Tag: Bridgewater-Raritan

June 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

State Playoff Roundup: South Plainfield, Watchung Hills, Old Bridge will join Ridge and St. Thomas Aquinas playing for NJSIAA sectional titles Friday after semifinal wins

There will be three sectional championship games played in the NJSIAA baseball state tournament Friday featuring teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, plus one non-public final, as Ridge, Watchung Hills, Old Bridge and South Plainfield all gained berths in title games, while Middlesex and Piscataway Magnet saw their seasons come to an end in the sectional semifinals Wednesday.

Then, add into the mix St. Thomas Aquinas, which beat Rutgers Prep Tuesday to advance to the Non-Public North B title game for the second time in three years, but had to have their game at St. Mary-Rutherford moved to Friday to accommodate the Trojans’ graduation ceremony, set for Thursday.

Old Bridge will host Hunterdon Central in the Central Jersey Group 4 final, while Ridge and Watchung Hills will meet for a fourth time this year when they play in the North 2, Group 4 title game. And South Plainfield will visit Cranford in the North 2, Group 3 final, their third straight trip to a sectional championship game.

Here’s a rundown of Wednesday’s action, with links to separate stories, audio and the remaining state tournament schedule.

Central Jersey Group 4: (1) Old Bridge 10, (4) Hightstown 0 (5 inn.): The Knights are back in the CJ4 title game for the third time in four years after a run-rule win over the Rams, who had beaten Monroe in the quarterfinals, a Falcon team that beat Old Bridge back on Saturday in the rain-postponed GMC Tournament final.

After a scoreless first two innings, the Knights (21-9) scored twice in the third, getting an RBI single from Matt Chin, and a double-play groundout by Erich Schikschneit that scored another. And in the third they added two more on a Matt Levitt triple and an Adrian Lutomski sacrifice fly to right.

And in the bottom of the fifth, they got six more to walk it off, all coming with two outs after a leadoff single by Chris Crosta.

Blake Dunleavy got the win, allowing just two hits, striking out one, but perhaps most importantly, doing it in an economical 46 pitches, meaning he can come back Friday, if needed. That’s when the Knights will face third-seed Hunterdon Central (17-3) at Fred Cole Field in the Central Jersey Group 4 final. Old Bridge beat North Brunswick to win the title in 2023, en route to the state Group 4 final. They lost last year in the CJ4 title game to Hillsborough.

Click here to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 – (1) Ridge 10, (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 6: The Red Devils broke a 3-3 tie with six runs in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead, added a run in the sixth, but had to survive a late ralyl from Bridgewater-Raritan, where the Panthers scored three times in top of the seventh before reliever Jake Dolan could close the door.

(3) Watchung Hills 10, (2) Bayonne 0: The Warriors (18-8) stunned the second-seed on the road Wednesday afternoon, taking scoring a run each in the first two innings, then exploding for an eight-run third from which the Bees (21-9) could never recover. Max Payne drove in three runs on a 1-for-3 day, while Jacob Jaconski was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.

Rob Centamore was brilliant on the mound for Watchung Hills. He struck out ten, walked one, hit one batter, and allowed just two hits, and the offensive explosion kept the Hustlin’ Warriors from needing their bullpen, freeing up everyone else on the staff to be available for Friday afternoon’s North 2, Group 4 title game at top-seed Ridge.

Click here to listen to Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 – (4) South Plainfield 4, (1) Chatham 2: Andrew Bena delivered the big hit for the Tigers (17-11) to upset the top-seed, while Aiden McCarthy once again proved why he’s the ace of the South Plainfield staff.

The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. After Dom Massaro reached on a dropped line drive hit to left field, McCarthy singled, Bena got plunked, and Chirs Loniewksi doubled, driving in two. Chatham cut the lead in half with a single to right field, then tied it in the top of the sixth on a double Ryan Bailey.

That’s when Bena came through. Massaro worked out a five-pitch, one0out walk. McCarthy beat out an infield hit. Then Bena doubled to left to score them both, giving the Tigers a 4-2 lead. That was all they’d get, as the next two hitters struck out, but with McCarthy on the mound, that was all they would need. He tossed a one-two-three seventh – a pop-out, strikeout, and another pop-out – to end the game, picking up his fifth win of the season, and sending South Plainfield to its third straight sectional title game.

The Tigers – who lost to Randolph in the final two years ago, but won at Colonia last year to take the title – will visit third-seed Cranford (20-9) in the North 2, Group 3 championship game. The Cougars were 9-3 winners at two-seed North Hunterdon Wednesday.

Click here to listen to South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Central Jersey Group 1: (5) Shore 2, (1) Middlesex 0: The defending state Group 1 champion Blue Jays’ season ends at 22-6 with the shutout loss at home, marking the first time in a decade Middlesex will not meet Point Pleasant Beach in the playoffs. Whether in the finals or the earlier rounds, it’s been a regular occurrence in this section.

Liam Hennelly and Ryan Barham each knocked in runs in a two-run fifth as senior Chris Kozak took the loss in his final game as a Blue Jay.

(3) Point Pleasant Beach 14, (2) Piscataway Magnet 2: The toast of the GMC – with its best record in program history – saw its season come to a close at 25-4, with a loss to last year’s sectional runner-up, the Garnet Gulls, who will play fifth-seed Shore Regional in an all-Shore Conference CJ1 title game Friday afternoon. Point Beach took a 3-0 lead into the third – after scoring two in the first and one in the second – then exploded for an eight spot in the third and got three more in the fourth before the Raiders could get on the board.

Trey Lyerly and Vincent Canavan each drove in runs, with Canavan going 2-for-3 with a triple. Jack Garrison took the loss, allowing five earned runs in two innings, though just two were earned.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 5:

Non-Public North B Final: (3) St. Thomas Aquinas (14-4) at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford (16-11-1), 4 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
Central Jersey Group 4 Final: (3) Hunterdon Central (17-13) at (1) Old Bridge (21-9), 6 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Final: (3) Watchung Hills (18-8) at (1) Ridge (18-10), 4 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR) (NOTE: This is a unique link, not the usual Listen Live link!)
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final: (4) South Plainfield (17-11) at (3) Cranford (20-9), 3 pm

MONDAY, JUNE 8 – State Semifinals (hosted by the team with more power points)

Group 4 – Central vs. South: Should Old Bridge win the Central Jersey Group 4 title, they would face the winner of the South Jersey Group 4 between top-seed Kingsway (22-5) and second-seed Eastern (21-8). If the Knights play Kingsway, it would be on the road, but if Eastern wins, Old Bridge would host. The Knights beat Eastern in the Group 4 semifinals at Fred Cole Field in 2023, en route to the state Group 4 final.
Group 4 – North 1 vs. North 2: The winner of the Watchung Hills/Ridge North 2, Group 4 final would play the winner of the North 1, Group 4 final, featuring top-seed Passaic Tech (28-2) and third-seed Ridgewood (22-7). Both have higher power point values than the North 2 teams, so either Watchung Hills or Ridge would be on the road in that semifinal.
Group 3 – North 1 vs. North 2: Should South Plainfield win the North 2, Group 3 title, the Tigers would face the winner of the North 1, Group 3 title matchup, featuring top-seed Old Tappan (23-4) and second-seed Ramapo (21-7-1). But both have higher power point values, so South Plainfield would be on the road, either way.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 – Non-Public State Finals at Rutgers:

Non-Public A Final: 4 pm
Non-Public B Final: 7 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 – Public State Finals at Rutgers:

Group 3 Final: 10 am
Group 4 Final: 1 pm
Group 1 Final: 4 pm
Group 2 Final: 7 pm

June 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge gets big 5th inning, still has to fight off Bridgewater-Raritan to advance to second straight sectional final, with 10-6 win over Panthers

Regardless of the score, both top-seed Ridge and fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan knew they would be in a dogfight in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 semifinals of the state tournament.

And a dogfight it was.

The Red Devils broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth on a two-RBI single by junior catcher Casey Kurcerka, then added four more to take a 9-3 lead, but still had to hold off the Panthers, who got three in the top of the seventh to keep anyone wearing green – players, coaches, and fans – from any kind of premature celebration until the final out was recorded.

Once it was, it was official: Ridge is off to its second straight sectional final.

But not so much off, as they’ll just have to trudge across the mountain ridge between the high school and Hall Field Friday afternoon to host third-seed Watchung Hills in the title game, after the Hustlin’ Warriors upset two-seed Bayonne, 10-0 by run-rule in five innings, on the road Wednesday afternoon in the section’s other semifinal.

It’ll be their fourth meeting this year, with Ridge winning both regular season meetings, but Watchung Hills taking a 4-2 win in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, en route to the championship.

Ridge (18-10) got on the board first ion this one, scoring three in the bottom of the third off Bridgewater starter Kellan Komline.

Toby Nicholson and Colin Newcomb – the eight and nine hitters – both singled to start the inning, and Kieran Callanan walked to load the bases. Lucas Grob hit a ball to short, and conceding a run, Cody Rible looked to turn two. he got the force at second, but Grob beat out the throw to first. Jake Dolan doubled to make it 2-0, moving Grob to third, and he came home to score on a wild pitch to give Ridge a 3-0 lead.

But the Panthers (13-17)evened it up in the third. DH Connor Price singled to lead it off, and starter Lucas Liston got a flay out and a pop up for the first two outs of the inning. But he wouldn’t get out of it unscathed. Rible singled, and Komline singled to load the bases. That brought up Andrew Schmeider, who hit a sharp ball to second baseman Lucas Grob, near the bag, who snared it, but stumbled. Price scored from third on the initial hit, but as Grob tried to get up, and then make a throw home, Rible was able to come home well, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Michael Lobosco then hit a ball to center, and Jake Dolan fired to third to get Schmeider for the third out, but not before Komline came in to score, tying the game at three.

Then came the sixth, where Ridge sent eleven men to the plate. With one out, Callanan walked, Grob doubled, and Jake Dolan was intentionally walked. Kucerka broke the tie with a line drive to left to make it 5-3. He and Dolan advanced to second and third on a balk, prompting Max Newill to come out of the dugout and urge Komline to settle down. But Ridge wasn’t done.

Sawyer Paul grounded to third, and third baseman Kevin Kelly threw home, and it beat Dolan, but he slid under the tag to make it 6-3. Dimitri Romer also grounded to third, and this time Kelly got a force at second, but another run came in to make it 7-3. After a single by Matt Pypcznske, Toby Nicholson hit an RBI single to left, and that was all for Komline. Jack Braswell came on in relief, and allowed a single to Colin Newcomb, which drove in a run to make it 9-3, then he got Callanan to fly out to center to end it.

Ridge added one more run in the bottom of the sixth.

But Bridgewater still had some life in the top of the seventh. Michael Labosco singled in between a line out and a strikeout, leaving Kelly at the plate as their last hope. But he extended the game with a walk, and Price doubled to make it 10-4. Stephen Pikulin followed with a single to center to score another run, and Josh Moore got hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second for Rible, who hit a hard liner to second, stopped by Grob on a short hop instead of in the air. But there was no one to throw to, as the first baseman Paul also had tried for it. That made it 10-6, bringing in Price, but Komline ended up flying out to center to end it.

Komline took the loss, allowing nine runs on eight hits to fall to 3-5, while the win went to Romer in relief, who improves to 6-2.

Click below for postgame reaction – presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen – from Ridge junior catcher Casey Kucerka and head coach Tom Blackwell with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

June 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Where will NJSIAA state semifinals be this year? Under new wrinkle, it depends on who’s playing

One of the tweaks the NJSIAA made to the high school baseball playoffs this year was a change as to who hosts the state semifinals.

This years state tournament regulations differ from years past, where the sections would alternate. One year it would be South Jersey and North Jersey, Section 2 champions hosting, the next it would be Central and North Jersey, Section 1.

This year, hosts will be the team with the higher power point values.

Keep in mind, that doesn’t necessarily mean the higher seed. The top three seeds in one section might have higher power point values than the top seed in another. And, of course, you could get two No. 1 seeds – so how would that be decided?

In this case, it’s strictly the team with the most power points, so even though everyone is two wins away from the state semis, let’s take a look at the four state semifinals that could see the seven public schools still alive from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

Central Jersey Group 4: Old Bridge is the top seed, and will play fourth-seed Hightstown Wednesday at 5 pm in the semifinals. The winner gets either third-seed Hunterdon Central or seven-seed Jackson Twp. in the final.

If Old Bridge wins the title, they would host anyone from the South Jersey Group 4 bracket except the top-seed Kingsway, which has more power points than the Knights. If Eastern, Rancocas Valley or Cherry Hill East win it, Old Bridge will host the state semifinals at Fred Cole Field.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Three of the four teams in Wednesday’s semifinal from the CJSR area, and all from the Skyland Conference Delaware Division. Top-seed Ridge plays five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan at 4 pm (listen live on CJSR), while third-seed Watchung Hills visits second-seed Bayonne, with a 4:30 first pitch.

And though three of our teams could win the North 2, Group 4 title, all would be on the road in the state semifinals. That’s because all four teams in the semis in North 1, Group 4 – top four seeds Passaic Tech, Mount Olive, Ridgewood, and West Orange – have higher power point values than the four remaining in North 2. That is a tough section, indeed. Passaic Tech went to the Passaic County Tournament title game, and lost 11-1 to DePaul. And Mount Olive shocked state No. 1 Delbarton, 8-7, to win the Morris County Tournament title, its first in 35 years.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: Fourth-seed South Plainfield is on the road today, with a tough task at top-seed Chatham at 4 pm. The winner faces either second-seed North Hunterdon or third-seed Cranford.

But with defending champion South Plainfield having the lowest power point total of the eight teams remaining in North 1 and North 2, the Tigers – should they win the section again – will be on the road, no matter who they face.

Central Jersey Group 1: The two CJSR-area teams are on opposite ends of the bracket, so it’ll be top-seed Middlesex hosting five-seed Shore Regional at 4 pm, and second-seed Piscataway Magnet facing third-seed Point Pleasant Beach at the same time.

The defending champion Blue Jays and Piscataway Magnet are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams among the eight remaining between Central 1 and South 1, so if either of them win the sectional title, they will host a state semifinal next Monday.

UPCOMING PUBLIC SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Wednesday, June 3: Sectional Semifinals (at higher seeds)
Friday, June 5: Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)
Monday, June 8: State Semifinals (at higher power point values)
Sunday, June 14: State Finals (at Rutgers – Group 3 at 10 am, Group 4 and 1 pm, Group 1 and 4 pm, Group 2 at 7 pm)

June 2, 2026June 2, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan travels to Ridge Wednesday for North 2, Group 4 semis, rubber match between Panthers and Red Devils, with trip to a title game on the line

The first meeting between Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan this year was a 4-3 win for the Panthers, the second was a 4-3 win for the Red Devils.

Which means the rubber match between the two, Wednesday afternoon up in the Somerset Hills, should be a doozy.

Fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan will play top-seed Ridge at 4 pm at Hall Field in Basking Ridge in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 semifinals of the NJSIAA state tournament, with a trip to the championship game on the line. And you can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Pregame is set for 3:45 pm, with first pitch at 4:00. Click here to listen.

In the first of two between the teams, it was Bridgewater-Raritan rallying for four runs in the sixth, benefitting from a bases loaded walk that brought in one run, and a balk that brought in another. In the second, Ridge trailed led 1-0 heading into the sixth, then gave up three in the top of the inning. But they clawed back with a run in the bottom to cut it to 3-2, tied it with a run in the seventh, then won it on a Toby Nicholson walk-off single in the gap in the bottom of the eighth.

For the Panthers, the season has been a challenge, having not brought back much in the “returning starter” department. Bridgewater started the year 1-5, but has played about .500 ball since, coming in at 13-16, a misleading number that belies that fact they play in one of the toughest divisions in the state.

Both Immaculata and Ridge had been ranked at various points this year, the three of the four teams in this section’s semifinals are from the Skyland Delaware, with third-seed Watchung Hills visiting two-seed Bayonne this afternoon in the other semi game. (That one starts at 4:30 pm.)

Ridge, meanwhile, comes in at 17-10, and got off to a red-hot start at 11-1, before dropping five in a row that included a pair against Immaculata, one against perennial contender North Hunterdon, the loss to the Panthers, and defending Central Jersey Group 4 champion Hillsborough.

But in their first two games on the state tournament, they’ve won twice by the ten-run rule. They took a 13-3 win over 16-seed Barringer on a walk-off in five innings, scoring five in their final at bat, then blanked Phillipsburg 10-0 in six, walking it off with three in their final at bat. That leaves Ridge outscoring its opponents 23-3 in the state tournament.

Bridgewater has done similarly, though. They topped 12-seed Plainfield in the opening round 11-0 in five, then won at four-seed JP Stevens 10-0 in six, scoring the final run to kick in the mercy rule in the top of the sixth.

This one probably won’t be decided that way, but with long-time rivals going at it instead of two teams that may not be familiar with each other from different conferences, expect a tight one, with a little extra juice – a championship game-type atmosphere.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill

June 1, 2026May 31, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

State tourney, GMC final results yield yet another shuffling of Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten

It was a second week in a row of a fairly good amount of upheaval in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten.

Why?

Monroe’s upset of Old Bridge in the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament championship game – coupled with the first two rounds of the NJSIAA state tournament – resulted in some changes, including one team making its first appearance in the rankings this season.

Despite all the movement, Watchung Hills (17-8) remained No. 1 this week, one of just two teams in the same position they were last week. The Hustlin’ Warriors dropped their last regular season game on Tuesday, a 12-5 decision at Millburn, but won two games in the state tournament. In the North 2, Group 4 first round, they beat 14-seed Elizabeth 10-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule walkoff, then got by six-seed Westfield in the quarterfinals, 8-6. They’ll be in the sectional semis at second-seed Bayonne this Wednesday.

Continuing its meteoric rise is Monroe (15-14), now the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion after knocking off third-seed Old Bridge, 7-0 in the final, as the nine-seed. However, their season is over, as they got knocked out of the state tournament in Central Jersey Group 4 on Friday, 10-2 down at fourth-seed Hightstown. That came after beating 12-seed Montgomery, 1-0, on a walkoff single by Alex Marcus.

Holding at No. 3 is Immaculata (22-5). The Spartans beat Rutgers Prep at home, 7-0 on Tuesday, in preparation for the state tournament. After a first-round by in Non-Public South A, the top-seeded Spartans beat eighth-seed Paul VI, 7-0, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They’ll get back to it on Tuesday, when they host 5th-seed CBA. Central Jersey Sports Radio will have Sean Newcomb covering that game, and you can follow him in Twitter by clicking here.

Dropping two spots to fourth is Old Bridge (20-9), after falling to Monroe in the GMC title game on Saturday, 7-0. But the Knights’ season is not done. After opening up the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs with a 1-0 win over 16-seed East Brunswick on Wednesday, and following it up with an 8-0 win over eight-seed Freehold Township in Friday’s quarterfinals, the Knights – who had an 11-game win streak snapped Saturday – will look to rebound and move on in the state tournament when they host four-seed Hightstown in the semifinals.

A number of teams edged down a spot or two, mainly due to Monroe’s rise. That includes Ridge (17-10), which dropped one spot to five. On Tuesday, they won a regular season game at Hillsborough, 8-1, then got into the state tournament. They beat 16-seed Barringer (Newark) 13-3 in a mercy-rule five-inning walk-off on Wednesday in the North 2, Group 4 opening round, then walked off eight-seed Phillipsburg in six, by a 10-0 score on Friday. Wednesday, they will face five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio starting at 4 pm, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Click here to listen.

South Plainfield (16-11) climbs to six this week, one of only two teams (the other, Immaculata) to have a perfect week. The Tigers went 3-0, starting with a 7-1 regular season playoff tune-up victory over Middlesex on Tuesday. The next day, they opened the state playoffs with a 5-0 win over 13-seed JFK in the North 2, Group 3 first round. Friday, they were 7-0 winners over fifth-seed North Plainfield, and now move on to Wednesday’s semifinals, where they’ll go on the road for the first time this year in the states, facing top-seed Chatham.

Middlesex (22-5) drops a notch to seven this week. After the 7-1 loss to South Plainfield on Tuesday, they opened Central Jersey Group 1 play in the state tournament with a 21-1 win in five innings over 16-seed Highland Park, then an 11-1 win on a walk-off in six against eight-seed South Hunterdon. Next up, the Blue Jays play host to five-seed Shore in the CJ1 semifinals on Wednesday.

In the eighth spot is Rutgers Prep (17-7), same as last week. The Argonauts dropped a 70- regular season state tourney tune-up to Immaculata in Flemington on Tuesday, but came back nicely with a 16-0, five-inning win over ten-seed Pope John of Sparta in the Non-Public North B quarterfinals, after getting an opening round bye. Tuesday, they will host third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas at 4 pm in a Skyland-GMC crossover you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel calling the action. Click here to listen.

Down two spots to nine is Edison (19-8), which literally limped to the finish line with its top three starters – D1 commits Connor Murphy, Dom Innocenti and Rob Roma – all injured or nagged by arm issues in some way shape or form by the end of the year. None of the three were available for Wednesday’s opening round playoff loss to 15-seed Franklin, 5-4, in the Central Jersey Group 4 section.

And new to the rankings this week is Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers – despite a last place finish in the grueling Skyland Conference Delaware Division – proved their metttle not just by reaching the Somerset County Tournament semifinals as a five-seed a couple of weeks ago, but also by reaching the North 2, Group 4 semifinals as a five-seed this week. Bridgewater beat 12-seed Plainfield 11-0 in five innings in the opening round Wednesday, then went on the road in the quarters on Friday and knocked off four-seed JP Stevens, 10-0 in six. Next, they travel to top-seed Ridge for what should be a good rubber match in the sectional semifinals: each team beat the other 4-3 this year in their regular season matchups.

Dropping out was previous No. 10 Colonia. The ninth-seeded Patriots (14-10) lost their opening round North 2, Group 3 playoff game to nine-seed Middletown North, 5-1, on Wednesday, just two weeks after being eliminated from the GMC Tournament in their opening game.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten for Week Nine. NOTE: This will be the final ranking until the season is complete for all CJSR-area clubs.

May 31, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – North 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals: (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 10, (4) JP Stevens 0

Nico Moore pitched a complete-game three-hitter, while six different Panthers drove in runs as fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan was a road winner at four-seed JP Stevens in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 sectional quarterfinals.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from JP Stevens High School in North Edison on May 22, 2026.

May 29, 2026May 29, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday NJSIAA Public State Playoff Roundup: Top-seed Old Bridge advances, but fellow GMC finalist Monroe is knocked out; Watchung Hills, No. 1 seeds Ridge, Middlesex move on; South Plainfield ousts North; Piscataway Magnet walks off again

We started with 32, and after two rounds, we’re down to seven. (At least among the publics.)

Seven teams are all that remain from the Greater Middlesex and Skyland Conferences after the first round and quarterfinals of the NJSIAA state tournament, and all will have an opportunity to reach the section finals in their respective sections next Friday, if they can win semifinal games next week.

Only one team remains in Central Jersey Group 4, where top-seed old Bridge advanced, but fifth-seed Monroe lost, on the eve of their meeting in the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament championship game Saturday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick. First pitch of that game is at noon with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling the action. Pregame is set for 11:40, and you can either listen to the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio the usual way, or watch our live YouTube stream by clicking here.

In other sections, second-seed Piscataway Magnet earned its 25th win – for the second straight state tournament game in walk-off fashion – leading the Raiders into one semifinal, while top-seed Middlesex won again by the mercy rule and also will play for a title game berth.

Top-seed Ridge, third-seed Watchung Hills and fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan advanced in North 2, Group 4 action, making it three of four teams in the semifinals from the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, while defending North 2, Group 3 champion South Plainfield also moved on to the semis in its section, and will seek a third straight trip to the finals.

Scroll through for section-by-section game recaps, interviews, links and more, followed by the schedule for the next round – which resumes next week after a weekend break – for the non-public sections (Tuesday) and publics (Wednesday).

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4

(1) Old Bridge 8, (8) Freehold Twp. 0: The Knights (20-8) got a complete game, one-hit shutout from Mason Mule, who only needed 66 pitches to get through seven innings, facing the minimum 27 batters, despite only striking out three. In fact, the only hit he allowed was a third-inning single by Julian Polo, who was thrown out at second by right fielder Michael Chiarella when he tried to turn it into a double.

Old Bridge got two RBI’s apiece from Nicholas Agonstino and Matt Chin, while Jared Volpe scored twice. They went up 1-0 in the second on an Adrian Lutomski double, then got two more in the fourth when Chiarella, with the bases loaded, lined a ball to short, but an error allowed two runs to score. And while that was all they’d need, the Knights added four more for insurance in the fourth, and one more for good measure in the fifth.

Perhaps the biggest thing about Mule’s performance is that head coach Matt Donaghue elected not to go with his top pitcher, Brady Meyer, and it paid off. That leaves Meyer in line to start the GMC Final Saturday afternoon against Monroe. (See the Falcons’ game summary from today for their pitching situation.) And he could come back Wednesday in the semifinals if he throws under 90 pitches Saturday, or in a potential final Friday regardless of his Saturday pitch count.

Click here to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the win over Freehold Twp., and Saturday’s GMC Final against Monroe, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(4) Hightstown 10, (5) Monroe 2: The Falcons (14-14) were down 2-0 early in this one, as the Rams (18-7) scored twice in their first at bat, on a bases loaded single to center by Dylan Stables and a bases loaded ground out by Manny Gonzalez. And Monroe kept Highstown in check until the fourth, when they exploded for eight runs to take a 10-0 lead. That chased starter Aadi Shah from the game after 3 2/3, allowing seven hits and seven runs, only four of them earned.

With neither Ben Faigin nor Andre Love pitching in the game, both are available to Saturday in the GMC final against Old Bridge, with nearly their full complement of pitches: Faigin will be capped at 105 and Love at 96.

Click here to listen to Monroe head coach Sean Field talk about Friday’s state tournament loss, and coming back Saturday for the GMC final against Old Bridge, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(7) Jackson Twp. 12, (15) Franklin 0 (5 inn.): The Warriors (8-12) got nine hits through five innings, but failed to get anything across in a mercy-rule shortened game. The Jaguars (12-15) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but piled on eight runs in the second – aided by three Franklin errors – and added three more in the fourth. Dylan Shah, Mason Bonds, Shayne Rooney and Christian Jacas each had two hits in the losing effort.

(1) Old Bridge def. (8) Freehold Twp., 8-0
(4) Hightstown def. (5) Monroe, 10-2
(3) Hunterdon Central def. (6) Manalapan, 12-7
(7) Jackson Twp. def. (15) Franklin, 12-1

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1

(1) Middlesex 11, (8) South Hunterdon 1 (6 inn.): The Blue Jays (22 -5) look very much like the team that won the Group 1 state championship last year, and might even be better. Once again, it was Dominic Long on the mound, striking out six and allowing just five hits and one earned run in six innings of work.

Middlesex never trailed in the game, but they did find themselves tied 1-1 heading into the home second inning. But they took the lead back with one in the second, the first of ten unanswered runs over the final five innings. After taking a 2-1 edge into the third, they scored two in the third, then got three more in the fifth and walked it off with a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth.

Dylan Ianiero and Chris Kozak each drove in two runs, while Long scored three times, and Ianiero and Marcus Lavornia each scored twice.

The Blue Jays will host 5-seed Shore (19-8) next Wednesday in the semifinals, but the Blue Devils first have the Monmouth County Tournament Ted Jarmusz Division title game at 4 pm Monday at Colts Neck.

(2) Piscataway Magnet 5, (10) Delaware Valley 4 (9 inn.): For the second straight game in the state tournament, the Raiders won 5-4 in their final at bat, this time needing two extra innings to prevail. Freshman shortstop Trey Lyerly drove in Vincent Canavan with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, after Canavan walked to leadoff the inning and stole second to get into scoring position. You can read the full game story, complete with postgame audio from Lyerly and head coach Greg Sampson at the link.

The Raiders (25-3) will face third-seed Point Pleasant Beach (16-6) – a CJ1 finalist last year and the winners of three straight sectional titles before that – Wednesday in the semifinals, back at home.

(5) Shore 4, (4) Metuchen 0: The Bulldogs’ season ends at 19-8, as the Blue Devils managed five hits and four runs (three earned) off starter James Fenton in his six innings of work, getting two runs in the second and adding two more in the fifth for insurance. Metuchen managed just four hits off Blue Devils’ (19-8) starter Ryan Barham, who struck out seven and walked just one.

(1) Middlesex def. (8) South Hunterdon, 11-1 (6 inn.)
(5) Shore def. (4) Metuchen, 4-0
(3) Point Pleasant Beach def. (11) Florence, 11-1 (5 inn.)
(2) Piscataway Magnet def. (10) Delaware Valley, 5-4 (9 inn.)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4

(1) Ridge 10, (8) Phillipsburg 0 (6 inn.): The Red Devils (17-0) jumped on Phillipsburg (14-10) with four runs in the bottom of the first, then walked it off with three in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by mercy rule.

Lucas Grob and Jake Dolan stroked back-to-back one-out singles in the first, and another by Casey Kucerka got Ridge all the runs they turned out to need. After a walk to Casey Kucerka, Dimitri Romer singled score two, and Aiden Kerrigan hit a sac fly to right to make it 4-0.

Kucerka drove in three runs for Ridge, while Grob and Dolan each had two RBIs. Romer went all six innings for the win, striking out five, scattering just three hits to improve to 5-2 on the season.

The Red Devils will meet Skyland Delaware foe and five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (13-16) in the semifinals – a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – next Wednesday at 4 pm. The teams split their two game set this year, both winning by 4-3 scores.

Click here to hear Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell talk about the Red Devils’ state playoff win over Phillipsburg with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(5) Bridgewater-Raritan 10, (4) JP Stevens 0 (5 inn.): The Panthers (13-6) have now won four of their last six after a mercy-rule win over the Hawks, their second by the run rule in two state tournament games. Nico Moore got the win, allowing just four hits in his five innings of work. Read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, and hear postgame reaction from Nico Moore, Michael Lobosco and head coach Max Newill at the link.

The Panthers will visit top-seed Ridge Wendesday at 4 pm in the semifinals, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Ridge and Bridgewater split their two game set this year, each winning by a 4-3 score.

(3) Watchung Hills 8, (6) Westfield 6: The Hustlin’ Warriors hung on for dear life in this one, nearly seeing an 8-1 lead after five innings slip away.

Westfield led 1-0, opening the scoring in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Andrew Lisnok, but Watchung Hills took the lead in the bottom of the inning. After a walk and hit batsman to lead off the inning, pinch-hitter David Begarney singled to tie the game. Brody Girffith stole home for the second run, and Jacob Jaconski makde it 4-0 with a line drive single to left.

Then, it was a five-spot in the fifth. Max Payne led off, reaching on an error on the shortstop, Landon Pudlak Walked, and Griffith reached on a bunt down the third-base line. After BRady Simo popped out – with the infield fly in effect – Bennett Dealaman reached on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-0 Warriors. A walk to pinch-hitter Lucas Ricci loaded the bases again, and a Jaconski walk scored the sixth run.After another fielder’s choice, this one by Stef DeGeronimo, Rob Centamore singled to drive in two, giving Watchung Hills what looked like a commanding lead.

But, Westfield would chip away. They got a two in the top of the sixth on and RBI single by Jack Doherty and a two-RBI double by Liam Sullivan to make it 8-4. And they came back for more in the seventh. After a leadoff error, a groundout, another error and a walk, Max Payne came in for Hills and walked Doherty to make ti 8-3, then gave up a single to Alex Lawrence to score two and make it 8-5. All that came with one out, but Payne then induced a pop up for the second out, and fanned Owen O’Connor on strike three swinging to end the game.

The Warriors will travel up to second-seed Bayonne (21-8) to play the Bees in the semifinals next Wednesday afternoon.

(2) Bayonne 3, (10) Woodbridge 1: The Barrons’ season ends at 16-11, dropping a pitchers’ duel in Hudson County Friday afternoon in which Woodbridge actually outhit their hosts, 5-3. The Bees opened the scoring in the first on a groundout by Cody Guthrie, and Woodbridge tied it in the fifth with a double by Hogan Boyd. But Bayone got two to go ahead for good in the bottom of the inning, one on an error on a grounder to Gavin Slicner off the bat of Brayden O’Connor, and another on a sac fly to center by Carmelo Isler.

(1) Ridge def. (8) Phillipsburg, 10-0
(5) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (4) JP Stevens, 10-0 (6 inn.)
(3) Watchung Hills def. (6) Westfield, 8-6
(2) Bayonne def. (10) Woodbridge, 3-1

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3

(4) South Plainfield 7, (5) North Plainfield 0: Andrew Bena – the second half of a formidable 1-2 starting pitcher punch for the Tigers (16-11) was outstanding, allowing just four hits while striking out ten in a six-inning effort. Jayden Jiminez closed it out.

South Plainfield got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the second. Andrew Cicenia and Ed Bundzinski opened with back-to-back singles, and after a strikeout, Andrew Burns walked, and Joe Stanzione cleared the bases with a double to make it 3-0. Stanzione scored after a second strikeout when Aiden McCarthy hit the ball to second and reached on an error.

The defending North 2, Group 3 champion Tigers – who added another run in the fourth and two more int he sixth for insurance – move on to play at top-seed Chatham (20-6) Wednesday in the sectional semifinals.

Click here to listen to South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the Tigers’ quarterfinal win over North Plainfield with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

(1) Chatham def. (9) Middletown North, 3-0
(4) South Plainfield def. (5) North Plainfield, 7-0
(3) Cranford def. (11) Summit, 17-7 (5)
(2) North Hunterdon def. (7) Millburn, 6-0

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, June 3 (all games 4 pm unless otherwise noted)

Non-Public North B Semifinals

(5) Morristown Beard at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
(3) St. Thomas Aquinas at (2) Rutgers Prep, 4:30 pm (LIVE on CJSR)

Non-Public South A Semifinals

(5) Christian Brothers Academy at (1) Immaculata (at Diamond Nation, Flemington) (Follow Sean Newcomb on Twitter for updates)
(3) Red Bank Catholic at (2) St. Augustine

Wednesday, June 4 (game times TBA)

Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals

(4) Hightstown at (1) Old Bridge
(7) Jackson Twp. at (3) Hunterdon Central

Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals

(5) Shore at (1) Middlesex
(3) Point Pleasant Beach at (2) Piscataway Magnet

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Semifinals

(5) Bridgewater-Raritan at (1) Ridge
(3) Watchung Hills at (2) Bayonne

North Jersey, Section 2 Semifinals

(4) South Plainfield at (1) Chatham
(3) Cranford at (2) North Hunterdon

Thursday, June 5: Non-Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

Friday, June 6: Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

May 29, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Bridgewater-Raritan run-rules for second straight game, advances to North 2, Group 4 semifinals, 10-0, over JP Stevens

You don’t usually see back-to-back run-rule victories in the state tournament. Especially as the lower seed in one of those games.

But Bridgewater-Raritan is white-hot at just the right time, and did just that.

The fifth-seeded Panthers (13-16) tacked on runs early and often en route to a 10-0, six-inning victory over fourth-seeded JP Stevens in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals, to advance to their second sectional semifinal in three years. The Hawks’ (18-9) season came to a close, finishing up their best campaign since 2019.

It was obvious from the first pitch of the game that Bridgewater-Raritan was locked in on its approach, a three-pronged message from the top: Throw strikes, make plays, and get quality at-bats.

The Panthers did all three to near-perfection on Friday, winning by double-digits for the second straight game after an 11-0 win over 12th-seeded Plainfield in the first round

On the mound, Nico Moore went the distance with six shutout innings in just 89 pitches, allowing four hits.

Bridgewater-Raritan got started early with a run in the first inning, as second baseman Nick Spirra grounded into a bases-loaded double play with nobody out to strike first. Though JP Stevens starter Nolan Overmeyer got out of the inning with just the one run after the jam, it was clear the Panthers were ready for anything the Hawks could throw at them.

Moore worked two shutout innings, allowing just one baserunner, as Bridgewater-Raritan’s offense broke the game open in between.

First baseman Stephen Pikulin and right fielder Josh Moore reached with one out on a walk and hit-by-pitch – Moore’s fourth in the last two games – respectively, before shortstop Cody Rible sent a fly ball into the left-centerfield gap for a double to bring home Pikulin.

Centerfielder Kellan Komline added an RBI single to bring home Moore, and stole second to put runners on second and third with one out. Left fielder Andrew Schmieder poked a single into right field to bring home both runners and made it a four-run inning and a 5-0 lead. But the Panthers weren’t done yet.

Catcher Michael Lobosco singled to put Schmieder on third, and courtesy runner Matt DeLucia worked a pickoff rundown to allow Schmieder to come home easily. By the time the inning ended, Bridgewater-Raritan led 6-0 and chased Overmeyer out of the game, as his replacement, right fielder Aarush Patel, recorded the final two outs.

Moore continued his dominance on the mound, coupling his fast pace between pitches with a nasty fastball and curveball combination to keep the Hawks off balance all afternoon.

Patel and Moore each recorded shutout sides of the third inning, and in the top of the fourth, it looked like Patel was headed for another solid frame after retiring the first two batters.

But the Panthers stuck to their approach, and grew the lead because of it. Five straight hitters reached base after Schmieder struck out to record the second out, as they tacked on three more insurance runs to expand the lead to 9-0. Within that stretch, Bridgewater-Raritan faced several two-strike counts, but the Panthers just kept battling and refused to go down. Pinch-hitter Joey Confalone ripped an RBI single down the first-base line to bring home DeLucia, third baseman Connor Price brought in another with an RBI single of his own, and Pikulin scored another with an infield single.

By that point, Bridgewater-Raritan put its stamp on another postseason victory.

Both teams were shut out in the fifth, but the Panthers scored the pivotal tenth run in the top of the sixth inning. Lobosco sent a fly ball down the left-field line for a double – reaching base for the fourth time – and DeLucia came around to score from third on a sacrifice fly by Price two batters later.

With the end of the game in sight, Moore worked three straight groundouts in the bottom half to send Bridgewater-Raritan home happy an inning early.

Moore earned the win with six shutout innings, allowing four hits and no walks with four strikeouts. Overmeyer was given the loss with six earned runs in an inning and a third, allowing five hits with a walk and hit batter. Patel was solid in relief, going four and two-thirds innings of four-run ball, with two strikeouts four walks, allowing five hits.

The Panthers will move on to face Skyland Delaware division foe and top-seeded Ridge in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals on Wednesday, after the Red Devils defeated eighth-seeded Phillipsburg with a six-inning, 10-0 of their own in the opposite quarterfinal on Friday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Bridgewater-Raritan pitcher Nico Moore, catcher Michael Lobosco, and head coach Max Newill after the Panthers’ 10-0 win over JP Stevens in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

May 29, 2026May 29, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Fourth-seed JP Stevens, fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan vie for North 2, Group 4 semifinal bid

Some of the most fun postseason matchups come between adjacent seeds, regardless of the sport.

Another high-power matchup will come to North Edison on Friday in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals between the fourth seed, JP Stevens, and the fifth seed, Bridgewater-Raritan, in a GMC/Skyland Conference crossover.

In a battle between two ascending teams over the course of the season, one will earn a bid to the sectional semifinals, with the Panthers (12-16) looking for their second in three years after a Group 4 title in 2024, while the Hawks (18-8) look for their first appearance in the semifinals since 2008, where they lost to eventual Group 4 state runner-up North Hunterdon.

It all gets started at 4 pm at JP Stevens, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 3:45 with Alec Crouthamel on the call; click here to listen.

Both teams are coming off resounding first-round victories against their double-digit seed counterparts.

Bridgewater-Raritan played strong all-around baseball to take down 12th-seeded Plainfield 11-0 in five innings. The Panthers put up three runs in the first inning, six in the third, and two in the fourth to seal the run-rule victory, along with a near-perfect outing for starter Jack Braswell. He allowed just one baserunner – a fourth-inning single with two outs – while striking out eight.

JP Stevens put up double-digit runs as well, defeating 13th-seeded Ferris out of Jersey City 11-2. In their first playoff victory since 2019, the Hawks got another gem from starter Soham Prajapati, who struck out 13 in a complete game effort, giving him 102 on the year and 247 in his career. The bats also came alive as the game went on, with three runs in the third inning, two in the fifth, and six in the bottom of the sixth to break the game open after the Bulldogs cut their deficit to 5-2 in the top half.

Both teams have been tested to date, Bridgewater-Raritan playing in the Skyland Delaware division, and JP Stevens finishing in an 11-3 three-way tie atop the GMC Blue division.

They bring another similarity in that the experiences this year have built true development to put both teams in a better spot than they started in late March.

But only one can come away victorious in the sectional playoffs. Each team will take the lessons they’ve learned and their high-level developments into the do-or-die showdown to keep their seasons alive come the month of June.

Click below to hear both head coaches talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel about their teams’ first-round victories and upcoming matchups in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals:

JP Stevens head coach Tyler Jackow

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill

May 28, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Thursday NJSIAA State Tournament Roundup: Immaculata, St. Thomas Aquinas advance, while Perez K’s all 15 outs in Rutgers Prep win

There was an “immaculate inning” in the second, and it wasn’t a perfect game, but it was pretty close.

Rutgers Prep senior Li Perez allowed just one-hit and struck out 15 Pope John hitters Thursday afternoon in Non-Public North B quarterfinal action, as the second-seeded Argonauts (17-7) routed the 10th-seeded Lions 16-0 in a five-inning, ten-run rule win. All 15 outs recorded by Perez coming via strikeout. And he did it with just 59 pitches thrown.

Meanwhile, the offense pumped out its second-biggest run total of the year, one shy of the 17 Rutgers Prep scored in a 17-10 win over Union Catholic in the Autism Awareness Challenge on April 17th. Fellow senior Maddox Chu drove in five runs on a 2-for-2 day, which included a three-run homer to center in the first inning, and a two-run homer to right in the second, giving the Argos an 8-0 lead they would extend to 10-0 by the time the inning was over.

And just to make sure the ending was not in doubt, Rutgers Prep added a five-spot in the third, and one more in their final at bat, in the fourth, just for good measure.

Click here to listen to Rutgers Prep senior Li Perez talk about his 15-strikeout, one-hitter with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

The Argonauts move on to the North B semifinals next Tuesday, where they’ll play third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas in a Skyland Conference-GMC crossover. The Trojans (13-14) were 7-0 winners over Morris Catholic (13-11) Thursday in North Edison, and Louis Rizzolo (9 Ks in 6 innings) and Nikash Patel combined for a one-hit shutout.

Aquinas opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the third, and added three more in the fourth and another in the fifth. Patel stole home for the third run in the third, then drove in a run with a single in the fourth. Adrian Sanchez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

(1) St. Mary-Rutherford def. (8) Montclair Kimberley, 12-1 (5 inn.)
(5) Morristown-Beard def. (4) Newark Academy, 4-2
(3) St. Thomas Aquinas def. (6) Morris Catholic, 7-0
(2) Rutgers Prep def. (10) Pope John, 16-0 (5 inn.)

Non-Public South A:

Top-seed Immaculata (22-5) won its playoff opener Thursday, 7-0 over Paul VI of Haddonfield. The Spartans picked up a run each in the first and second off the bat of Luca Catanzerite – with a solo home run to right (his second of the year) to leadoff the bottom of the first, then a groundout in the second – before exploding for five in the third, all coming with two outs. Bryson Auten had the big blow in that inning, a three-run homer for his third of the season.

His older brother, Ryan, struck out 14, and allowed just one-hit in a complete-game shutout, to improve to 7-1 on the season.

The Spartans will host fifth-seed Christian Brothers Academy (17-8), in the first meeting between the teams in 15 years, at Diamond Nation in Flemington next Tuesday in the semifinals. CBA beat four-seed Union Catholic 9-2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

On the other side of the bracket, 10-seed Pingry (11-15) lost 8-0 down at second-seed St. Augustine (20-7). The Hermits did their damage early, with one in the first and three in the second, then another in the third and three more in the fourth. The Big Blue were held to three hits by Aug’s starter Alex Weingartner, who went five innings, with two other relievers combining for two innings of no-hit ball.