Tag: HS Baseball

by Mike Pavlichko

South Plainfield seeks back-to-back titles when Tigers visit Cranford in North 2, Group 3 title game

When the South Plainfield Tigers take the field in Cranford today for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 sectional final, they’ll try and become the first GMC school to win back to back titles since Middlesex (four straight from 2017-2019, and 2021), and the first ever from the CJSR-area to successfully defend a Group 3 sectional title.

But if you asked head coach Scott Gleichenhaus before the season whether this team would be back playing for a title, considering all his team lost, he might not have been so sure.

Hopeful, yes? But in the state tournament – or anywhere else for that matter – there’s no guarantee. There are so many examples this year alone – Edison, Immaculata, Middlesex – of some really good teams whose seasons are done right now, while the Tigers are still playing.

Despite losing players like Nick Irizarry, Dan Kapsch, and Steve Studlack, and pitchers like Mike Castagna and Kevin Penny – who got the win in last year’s sectional final at Colonia – South Plainfield (17-11) has persevered.

This afternoon at 3 pm, the fourth-seeded Tigers play third-seed Cranford (20-9) in the North 2, Group 3 final. And like South Plainfield – which got here with a late rally in a 4-2 win at top-seed Chatham in Wednesday’s semifinals – the Cougars also got here via an upset, a 9-3 win at second-seed North Hunterdon.

Cranford is in its second season under Ryan Matlosz, after the departure of veteran mentor Dennis McCaffery, who later resurfaced at St. Joseph-Metuchen, and brought the Falcons to a GMC Tournament championship last season in his inaugural campaign there.

They were knocked out of the Union County Tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champion A.L. Johnson, but have outscored their opponents 40-12 in three state tournament games so far.

Offensively, they are led by junior shortstop Brayden Fry, hitting .439 on the season with a team-best 21 RBI, but otherwise are hitting .266 as a team. The Cougars likely will go with either one of two juniors: Tyler Muccigrosso (5.76 ERA) or Christian Pereira (3.28 ERA), or some combination of the two.

Basketball big man Andrew Bena is expected to get the nod for the Tigers. He’s 4-2 with a 3.84 ERA, and he’s been a bright spot for both teams this year, a nice starter on the mount to complement Aiden “The Bull” McCarthy, who got the win in the semifinals.

Offensively, speedy centerfielder Dom Massaro is one of the top hitters in the state, at .525 with 26 runs batted in, while Aiden McCarthy (.349) has knocked in 27 to lead the team. Bena is hitting .301 and has driven in 26 for a team that is as aggressive on the base paths as anyone.

South Plainfield is seeking its fourth title overall. In addition to last year’s championship, the Tigers won Central Jersey Group 3 in 1975, and North 2, Group 3 in 2015 under Anthony Guida, finishing 24-8 and winning the state Group 3 title. That year, they beat Cranford in the sectional final, 4-2, then beat North 1 champ Mount Olive in the state semis, 3-1, before taking down Northern Burlington, 8-4, to win the Group 3 championship at Toms River North HS.

Click here to listen to Scott Gleichenhaus’ postgame interview from Wednesday’s semifinal win at Chatham with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Familiar foes, Ridge and Watchung Hills, set to meet for fourth time this season, with North 2, Group 4 title up for grabs

And up for grabs might be the perfect way to describe it.

The Ridge and Watchung Hills baseball teams are quite familiar with each other, especially this season.

They’ve already played three times, and now it’s a rare fourth matchup between the two as they play for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title in the NJSIAA state playoffs.

First pitch between top-seed Ridge (17-10) and third-seed Watchung Hills (18-8) is set for 4 pm at Pete Hall Field in Basking Ridge, and you can her the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Pregame begins at 3:30 pm.

Click the above link to listen LIVE to the North 2, Group 4 final between Ridge and Watchung Hills!!

While Ridge last won a title in 2021, this group was in last year’s sectional title game, falling 9-6 to Westfield. But with another year under their belt, they’re right back in for a second straight season. The group is led by Jake Dolan at the plate, the senior centerfielder hitting .444 with a whopping 35 runs batted in and seven home runs. Fellow senior Kieran Callanan is an excellent shortstop, hitting .384.

The Red Devils are expected to put Dimitri Romer on the mound, who made a relief appearance in Wednesday’s 10-6 home win in the semifinals over 5-seed Bridgewater-Raritan. But he threw just 19 pitches in that effort, so he can come back with the full 100-pitch allowance Friday afternoon. Romer is 5-2 on the year, with a 2.47 ERA.

The Warriors will send out Lucas Sheehan, a sophomore who was given the start a couple of Friday’s ago in the Somerset County Tournament title game, a 1-0 win over top-seed Immaculata. He became the first tenth-grader to get a win in the county final since Casey Cahill of Immaculata did it in 1998. He’s 7-2 with a 4.61 ERA.

Offensively, seniors Jacob Jaconski (.464, 16 RBI, 10 doubles) and Rob Centamore (.349, 21 RBI, 10 doubles) are among the leaders, along with senior Max Payne, who’s driven in a team-high 26 runs.

Watchung Hills hasn’t been here in a decade, but they’ve already won one postseason tournament this season. And after a pair of losses, 12-10 and 13-3 in the regular season to Ridge, avenged that en route to the county title.

Click below to hear pregame interviews with both head coaches, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell
Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Watchung Hills: The Warriors won three titles prior to the playoff era, which began in 1959 with only sectional titles. State championships began in 1971, but Watchung Hills has never won one, though they made one appearance, falling to Hillsborough in 2005.

  • Central Jersey Group 3 (declared by the NJSIAA)
    • 1948 (co-champs with Hamilton Twp.)
    • 1950
    • 1957 (co-champs with Middletown Twp.)
    • 1958 (co-champs with Middletown Twp.)
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
    • 2005
    • 2009
Watchung Hills celebrates winning the 2026 Somerset County Tournament. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

Ridge: The Red Devils have nine sectional titles, eight of them coming when they were a much smaller school, playing in Group 2. They also have three state championships, winning all three times they went to the state Group 2 title game. Those came in 1987, 2000 and 2002.

  • Central Jersey Group 2
    • 1976
    • 1981
    • 1982
    • 1987
    • 1989
    • 1999
    • 2000
    • 2002
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
    • 2021
Ridge players celebrate with the 2022 Somerset County Tournament Championship Trophy on the field at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 23, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
by Alec Crouthamel

Third seed St. Thomas Aquinas, top seed St. Mary, battle for Non-Public North B crown, in matchup between two of the last three sectional champs

It would be an understatement to say St. Thomas Aquinas – particularly its seniors – have had an eventful week or so.

Tuesday, the third-seeded Trojans (14-14) defeated second-seeded Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B semifinals, advancing to the sectional final for the second time in three years.

Thursday, the school held its graduation, meaning the aforementioned title game was moved to Friday.

On Friday, St. Thomas Aquinas will head up to Tamblyn Field to battle top-seeded St. Mary (Ruth.) for its third sectional title in program history.

The Gaels (16-11-1) and Trojans represent two of the last three sectional champions, with St. Mary hoisting the championship trophy in 2023, the first year under head coach Nigel Archibald.

First pitch is set for 4 pm in Rutherford, and you can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel on the call. Pregame begins at 3:45 pm.

Click the above link to listen LIVE to
the Non-Public North B final between
St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Mary!!

The two teams each bring some similarities and differences to the field.

The Gaels are coming off back-to-back 12-1 victories over eighth-seeded Montclair Kimberley and fifth-seeded Morristown-Beard, and the Trojans won each of their two playoff games 7-0 over sixth-seeded Morris Catholic, and 7-3 over the Argonauts.

They each bring a core top of the lineup to the table, led by veterans such as Louis Rizzolo for St. Thomas Aquinas, and Sebastian Santana and Jeffrey Paulino for the Gaels, with the bottom of the order featuring developing talent, getting invaluable experience along the way.

One of the main differences comes in the history. St. Mary has long been a non-public power on the diamond, looking for its 16th sectional championship dating back to 1958.

But none of that history will matter once the two teams take the field. They’re both battled-tested, the Gaels playing a tough NJIC and out-of-conference schedule, and the Trojans in a rugged GMC Red Division.

With the season on the line, all hands are on deck, as each team looks to make it two sectional titles in the decade.

Click below to hear both head coaches preview Friday’s Non-Public North B sectional final, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

St. Mary head coach Nigel Archibald
St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino

Championship History

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Trojans won their second sectional title in 2024, and their first in 18 years at the time. They defeated Rutgers Prep in the final, the first of three straight years with victories over the Argonauts in postseason play.

  • Non-Public South A
    • 2006 (Then Bishop Ahr), lost to Seton Hall Prep in Non-Public A Final
  • Non-Public North B
    • 2024, lost to Gloucester Catholic in Non-Public B Final

St. Mary: The Gaels have a long history of dominance in their program’s history, racking up 15 sectional titles, including eight since the turn of the century. Their best stretch was a run of six titles in 11 years from 1998 to 2008. St. Mary’s most recent championship came in 2023 over Rutgers Prep, in Archibald’s first year at the helm.

  • Non-Public North B
    • 1956
    • 1962
    • 1968
    • 1998
    • 2000
    • 2001
    • 2003
    • 2006
    • 2008
    • 2016
    • 2019
    • 2023
  • Non-Public North C (Discontinued in 1979)
    • 1974
    • 1976
    • 1977

List of previous Non-Public North B Sectional Champions

  • 1948: Holy Family/Union City/Our Lady of the Valley/St. Patrick’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1949: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1951: Our Lady of the Valley
  • 1953: St. Luke’s (Ho-Ho-Kus)/St. Michael’s (Jersey City)
  • 1954: St. Luke’s (Ho-Ho-Kus)/Don Bosco Prep
  • 1955: Pope Pius XII
  • 1956: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1957: Pope Pius XII
  • 1958: Immaculate Conception (Montclair)
  • 1959: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1960: Don Bosco Tech (Paterson)
  • 1961: St. Luke’s (Ho-Ho-Kus)
  • 1962: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1963: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1964: St. Mary’s (Jersey City)
  • 1965: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1966: St. Michael’s (Jersey City)
  • 1967: Don Bosco Tech (Paterson)
  • 1968: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1969: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1970: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1971: Morris Catholic
  • 1972: Pope Pius XII
  • 1973: Paterson Catholic
  • 1974: Paul VI (Clifton)
  • 1975: St. Cecilia’s (Englewood)
  • 1976: Don Bosco Tech (Paterson)
  • 1977: Our Lady of the Valley
  • 1978: Paul VI (Clifton)
  • 1979: Don Bosco Prep
  • 1980: St. Mary’s (Jersey City)
  • 1981: St. Mary’s (Jersey City)
  • 1982: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1983: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1984: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1985: Immaculata
  • 1986: Phillipsburg Catholic
  • 1987: St. Anthony’s (Jersey City)
  • 1988: Pope John XXIII
  • 1989: Marist
  • 1990: St. Anthony’s (Jersey City)
  • 1991: Marist
  • 1992: Essex Catholic
  • 1993: Marist
  • 1994: Pingry
  • 1995: Immaculata
  • 1996: Pope John XXIII
  • 1997: Montclair Kimberley
  • 1998: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1999: Paterson Catholic
  • 2000: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2001: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2002: Montclair Kimberley
  • 2003: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2004: Newark Academy
  • 2005: Morristown-Beard
  • 2006: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2007: Newark Academy
  • 2008: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2009: Montclair Kimberley
  • 2010: Morristown-Beard
  • 2011: Newark Academy
  • 2012: Newark Academy
  • 2013: Morris Catholic
  • 2014: Hudson Catholic
  • 2015: Newark Academy
  • 2016: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2017: Newark Academy
  • 2018: DePaul Catholic
  • 2019: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2021: Morristown-Beard
  • 2022: Immaculata
  • 2023: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2024: St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 2025: Pope John XXIII

Bold and italics represent CJSR-area teams

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC baseball coaches announce 2026 All-Conference, All-Division honorees

The baseball coaches in the Greater Middlesex Conference are out with their All-Conference and All-Division teams for the 2026 season, with a dozen schools represented on the all-league squad, with 68 players honored overall. Coach of the Year honorees were announced as well, with one for the All-GMC team and one each for each division.

All-GMC Team:

  • Colonia: Colin Kroner
  • Edison: Robert Roma, Jr.; Connor Murphy
  • JFK: Grant Lorentzen
  • JP Stevens: Soham Prajapati
  • Middlesex: Chris Kozak, Dominic Long
  • Metuchen: James Fenton
  • Monroe: Ben Faigin, Justin Mangano
  • Old Bridge: Matt Chin, Blake Dunleavy
  • South Plainfield: Dom Massaro, Aiden McCarthy
  • South Brunswick: Collin Perna
  • St. Thomas Aquinas: Louis Rizzolo
  • Woodbridge: Gavin Slicner

Coach of the Year: Greg Sampson, Piscataway Magnet

All-Red Division:

  • East Brunswick: Julian Satterthwaite, Joe Spinello
  • Edison: Dom Innocenti, Connor Murphy, Robert Roma, Jr., Ray Tavarez
  • Monroe: Ben Faigin, Justin Mangano
  • Old Bridge: Matt Chin, Chris Crosta, Blake Dunleavy
  • South Plainfield: Dom Massaro, Aiden McCarthy
  • St. Thomas Aquinas: Louis Rizzolo, Adrian Sanchez
  • Woodbridge: Michael Gurovich, Gavin Slicner

Coach of the Year: Vinny Abene, Edison
Sportsmanship: Edison

All-White Division:

  • Colonia: Dylan Chiera, Jake Gotti, Colin Kroner
  • JFK: Grant Lorentzen
  • Metuchen: James Fenton, Matthew Jelleme, Lucas Malamung, Joseph Tamburello
  • Middlesex: Sean Hughes, Dylan Ianiero, Chris Kozak, Marcus Lavornia, Dominic Long
  • South Brunswick: Collin Perna, Jack Whitlock
  • Spotswood: Jack Korneski, Joseph Modeste

Coach of the Year: Lou Urbano, South Brunswick
Sportsmanship: Perth Amboy

All-Blue Division:

  • Carteret: Miles Ferreras, Luis Hernandez, Joniel Martinez
  • East Brunswick Magnet: Josh Carreras
  • JP Stevens: Collin Casey, Soham Prajapati, Chase Sullivan
  • New Brunswick: Jacob Henderson
  • North Brunswick: Willie Pena
  • North Plainfield: Bennie Sokolowski, Jake Zotollo
  • Piscataway: Jason Mann, Sumedh Shingola
  • South River: Noah Borrero, Julien Burosevic, Hunter Krainski, Brendan Lell

Coach of the Year: Mike Lepore, South River
Sportsmanship: New Brunswick

All-Gold Division:

  • Dunellen: Michael Dow, Joe Reyes, Juan Luis Rodriguez, David Torres
  • Highland Park: Dorian Crocco, Julio Rodriguez
  • Somerset Tech: Cole Russomano
  • Perth Amboy Magnet: Jackelvis Nunez, Vincent Canavan, Brody Guthrie, Colton Lyerly, Trey Lyerly, Kyle Malchiodi
  • South Amboy: Joseph Foreman, Micah Nemeth, Robert Senape
  • Timothy Christian: Joseph Guardadao

Coach of the Year: Greg Sampson, Piscataway Magnet
Sportsmanship: Perth Amboy Magnet


by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 5:

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

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

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

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

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

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 – Public State Finals at Rutgers:

  • Group 3 Final: 10 am
  • Group 4 Final: 1 pm
  • Group 1 Final: 4 pm
  • Group 2 Final: 7 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

And a dogfight it was.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INSTANT REPLAY – NJSIAA Tournament – Non-Public North B Semifinal: (3) St. Thomas Aquinas 7, (2) Rutgers Prep 3

Nikash Patel hit a grand slam, while Louis Rizzolo hit a three-run homer and had a solid outing on the mound as third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas beat Rutgers Prep for a third straight year in the state tournament, picking up a 6-3 win over the second-seeded Argonauts. Aquinas will now visit top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the Non-Public North B final on Friday afternoon at 4 pm.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Somerset, NJ, on June 2, 2026:

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UPCOMING PUBLIC SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

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

Rizzolo, Patel power St. Thomas Aquinas to 7-3 win over Rutgers Prep for third postseason year in Non-Public North B semifinals

Three straight years Louis Rizzolo got the ball against Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B sectional tournament.

And three straight years, the senior southpaw helped guide St. Thomas Aquinas to a playoff victory.

The third-seeded Trojans (13-14) went on the road to defeat second-seeded Rutgers Prep 7-3 in the semifinals, advancing to their second sectional final appearance in three years. The Argonauts (17-7) saw their season come to a close after another strong campaign.

Rizzolo and junior Nikash Patel applied much of the damage, with both of them going the distance on the mound and accounting for all seven runs on two homers.

Both came with runners on, as Rizzolo mashed a two-out three-run blast on the first pitch to open St. Thomas Aquinas’ scoring in the second inning, and Patel launched a grand slam to extend a one-run lead to five. The seven earned runs were the most all season for Rutgers Prep ace Li Perez, and just the second outing all year he allowed any earned runs.

The Argonauts struck first in the game, as Perez worked a shutout top half of the first to set up his offense well. Second baseman Matt Bilmes reached on an infield single and advanced on an error, before designated hitter Maddox Chu lined an RBI double to bring him home.

But the Trojans responded immediately.

Perez retired two of the first three batters, but freshman Justin Monterosso – one of four first-years in the lineup – worked a key walk on four pitches to flip the lineup card over and bring Rizzolo up in a big spot.

The senior came through, as a fast-moving fastball from Perez left the yard even faster off the bat of Rizzolo, instantly putting St. Thomas Aquinas ahead with a 3-1 lead.

Rutgers Prep brought a response of their own after that, as Bilmes scored his second run of the day on a sacrifice fly from Perez, but Rizzolo limited the damage to just a run after loading the bases, striking out first baseman Mason Cimini looking to end the trouble. Perez struck out the side and retired seven straight after allowing the home run, and it looked like the veteran-laden Argonauts were setting themselves up to get right back into the game.

But in the top of the fifth, the Trojans’ veteran power struck again.

Monterosso worked his second important walk of the afternoon, reaching to lead off the inning on a full count, and Rizzolo singled to set up another big inning. Catcher Adrian Sanchez worked a full-count walk himself to load the bases with nobody out. Then came Patel. Perez got off to a solid start, working a 1-2 count, but Patel got a breaking ball he liked and powered it the opposite way, sending the ball over the right-centerfield fence to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Perez retired the next three batters to get out of the inning, but the damage had been done.

Argonauts catcher Ethan Nepomuceno launched a solo home run off Rizzolo to lead off the bottom half of the inning, but Rizzolo didn’t let another baserunner on in the inning, keeping the lead at four runs.

Senior reliever Peter Wheeler pitched the final two frames for Rutgers Prep, working around a hit-by-pitch to Monterosso and an intentional walk to Rizzolo to keep the score at 7-3.

Rutgers Prep had one final shot in the bottom half of the seventh. With Rizzolo up against his pitch count, he struck out Bilmes on four pitches, then shortstop Alex Perez on three. But Perez reached on a dropped third strike and wide throw from Sanchez for pitch 111.

But as the two have so many times, Patel picked up his starter, ending the game in just three pitches as Nepomuceno grounded into a 2-0, 4-6-3 double play to seal the win.

Rizzolo earned the win in 6 1/3 innings pitched, with three earned runs on six hits, with just one walk and 12 strikeouts. Perez was given the loss with seven earned runs in five innings, with five hits, four walks, and six strikeouts.

The Trojans will advance to the Non-Public North B semifinals for the second time in three years – they won it over the Argonauts in 2024 – and will face top-seeded St. Mary in Rutherford on Friday at 4 pm.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with St. Thomas Aquinas senior Louis Rizzolo, junior Nikash Patel, and freshman Justin Monterosso, as well as head coach Tom D’Agostino, about the Trojans’ semifinal victory over Rutgers Prep, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen: