Tag: Glenny Fredricks

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood knocks off Woodbridge in GMCT second round on brilliant effort from Casey Cumiskey

The Cumiskey brothers are both committed to Seton Hall, but forget about sophomore Carter for a moment, because Casey still has some memories to make in this, his senior year.

Casey Cumiskey scattered three runs over 6 1/3 innings of work, gave up five hits and struck out six, in a 5-3 upset win for the 11th-seeded Chargers at 6th-seed Woodbridge in the GMC Tournament’s second round Monday night.

The win puts Spotswood (14-4) in one of the 4 pm quarterfinal games Wednesday afternoon at North Brunswick’s Community Park against 3rd-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen, a 12-2 winner over 19-seed Metuchen Tuesday evening.

Woodbridge (13-5) got a run in the second on a Dean Fiore two-out triple, but Spotswood got it back in the top of the fourth. Carter Cumiskey reached on a single, then Jackson Walsh beat out the throw from the catcher on another bunt to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Chris Bottigilieri laid down a second bunt, and the first baseman Ty Kobylakiewicz charging went for a force at third but threw it away and Casey Cumiskey came home to score. But after another bunt and a fielder’s choice force at third, Woodbridge starter Eddie Nunez got two Ks to get out of the inning.

And Woodbridge went up 2-1 in the bottom of the third when Shawn Kish singled, then Xavier Diaz drove him in with a walk.

In the top of the fifth, Spotswood small ball and a wacky outfield play got them four runs. Ryan Orth led off with a walk, and Breckyn DeAngelis reached on a hard hit ball deep in the hole to shortstop. Casey Cumsikey then knocked in both runs with a two-RBI triple on a fly ball to right field that the right and centerfielders misplayed, thinking it was in the gap. It landed about 30 feet more toward right field.

After a groundout, another bunt by Jackson Walsh was misplayed by the catcher as Cumiskey came charging home to put Spotswood up 4-2. The Chargers loaded the bases and a walk to Shawn Lennan brought in another run to make it 5-2 before Nunez escaped further damage with a strikeout.

The Barrons got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, making it 5-3 on a groundout to short by Drew Lukachyk., but Shawn Kish made the third out on a hard hit ball deep in the hole to short that Orth fielded cleanly, throwing a bullet to first base to end the inning.

After a 1-2-3 sixth for both teams, and nothing across in the seventh, Woodbridge threatened.

Dean Fiore flew out to lead off, then A.J. Bosch walked, and the Cusmiskey had reached his pitch limit. Spotswood coach Glenny Fredricks brought in Jackson Walsh from second to pitch. He walked Tyler Weber to put runners at first and second with one out. Ty Kobylackiewicz hit it to second, and Weber was erased at second, bringing up cleanup hitter Drew Lukachyk.

But on a 1-2 pitch, Walsh threw a high fastball, Lukachyk took a big cut and missed, and Spotswood had its upset.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Spotswood starting pitcher Casey Cumiskey
Spotswood head coach Glenny Fredricks
by Mike Pavlichko

Cumiskey fans 10 to power Spotswood past South River to gain leg up in GMC Blue race

The game featured two future Division 1 baseball players on the mound: Spotswood’s Carter Cumiskey – a Seton Hall Commit – and South River’s Julius Rosado, who’ll one day suit up for Rutgers.

It was Cumiskey who got the better of Rosado this time around, striking out ten, giving up one run, and scattering five hits over five innings to get the win, in a 6-1 win Tuesday afternoon over the Rams in Spotswood.

The victory snapped a two-game skid for the Chargers (10-2) who were undefeated before two non-conference losses this past weekend.

It also puts first-place Spotswood at 7-0 in the Blue Division, with South River in second at 7-2, and would earn them at least clinch a share of the division if the two were to end up tied.

The teams meet again ion South River on Thursday.

South River (7-2) broke the deadlock in the top of the third, when back to back doubles from Rosado and Parker Lane gave them a 1-0 lead.

Spotswood answered in the bottom of the fourth. Casey Cumiskey – Carter’s older brother- scored from second after an errant throw from home plate to tie it, and then Sebby Saracino gave the Chargers the lead by reaching home off a wild pitch.

Spotswood kept that momentum going in the fifth, with John Lubin scoring on another wild pitch before Jackson Walsh hit a two RBI single to make it a 5-1 game. Spotswood would load the bases again in the sixth, leading up to a second run for Lubin after Carter Cumiskey drew a walk.

Spotswood sealed the deal with two scoreless innings from Breckyn DeAngelis, who got three strikeouts on six batters faced.

Rosado took the loss, allowing five runs – three earned – in five innings of work. He struck out seven, but also walked seven.

Click below for postgame reaction from Spotswood’s win over South River:

Spotswood sophomore Carter Cumiskey
Spotswood head coach Glenny Fredricks
by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood basketball, baseball teams will remember Matthew Carlson in their own ways

Matthew Carlson should have been on the jayvee basketball team at Spotswood High School this year, and would eventually have contributed to the Chargers’ baseball team as well this Spring. The sophomore was a great kid, a leader by example, and loved by his classmates and teammates.

Instead, they are all remembering him, a month after his tragic death in an ATV accident in Georgia.

According to published reports in numerous media outlets, the 16-year-old sophomore was in an ATV while on a family vacation in Georgia over Thanksgiving break when it crashed, and he was thrown from the vehicle the night before Thanksgiving. He was pronounced dead early Thanksgiving morning at a local hospital.

“E4M” – Everything for Matt – is written in the top left corner of the Spotswood basketball team’s whiteboard in the locker room. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

The news stunned the Spotswood community as word reached New Jersey.

The basketball team is remembering him by placing his jersey on a chair at home games this season, and with a message in the corner of their whiteboard in the boys’ locker room.

Matthew Carlson (Source: Spotswood Funeral Home obituary)

We talked to basketball coach Steve Mate and baseball coach Glenny Fredricks for their memories and recollections of Matthew Carlson.

Click below to listen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood and East Brunswick to rematch in annual Commander’s Cup game

East Brunswick beat Spotswood on Tuesday in the opening round of the GMC Tournament, 11-1.

Wipe that score from the ledger when the two teams meet again, same place, same time, for the Commander’s Cup Trophy.

Wednesday’s game was sponsored in part by Fredricks’ ACBL Team, New Brunswick Matrix. Click for details on the team!

Last year, the Chargers evened the Commander’s Cup series with the Bears 8-8, with one tie, on a walkoff hit by Tyler Lewandowski – who was only 0-for-4 on the day and whose wild pitch allowed the Bears to score the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth – giving Spotswood a 6-5 comeback win.

READ MORE: “Walk ’em off Spotswood!” Lewandowski’s double off the wall lets Chargers keep Commander’s Cup Trophy another year

Three days later, they knocked off EB in the first round of the GMC Tournament.

Yup, wipe Tuesday from the ledger.

You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio Thursday afternoon with pregame from East Brunswick High School set for 4 pm, pregame at 3:45. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the action; click here to listen live.

Spotswood has won six of the last eight meetings between the schools, including last year’s GMCT win, and this year’s GMCT loss. And they’ve held the trophy ever since a late May, 2017 road win against the Bears.

READ MORE: The history of the Commander’s Cup:

Click below to hear Spotswood head coach Glenny Fredricks talk about the Chargers’ season and the matchup with East Brunswick:

All-Time Commander’s Cup Trophy Results
East Brunswick leads 8-7-1

5/19/21 – Spotswood 6, East Brunswick 5 (8 inn.) (at SHS)
5/8/19 – Spotswood 3, East Brunswick 0 (at EB)
5/17/18 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 3 (8 inn.) (at EB)
5/31/17 – Spotswood 6, East Brunswick 0 (at EB)
5/7/16 – East Brunswick 6, Spotswood 1 (at EB)
5/2/15 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 4 (at SHS)
5/3/14 – East Brunswick 13, Spotswood 7 (at EB)
5/4/13 – East Brunswick 4, Spotswood 2 (8 inn.) (at EB)
5/18/12 – East Brunswick 4, Spotswood 2 (at Michelin Field)
5/9/11 – East Brunswick 16, Spotswood 9 (at EB)
5/19/10 – East Brunswick 5, Spotswood 4 (at EB)
4/26/09 – East Brunswick 13, Spotswood 3 (at Trenton)
4/27/08 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 4 (9 inn.) (at Trenton)
4/21/07 – Spotswood 6, East Brunswick 0 (at Trenton)
4/30/06 – Spotswood 5, East Brunswick 5 (8 inn.) (at Trenton)
5/9/05 – East Brunswick 5, Spotswood 4 (at EB)

by Mike Pavlichko

Fredricks, working on next 250 wins at Spotswood, excited for ’22 Chargers

Glenny Fredricks’ 250th win as head coach of the Spotswood Chargers should have come all the way back in June.

Up 11-2 on JFK at home in the bottom of the fourth, with a chance to make it a ten-run lead, they would just need three more outs to seal the deal. The game had started a few minutes late.

But all of a sudden: crash, bang, boom! Lightning bolts came, the skies emptied, and the 2021 season came to an abrupt end.

Almost ten months later, the Chargers picked up their skipper’s milestone win in their very first game, an 8-1 victory at Colonia, in what should have been a home game at “The Swamp.”

Just a few days later, Fredricks now is just 248 wins away from 500. He’s 252-163-1 in his 17th season at the helm – not counting the wiped out 2020 COVID season – with the Chargers out to a 3-0 start.

Mike Pavlichko stopped by SHS Tuesday afternoon before the team’s game against Metuchen – which turned out to be a 4-3 win – to talk to 1994 Spotswood grad Glenny Fredricks about his milestone victory, and his decades on Summerhill Road: