Tag: Greg Sampson

by Alec Crouthamel

Piscataway Magnet’s surprise season comes to a close, 14-2, to Point Pleasant Beach in Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals

Even as the second seed in the Central Jersey Group 1 section, Piscataway Magnet’s season has been somewhat of a Cinderella run.

But the clock struck midnight for the Raiders (25-4) in the sectional semifinals, falling to third-seeded Point Pleasant Beach 14-2 in five innings.

The battle-tested Garnet Gulls (17-6) piled on runs early and often, including an eight-run third inning, to send them to their sixth consecutive sectional final appearance.

Point Pleasant Beach opened up the game with two runs and plenty of pressure on the basepaths, as the first two pitches of the game were swung on and resulted with a batter on base.

Centerfielder Brody Powers brought both of them home with a rare two-RBI sacrifice fly, after the ball was slow to come back into the infield. Raiders starter Jack Garrison got out of any further trouble with a groundout to end the inning.

Piscataway Magnet threatened in its half of the first, as shortstop Trey Lyerly made it to second base on an error in the outfield. But Garnet Gulls starter Tommy Conroy worked a groundout of his own to keep the Raiders off the board.

Conroy helped his own case with an RBI single in the top half of the second, after right fielder Davin Marquez got plunked with two outs. He once again worked around some trouble on the basepaths in the second, with a hit-by-pitch and a fielder’s choice, before striking out designated hitter Tristen Miller to end the second.

Then the floodgates opened in the top of the third.

Point Pleasant Beach broke the game open with eight runs, turning a three-run lead into an 11-0 ballgame. Catcher Danny Lubach – who recorded his 150th career hit in the game – reached on an error to lead it off. Powers then put runners on second and third with a double, prompting a Piscataway Magnet pitching change. Brody Guthrie replaced Garrison, but the change didn’t faze the Garnet Gulls.

Third baseman Carson Pfeifer brought home Lubach’s courtesy runner, Jalen Kreiger, on a sacrifice fly, recorded after a diving catch by centerfielder Vincent Canavan. It appeared the third-base umpire called Kreiger out for leaving early, but the call was reversed, and Kreiger was safe at home.

After another hit-by-pitch, designated hitter Thomas Slobiski brought in two runs with a single. Those two plays cycled once again, with another hit-by-pitch and then an RBI single from Marquez to make it four runs in the inning and seven on the game.

But Point Pleasant Beach still wasn’t done.

The Raiders made another pitching change after just one out was recorded. Third baseman Colton Lyerly made the move to the mound to face the top of the order for Point Pleasant Beach’s third time through. Conroy walked on five pitches, then second baseman Mason Sesny flew out to right field to record the second out.

But Lubach came back up to bat for the second time in the inning, and took full advantage of the opportunity. He crushed a fastball, sending it over the fence to make it 11-0.

Powers struck out to end the inning, but not before the Garnet Gulls put up eight runs with ten batters, on four hits, two walks, and an error.

With the big lead, Point Pleasant Beach opted to make a pitching change of its own, relieving Conroy after two shutout innings on 38 pitches, saving his potential pitch count for Friday’s sectional final.

Slobiski came in to relieve Conroy, and continued the strong pitching. He threw two shutout innings, allowing just one two baserunners on a single and error.

In the top half of the fourth, the Garnet Gulls added three more runs for good measure. First baseman Dylan Ryan singled to bring home shortstop Antonio Acevedo, Marquez walked, and with the lineup card flipped over and two outs, Conroy added his second and third RBIs of the game with a double into the outfield to make it 14-0.

After two shutout halves in the bottom of the fourth and top of the fifth, Piscataway Magnet had one final shot.

Senior Michael Schimpf – the lone senior on the entire Raiders’ roster – worked a full-count walk in his final game. The next two batters were retired, and with two outs, Piscatway Magnet got on the board with the top of the lineup. Canavan lined a triple into right field to score the first run, and Lyerly brought him in with a flared single to left field.

The Raiders’ magical season comes to a close, with a 25-4 record and sparkling 12-0 mark in the GMC Gold division. They won their first two playoff games in (what we think is) program history, both in walk-off fashion.

And with a young team after a playoff run, the future is bright for Piscatway Magnet.

Point Pleasant Beach will move on to the Central Jersey Group 1 final for the sixth straight year, and the Garnet Gulls will host fifth-seeded Shore, who knocked off top-seeded Middlesex 2-0 in the opposite semifinal. This marks the first year Point Pleasant Beach will not face the Blue Jays in the sectional tournament since 2016.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Piscataway Magnet head coach Greg Sampson about the Raiders’ season and loss to Point Pleasant Beach in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Trey Lyerly walks it off for Piscataway Magnet, 5-4 in 9, over Delaware Valley in CJ1 quarterfinals

For a group that has been tight-knit their entire careers, freshman Trey Lyerly fit right in.

And after Friday afternoon’s Central Jersey Group 2 semifinal game, he’s now officially a hero.

After a leadoff, five-pitch walk by Vincent Canavan in the bottom of the ninth, then a stolen base with Lyerly at the plate, the shortstop singled to drive him in from second with the game-winning run, setting off a wild celebration, and giving second-seed Piscataway Magenet a 5-4 win over ten-seed Delaware Valley in the Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals.

The Raiders’ first-round win over Henry Hudson Monday – also by a 5-4 score, and in walk-off fashion, with a four-run bottom-of-the-seventh – is believed to be their first ever, at least as far as head coach Greg Sampson has been able to figure out by combing through records and talking to former players and coaches. If that was the first, that would make this just the second.

And now, they are one win away from the title game. Next Wednesday, they’ll be in the semifinals, hosting third-seed and perennial contender Point Pleasant Beach (16-6). The Garnet Gulls have made the last five CJ1 title games, winning three straight from 2022 through 2024.

Piscataway Magnet (25-3) took a 3-0 lead in its first at bat. Canavan walked on four pitches, then Lyerly singled, and after a strikeout of Kyle Malchiodi, Colton Lyerly – Trey’s older brother, a junior – walked to load the bases. Derek Mejias then singled to center on a 1-1 pitch to score two, and a groundout by Elvis Rodriguez made it 3-0 Raiders.

Del Val would take a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth. After two singles to start the winning, a walk loaded the bases and another drove in the first run. A fielder’s choice and an error allowed two more runs to score, and the fourth came in on a passed ball.

After that, Jack Garrison came on in relief, and threw the final five innings, allowing just four hits and no runs, giving the Raiders a chance to come back.

And they did, tying the game 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out single by Adam Morales, driving in pinch-hitter Rodhen Santos, who walked to leadoff the inning.

Then the teams played scoreless until Magnet walked it off in the ninth.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with Piscataway Magnet freshman Trey Lylerly and head coach Greg Sampson:

by Mike Pavlichko

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

The Piscataway Magnet baseball team won ten games in 2014. The Raiders finished 10-15 and had a six-game losing streak and a seven-game losing streak during the year, but in terms of victories, it was their best season ever.

They won ten again in 2023, going 10-6 under Jake Rosenberg, but he left for North Brunswick the following season.

Fast forward to 2026, and the Raiders have set a new program best for wins just four weeks into the 2026 season. They have won 12 games, but more importantly, haven’t lost once.

With a 12-0 mark, this year’s club seems far from done. And while next year is still way down the road, consider that the 2026 edition has just one senior who’s had just four at bats all year.

This could be the start of something bigger at the school nestled between the Kilmer industrial area in Edison and the Rutgers Livingston Campus.

But one year at a time, and one game at a time from head coach Greg Sampson and his squad.

It all starts with the team’s top everyday hitter, junior Kyle Malchiodi, who catches, plays first base, and pitches. He’s hitting .512 with 16 RBI and two home runs on a club that’s hitting .401 as a team, is scoring nearly 13 runs a game, while allowing just 2.4 per contest.

On the mound, Malchiodi is 4-0, with a 1.67 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched, against just seven walks. But he’s not the only one. Sophomore Brody Guthrie had fanned 47 in 24 innings and is 4-0 with an ERA of 0.88, while junior Colton Lyerly is 3-0, and hasn’t allowed a single run – earned or unearned – in 17 innings pitched.

And back to the plate, freshman Trey Leyerly is hitting .500 with nine runs batted in, junior Vincent Canavan is at .487 with 13 RBI, while Trey’s brother – Colton, a junior – is batting .364 with eleven walks. Andrew Skara leads the team with seven extra base hits: four doubles and three triples.

In Sampson’s third year, a “team first” approach has seen the Raiders with “a great freshman class” progress from 6-8 his first year, to 10-12 last year – matching that previous best win record – to 12-0 in 2026, with what likely are many wins to come.

Click below to hear from Piscataway Magnet head coach Greg Sampson and junior Kyle Malchiodi with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: