Tag: Justin Nastasi

by Mike Pavlichko

Alum Blaze Iannetti elevated to head baseball coach at Middlesex after Nastasi steps down

One of the most successful small-school baseball programs in the GMC has a new coach, as the Middlesex Board of Education Thursday night approved the hiring of assistant Blaze Iannetti as the Blue Jays’ new skipper.

Iannetti replaces Justin Nastasi, who coached nine seasons to the tune of a 175-81 record, with five Central Jersey Group 1 titles and three Group 1 state championships, the most recent coming over New Providence in 2021. They also went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, beating Emerson and Park Ridge, respectively.

Nastasi, who lives in Hillsborough, initially stepped down to spend some more time with family, but was offered a job this coming season as an assistant by Raiders’ skipper Matt Mosko, a position requiring significantly less time than being a head coach.

“I have so many great memories with Middlesex baseball,” Nastasi told Central Jersey Sports Radio. “I am extremely proud of the program that I helped build with Mike (O’Donnell, the Middlesex Athletic Director). It’s a great town that loves and supports its sports programs, especially baseball. I will obviously miss it greatly.”

Iannetti is a Middlesex alum who played for second base for the man who would eventually hire, and now, promote him.

O’Donnell was the Blue Jays’ baseball coach then. Iannetti graduated in 2009, before going on to Mitchell College in New London, CT.

Blaze Iannetti also has worked with now-former Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi at Takeover Baseball. (Source: @Blaze_Iannetti on Twitter)

Right after he graduated, he was snapped up as the JV coach by Nastasi, who was in just his second year on the job.

“I know the program is in great hands with Blaze,” said Nastasi, “and I am very excited to see where he takes them. The kids will feed off his passion, energy and excitement for the game and the town of Middlesex. Nobody will be rooting harder for Blaze than me.”

O’Donnell was effusive in his praise of Nastasi.

“We appreciate all of Coach Nastasi’s contributions to our baseball program and after he stepped aside we are excited to promote Coach Iannetti to take the helm and continue the tradition of success on the diamond,” said Nastasi.

“He brings a wealth of knowledge and work ethic to match,” he added. “The program will remain in good hands.”

Iannetti will inherit a Middlesex squad that took some lumps last year as a young group, going 10-17, but only graduates one senior: infielder/pitcher Frank Berta. Of their top four pitchers in terms of innings thrown last season, one was a junior, three were sophomores, and one was a freshman.

Click below to hear new Middlesex baseball coach Blaze Iannetti talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex blanks Metuchen, 7-0, to advance to GMCT Round of 16 at Blue champ Spotswood

Freshman Dylan Ianiero tossed a four-hit shutout, and the bats took care of the rest in a 7-0 win for 13-seed Middlesex over 20th-seed Metuchen Saturday afternoon in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament play-in round.

Ianiero went the distance throwing just 96 pitches, scattering four hits. He walked two and struck out five.

Middlesex got two runs in the bottom of the first, then added three in the third to take a 5-0 lead, before plating the final two runs in the sixth. Another freshman, Luke Jones, went 1-for-3 with a two-run double and 3 RBIs, and had a stolen base for the Blue Jays.

Middlesex will go on to visit fourth-seed Spotswood Monday in the GMCT’s first-round, with first pitch set for 4 pm at “The Swamp.”

The Blue Jays (6-12) have won four straight against Spotswood, but those games came in 2021 and 2022; the teams have not faced each other the last two years. Spotswood last beat Middlesex pre-COVID, a 2-1 win for the Chargers in April 2019.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about the win:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex hands Woodbridge first loss of season, now takes aim at White Division’s No. 2 team when Blue Jays visit Edison Thursday

At 2-5, the Middlesex baseball team’s season wasn’t going the way they’re used to it going in those parts.

But this week may be the turning point for a Blue Jays’ squad that only has one senior.

After a tough, 4-3 home loss to 6th-ranked and undefeated Woodbridge and Barron’s ace Eddy Nunez on tax day Monday, Middlesex came right back and got em on the road, in a 4-3 come-from-behind win.

Freshman Dominic Long went the distance while his team chipped away at a 3-0 lead Woodbridge had after the first tinning. They got one in the third, another in the fifth, then two in the top of the seventh and held off the Barrons in their last at bat.

If head coach Justin Nastasi liked what he saw against the GMC White Division’s top team in Monday’s loss, then he liked Tuesday’s result even more. Thursday, his team will visit Edison – the second place team in the White – and likely face another top ace, Coastal Carolina commit Jaxon Appelman.

You can hear that game on Central Jersey Sports Radio Thursday afternoon at 4 pm – again, weather permitting, with showers possible in the afternoon – with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen on the call. Pregame starts at 3:45. Click here to listen.

Click here to listen to Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about Thursday’s matchup with Edison, and his very young Blue Jays team:

by Mike Pavlichko

Out of the Blue come the Jays of Middlesex, back where they belong: in yet another sectional final

Last year, Middlesex had a strong of four straight Central Jersey Group 1 titles snapped by Point Pleasant Beach. Losing on their home field at Mountainview Park made it even worse.

But one other streak involving the Garnet Gulls continues Friday, when the Blue Jays will play Point Beach for the fourth straight season in the sectional title game.

Much will be different about the matchup. To begin with, it’ll be down the Shore, with the previous ones all coming up in Middlesex County. Add to that, it’ll be the first time they’ll meet with Point (22-5) as the defending champion.

Friday’s game is in Point Pleasant at 4 pm.

Middlesex actually ended Point’s season four straight years: in 2017 and 2018 in earlier rounds, and then beat them in the CJ1 finals in 2019 and 2021 (with no baseball in 2020 due to COVID). Last year, the Garnet Gulls finally broke the hex.

The other thing different is that Middlesex (17-8) has only a handful of returnees from the teams that faced Point Beach the last two seasons, with Alfonso Esposito and Aiden Kozak probably the biggest two impact players back, along with others who have stepped up big-time in Michael Canavesio, Justin Gordon and Tommy Lavornia.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about his team’s season, and the Central Jersey Group 1 Final against Point Pleasant Beach:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex’s Nastasi isn’t surprised at Woodbridge run to the North 2, Group 4 final

Hunterdon Central is the top seed in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 NJSIAA playoff section, and for good reason. They’ve had a tremendous season, are loaded with talent, including legitimate MLB draft prospect Kyle McCoy, and are one of the deepest teams in the state.

They’re ranked No. 5 in the NJ.com Top 20 this week, too.

But Ridge was the second-seed, and No. 6 in the state last week, and Woodbridge beat them.

Few gave them a chance.

But the Barrons believed, and so did Justin Nastasi, whose team swept the Barrons in a mid-May home-and-home to clinch the White Division title outright over Woodbridge.

But still, Nastasi says he knew it was a good Woodbridge team they beat, one that could be poised to make some noise in the state tournament.

While his Blue Jays will be taking on Point Pleasant Beach for a fourth straight time in the Central Jersey Group 1 finals – 4 pm Friday at Mountainview Park – the Barrons will play top-seed and heavy favorite Hunterdon Central in the North 2, Group 4 title game, at 3 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Nastasi believes the Barrons very much have a chance.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Justin Nastasi about the Woodbridge Barrons:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex is right where everyone expected them to be; now it’s time to win a 5th straight CJ1 title

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

And so it goes for Middlesex under Justin Nastasi, who has his top-seeded Blue Jays back in the Central Jersey Group 1 title game again.

And yet again, they will play Point Pleasant Beach. The Garnet Gulls have had their state tournament run ended in each of the last three seasons by the Blue Jays: in 2018, 2019, and last season, en route to the Group One title.

Friday, the top-seeded Blue Jays (23-6) play second-seed Point Beach (19-9) in the CJ 1 final at 4 pm at Mountainview Park.

About the only question for Nastasi is who he will start Friday afternoon, likely either Stephen Young or Aidan Kozak.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk about the Blue Jays’ season and the final against Point Beach:

by Mike Pavlichko

Young’s gem gives Middlesex first-ever GMC White Division crown, via season sweep of Woodbridge

In the first inning Thursday, Stephen Young struck out Woodbridge leadoff man AJ Bosch, but walked the next two batters. After a double steal, he found himself in a second-and-third, one-out jam.

So he did what he always does in that situation: strike out the next two batters and head back to the dugout.

Click the image above to find out more about Takeover Baseball – where serious players train!

After the Middlesex senior unofficially threw 30 pitches in the first inning, he bore down and never tossed more than 17 in the next six. Ultimately, he fanned 12, struck out the side three times, allowed six baserunners all game, two hits, retired the last eight batters he faced, and added two insurance runs at the plate with a double in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Blue Jays some breathing room.

And with the 5-0 win, Group 1 Middlesex (17-3, 13-3) – playing up in the GMC White Division for the first time in school history – won the pennant outright thanks to a 5-0 victory over the Barrons (16-4, 12-4).

It was Woodbridge starter Eddy Nunez who was cruising early, going one-two-three in the first and second innings, not allowing a baserunner until the third, not allowing a hit until the fourth. But that hit was a two-out double by Chris Hopf, Jr., and Matt Venutolo drove in courtesy runner Colin Deem to make it 1-0, the only run it turned out the Blue Jays would need.

In the fifth, Middlesex dinked-and-dunked Woodbridge and Nunez – who took the loss – to death.

Aidan Kozak reached on a one-out infield hit, and Mike Salvatore did the same on a hit-and-run. His slow roller right down the middle between first and second actually drove Kozak to third. Woodbridge first baseman Ty Kobylakiewicz was holding the runner on, and when Kozak attempted to steal, second baseman Drew Lukachyk covered second leaving a gaping hole, making him run a log way to get the ball as it died on the edge of the outfield grass. That’s when Young’s single made it 3-0, and after a fly-out, the third infield hit of the inning – this one Bobby Ulmer, Jr. – made it 4-0.

Winning the White Division title means Middlesex will go on the board first from the White at the GMC seeding meeting, and there will be some intrigue to see how many Red Division teams get taken ahead of Middlesex.

Any team would love to avoid the four or five seed, which would mean avoiding likely top-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen until the finals.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live Twitter coverage of the seeding meeting, starting at 9 am. Follow on Twitter @CJSportsRadio.

Click below for postgame reaction from Middlesex’s win over Woodbridge:

Middlesex pitcher Stephen Young
Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 10 Middlesex seeks 5th straight league win since stepping up to GMC White when North Brunswick rolls into town for twinbill

They didn’t expect to play a Friday doubleheader, but when North Brunswick visits No. 10 Middlesex this morning for an 11 am first pitch, they’ll “play two.”

Rain and thunderstorms in the forecast forced the postponement of Thursday night’s matchup between the Blue Jays (4-1) and Raiders (3-3), now a divisional game since Middlesex moved up to the GMC White Division.

But the Jays are still in Central Jersey Group One, where they’ve won the last four sectional finals dating back to 2017, and five in the first six seasons played under head coach Justin Nastasi.

There should be some good pitching matchups, as North Brunswick plans to throw Rutgers-committed junior Zach Konstantinovsky will start Game One, and sophomore Kyle Anderson the second game. Middlesex will toss senior ace Stephen Young and junior Alfonso Esposito. Who will face off against the other will be determined once the lineups come out Friday morning.

Click below for a preview of the game with both head coaches:

Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi
North Brunswick head coach Mark Blevins
by Mike Pavlichko

Another walkoff! Middlesex wins Group 1 title on Geist’s 13th inning hit

It wasn’t as dramatic as the grand slam Bobby Ulmer hit Monday to send Middlesex to the Group 1 title game – after all, it was a seeing-eye single – but its importance, ultimately, was even greater, owing to the bigger stage,

Mark Geist’s two-out single to left just past a diving Dean Licari at third base won Middlesex their third Group 1 title in the last four seasons, as they beat New Providence 4-3 in 13 innings, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Middlesex got a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by Matt Venutolo, and it held til the seventh.

But in the top of the seventh, New Providence got to Jays’ starter Raiden Yost for 3 runs – one allowed by reliever Stephen Young – to take a 3-1 lead.

Still, as Middlesex has shown time and time again in the postseason, they’re never out of it.

Matt Venutolo led off with an infield hit, then Mark Geist – who would later be the hero – walked. A bunt by Ty Nicolay moved the runners up. Stephen Young’s walk loaded the bases, before a sac fly by Anthony Long got Middlesex within one, and Ryan Vollmer’s single tied the game.

That’s the way it would stay until the 13th, thanks to the brilliant pitching of Stephen Yong, who came in with two outs in the seventh, and finished the game to get the win.

In the 13th inning, Bobby Ulmer – the walk-off grand slam hero Monday in the semis against Woodstown – drew a leadoff walk.

A.J. West laid down a sac bunt that moved Ulmer to third, and a grounder to second by Venutolo pushed him to third. That’s when Geist pushed a pitch past the third baseman, bringing Middlesex the championship.

The Blue Jays finish 22-4, winning their seventh state title in program history, in ten tries.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Middlesex’s Group 1 title game win:

Mark Geist
Senior catcher Mark Geist, with the game-winning hit
Junior pitcher Stephen Young, who threw 6 1/3 innings of scoreless relief
Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex is ready with skill, magic – or anything else – to win Group 1 title

There have been five state titles in baseball in Middlesex High School’s history.

Three of them have come in the last eight years.

And there’s a chance to add one more Saturday when the Blue Jays – the Central Jersey Group 1 champions – take North 2 champ New Providence down at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton.

Game time is 1:00, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live play-by-play of the game, starting with a special pregame show at 12:10 pm. Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call all the action, and you can listen live by clicking here.

Middlesex has won its last two games in the state tournament in walk-off fashion.

Last Friday in the Central Jersey Group 1 championship game, a bases-loaded ground ball to second scored the winning run in a 2-1 victory over Point Pleasant Beach, when the Gulls’ second baseman threw wide of home plate to get the runner from third on a force play.

Then on Monday afternoon – in the Blue Jays’ final game of the year at Mountainview Park – junior Bobby Ulmer, down 0-2 in the count, with his team trailing 7-5 with two out and the bases loaded – whipped the home fans into a frenzy when he smacked a Grand Slam to left field to win the game 7-5, and send his team into the statewide Group 1 final against New Providence.

The win has tuned Ulmer into a local legend in Middlesex who won’t soon be forgotten, regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s title game against New Providence.

Middlesex and the Pioneers have met twice before in the state finals. The Blue Jays beat them in the 1990 final, but New Providence returned the favor in 1998.

Click below to hear previews of Saturday’s Group 1 championship game between Middlesex and New Providence:

Middlesex senior starting pitcher Raiden Yost
Middlesex 6th-year head coach Justin Nastasi