Top-seed Edison got two triples and four RBI’s from Sam Kentos, and a five-inning one-hitter and 14 strikeouts from Connor Muprhy, in a 10-0 win over 17th-seed Piscataway Magnet in the first round of the GMC Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals.
READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play live from Edison High School on May 11, 2026.
Top-seed Edison and the rest of the top seven seeds advanced Monday in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament, with only eight-seed Colonia getting upset.
It was a chalk Monday in the tournament, which has been fairly lucky in the first two rounds with weather. Rain had been in the forecast at one point or another for the first three days of the event, including Saturday’s preliminary round.
But all those games got off without a hitch – even if a few raindrops fell, it was nothing major – and Monday turned out to be a gorgeous day, with temps in the low 60s under mostly cloudy skies until about an hour into the 4 pm games, when the sun shone for the rest of the later afternoon.
Here’s a recap of all eight games, followed by the schedule for Wednesday’s quarterfinals, which – as of 11 pm Monday – has a round a 50 percent chance of showers between the hours of 4 and 6 pm. Any games not played Wednesday likely move to Thursday, with temperatures around 67 degrees, showers in the morning, but a mix of sun and clouds by afternoon.
(1) Edison 10, (17) Piscataway Magnet 5: The Eagles (15-5) scored early and often, getting five in the first and five in the second, more than enough runs for senior Connor Murphy, who struck out 13 and allowed just one infield hit and three baserunners in the game.
Piscataway Magnet took just its second loss of the season to drop to 20-2.
The Eagles – a GMCT finalist last season – will host nine-seed Monroe in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. They split their two-game set in early April, with Edison winning the opener 7-1 on the at home, and Monroe getting a 2-0 shutout in the rematch at home.
(9) Monroe 9, (8) Colonia 2: With ace Colin Kroner sidelined due to injury, the Falcons (9-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then added six more in the middle three innings to take a 9-1 lead, and allowed one sixth-inning run to the Patriots (10-7), who used four pitchers to get through the game. Starter Ryan Totin, who went 3 1/3 innings, took the loss, allowing five earned runs.
Matt Linke, Justin Mangamo and Michael Cinque drove in two runs apiece for the Falcons, who had dropped eight of nine coming in after a 7-4 start. Starting pitcher Ben Fagin was solid, scattering two hits and allowing just one unearned run, striking out 13 in a complete game effort.
In the quarterfinals, Monroe will be at Edison on Wednesday. The teams split this season.
(5) South Plainfield 2, (12) St. Joseph-Metuchen 1: For the Tigers (12-10), they don’t come up bigger than Aiden McCarthy in big spots. The senior pitcher scattered five hits in a complete game effort, allowing one earned run, striking out ten, to improve to 6-1 on the season.
South Plainfield got out to a 1-0 lead in the botom of the first on a sac fly to right by Chris Loniewski. St. Joseph (5-15) – the defending tournament champs – tied it in the top of the fourth with a single by Logan ring, but the Tigers got the lead back in the home half of the inning when Dom Massaro was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Ed Budzinski.
The win puts the Tigers in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at fourth-seed Metuchen (15-5), a team they have not faced since 2018.
(4) Metuchen 3, (13) Spotswood 0: Starter James Fenton went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out 15, and Matt Jelleme closed out the final two-thirds for the win. The Bulldogs (15-5) got an RBI from Matt Jelleme in ousting the Chargers (11-2), a GMCT semifinalist a year ago.
Metuchen will host 5th-seed South Plainfield (12-10) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, the first meeting between the teams since 2018.
(3) Old Bridge 1, (14) Sayreville 0: In a pitchers’ duel, the Knights (14-8) got a four-hit shutout from Brady Meyer, and got the only run they needed in the bottom of the fourth inning – when Jared Volpe scored on a passed ball with Erich Schikchneit at the plate – in taking the tight victory over the Bombers (9-11).
Both starting pitchers went the distance in this one. Meyer walked four but struck out seven, while Jack Martyn of Sayreville allowed one earned run on five hits in six innings of of work. He threw just 70 pitches; while Meyer threw only 85.
In the quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Knights will host sixth-seed Woodbridge (12-7), a team they beat twice this year, but both by slim margins: 2-1 at home on April 2nd, and 9-7 on the road two days later.
(6) Woodbridge 7, (11) East Brunswick 1: The Bears (6-13) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, opening the scoring in the game, but it was all Barrons (12-7) from there on out, as they tied it in the bottom of the inning, then blew it open with five in the fifth before adding a seventh run in the sixth.
Jaidon Coello got East Brunswick on the board with a single in the fourth, but the lead was short-lived, as Xavier Diaz hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the inning, tying the game at one.
In the fifth, Woodbridge got another homer, this time a leadoff blast from Nate Langon to make it 2-1. Then, after a walk to Hogan Boyd, a single by Kevin Arroyo, and another walk to Jack Kobylakiewicz, a third walk – this time to Gavin Slicner – made it 3-1. Diaz singled to make it 4-1, Nick Lukachyk followed with one of his own to make it 6-1, more than enough to give the Barrons the win.
Arroyo got the win, scattering three hits across seven innings, needing just 98 pitches to finish, also recording seven strikeouts.
Next up, Woodbridge visits Old Bridge in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The Knights took both games from the Barrons this season, 2-1 and 9-7.
(7) St. Thomas Aquinas 3, (10) South Brunswick 2: After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Trojans (9-12) got three in the home half to take a 3-1 lead they’d never relinquish in beating the Vikings (9-8).
Louis Rizzolo was masterful, improving to 6-0 on the season thanks to a two-hit complete game in which he struck out 13 and allowed two runs, one earned.
The first came in South Brunswick’s first at bat after Ayden Antigua – who reached on an error – scored with two outs. Starting pitcher Collin Perna drove in the other run with a single in the third.
But Aquinas got all three of its runs in the bottom of the first. Nikash Patel singled to drive in Adrian Sanchez, who had reached on a one-out double, then after a single by Tyler Coello, Justin Brown drove in Patel and Coello with a single.
Perna took the loss for South Brunswick, throwing 5 1/3, striking out six and walking one. All three runs were earned.
St. Thomas will visit second-seed Middlesex (19-2) – a GMC semifinalist last year – in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The teams haven’t met this year, but split two games last season.
(2) Middlesex 12, (15) South River 2: The Blue Jays (19-2) won their fourth straight – and 15th in their last 16 games dating back exactly one month to April 11 – as they topped the Rams (16-6) in a five-inning, ten-run rule victory.
After getting a run in the first on a Luke Jones sacrifice fly that scored Marcus Lavornia – who’d stolen third after he reached on an error and sac bunt got him to second – Middlesex broke it open with five runs in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Lavornia singled to make it 2-0, Dylan Ianiero walked to bring in Chris Kozak, Jones flied out to right to bring in Lavornia, and Sean Hughes drove in two with a double to left to make it 6-0.
And after the Rams got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI double by Hunter Krainski and a sac fly by Noah Barrero, Middlesex simply added six more in the bottom of the inning, then held the Rams the rest of the way. Jones, who finished with four runs batted in, was key in that inning with a two-run double.
Dom long got the win for Middlesex, going four innings, striking out six, and allowing two earned runs. Dalton Michael closed it out in the fifth, allowing just a two out single.
The Jays will host St. Thomas Aquinas (9-12) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS
SATURDAY, MAY 16 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS (at East Brunswick Magnet)
SATURDAY, MAY 23 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINAL (at East Brunswick Magnet)
Senior pitcher Connor Murphy struck out 14 of the 17 batters he faced, and sophomore Sam Kentos drove in four runs on two triples as top-seed Edison picked up a 10-0, five-inning home win over 17th-seed Piscataway Magnet Monday afternoon in the First Round of the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament, heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
After Murphy (now 5-1) struck out the side 1-2-3 in the top of the first, the Eagles got on the board with five runs in the home half of the inning, then added five more for insurance, which they would never need.
That’s because the Monmouth-bound Muprhy was lights out, and against a GMC Gold Division team that had won its first 18 games of the year and came into Monday’s affair at 20-1, the first 20-win team in the Greater Middlesex Confernece this season.
But likely, the Raiders had not seen someone who throws as hard, as quickly, and with such movement as Murphy.
After a three-up, three-down first, he struck out the first two batters in the second, walked Elvis Rodriguez, then got his sixth strikeout to end the inning. He got two Ks and a groundout to short in the third. In the fourth, he struck out the first two batters before giving up an infield hit to Colton Lyerly, but got another K to end the inning. And after a leadoff walk to Rodriguez in the fifth – the only Raider not to fan against Muprhy – he got three straight strikeouts to seal the mercy-rule win.
Meanwhile, Edison did a lot of damage at the plate, all with contact.
Robert Roma led off the first with a walk, and after a fly ball out in foul territory to right by Dom Innocenti, Ray Tavarez drove in Roma with an RBI single. Connor Murphy walked, and when Darren Tirado lined what looked like maybe an extra base hit to right field, Tavarez came in to score, but Murphy got caught in a rundown.
After a couple of back-and-forths, Murphy was tagged down the third base line, while Tirado advanced to third. But the home plate umpire ruled Murphy was safe after noticing that he had been tagged by an Edison player’s glove hand, but the ball was in the other hand. That made it 3-0 Edison, and they still weren’t done.
Damian Calandra knocked in Tirado with a double, and Kentos drove in Calandra with a triple before the last two hitters struck out, ending the first with Edison up 5-0.
In the second, Edison would bat around again – and then some. Roma led with a triple, Innocenti singled to drive him in, making it 6-0. Tavarez flew out to center for the first out, and Murphy reached on a fielder’s choice, erasing Innocenti, but moving Roma to third. Calandra walked to load the bases, setting up Kentos for his second triple of the afternoon, clearing the bases to give Edison a 9-0 lead. Tyler Shuck made it 10-0 with an RBI single.
That was all Edison got, and all they would need to improve to 15-5 on the season, advancing to Wednesday’s GMC Tournament quarterfinals back home again on their red turf, where they’ll play nine-seed Monroe, a 9-2 winner at eight-seed Colonia Monday afternoon.
Piscataway Magnet drops to 20-2 on the season, but also is still alive in the NJTAC Group 1 and 2 Tournament, while still in the running for a top-seed in the state tournament in Central Jersey Group 1, narrowly trailing Middlesex entering Monday’s action.
The win also was a big one for Edison, power-points wise. They’ll get the maximum allowed by NJSIAA rule, 48 points, and net 40 after their loss to Columbia – worth 8 points – drops off. Depending how other teams fare Monday, that could put Edison back atop Central Jersey Group 4 after they were jumped and knocked into third by Old Bridge in the past week.
Click below for postgame reaction from Edison sophomore Sam Kentos, senior Connor Murphy, and head coach Vinnie Abene, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
Division play is all done, county tournaments are underway, and crossovers and non-conference games took center stage last week in the GMC and Somerset County.
And while eight of the teams in last week’s top ten took at least one loss, that was a recipe for a break in the volatility of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Six.
In fact, only three teams moved around this week, one dropped out, and the top five remained the same, led once again by Immaculata (14-4) for a sixth straight week. The Spartans opened the week with a 10-0 loss on Tuesday at No. 5 Watchung Hills. But that didn’t knock them from the top spot, nor did it cost them the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament, which the coaches voted on that very night. But due to Skyland Conference scheduling, Immaculata never got a crack at the Warriors a second time before the seeding meeting, and with a 6-0 Immaculata win at Diamond Nation in Flemington Thursday over Watchung Hills, they split the series. The Spartans finished out the week with a 5-2 win Saturday over The Hun School. They’re next play Tuesday at DePaul.
Holding in second is Middlesex (18-2), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They beat two GMC Red Division teams in crossovers, topping St. Joseph-Metuchen 8-7 on Monday, then winning 10-8 at East Brunswick on Wednesday. Yet, it was not enough to give them the top-seed over Edison in the GMC Tournament, which was seeded Friday morning. Still, the Blue Jays beat then-No. 6 Rutgers Prep on Saturday at Mountainview Park, 7-1. Middlesex is back in action Monday afternoon against South River in the first round of the GMCT.
Speaking of Edison (14-5), the Eagles fell Monday to Metuchen, 6-5, but rebounded with a 16-2 win Tuesday over East Brunswick and a 1-0 win Wednesday over Spotswood. Edison did indeed get the top seed in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament, and will host Piscataway Magnet in the GMC’s first round Monday afternoon.
At No. 4 again this week is is Ridge (13-6), which dropped its first game of the week, 9-5, to Hillsborough on Tuesday, but rebounded with two home wins: 4-3 over Bridgewater-Raritan on Wednesday, and 8-0 over Somerville on Friday. The Red Devils are back in action Monday afternoon when they take on St. Peter’s Prep out of Jersey City.
Holding at No. 5 is Watchung Hills (11-5). The Warriors were just 1-2 in the week gone by, but their first loss came to defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston on Monday, 12-2. They bounced back with a 10-0 home win over Immaculata Tuesday, though it was not enough to give them the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament, having lost twice to Ridge, which in turn had lost twice to the Spartans. And the Warriors had to settle for a split with Immaculata after taking a 6-0 loss at the hands of the Spartans Thursday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington. Watchung Hills has a few days off before a Thursday Somerset County Tournament quarterfinal game, where they’ll host the winner of Monday’s second round game between Somerville and Franklin.
Moving up two spots on a the strength of a 4-0 week is Old Bridge (13-8), which rises to No. 6. The Knights won 10-4 at Colonia on Monday, then beat Metuchen, 8-0, on Wednesday. They welcomed in Bridgewater-Raritan from Somerset County on Friday and won 5-4, before taking down Jersey City’s St. Peter’s Prep Saturday, 3-1. Old Bridge is back in action at home Monday against Sayreville in the first round of the GMC Tournament.
That drops Rutgers Prep (12-4) one spot to seventh, after the Argonauts split four games in the past week. The beat Bridgewater-Raritan 12-8 on Monday, then lost a pitchers’ duel out at North Hunterdon, 1-0, on Tuesday. Prep bounced back with a 10-0 home win over the Lions Thursday to split the home-and-home, but lost Saturday at Middlesex, 7-1. Next up, the Argonauts play Newark Academy on Wednesday.
Also down a spot to No. 8 is Colonia (10-6). The Patriots only played two games this past week, and split. Monday, they lost 10-4 at home to Old Bridge, but they came back to beat St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday, 3-2. Colonia is back in action hosting Monroe in the first round of the GMC Tournament on Monday.
Holding at No. 9 is South Plainfield (11-10). The Tigers went 3-2 in a busy week gone by, winning their first three games: Monday 3-1 at Spotswood, Tuesday 10-5 at Monroe, and Thursday at home, 14-4, over JFK. But on Friday, they lost 5-4 at Sayreville in a crossover with the White Division, then fell 19-9 in a full seven innings to Red Bank Catholic on Saturday.
Making its season debut in the Top Ten is Metuchen (14-5). They enter at No. 9 after a 2-1 week that began in fine fashion with a 6-5 win over No. 3 Edison. They lost at Old Bridge, 8-0, on Wednesday, but bounced back with a 4-2 home win over Monroe on Saturday. The Bulldogs return to action Monday in the GMC Tournament’s first round when they host Spotswood.
Metuchen knocked out previous No. 10 Carteret (14-4), which on Tuesday, handed Piscataway Magnet a 10-0 loss, the Raiders’ first of the season, then beat Highland Park 10-0, but lost a GMC Tournament preliminary round game to Sayreville, 6-1.
Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Six:
Planning to take in some county tournament high school baseball over the next couple of weeks? We’ve got you covered as you make your plans to traverse Middlesex and Somerset Counties to see one of the three tournaments featuring teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.
Of course, there’s the Somerset County Tournament, which gets started first, this Friday. That morning, the Greater Middlesex Conference will seed its tournaments: the Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament and the Ray Cipperly Invitational. Of all the conference teams, the first 20 go into the championship bracket, with the remainder in the invitational.
The SCT has been seeded already, with Immaculata getting the No. 1 seed, and the rest of the top four – with all getting byes to the quarterfinals – going to Watchung Hills, Ridge, and Rutgers Prep.
When the GMC is seeded Friday, there are a few interesting story lines. Chief among them: who will get the top seed?
A Red Division team has been awarded the No. 1 seed in each of the last eight tournaments, with only one “repeat” – St. Joseph-Metuchen in 2022 and 2017.
Division champion Edison has been very good this year playing in the “top” GMC division, considering the league’s new focus on the promotion/relegation model, where division winners from the Blue and White (and sometimes Gold) move up the next year, and last place teams from the Red, White and Blue move down.
The Eagles are the GMC Red Division champs, but GMC White champion Middlesex will at the very least be in the conversation for a top seed, and very well could get it when all is said and done.
Here’s a look at how they compare:
Edison’s Resume:
Middlesex’s Resume:
Comparison:
The other interesting story line is Piscataway Magnet. Coming into the week, they were one of three teams in the entire state of New Jersey to be undefeated. All three – including Doane Academy and Northern Burlington in the BCSL – have taken a loss since then, but the Raiders of the GMC are still 18-1 (their first loss came in a crossover, playing “up” to the Blue, falling 6-4 to North Plainfield).
The general consensus is they have a good shot to make the Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament. To do that, they’d have to be one of the top 20 teams seeded Friday morning by the committee. With two tournaments, there’s no longer a guarantee that the four division winners get seeded in the main bracket, but the question is, what does Piscataway Magnet want?
Not that it matters. The committee will seed the teams from what it deems to be the best on down.
But it’s an interesting debate. They would likely have a better chance at winning the Invitational, but when a team gets hot – and they’ve been on fire all year – anything can happen.
This year, like many in recent years, could be a wide open tournament. And no Number One seed has won the GMC Championship tournament since before COVID. Old Bridge won it as the top-seed in 2019, and St. Joseph did the same in 2017.
But in 2021, top-seed Monroe took an early bow in the first round at the hands of JFK. Top-seed St. Joe’s lost in the 2022 finals, North Brunswick did the same in 2023, and South Plainfield did in 2024, while Woodbridge was knocked out in the first round by South River last season.
How good has Piscataway Magnet been? The six runs they gave up in the loss to North Plainfield is the most they’ve given up all year, and it only happened twice before, in an 8-6 season-opening win over Dunellen, and a 17-6 victory over East Brunswick Magnet in the Autism Awareness Challenge.
They’ve also pitched five shutouts on the year, and have allowed two or fewer runs in 13 of 19 games, while hitting .249 as a team and scoring 11.2 runs per game.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES:
Somerset County Tournament
GMC Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament
GMC Ray Cipperly Invitational Tournament
The two two high school baseball teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten didn’t move at all this week, but most of the rest did.
And with division play mostly out of the way in the GMC, things could get really interesting this week with crossovers heading into Friday morning’s seeding meeting. Same in Somerset County with the last few games before Tuesday’s seeding by the league coaches.
Immaculata (12-3) remains No. 1, as it has been for the past four weeks, after a 3-0 week gone by. The Spartans picked up a Tuesday/Thursday sweep of Hunterdon Central, including a 4-1 home win Tuesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington, and a 14-0 road win just a mile or so away on Thursday. Saturday, they blanked Old Bridge 9-0 in the finale of Spotswood’s E4M showcase. Their last game before the SCT seeding will be Tuesday afternoon, a big one at Watchung Hills. It’s the first of two between the teams, but the only one before the meeting.
Then, it’s to the GMC at No. 2, where Midddlesex (15-2) remains in the same position as last week. The Blue Jays went 2-1, with a sweep of Colonia, both games 4-0 decisions, including a home win Thursday heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They lost Saturday at Westfield, 2-0, and have two big games this week, playing up against the GMC Red Division. They’ll welcome St. Joseph-Metuchen to Mountainview Park on Monday, and visit East Brunswick on Thursday. A win in either game could give the Blue Jays a strong argument for the No. 1 seed in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament.
The other team that will be considered for that top-seed is Edison (12-4), which went 4-1 this past week. They blanked Woodbridge 1-0 Monday, then lost at St. Thomas Aquinas, 3-2, on Tuesday, before returning the favor with a 5-0 home win Thursday. Then, they played two on Saturday, first beating North Brunswick 15-4, then topping JP Stevens, 7-2. The Eagles have three games before Friday’s GMC seeding: Monday at Metuchen, Tuesday at home against East Brunswick, and Spotswood at home on Wednesday.
At No. 4 is Ridge (11-5), down one spot from last week after playing just one game, falling 4-3 at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday. The Red Devils have lost four straight – including two to Immaculata and another at North Hunterdon – after starting the season 11-1. They will host Hillsborough on Tuesday.
In the five spot, it’s Watchung Hills (10-3), which re-entered the rankings at seven last week, and now is up two more spots after a 3-0 week. That included a 6-2 win over Hillsborough on Tuesday, an 18-8 win at Hillsborough on Wednesday, and a 6-2 home win Friday over South Plainfield. Monday, they get a crack at defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston at home, then host Immaculata on Tuesday less than four hours before the seeding meeting. They’re in the same division – the Skyland Delaware – but will only meet once before the meeting; their second is Thursday. Should the Warriors win, could that be enough – at 11-3, not counting what happens against the Highlanders, to earn a top-seed? Watchung Hills did lose twice to Ridge, and that could hurt them, but also consider if they beat GL how that might be seen by the coaches. It’s definitely not insignificant.
At No. 6 is Rutgers Prep (10-2). The Argonauts won their only game this week, an 11-1 drubbing of Phillipsburg, but they get a chance at two Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams before Tuesday’s SCT seeding meeting: Bridgewater Monday, North Hunterdon Tuesday. Both are on the road.
Colonia (9-5) falls two spots this week to No. 7 after an 0-2 week, both losses coming to No. 2 Middlesex. The first, on Tuesday, was a 4-0 home loss. Then, they lost on the road by the same score on Thursday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, they get crossover with a pair of Red Division opponents: Old Bridge Monday at home, then at St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday.
At No. 8 is Old Bridge (9-8). The Knights went 3-2 in the week gone by. They started with a 10-4 loss to East BRunswick, but came back to sweep St. Joseph-Metuchen with a 5-1 road win Tuesday and a 9-4 home win Thursday, sandwiched around a 12-1 win at Monroe Wednesday. The finished up with a 9-0 loss Saturday to Immaculata in Spotswood at the E4M Showcase.
Back in at No. 9 after a week out is South Plainfield (8-8). The Tigers split two games this week, beating Monroe on Monday, 12-3, then taking a 6-2 loss Friday at then-No. 7 Watchung Hills. They visit Spotswood Monday and are at Monroe Wednesday looking for a series sweep, before entertaining JFK on Thursday.
And holding at ten is Carteret (12-3). The Ramblers went 2-0 this week, with a 12-2 win over New Brunswick on Monday at home, then a 15-1 road win against the Zebras on Wednesday. This week, they visit Perth Amboy Magnet Tuesday and host Highland Park on Thursday.
Monroe dropped out from No. 9 after a 1-3 week, leaving the Falcons at 8-9. They lost 7-6 on Monday at Toms River South, at South Plainfield on Tuesday 12-3, and 12-1 to Old Bridge at home on Wednesday, before snapping the skid with a 6-3 win Saturday at home over Colts Neck.
Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Five:
The way the Greater Middlesex Conference seeds its baseball tournaments, division titles are everything.
Actually, the whole standings are everything. In the seeding meeting – with this year’s coming up a week from tomorrow, on Friday, May 8th – teams can only be seeded in order of division finish. No division has to be seeded higher than any other, but the second place team in any division can’t be seeded ahead of the first place team, regardless of head-to-head results.
That means the only teams that can be the top seeds are division winners. And South River took the last remaining title to be decided, winning the GMC Blue in a three-way tiebreaker over Carteret and JP Stevens.
The Rams solidified that deal by virtue of an 11-6 road win at Piscataway Wednesday afternoon, giving them their fourth straight win and a series sweep against the Chiefs. But with the Rams, Ramblers and Hawks all 11-3 in the division, it came down to how all those teams did against each other.
South River went 3-1 in that group, splitting with Carteret and sweeping JP Stevens. The Ramblers were 1-3 in that group, swept by Stevens and splitting with the Rams. The Hawks went 2-2, sweeping Carteret, but getting swept by South River. The title goes to the Rams.
It’s their first division title since they shared the Blue in 2022 with St. Thomas Aquinas. Both went 9-1 in the division, and the teams split their two games, with the Trojans picking up a 16-3 win, while the Rams won the series finale two days later, 5-3.
Elsewhere in the GMC, Piscataway Magnet improved to 16-0 Wednesday with an 11-0 win at South Amboy, giving them a perfect 12-0 division record. It’s the Raiders’ first outright division title since 1996, and they’re one of just a handful of undefeated teams left in the state. The question is, will they make the Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament as one of the top 20 seeds, or play in the Ray Cipperly Invitational.
Regardless of how second-ranked Middlesex fares against Colonia at home Thursday afternoon in its GMC White Division finale (4 pm on CJSR – click here to listen live) the Blue Jays have already clinched the pennant, sitting at 12-1, while second-place Colonia is 9-4.
And in the Red Division, Edison leads the pack at 9-3, with Old Bridge in second at 8-5. The Eagles have one more with St. Thomas Aquinas Thursday, and a make-up at home against East Brunswick next Tuesday. But even if they were to drop both – and the Knights beat St. Joseph-Metuchen Thursday in their division finale, leaving both at 8-5, Edison gets the tiebreaker, having swept Old Bridge 5-2 and 2-1 in the first week of the season.
The only question is, who will get the overall No. 1 seed in the GMC championship tournament?
Edison is 9-4 overall, with losses to Monroe, Woodbridge and St. Thomas Aquinas in the conference, while Middlesex has only one loss at 14-1, coming against South Brunswick.
In that case, it could come down to crossovers in the final week of the season. Edison has three road crossovers, against North Brunswick and JP Stevens out of the Blue Division and Metuchen from the Blue. Middlesex will play up, facing St. Joseph-Metuchen and East Brunswick out of the Red, while also playing a non-conference game at Westfield (8-7) of the Union County Conference this Saturday afternoon at 2 pm.
While the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten went just 14-13 in the past week, leading to additional volatility in the rankings, Immaculata remains at No. 1 for a fourth straight week, a position it’s held this year for all but the preseason list.
It was also a bit of a light week, with many games rained out on Saturday.
The Spartans (9-3) went 2-1 in the week gone by, with a pair of wins over then-No. 2 Ridge, 3-0 in Basking Ridge on Tuesday, and 6-0 at Diamond Nation in Flemington, on Wednesday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. ‘Lata took a loss, though, on Friday, falling 8-1 at Delbarton, the top-ranked team in the state.
Meanwhile, Ridge (11-4) loses the No. 2 spot after their 1-3 week, which included those losses to Immaculata, and a Friday loss at North Hunterdon, 6-2. They opened the week with an 8-7 home win over Pingry on Monday.
That all opened the door for Middlesex (13-1) to move up to No. 2. The Blue Jays have won nine straight, including three games last week. After opening with an 8-3 win at JFK on Tuesday, Middlesex swept Sayreville with a 2-0 home win Thursday and a 9-7 road win Friday.
Edison (8-3) holds in the fourth spot after a 1-1 week. They opened it up with a 9-0 win at East Brunswick on Tuesday, but were no-hit in a five-inning loss to Woodbridge on Thursday, 14-0.
Colonia continues it’s rise, as the 9-5 Patriots move up a spot to No. 5 this week. After a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Spotswood, Colonia came back to sweep Perth Amboy,m winning 7-2 at home on Thursday, then again 6-3 on the road on Friday.
Rutgers Prep (9-2) shot up this week from ninth to sixth, after a 2-0 week that now has them on an eight-game winning streak. The Argonauts swept a pair from Somerville, winning 6-2 on the road Tuesday, then 5-0 at home Thursday. Prep also had its Saturday game at TD Bank Park against South Plainfield – originally scheduled to air live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – moved to later in the season, due to rain.
Watchung Hills (7-3) re-enters the rankings at No. 7, on the strength of a 2-0 week. The Hustlin’ Warriors were 6-2 winners at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday, then beat them back at home on Wednesday, 10-5.
In eighth is Old Bridge (6-6), down one spot after a split week. The Knights lost 4-1 Tuesday at South Plainfield, but came back home Thursday and beat Monroe, 9-5.
The No. 9 position goes to Monroe (7-6), which fell from No. 5. The Falcons were 0-2 in the week gone by, including an 8-1 loss on Tuesday at home to St. Thomas Aquinas, and a 9-5 loss Thursday at Old Bridge.
And holding in tenth is Carteret (10-3), despite a 1-2 week The Ramblers were 12-5 winners over North Brunswick on Monday, but then were swept two games by JP Stevens, including a 3-1 road loss in North Edison Wednesday, and a 10-0 home loss on Friday.
Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Four:
The GMC Red Division so far this season has been Edison leading the pack, and everyone else beating everyone else.
But on Thursday afternoon, Woodbridge brought the Eagles right into the scrum.
The Barrons pounded out 15 hits over five innings – while senior Michael Gurovich threw a no-hitter – in a 14-0 shutout win over Edison in GMC Red Division play, and the opener of their two-game regular season series.
This wasn’t one where the opposition kicked the ball around the infield either. The Barrons jumped on Edison early with four runs in the top of the fourth. They added another in the third, two in the fourth, and put it away in the top of the fifth with seven more. Overall, 12 of the 14 runs were earned.
Gurovich wasn’t overpowering. He was efficient, and pitched to contact, tossing just 62 pitches – an average of just over 12 per inning – striking out one, and allowing just two baserunners, both on walks.
In fact, he was so efficient, head coach Mike Monaco said he’d thought of pulling him when he was at 48 pitches to keep the option of using him as a closer Saturday against Edison in the second game, if needed. But having not given up a hit yet, he and his coaching staff quickly decided against it.
The Barrons had a heck of an afternoon at the plate. Billy Mansfield went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in, including a two-RBI triple in the first, an RBI triple in the third, and a solo homer and a two-RBI single in the in the fifth. Gavin Slicner also homered and went 3-for-4, as did Gurovich, who knocked in one run.
The Barrons are now 5-6 on the year, and since starting the season 1-5 – with a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas and two each to Old Bridge and South Plainfield – have won four of their last five, including a sweep of Monroe, a split with St. Joseph-Metuchen, and Thursday’s win over Edison, which falls to 8-3, 8-2 in the GMC Red, but still in first place by two games over South Plainfield (7-5, 6-4) and Old Bridge (6-7, 6-4).
The Barrons and Eagles close out the series Saturday in Woodbridge at 10 am – weather permitting – then will make an appearance on Central Jersey Sports Radio on Tuesday afternoon at home against East Brunswick at 4 pm, the opener of their final division series of the season.
Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Woodbridge head coach mike Monaco about the win over Edison and the season so far:
For a second straight week, the top four teams continued to win – leaving Immaculata, Ridge, Middlesex and Edison right where they’ve been – but everyone else keeps beating each other up, and two new teams join the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Three.
Immaculata (7-2) remains in the No. 1 position after a 2-1 week. In Skyland Conference play, the Spartans swept Bridgewater-Raritan – 13-3 at home, and 5-2 on the road – Tuesday and Thursday, before falling 7-3 to Delsea in a non-conference game on Saturday.
Holding at No. 2 is Ridge (10-1), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They swept a Tuesday-Thursday series from Watchung Hills – 12-10 on the road, and 13-3 at home – before an 8-3 win over Bernards Saturday completed the perfect week.
Immaculata and Ridge square off this week in a huge two-game set that will have a lot of say in which team – at least at this point – takes the inside track for the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament. The seeding meeting is Wednesday, May 6th.
Middlesex (10-1) continues to roll as well. The Blue Jays went 5-0 this past week, sweeping Metuchen 2-1 on the road Tuesday, and 6-2 at home Thursday. Middlesex then beat Voorhees Saturday, 11-2, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game at North Brunswick Community Park, and took a 13-2 decision over JFK Saturday, before beating Wood-Ridge (Bergen County) on the road Sunday, 15-1.
Edison (7-2) holds at No. 4 this week, going 2-1 in the week gone by. The Eagles opened the week in fine fashion with a complete-game, 13-strikeout no-hitter from Connor Murphy in a 4-0 home win over St. Joseph-Metuchen heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They beat the Falcons again in Metuchen on Thursday, 5-3, before falling 10-4 to Columbia Sunday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.
WATCH: The final out of Connor Murphy’s no-hitter against St. Joseph-Metuchen
Holding at five is Monroe (7-4). While the Falcons went just 2-3 this week, they closed the weekend with a huge win. After falling to Hightstown in a non-league game on Monday, they then got swept by Woodbridge, 8-0 and 2-1. But they rebounded nicely with an 8-4 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in North Edison on Saturday, then Sunday, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, Monroe knocked off the No. 18 team in the state, perennial power Red Bank Catholic, 5-2. To date, it’s the only win by a GMC school over a team ranked in the NJ.com statewide Top 20.
(Ridge has the only other one, a 7-4 Opening Day win over West Morris, currently ranked No. 14).
Staying in sixth is Colonia (7-2), which split four games this week. They started with a 14-4 win at Metuchen Monday, in a makeup from earlier in the year, then split with South Brunswick, taking an 8-6 home loss Tuesday before winning on the road Thursday, 13-4. The Patriots then lost to Spotswood on Saturday, 3-1.
Back in at No. 7 is Old Bridge (5-5), which was ranked in the preseason, but fell out in Week One. The Knights went 2-2 last week with a tough schedule. After beating East Brunswick 11-10 Tuesday, they came back Friday and beat South Plainfield 9-3 in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they lost to state No. 4 Seton Hall Prep, 3-2, then fell 4-3 to Westfield Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge.
Down one spot to eight is South Plainfield (6-5), which also went 2-2 last week. The Tigers split with St. Thomas Aquinas, winning 6-4 on Tuesday, but losing on the road Thursday, 7-5. After Friday’s loss at Old Bridge, the Tigers rebounded with a 4-2 win over Millburn in the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick on Saturday.
Making its season debut at No. 9 is Rutgers Prep (7-2). The Argonauts climb into the rankings on the strength of a 4-0 week, which began with a pair of 10-0 wins over Montgomery Tuesday (away) and Thursday (at home). On Friday, they beat Union Catholic in the Autism Awareness Challenge, 17-10, then won at Hopewell Valley on Saturday, 12-4.
Carteret (9-1) holds in tenth, on the strength of a 3-0 week. The Ramblers swept Piscataway in a Monday-Wednesday two-game set – 9-2 at home on Monday, then 10-9 away in the second game – before beating North Brunswick 13-0 Saturday in the Autism Awareness Challenge at Community Park.
Two teams dropped out this week. No. 8 Watchung Hills beat Cranford Saturday 5-4, but took a pair of losses to Ridge, 12-10 and 13-3, while South Brunswick also went 1-2 in the week gone by. The Vikings split a pair with Colonia – winning an 8-6 road game Tuesday, but losing 13-1 at home Thursday – then lost Saturday to Metuchen, 8-3, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.
Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Three:
