Tag: Edison

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s county tournament time! A look at who could get the GMC’s top seed, plus the schedule for the upcoming Somerset County and GMC Championship and Invitational Tournaments

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:

  • 14-5 overall, 11-3 in the GMC Red, 14-4 in overall conference play
  • Red Division Champions (by 2 games over Old Bridge)
  • Division Sweeps: Old Bridge (2nd place), South Plainfield (3rd), East Brunswick (7th), St. Joseph-Metuchen (8th)
  • Division Splits: Woodbridge (4th), St. Thomas Aquinas (5th), Monroe (6th)
  • Crossover Wins: North Brunswick (6th, Blue), JP Stevens (2nd, Blue), Spotswood (5th, White)
  • Crossover Losses: Metuchen (2nd, White)
  • Non-conference Games: Lost 10-4 to Columbia (Maplewood/South Orange) in Autism Awareness Challenge (10-7, from SEC))

Middlesex’s Resume:

  • 17-2 overall, 13-1 in the GMC White, 15-1 in overall conference play
  • White Division Champions (by 3 games over Metuchen)
  • Division Sweeps: Metuchen (2nd), Colonia (3rd), Spotswood (5th), Sayreville, JFK (tied for 6th), Perth Amboy (8th)
  • Division Splits: South Brunswick (4th)
  • Crossover Wins: East Brunswick (7th, Red), St. Joseph-Metuchen (8th, Red)
  • Crossover Losses: None
  • Non-Conference Games: Beat Voorhees 11-2 in the Autism Awareness Challenge (3-13, from Skyland Conference); Won at Wood-Ridge 15-1 (14-7, from NJIC); Lost at Westfield 2-0 (9-9, from UCC)

Comparison:

  • Middlesex has three more wins, and three fewer losses, with a .895 win percentage, while Edison has a .737 win percentage.
  • Edison has three Division losses to Woodbridge, St. Thomas Aquinas and Monroe, all middle-of-the-pack GMC Red Division teams (four through six in the standings), while Middlesex has just one loss to fourth-place South Brunswick
  • Edison has no out-of-conference wins, while Middlesex has two, with the win over Wood-Ridge coming over a 15-win ball club. Neither OOC loss (Edison to Columbia or Middlesex to Westfield) should be a factor.
  • Edison can’t “play up,” being in the top GMC Division, and went 3-1 in crossovers. That lone loss came to Metuchen, a good apples-to-apples comparison with Middlesex, which swept two games from the Bulldogs in White Division play, with a 6-2 win and a 2-1 victory. The Eagles lost to the Bulldogs 6-5.
  • While the Red Division has taken the No. 1 seed in the last eight tournaments, one “knock” on squads from other divisions has been that they “don’t play up.” But Middlesex did, and won both against GMC Red Division teams. They were 8-7 winners over St. Joseph-Metuchen at home on Monday, and beat East Brunswick on the road, 10-8, Wednesday afternoon.

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

  • First Round: Friday, May 8 at higher seeds
  • Second Round: Monday, May 11 at higher seeds
  • Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 14 at higher seeds
  • Semifinals: Monday, May 18 at TD Bank Park, 1 and 4 pm (LIVE on CJSR)
  • Finals: Wednesday, May 20 at TD Bank Park, 6 pm (LIVE on CJSR)

GMC Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament

  • Play-In Round: Saturday, May 9 at higher seeds
  • First Round: Monday, May 11 at higher seeds
  • Quarterfinals: Wednesday, May 13 at higher seeds
  • Semifinals: Saturday, May 16 at East Brunswick Magnet, 12 and 2:30 pm (LIVE on CJSR)
  • Finals: Saturday, May 23 at East Brunswick Magnet, 2 pm (LIVE on CJSR)

GMC Ray Cipperly Invitational Tournament

  • First Round: Tuesday, May 12 at higher seeds
  • Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 14 at higher seeds
  • Semifinals: Monday, May 18 at higher seeds
  • Finals: Friday, May 22 at Edison HS (LIVE on CJSR)

by Mike Pavlichko

More movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, after No. 1 Immaculata and No. 2 Middlesex hold serve

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:

by Mike Pavlichko

South River claims last of GMC Division titles, taking the Blue in a three-way tiebreaker over Carteret, JP Stevens

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.

READ MORE: True team play has powered Piscataway Magnet to record season, but Raiders – the last unbeaten GMC team standing – may be just getting started

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rough week for most of Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but Immaculata remains No. 1

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:

by Mike Pavlichko

Woodbridge hands first-place Edison second GMC Red defeat with 14-0 outburst, and a five-inning no-no for Gurovich

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:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams roll on again in Week Three, but bottom-half turmoil brings Old Bridge, Rutgers Prep into Bellamy & Son Paving baseball rankings

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:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: #4 Edison 4, St. Joseph-Metuchen 0

Monmouth-bound senior Connor Murphy threw a no-hitter, striking out 13, in a 4-0 win over St. Joseph-Metuchen in GMC Red Division action. It came seven years to the day after he tossed a no-no in the Fords Clara Barton Baseball League as a ten-year-old, a game in which he also struck out 13.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play live from Edison High School on April 14, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Edison’s Connor Murphy earns redemption with no-hitter, striking out 13, in 4-0 GMC Red Division win over St. Joseph

The last time Connor Muprhy threw a pitch against St. Joseph-Metuchen, J.P. Zayle sent it over the left field fence for a grand slam to walk off with the GMC Tournament Championship.

On Tuesday, he got some measure of revenge, with a complete-game, 13-strikeout no-hitter, in a 4-0 win for his 4th-ranked Eagles over the Falcons.

In a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, Murphy was simply masterful, mixing his fastball, change and breaking ball to keep St. Joe’s off balance. He allowed just four baserunners the entire afternoon – three on walks, one on a fielder’s choice – with two of them caught stealing by catcher Damian Calandra, the second of which erased Davis Labno to end the game.

Edison catcher Damian Calandra lets out a yell after throwing out St. Joseph’s Davis Labno trying to steal second, ending the game, a no-hitter for pitcher Connor Muprhy. (Photo: Nick Hart)

It was a stellar afternoon for the senior, one of three D1 pitchers on the Edison roster; he’s going to Monmouth, while Robert Roma and Dom Innocenti will be heading to Wagner.

After a one-two-three first without a strikeout, Muprhy struck out the side in the second, got two strikeouts each in the third and fourth, struck out the side with a walk mixed in in the fifth, then added two more strikeouts in the sixth, and one in the seventh.

Ironically, it was seven years ago to the day Murphy also threw a no-hitter, when he was 10 years old playing in the Fords Clara Barton Baseball League. And, he had 13 strikeouts in that game as well.

Meanwhile, Edison – which has gotten balanced offense the first two weeks of the season – continued in that vein Tuesday to support Murphy’s stellar performance.

All four RBIs came from the top two-thirds of the lineup, while the first two runs came from the bottom third. Seven of the nine hitters in the order all figured in at least one run, either scoring or by driving them in.

The Eagles (6-1) got on the board in the third after getting just one baserunner on in the first two innings against Paul Rao, who took the loss for St. Joe’s (2-6). Isaiah Lutz led off with a walk, then went to third on a double by Damien Calandra. Leadoff hitter Darren Tirado scored him with a sac fly to center, and after Calandra went to third on a wild pitch, and a strikeout of Robert Roma, Dom Innocenti knocked him in with a single to make it 2-0.

And, after a walk to Sam Kentos, Ray Tavarez hit a ball through the wickets of second baseman Jon Boyke, allowing Innocenti to score and make it 3-0.

The Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth, when Sam Kentos singled to lead off. He went to second on passed ball, to third on a sac bunt by Ray Tavarez, who beat it out for a hit, then scored on a sac fly by DH Brayden Roma.

Click below for postgame reaction from Edison pitcher Connor Murphy and head coach Vinnie Abene with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Nick Hart

After consecutive victories, St. Joseph-Metuchen looks to keep win streak alive against No. 4 Edison

After starting the season 0-5, St. Joseph-Metuchen got off the schneid with back-to-back victories over East Brunswick. Falcons head coach Dennis McCaffery’s response to his squad’s slow start was fairly simple: “We’ve been consistently inconsistent.” 

With two wins under its belt, St. Joes now faces a tough task ahead to extend its win streak to three games as they travel to face fourth-ranked Edison. 

Tuesday will be a rematch of the instant classic that was the 2025 GMC championship, in which the Falcons reigned victorious on a walk-off on a grand slam by the now-graduated J.P. Zayle. While St. Joe’s looks to have the same success against the Eagles this time around, its squad will look much different than that of a year ago.

You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart calling all the action. Pregame is set for 3:45 with first pitch at 4; click here to listen.

The Falcons graduated 12 seniors from their program last year, five of whom recorded 40 or more at-bats, three of whom pitched at least 30 innings, and, of course, the player responsible for the walk-off grand slam, Zayle. 

Although seniority is a common theme for St. Joes both last year and this year, underclassmen Nicholas Yacykewych and Paul Rao have made their presence felt early. 

So far on the young season, Yacykewych leads his squad with an impressive .385 batting average in 16 plate appearances. Rao, on the other hand, has made his mark on the mound, sporting a 3.27 ERA in fifteen innings of work, while recording a team-leading 10 punchouts on the mound.  

While a three-game win streak may sound nice, McCaffery has only one thing on his mind entering Tuesday’s game. 

“We don’t really worry about any past type of success or failure,” he said. “We try and just focus on that day and the whole mindset is one pitch, one out, one inning at a time.”

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart talk with St. Joseph-Metuchen head coach Dennis McCaffery about the Falcons’ upcoming game with Edison:

by Mike Pavlichko

Edison seeks bounceback after first loss of season when defending GMC Tourney champ St. Joseph visits in finals rematch

It’s great when you start any season 5-0, but how you rebound after that first loss – whenever it happens – may say more about your team than your first five wins combined.

That will be the mindset for the Edison baseball team Tuesday afternoon – who took their first loss of the season, 2-0, at Monroe Saturday – when the fourth-ranked Eagles entertain St. Joseph-Metuchen in a rematch of last year’s Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament championship game.

You can hear the contest live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame at 3:40 and first pitch at 4 pm with Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart on the call. Click here to listen.

One the one hand, the Eagles would love to forget that GMC title game, but on the other hand, they also want to remember it, the feeling of unfinished business. The Falcons – which had never led in any of their three prior GMC Tournament games last year – never led in that one either.

That is, until JP Zayle hit a first pitch grand slam to left field to win the game 7-4, completing an improbable run.

That lesson will be even more important since St. Joe’s comes into Tuesday’s game at 2-5. They started the year at No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Preseason Top Ten, but promptly fell all the way out, following an 0-4 start. They took one more loss, but then swept East Brunswick in a home-and-home and now are on a two-game winning streak.

Edison head coach Vinnie Abene is a veteran. He knows St. Joe’s is better than its 2-5 record. Asked if he’s seen why or how they were “struggling,” or if they actually aren’t, and it’s just life in the stacked GMC Red Division, Abene says – very matter-of-factly – “Mike, they’re not struggling.”

Well-put. And his team will find out when they meet on the red turf Tuesday morning. And what they’ll remember? No game in the Red Division is ever over until the final out is made.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Edison head coach Vinnie Abene about the Eagles’ upcoming game with St. Joseph-Metuchen: