Tag: baseball

by Mike Pavlichko

Florence feels it’s battle-tested enough to play with perennial power Middlesex in CJ1 semis

The Florence Flashes have only managed to play 16 games this season

And while they’re just 8-8, head coach Kyle Ballay believes they have been tested by some tough teams in Burlington County.

Whether that experience yields positive results today in the CJ1 semifinals is another story.

This afternoon at 4:00, the 12th-seeded Flashes will take on top-seed Middlesex (18-4) in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals at Mountainview Park. You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling all the action. Pregame begins at 3:30 pm.

Florence is an interesting study by the numbers.

They allowed ten or more runs in all eight of their losses, yet they scored at least ten in five of their eight wins.

In all their defeats, they averaged about three runs. So, the idea would be to put up some crooked numbers against Middlesex pitching, if they can.

Don’t forget to check back here after the game for postgame reaction on cjsportsradio.com.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Florence head coach Kyle Ballay about today’s Central Jersey Group 1 semifinal:

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s a real “Last Dance” for Wetstein, fellow Old Bridge seniors

Who thought Old Bridge would be just a win away from the Central Jersey Group 4 state final? While every other Red Division team has played their last game?

Nick Wetstein and his Old Bridge teammates, that’s who.

At just 9-17, the 12th-seeded Knights are one of the last two GMC standing in the NJSIAA state playoffs. (Middlesex is the other.) At 2:30 Tuesday, Old Bridge will play at 9th seed Marlboro (14-8) for a trip to the CJ4 title game Friday at either Hunterdon Central or Middletown South.

The Red Devils and Eagles play in the other semifinal at 4:00 today.

Wetstein says “earlier in the year it was rough.” The team had a COVID break before they could even start the season. After getting over some bumps and bruises, he says “we’re playing better than we ever have right now.”

And he says he’s looking forward to one “last ride for the boys I’ve been playing with since I was five or six years old.”

To hear Nick Wetstein talk about the Old Bridge season with Mike Pavlichko, click below:

by Mike Pavlichko

Vollmer wants to go out like he came in – with a Blue Jays’ championship

Ryan Vollmer didn’t go to school in Middlesex until high school, but he was welcomed with open arms when he joined the Blue Jays’ program in 2018.

That’s because he knew several players from his time in Little League in neighboring Green Brook.

That year also brought Middlesex its second straight Group 1 championship under Justin Nastasi, as the Blue Jays beat Park Ridge to win the statewide crown.

So, Vollmer has seen the ultimate championship in Middlesex, and he hopes to see it again this year, one last time before he graduates.

He had a chance in 2019, as the Blue Jays claimed their third straight sectional championship, but fell in the Group 1 semifinals to Glassboro.

Tuesday, he’ll try and get his team back to the Central Jersey Group 1 title game, as top-seed Middlesex (17-4) hosts 12th-seed Florence (8-8) at Mountainview Park, in a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling the action.

First pitch is set for 4 pm. Pregame will start at 3:30 pm; you can listen for free by clicking here.

Don’t forget to check back here after the game for postgame reaction on cjsportsradio.com.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Ryan Vollmer about his career with Middlesex, his best friends on the team, and the CJ1 title game against Florence:

by Mike Pavlichko

By the numbers: GMC Tournament semifinals and finals set records for fewest runs, hits

It was one for the record books.

Make that three for the record books.

The two GMC Tournament semifinal games and the GMC Championship combined to see the fewest amount of runs scored and the fewest amount of hits in the event’s history, which dates back to 1986.

Already the semifinals had set a record: just six runs and eight hits combined in the two games, where South Brunswick beat North Brunswick 2-0 and St. Joseph beat Edison 3-1.

The Raiders had two hits in the game, while the victorious Vikings only had one hit. In the second game, St. Joe’s managed three hits, while Edison mustered only two.

The six runs were one shy of the previous low of seven, which came in 2008, when St. Joe’s beat JFK 3-1, and Old Bridge eked by Edison 2-1.

But that year, five runs were scored in the final, when the Falcons beat the Eagles 3-2. That made for a combined 12 runs in the semifinals and finals.

This year, just two runs were scored in the final, as St. Joseph won its seventh title all-time – and all since 2004 – with a 2-0 victory over South Brunswick. That means the semifinals and finals combined for a total of eight runs, an all-time record.

The same could be said for hits.

This year’s low of eight in the semis easily beat out the previous high of 17 in the 1998 semifinals. And adding in this year’s title game total of six hits means the semis and finals combined for just 14 hits.

Indeed, one for the record books.

by Mike Pavlichko

Knights’ tough schedule has them a win away from CJ4 title game

How tough is the GMC Red Division?

With just seven regular season wins, Old Bridge is a game away from competing for a sectional title.

Everyone else in the Red Division is home. And almost everyone else in the Greater Middlesex Conference.

And doesn’t that just tell you all you need to know?

The 12th-seeded Knights (9-17) play 9th-seed Marlboro (14-8) – and the Mustangs are a bit of a surprise themselves – in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals Tuesday.

They will also do so with heavy collective hearts, after longtime coach Fred Cole passed away Sunday morning at the age of 74. The Knights’ home field was named after him in a ceremony earlier this season.

But to look at all those losses alone is missing the big picture.

Of the Knights’ 17 losses this season, 13 have been by four runs or less, and ten of them have been by three runs or less. They’ve also lost three one-run games.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue about how the challenges of the 2021 season have helped get the Knights a game away from the Central Jersey Group 4 title final:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex a win away from fourth straight sectional final, fifth in six years

The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Middlesex High School baseball team.

While the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the 2020 season, and the Blue Jays – like many – look a lot different in 2021 than they did in 2019, the results on the field have been pretty much the same.

The formula is this: a solid postseason, maybe a win in the GMC Tournament – where they end up facing much larger schools – and a deep run in the state tournament.

To wit: Middlesex was 103-35 in Justin Nastasi’s first five seasons as head coach. That includes 22 or more wins each of the last two seasons.

His Blue Jays have won four sectional titles and two Group 1 titles in that time. And while he’s 3-6 as a head coach in the GMC Tournament, his teams are a whopping 25-3 in the states, twice losing in the Group 1 final.

Tuesday, he will lead top-seed Middlesex (17-4) into the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals against 12th-seed Florence (8-8) in a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling the action.

First pitch is set for 4 pm. Pregame will start at 3:30 pm; you can listen for free by clicking here.

Don’t forget to check back here after the game for postgame reaction on cjsportsradio.com.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about the Blue Jays’ CJ1 semifinal game against Florence:

by Mike Pavlichko

Longtime Old Bridge baseball coach Fred Cole passes away at 74

Earlier this year, Old Bridge High School honored its longtime baseball coach Fred Cole by naming the field off Ticetown Road after him, complete with a huge sign on the scoreboard in the outfield.

He’d been dealing with increasing heart problems, so school officials moved up the ceremonies. The varsity team couldn’t even attend due to COVID-19 contact tracing issues, but the jayvee was on hand.

It was a touching moment, with many family members, friends, former players, but still a small sliver of those he touched.

READ MORE: Old Bridge will dedicate Fred Cole Field Monday, sans current Knights

Sunday morning, Cole passed away “peacefully” at home at the age of 74, according to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue.

Donaghue says Cole’s health had taken a turn recently, and his passing had become imminent in recent weeks, and many came by to see him one last time and say their goodbyes.

Fred Cole poses with the Old Bridge baseball team on their 2019 trip to Myrtle Beach. Cole was a volunteer assistant pitching coach at the time. (Credit: Matt Donaghue)

Word was still spreading Sunday afternoon, and it likely didn’t even make it around Ray Cipperly Field – where St. Joseph won the GMC Tournament Championship Game 2-0 over South Brunswick – until most people had left.

As a head coach at Old Bridge and Madison Central, he was 270-210, and spent almost five decades coaching in some capacity in Middlesex County.

In 2018, Cole was inducted into the New Jersey State Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Services will be private, but Donaghue says a memorial service will be held in about a month so that as many people can attend as possible.

by Mike Pavlichko

A complete preview of the 2021 GMC Tournament Championship: St. Joseph-Metuchen vs. South Brunswick

Sunday at noon, St. Joseph of Metuchen will play South Brunswick for the 2021 GMC Tournament Championship in baseball.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have complete coverage – presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – starting at 11:15 am with our pregame show, full of interviews with the players and both head coaches. Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call all the action, with first pitch set for noon from Ray Cipperly Field at East Brunswick Tech.

Click here to listen to the live broadcast!

The Falcons will be going for their seventh GMC title all-time, while the Vikings are looking for their third.

Scroll through this story for links to our coverage of both teams in the tournament so far, the finals at-a-glance, how they got here, team records in the finals, team leaders, and other notes and stats:

Coverage of St. Joseph:

Coverage of South Brunswick:

GMC FINALS AT-A-GLANCE:

Teams:
(2) St. Joseph-Metuchen (17-11, 11-3 GMC Red)
(5) South Brunswick (14-9, 9-5 GMC Red)

Starting Pitchers:
St. Joseph: Andrew Goldan (6-0, 0.61 ERA)
South Brunswick: Frankie Sanchez (2-0, 0.72 ERA) or Joey Tuttoilmondo (4-0, 1.60 ERA)

Date and Time: Sunday, June 6 – 12 noon
Location: Ray Cipperly Field at East Brunswick Tech HS
Listen on: Central Jersey Sports Radio (click here)
Announcers: Mike Pavlichko, Dom Savino

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

St. Joseph:
First Round: def. (15) Old Bridge 4-0
Quarterfinals: def. (10) Spotswood 14-3
Semifinals: def. (6)Edison 3-1

South Brunswick:
First Round: def. (12) Woodbridge 12-2
Quarterfinals: def. (4) Middlesex 8-1
Semifinals: def. (9) North Brunswick 2-0

FINALS HISTORY:

St. Joseph (6-1): Prior to their 2004 appearance, the Falcons had not made a GMC or Middlesex County final of any kind since 1968, when they beat South River 2-0 for the Middlesex County Coaches’ Association Tournament Championship.

They allowed eight runs in their lone finals loss, but in their six wins have allowed a total of two runs, winning fiveof them via shutout, including a 2014 victory at TD Bank Park in Bridgdewater over South Plainfield, 1-0, on a one-out, bases loaded walk that scored Marl Bobko from third

2004: St. Joseph 6, Carteret 0
2005: East Brunswick 8, St. Joseph 1
2006: St. Joseph 11, South Amboy 0
2008: St. Joseph 3, Old Bridge 2
2009: St. Joseph 6, North Brunswick 0
2014: St. Joseph 1, South Plainfield 0
2017: St. Joseph 1, Monroe 0

South Brunswick (2-1): The Vikings won their last title 11 years ago, beating North Brunswick – the team they beat in the semifinals to get here 9-2. Their other title was eight years before that.

2002: South Brunswick 4, Piscataway 2 (9 innings)
2010: South Brunswick 9, North Brunswick 2
2019: Old Bridge 2, South Brunswick 1

South Brunswick and St. Joe’s have never met in the GMC Tournament finals.

Red Division: With a Red Division team is guaranteed to win this year’s final, the division will have won four of the last five finals. East Brunswick won it in 2016, while St. Joe’s won in 2017. South Plainfield out of the White took the 2018 title, but Old Bridge claimed the flag for the Red again in 2019, and this year, either St. Joe’s or South Brunswick from the Red will be crowned GMC champs.

The last lower seeded team to win a GMC title was in 2018, when 14th-seed south plainfield beat 12th-seed Perth Amboy 2-1 in a 12 inning title game.

TEAM LEADERS:

St. Joseph:

Christian Azcona, Tom Zammitti and Tyler Delvecchio are all hitting .400 or better on the season, with DelVecchio and Robbie Carvelli leading the team in runs batted in with 20 apiece. The Falcons hit .303 as a team, and are at .324 in the postseason despite managing just three hits against Edison in the semis.

Carvelli is tearing the cover off the ball in the GMCs, however, 5-for-8 (.625) with four runs batted in, a triple and a home run. Delvecchio also has driven in four runs. And Mark Gialluisi has been on base six times in nine plate appearances, thanks to his team-leading four walks in the GMCs.

The Falcons have hit four home runs all year, coming from the bats of Carvelli, Gialluisi, Eric Gonzalez and Andrew Goldan.

St. Joe’s junior Andrew Goldan threw five no-hit innings against Old Bridge this year, but didn’t finish the game due to a strict pitch count as he returned from tendinitis issues.

On the mound, Goldan has three of the Falcons’ two tournament wins, a combined six hits in 13 2/3 innings pitched, allowing just one earned run, walking five and striking out 10, with an ERA of 0.53 in the postseason.

South Brunswick:

Pete Cortez is the top-hitting regular, with a batting average of .371. He’s 4-for-9 in the GMCs, with 2 RBIs. As a team, the Vikings are hitting just over .260, but that’s up to .288 in the GMCT.

Cortez also leads in a number of other offensive categories, including hits (26), singles (18), doubles (6), RBIs (15) and runs scored (17). But the Vikings have balance. right behind him with 12 RBIs apiece are jared Lauri, Frankie Sanchez, and Alex Ciccone, who will return Sunday from a thumb injury suffered when he dove back in head first and was picked off first base in the first inning of the Vikings’ quarterfinal game against Middlesex.

South Brunswick has launched 10 home runs on the season. Lauri and Sanchez have each sent three out of the yard, while Cortez has hit two, and Justin Gallagher and Nolan Watlington each have a homer.

Jared Lauri slugs a 3-run homer in the fourth inning Tuesday afternoon to power South Brunswick past Middlesex in the GMC Tournament Quarterfinals.

As for pitching, only Joey Tuttoilmondo and Frankie Sanchez have seen the ball for the Vikings in the county tournament. Sanchez is 1-0 with a save while Tuttoilmondo is 2-0. Sanchez is the only one to allow an earned run in the tournament, as the Vikings have a team ERA of 0.35 over three games. The pair have combined for 36 strikeouts and seven walks, allowing three runs total in 20 innings of work.

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC Tournament history: Every championship game and more

When 2nd-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen and 5th-seed South Brunswick meet for the GMC Tournament title Sunday afternoon at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, it will be the Vikings’ second straight trip, and the first for the Falcons in four years.

Of course, there was no tournament last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but South Brunswick made it to the 2019 final, losing 1-0 to Old Bridge.

St. Joseph of Metuchen made it to the finals last in 2017, when they beat Monroe 1-0.

Monroe was the top-seed in this year’s tournament, but was knocked out in the first round by 16th-seed JFK.

South Brunswic and St. Joe’s are a combined 8-2 in the finals all-time, so it would appear something has to give.

Sunday’s GMC Final can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, by clicking here. Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino have the call, starting with pregame at 11:15 am. First pitch is at noon.

Here’s a closer look at the GMC Tournament finals, year by year:

GMC TOURNAMENT FINALS HISTORY:

1986:  East Brunswick 14, Madison Central 3

1987:  Cedar Ridge 2,  Colonia 1

1988:  Carteret 4, JP Stevens 2 (11 innings)

1989:  Madison Central 8, Cedar Ridge 7 (8 innings)

1990:  Edison 9, South Plainfield 3

1991:  East Brunswick 6, South Plainfield 5

1992:  Edison 1, Bishop Ahr 0

1993:  Edison 12, JFK 3

1994:  Edison 10, Monroe 3

1995:  Edison 5, Piscataway 3

1996:  Bishop Ahr 4, Edison 3 (13 innings)

1997:  East Brunswick 3, JFK 2

1998:  Edison 2, East Brunswick 1

1999:  Edison 7, Bishop Ahr 2

2000:  Woodbridge 7, JFK 1

2001:  Edison 4, Spotswood 1

2002:  South Brunswick 4, Piscataway 2 (9 innings)

2003:  Piscataway 9, East Brunswick 5

2004:  St. Joseph 6, Carteret 0

2005:  East Brunswick 8, St. Joseph 1

2006:  St. Joseph 11, South Amboy 0

2007:  Spotswood 7, JP Stevens 6

2008:  St. Joseph 3, Old Bridge 2

2009: St. Joseph 6, North Brunswick 0

2010:  South Brunswick 9, North Brunswick 2

2011:  Old Bridge 3, South Plainfield 2

2012:  Middlesex 10, Sayreville 4

2013:  JFK 4, Monroe 2

2014:  St. Joseph 1, South Plainfield 0

2015:  Monroe 1, Sayreville 0 (8 innings)

2016:  East Brunswick 1, JP Stevens 0

2017:  St. Joseph 1, Monroe 0

2018:  South Plainfield 2, Perth Amboy 1 (12 innings)

2019:  Old Bridge 2, South Brunswick 1

MOST GMCT FINALS APPEARANCES:

  1. Edison – 9
  2. St. Joseph – 8
  3. East Brunswick – 7
  4. South Plainfield – 5
  5. South Brunswick, JFK, Monroe – 4

READ MORE: GMC Tournament Semifinals belonged to the pitchers, in historic fashion

MOST GMC TOURNAMENT WINS:

  • 8-Edison
  • 6-St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • 5-East Brunswick
  • 2-South Brunswick, Old Bridge

ALL-TIME RECORDS IN THE FINALS:

East Brunswick 5-2 (2016)

Bishop Ahr 1-2 (1996)

Carteret 1-1 (1998)

*Cedar Ridge 1-1 (1987)

Colonia 0-1

Edison 8-1 (2001)

JFK 1-3 (2013)

JP Stevens 0-3

*Madison Central 1-1 (1989)

Middlesex 1-0 (2012)

Monroe 1-3 (2015)

North Brunswick 0-2

Old Bridge 2-1 (2019)

Perth Amboy 0-1

Piscataway 1-2 (2003)

Sayreville 0-2

South Amboy 0-1

South Brunswick 2-1 (2010)

South Plainfield 1-4 (2018)   

Spotswood 1-1 (2007)

St. Joseph 6-1 (2017)

Woodbridge 1-0 (2000)

DID YOU KNOW?

In the Greater Middlesex Conference’s current alignment, every team from the GMC Red Division has made at least one appearance in the finals. New Brunswick is the only White Division team never to qualify for the finals, while four current Gold Division teams have never made it: South River, Highland Park, Dunellen and Metuchen. South Amboy is the only current Gold Division team to make a final, losing 11-0 to St. Joe’s in the 2006 title game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Lucky Seven? St. Joe’s a win away from yet another GMC baseball crown

They’ve got one for the thumb, plus one more.

When 2nd-seed St. Joseph of Metuchen takes on 5th-seed South Brunswick Sunday afternoon for the GMC Tournament title, the Falcons will be gunning for lucky Number Seven.

You can hear Sunday’s game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – with a special extended pregame show beginning at 11:15. Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call all the action, and you can listen by clicking here.

St. Joe’s has only lost one GMC Tournament final in baseball – in 2005 to East Brunswick – although the school had a long absence from any kind of county final before that.

Before their 2004 appearance in the title tilt – when they beat Carteret 6-0 – they had not been to a GMC or Middlesex County Coaches’ Association final since 1968, a whopping three-decade-plus drought.

Not only did the drought end there, but the Falcons made it to four of the next five finals, winning three of them, in 2006, 2008 and 2009. They added two more in 2014 and 2017, with the 2014 title coming in dramatic fashion.

That year, the Falcons beat South Plainfield 1-0 on a walk-off walk with the bases loaded.

For St. Joe’s, it will start with pitching, as junior Andrew Goldan takes the mound, coming off a one-run, six-strikeout performance against Edison in the semifinals.

On the season, he’s 6-0 with a miniscule 0.61 earned run average.

Who he’ll go against is up in the air, as South Brunswick’s top starters are both available.

Joey Tuttoilmondo was stellar against North Brunswick in the Vikings’ semifinal win, while Frankie Sanchez closed it out. Neither will have any pitch count restrictions Sunday against St. Joseph.

Click below to hear Falcons’ head coach Mike Murray talk about the GMC Finals matchup vs. South Brunswick: