Yost led Middlesex with a 2-for-3 afternoon and four runs batted in, while Ryan Vollmer, Robert Ulmer, and Anthony Long each knocked in two runs.

Kenny Yonker pitched a complete game two-hitter for the Jays, striking out ten, walking one, and allowing just two Spotswood hits in the six-inning victory.

Click below to head Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about the Blue Jays’ win over Spotswood:

While those two divisions still must bet settled, the White was settled today, while the Gold was determined Friday.

South Plainfield went into the weekend needing one win to take the GMC White Division championship, and they got it. The Tigers beat Sayreville in a rescheduled game from earlier in the year 6-1 at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater.

As for the GMC Gold, East Brunswick Tech clinched at least a share of the division title with its 12-5 win over Timothy Christian Wednesday afternoon, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They took the crown outright when they finished the sweep Friday with a 16-1 win in Piscataway.

EB Tech is the only GMC team to finish the year with a perfect divisional record, at 10-0.

May 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Goldan no-hits Old Bridge through five en route to St. Joe’s win

St. Joseph junior Andrew Goldan knew he could only throw about 75 pitches heading into Monday’s game at Old Bridge.

Having had a ten-day layoff between appearances due to some tendinitis in his throwing arm, and having thrown over 40 pitches in a relief win over South Brunswick Saturday, head coach Mike Murray had him on a strict pitch count.

So despite having no-hit the Knights through five innings of work, Goldan’s day was done. And it was a sold day’s work, which the bullpen closed out for a 4-1 win over Old Bridge in a GMC Red Division game.

He faced only three more batters than the minimum and set Old Bridge down 1-2-3 in three of his five innings. The final book said no runs, no hits, three walks and six strikeouts and rarely went deep in the count, only reaching three balls on the three hitters he walked.

The win improves St. Joe’s to 7-3 overall, and 7-0 in the GMC Red Division, where they remain tied with Monroe for first place. The Falcons improved to 7-0 in the division with a 3-1 home win Monday over Perth Amboy.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from St. Joe’s 4-1 win over Old Bridge.

St. Joseph junior pitcher Andrew Goldan

St. Joseph head coach Mike Murray

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph puts unbeaten streak on the line Monday in first of home-and-home with Old Bridge

With a combination of good pitching and timely hitting – isn’t that always the case? – the St. Joseph-Metuchen baseball team is off to a fast start, particularly in the GMC White Division.

Andrew Goldan has done both.

He’ll get the nod today on the mount for the Falcons (6-3) against Old Bridge (2-4) when the two meet at Fred Cold Field in Old Bridge. Game time is at 3:45, with air-time set for 3:30 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino call all the action by clicking here.

The broadcast is sponsored in part by Baseball Warehouse and Derby Appliances.

Goldan is coming off a ten-day layoff due to tendinitis, but got into the swing of things in a late week/weekend series against South Brunswick. Against the Vikings Thursday, he hit a solo homer to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead, then had a walk-off single to win their rematch Saturday.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with St. Joseph head coach Mike Murray about the season so far and Monday’s matchup with Old Bridge: