Tag: Midland Park

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: NJSIAA Group 1 Finals: Middlesex 3, Midland Park 2

It was worth the wait for Middlesex!

The Blue Jays finished off a 23-5 campaign by winning their seventh state title – a record among GMC and Skyland Conference schools – defeating Midland Park 3-2 in the NJSIAA Group 1 Championship Game, begun Saturday at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton, and finished Monday afternoon at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex up in Bergen County.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action live on Central Jersey Sports Radio on June 16, 2025.

by Mike Pavlichko

Game Highlights! Catch all the key plays in the NJSIAA Group 1 state championship game between Middlesex and Midland Park

The Middlesex Blue Jays won their seventh state title, hanging on to beat Midland Park 3-2 Monday afternoon at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex in Bergen County.

Middlesex finishes its season 23-5, winners of the Central Jersey Group 1 title and the overall state Group 1 championship.

The Blue Jays got three runs in the third inning on a two-RBI single by Luke Jones and an RBI infield hit by Marcus Lavornia. But Midland Park made it interesting in the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. While they scored two, they had a runner thrown out at third on a fly ball to center that dropped in, ending the inning.

Middlesex starter Dominic Long came back in the seventh and issued a walk, but locked it down for the win in the end.

Click below to hear all the game highlights as called by Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

by Mike Pavlichko

Finally! Two days after they started, Middlesex finishes off Midland Park, 3-2, in NJSIAA Group 1 final to give Blue Jays GMC record 7th state title

It took them three days, but it was well worth it for the Middlesex baseball team.

The Blue Jays won their GMC-record seventh NJSIAA state championship Monday afternoon, beating Midland Park in the state Group 1 Final at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex in Bergen County, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Blue Jays got three runs in the third, and needed all of them, hanging on for a 3-2 win.

The game was a continuation from Saturday, where the final was called after the top of the first due to heavy rain at Hamilton’s Veterans’ Park. But the game was moved from there to North Jersey after a full Saturday and Sunday of rain left Bob DeMeo Field unplayable.

Starter Dominic Long had thrown 15 pitches and faced four batters in the first, and picked up right where he left off Saturday, getting though his first (next) four innings of work without giving up a run.

And he was given a 3-0 lead in the third, thanks in part to two walks – and an intentional base on balls – from Midland Park starter Connor Detrick.

With two-out, Dylan Ianiero reached with a walk, and so did Long. The Panthers intentionally walked Owen Reynolds to get a force at any base – and to avoid pitching to one of the Jays’ best hitters – but DH Luke Jones made them pay with a single to right field, making it 2-0. Then, Marcus Lavornia hit a hopper to short that Ryan Fleming could only barehand. With no throw, Reynolds scored from third on the play making it 3-0.

And Middlesex would need every run they got, when Long got into some trouble in the sixth, loading the bases on an infield hit from nine hitter Jason Vivino, a single from Fleming, and a walk to Chase Shortway. A sac fly brought in Vivino to make it 1-0, then a flyout to right by Connor Shortway brought up Anthony Correa.

He lined a ball that Chris Kozak couldn’t get on a dive in short centerfield, but he recovered. And though Fleming came home from third – after tagging on the Shortway flyout – Chase Shortway’s courtesy runner Logan Russell was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play.

With Long out of the inning, he was sharp coming out for the seventh, getting a groundout to first, allowing a walk, but then getting a K and a flyout to right to win it, and set off a wild celebration.

Middlesex celebrates with the NJSIAA Group 1 championship trophy after a 3-1 win over Midland Park at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex on June 16, 2025. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

The win was the seventh state title for Middlesex (23-5), which has won more than any other program in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, including the GMC and Skyland Conference.

They join Audubon, Steinert and Pennsville with seven titles, the most among public schools in the state. Bishop Eustace and Seton Hall Prep each have eight, while Don Bosco Prep – which beat CBA Wednesday for the Non-Public A title – has nine. Gloucester Catholic has a state record 22 titles after their Non-Public B win last week.

Long went the distance and got the win, improving to 12-0, tying a school record for wins, with four of those coming in the state tournament. He gave up just four hits, walked three and struck out five, allowing two earned runs in seven innings pitched.

Detrick took the loss for Midland Park (21-9-1) to fall to 8-4.

Click below for postgame reaction with winning pitcher Dominic Long and head coach Blaze Iannetti, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

(QUICK) INSTANT REPLAY: NJSIAA Group 1 Finals: Midland Park 0, Middlesex coming up!

They tried!

Middlesex and Midland Park were hoping against hope to play the Group 1 title game at Veterans Park in Hamilton Saturday, but Mother Nature had other plans. Heavy rain in the middle of the first left the game postponed until 1 pm Monday.

For now, here’s our Game Open and top of the first innings, in which Midland Park got a two-out single from Braiden Russell but stranded him to leave the game scoreless heading into the bottom of the first. The game won’t be restarted, it will simply resume where it was left off with shortstop Dom Parenti about to lead off the half-inning for Middlesex.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel as it all played out live on the air from Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans Park in Hamilton on June 14, 2025.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rain, rain go away! Middlesex and Midland Park will try again Monday. So how does this work?

Despite everyone’s best efforts, the Middlesex and Midland Park baseball teams just couldn’t get in their Group 1 state title game down at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton Saturday afternoon, due to light rain that turned heavy in the top of the first inning, leaving poor field conditions.

The game was called in the middle of the first with no score, and will be resumed Monday at 1 pm with the Blue Jays coming up to bat in the bottom of the first. You can listen live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here.

What actually happened?

All four public finals were slated for Saturday, with Group 4 at 10 am, followed by Group 1 at 1 pm, then Groups 2 and 3 at 4 and 7 pm, respectively. Heading into the day, it looked like the best chance for rain would be between noon and 4 pm.

The 10:00 game got off without a hitch between Cherokee and Westfield. It started raining lightly around 11:30, around the sixth innings, but the Chiefs already had a lead then. They finished as it continued to rain, and Cherokee won the state Group 4 title with a 6-0 victory. Kudos to the NJSIAA for giving that game a shot; had it gone much longer they might not have finished, but they did, and the rain at the end didn’t appear to play much of a factor at all.

Middlesex arrived during the Cherokee-Westfield Group 4 title game, and waited by the first base dugout for it to finish before warming up. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Middlesex and Midland Park had already arrived, and some fans for that game had started showing up, as well. Discussions took place, and it appeared both coaches wanted to try and play. They were here already, weren’t they? So why not?

It seemed like there were three options: 1) play at 1 pm and see how much they could get in (maybe the rain would miss?), 2) wait until after the rain was supposed to end around 4 pm (the state appeared already to have postponed the last two games to Monday, so there would be plenty of time before the late-night curfew), or 3) simply postpone until Monday.

Middlesex schools are closed Monday for observance of Juneteenth, while Midland Park had final exams scheduled.

Ultimately, around 12:45, with the input of the head coaches and athletic directors from both schools, NJSIAA baseball tournament director and Chief Operating Office Tony Maselli decided to let the teams try and get this one in Saturday.

They got through four batters and one half inning.

NJSIAA officials, school representative and the ground crew discuss options around 12:45 Saturday afternoon, ultimately deciding to try and play the Group 1 final between Middlesex and Midland Park, despite light rain at the time. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Had the rain not picked up and become more heavy (how often are forecasts wrong, right?) it would have again looked like a brilliant move, and met the desires of both teams to jut get things going already. Well, it didn’t. Then again, they could have postponed until Monday, an the rest of Saturday could have been fine; it’s a crap shoot.

They could have also started early, but that could have limited the availability of the starting pitchers had there been a chance to come back Sunday. (Read on for more about that.)

What happens now?

State tournament games in baseball are played under the suspended game rule. You can read it in its entirety here, in the 2025 Baseball Game Ending Rules. It states the following:

“If a game is called before it becomes a completed game because of weather, field conditions, or darkness, the umpire shall declare the contest a “suspended game”. There are no official games when the contest is played under the suspended game rule. The game must be played to completion. This must be discussed before the first pitch. A game that is suspended at any time shall be picked up at the point of interruption the next day.”

That means the score will be 0-0.

Midland Park in the top of the first had Ryan Fleming lead off with a ground out to second, Chase Shortway launched a rocket to right field caught shy of the warning track on the run by Dylan Ianiero, Braiden Rusell hit a two-out single past a diving Owen Reynolds at first, but then Connor Shortway grounded to Dom Parenti at short to end the inning.

The Panthers’ defense got called off the field before starter Connor Detrick could even face a batter. So that’s where we’ll resume at 1:00 Monday, with Parenti leading off the bottom of the first.

All lineups will be the same, and any changes coaches want to be made would have to be made as part of the game, since lineup cards were exchanged and the game did, in fact, start. Then again, high school baseball rules allow players to re-enter, so that shouldn’t affect much either. And since onyl one-half inning was played, expect no changes.

What about the pitchers?

That would have been a concern had the game progressed further. Under the suspended game rule, the one day of rest required for a pitcher who throws more than 30 pitches is waived, but the limit is extended to 50. However, Middlesex starter Domenic Long only threw 15, and Detrick didn’t even throw one. So, essentially, no one will have any less than the customary 110-pitch daily limit when they come back on Monday.

Does anyone gain an advantage here?

Probably not. Sure, everyone was hyped up to play this game, especially Midland Park, a first time sectional champion this season. But ultimately, everyone has to come back two days later, there are no games in between, and everyone has all the pitchers available. There’s no downside to playing Monday.

But neither teem has gone deep pitching-wise in the states.

In five games, Midland Park has only used two starting pitchers, with the previous starter sometimes coming out of the bullpen. Middlesex has only started long and Chris Kozak, with uber-pinch hitter Dalton Michael the only other arm to make an appearance, throwing two innings in the first round of a 10-0 five-inning win over Keyport.

You’ve heard of icing the kicker? Well, everyone’s iced the same amount here. All pitchers can throw with their full limit available. This is a push. The only benefit? It should be drier.

So what about that forecast?

As of 4 pm here on Saturday, The Weather Channel forecast for Monday is cloudy – with about 90 percent cloud cover – and a high of 69 degrees, with ENE winds (in from left field) at 5-10 miles per hour.

While humidity will be about 83 percent, the daytime chance of precipitation is about 15 percent. That’s a good day to take your shot.

What about the other games?

Saturday’s two later games also were moved, but will keep the same order. West Morris will play undefeated Governor Livingston – the state’s No. 1 team – in the Group 2 final at 4 pm, followed by the Group 3 final at 7:00 featuring Morris Knolls and Northern Burlington.

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 1 Finals Preview: Middlesex seeks 7th state title when Blue Jays take on Midland Park

One more game, one more win.

Coaches tell their players all the time to focus on one game at a time, and never to look ahead.

Well, for Middlesex and Midland Park, there is no next game. This is it: the NJSIAA Group 1 championship game, last of the year, for all the marbles, Saturday down in Hamilton.

The Blue Jays are are most decorated state tournament team in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, having won six state titles – three of them since 2017 – and will be looking for one more Saturday afternoon.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast that game with pregame at 12:40 pm and first pitch set for 1:00.

Scroll through this story for news, notes, stats, interview, links to past coverage and championship history:

GROUP 1 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Middlesex Blue Jays

  • 22-5 overall
  • 8-4, GMC White Division (4th place behind St. Thomas Aquinas, Colonia and Spotswood)
  • Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament semifinalist
  • Central Jersey Group 1 champions

Midland Park Panthers

  • 21-8-1 overall
  • 6-3-1, NJIC Patriot Division (2nd place behind Cresskill)
  • Bergen County Invitational Tournament finalist
  • North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 champions

Date and Time: Satrurday, June 13, 2025 – 1 pm
Location: Bob DeMeo Field, Veterans Park – Hamilton, NJ
Coverage: Live broadcast on Central Jersey Sports Radio (Click here to listen!)
Announcers: Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel

Head Coaches:
Middlesex: Blaze Iannetti, 1st season (22-5)
Midland Park: Frank Clark, 6th season (97-58-3)

Pitching Probables:
Middlesex: Dominic Long (11-0, 1.31 ERA) (3-0, 0.48 ERA in states)
Midland Park: Connor Detrick (8-3, 1.35 ERA) (2-0, 0.00 ERA in states)

Home Team: Middlesex will be the home team, which is determined by the team with the higher power point value, per NJSIAA rule. The Blue Jays finished with 26.486 power points, while Midland Park was at 20.853 power points.

Previews:

Middlesex Baseball celebrates a Central Jersey Group 1 championship against Point Pleasant Beach on June 5th, 2025 (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Middlesex (#1 seed, Central Group 1):
First Round: def. (16) Keyport, 10-0 (5 inn.)
Quarterfinals: def. (9) South Hunterdon, 8-1
Semifinals: def. (4) Shore, 10-0 (6 inn.)
Finals: def. (2) Point Peasant Beach, 7-1 (RECAP)
Group 1 Semifinals: def. Schalick (South 1 champ, #2 seed), 4-3 (8 inn.) (RECAP)

Midland Park (#2 seed, North 1, Group 1):
First Round: def. (15) Butler, 3-0
Quarterfinals: def. (10) Mountain Lakes, 5-0
Semifinals: def. (6) Indian Hills, 5-4
Finals: def. (4) Wallkill Valley, 1-0
Group 1 Semifinals: def. Brearley (North 2, Group 2 champ, #4 seed)

PLAYOFF STAT LEADERS:

Middlesex:
Batting Average – Dalton Michael (.667, 2-for-3), Owen Reynolds (.545, 6-for-11), Dom Parenti (.462, 6-13), Marcus Lavornia (.429, 6-for-14)
RBIs: Dom Parenti, Dylan Ianiero (7)
HR: Dom Parenti (1)
Stolen Bases: Dom Parenti (6), Dominic Long, James Matula (2)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Chris Kozak (18), Dominic Long (16)
ERA: Dalton Michael (0.00, 2 IP), Dominic Long (0.48 ERA, 14 2/3 IP), Chris Kozak (1.29, 16 1/3 IP) (Middlesex has only used three pitchers in the state tournament)

Midland Park:
Batting Average: Ryan Fleming (.438, 7-for-16), Ryan Natolli (.333, 3-for-9), Braiden Russell (.313, 5-for-16), Conor Shortway (.308, 4-for-13)
RBIs: Braiden Russell, Chase Shortway, Ryan Natolli (3)
HR: None
Stolen Bases: Ryan Fleming (5), Braiden Russell (3), Conor Shortway (2)
Strikeouts (Pitching): Braiden Russell (22), Connore Detrick (11)
ERA: Connor Detrick (0.00, 16 2/3 IP), Braiden Russell (1.53, 18 1/3 IP) (Midland Park has used only two pitchers in the state tournament)

Middlesex sophomore Dominic Long pitches against Point Pleasant Beach in the Central Jersey Group 1 final at Mountainview Park in Middlesex on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

THE LOWDOWN:

Middlesex has hit better than Midland Park all year, and scored more runs, so we think this one comes down to pitching. Between the two teams, in ten state tournament games played, each has used only two starters and while each team has used its other starter in relief, only one other pitcher has seen any time besides those starters: Middlesex reliever Dalton Michael threw two innings in a 10-0 five-run-rule win over Keyport in the opening round of Central Jersey Group 1.

While Middlesex has state titles in 2021, 2018 and 2017, and won a sectional title in 2019 as well – all under previous head coach Justin Nastasi – no one on this team has been this far in the states, but first-year head coach Blaze Iannetti has. An assistant since 2016 under Nastasi, and as an alum who joined the program as an assistant right out of Mitchell College in Connecticut for the 2016 season, he knows what it’s like in this moment.

Then again, Middlesex has had two deep tournament runs this year. They knocked off Colonia in the first round and beat South Plainfield in the quarterfinals of the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament before losing, 3-0, in the semifinals to runner-up Edison. So they know a little something about one-and-done games. And their loss in the county final could be one to grow on as well.

The Blue Jays have success for a lot of reasons – great players and great coaching among them – but none of it happens without a strong feeder program, and the Middlesex Little League is just that. And many of these players – including the seniors as eighth-graders – probably were outside the fence watching when Middlesex won its 2021 title, which included walk-offs in their last four games: by ten-run rule in the sectional semis against Florence, 1-0 in the CJ1 title game over Point Pleasant Beach, on a grand-slam by Bobby Ulmer, Jr., in the group semis against Woodstown, and in 13 innings over New Providence in the Group 1 final, on the same field where they’ll play (if the weather holds) Saturday.

Midland Park, meanwhile, is having unprecedented success: this year’s North 1, Group 1 title was its first sectional crown in school history in year seven under Frank Clark, who came close twice before, when he was head coach at Waldwick. They went to the Group 1 final in 2011, losing 8-6 to Audubon, then again in 2016, losing 3-2 to Pennsville.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Championship History…

Middlesex has won more state titles than any other GMC team, and any Skyland Conference team, too. They’ve won six state Group 1 titles, the first coming in 1990. They won again in 2007 and 2013, and under Justin Nastasi took state titles in 2017, 2018 and 2021, Their six state championships are fourth in NJSIAA history, tied with Emerson. Pensville, Steinert and Audubon each have seven; Don Bosco, Seton Hall Prep, and Bishop Eustace each have eight. And then it’s a long way to go to Gloucester Catholic, the St. Anthony of high school baseball in the state, which beat Pope John Wednesday in the Non-Public Group B final, and now has an eye-popping 22 state championships.

Midland Park’s North 1, Group 1 title was its first sectional title in school history.

Bunch of Goose Eggs…

In ten state tournament games, these teams have combined for five shutouts, and the two pitchers expected to go in this one have combined to allow just one earned run in 31 2/3 innings thrown.

Dominic Long of Middlesex has allowed just seven hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out 16 and walking five, while Connor Detrick of Midland Park has gone 16 2/3 in the playoffs, allowing just five hits, five walks, striking out eleven, and giving up nary a run.

The Panthers had three shutouts in sectional play, then blanked Brearley 4-0 in the group semis, while Middlesex had a pair of 10-0 wins, over Keyport (in 5 innings) in the Central 1 first round, and Shore in the sectional semifinals (in six innings), respectively.

In the playoffs, Middlesex is outscoring opponents 39-5, while Midland Park’s games have been closer; they’re outscoring teams in the playoffs 18-4.

Common Opponents: None

Recent Meetings…

These two teams haven’t met since at least before 2008, the most recent year for which results are readily available online.

Group 1 Championship History…

Middlesex has six state championships, their first coming in 1990, and their most recent in 2021, when they beat New Providence in 13 innings on a walk-off single. Only one other CJSR-area team has won a state title in Group 1, that being Hoffman (now known as South Amboy) out of the GMC in 1984. No Somerset County team has ever won Group 1.

Middlesex celebrates its NJSIAA Group 1 state championship in 2021, with a 4-3 win over New Providence on June 19, 2021. (Photo: Dom Savino)
  • 1971: Gloucester City
  • 1972: Roselle Park
  • 1973: Palmyra
  • 1974: Cedar Grove
  • 1975: Glen Ridge
  • 1976: Palisades Park
  • 1977: Park Ridge
  • 1978: Bordentown
  • 1979: Chatham
  • 1980: Secaucus
  • 1981: Glen Ridge
  • 1982: Emerson
  • 1983: Glen Ridge
  • 1984: Hoffman
  • 1985: Florence
  • 1986: Florence
  • 1987: Roselle Park
  • 1988: Glen Ridge
  • 1989: Haddonfield
  • 1990: Middlesex
  • 1991: Haddonfield
  • 1992: Emerson
  • 1993: Glen Ridge
  • 1994: Audubon
  • 1995: Audubon
  • 1996: Riverside
  • 1997: Riverside
  • 1998: New Providence
  • 1999: Glen Rock
  • 2000: Emerson
  • 2001: Emerson
  • 2002: Pennsville
  • 2003: Pennsville
  • 2004: New Milford
  • 2005: Pennsville
  • 2006: Pennsville
  • 2007: Middlesex
  • 2008: Lyndhurst
  • 2009: Park Ridge
  • 2010: Pitman
  • 2011: Audubon
  • 2012: Audubon
  • 2013: Middlesex
  • 2014: Shore
  • 2015: Emerson
  • 2016: Pennsville
  • 2017: Middlesex
  • 2018: Middlesex
  • 2019: Emerson
  • 2020: COVID – no season
  • 2021: Middlesex
  • 2022: Woodstown
  • 2023: Pequannock
  • 2024: Pompton Lakes
by Mike Pavlichko

GMC’s last team standing, Middlesex aims for league record 7th state title Saturday when Blue Jays take on red-hot Midland Park in Hamilton

There has been nothing particularly spectacular this season about the Middlesex High School baseball team. And that’s a compliment.

There is no feared hitter batting over the .500 mark with eight home runs. There’s no pitcher with 100 strikeouts and a blazing fastball who’s going to a major Division 1 program.

Just, good, solid, consistent baseball players. Baseball players who have won 16 of their last 17 games and are a win away from their seventh state championship. Their current six trophies are more than any other GMC school – and even any other Skyland Conference school, for that matter, as well.

Granted, Dominic Long is 11-0 with a 1.31 ERA, and he will be expected to get the start Saturday against Midland Park (21-8-1) when the Blue Jays (22-5) face them in the NJSIAA Group 1 championship game at 1 pm at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton.

Long gave Middlesex just what it needed Monday in the Group 1 semifinals against Schalick. Head coach Blaze Iannetti went to him in the eighth after starter Chris Kozak issued a four-pitch, one-out walk, and he got two strikeouts sandwiched around a two-out single to keep the game tied 3-3, giving the Jays a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning, which they did, on an RBI single by regular pinch-hitter Dalton Michael.

Long and Kozak have been awesome this year. Long hasn’t lost a game, while Kozak is 6-4 but with an even lower 0.84 ERA. They’ve been the only two pitchers to start in the state tournament – with Michael the only other pitcher who’s made an appearance, getting in two innings of work – combining to go 5-0 with a combined 0.90 earned run average.

In their five state tournament wins, Middlesex has pitched two shutouts, two one-run games, and the only time they gave up more was in their 4-3 win over Schalick.

And they’re tearing it up at the plate, too. Dalton Michael is 2-for-3 on pinch-hitting duty with three runs batted in, including a double and a single. First baseman Owen Reynolds is hitting .545, and Dom Parenti – who hit his second home run of the season Monday in the Group 1 semis, leading off the bottom of the first – has seven runs batted in, as does Dylan Ianiero.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Blaze Iannetti talk about the season and the Group 1 final against Midland Park with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex opponent Midland Park on historic state tourney run despite key injuries

With a 15-4-1 record, having won four straight games and endured a mid-April rough patch, the Midland Park baseball team was looking to finish the regular season strong heading into the state tournament, until the opposite happened.

The Panthers, who would enter the North 1, Group 1 playoffs as the two seed, lost four straight. There were two tight games – a 7-4 loss to Emerson Boro and a 6-4 loss at New Milford – then a 10-2 loss at Ridgewood in the Bergen County Invitational Final, and another regular season loss, 2-0, at Cresskill.

That last loss was the turning point, and time for a wake-up call. Would they pack it in, a victim of injuries to a solid pitcher in senior Anthony Carrea and one of their best hitters in junior Ralph Caprio? Or would they have a next-man-up mentality, suck it up and start winning?

The answer? Since then, Midland Park has won six in a row, including a 1-0 victory over Wallkill Valley to win the North 1, Group 1 title – the first sectional title in school history – and now is playing for the NJSIAA’s Group 1 state championship.

That game will take place Saturday at 1 pm at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ park in Hamilton, where the Panthers (21-8-1) will take on Central Jersey Group 1 champion Middlesex (22-5) in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Click here to listen as Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action.

Midland Park has had a season of streaks. They won their first six games, then went 0-3-1 over the next four. They won five straight before a loss in the Bergen County Tournament first round at St. Mary-Rutherford before winning four straight, and going on that five game skid heading into the state tournament. Now, they’ve won six straight.

Senior Ryan Fleming is the team’s top hitter at .372, while Conor Shortway – who will play for Division III Mount St. Mary next Spring – has a team-leading 17 RBIs among active players. (The injured Caprio has 18.)

They may not score as much as Middlesex, but their pitching has been excellent all year, including those who have stepped up in Carrea’s absence. That includes junior Braiden Russel, who had been the Panthers’ closer, but now has thrown 40 2/3 innings, and is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA.

Connor Detrick – who started and got the wins in the sectional quarterfinals and the title game – will get the ball Saturday against the Blue Jays, coming in at 8-3, with a 1.35 ERA, and about a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 72 2/3 innings, the most thrown by any pitcher on the staff this season.

Click below to learn more about Midland Park from head coach Frank Clark, speaking with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: