Tag: NJSIAA

by Mike Pavlichko

Photo Gallery: We stopped by the new home of the NJSIAA state baseball finals at Rutgers, and all seemed to be having a good time

Free parking, free admission, a day in the sun with seat-back chairs, or a chance to spread out on a blanket on the grassy hill in left field.

That pretty much summed up a beautiful (if not on the warm side) Sunday afternoon at Rutgers University’s Bainton Field in Piscataway, where the NJSIAA held its four public state championship games, just a few days after crowning the Non-Public champions on Wednesday night.

Back when this reporter was calling Rutgers baseball games on student radio station WRSU 88.7 FM in New Brunswick, the field – not yet named Bainton – was a lot different: natural grass, smaller bleachers, and an uncovered platform behind the plate on ground level for a press box.

But in recent years, the field was completely turfed, and a video board and lights were added for night baseball. And this past off-season, the bleachers were replaced and expanded, including several hundred seat-back chairs behind home plate. The press box was relocated to the top of the bleachers, with room for media, a broadcast booth, and stadium operations booth, along with additional wings on the side for press.

Those upgrades, and the central location – with easy access from Routes 287 and the Turnpike – made it a no-brainer for the NJSIAA to move the finals to Rutgers from Veterans’ Park in Hamilton, where the natural grass surface limited play after rain, parking was limited, and a curfew affected some late-running games.

Let’s call the move to Bainton a home run for the NJSIAA and the 12 teams that got to play for state championships there. (Scroll down for all the state finals results.)

Here’s a photo gallery from our visit to the opening game of the day, the Group 3 state final, in which Old Tappan beat Brick Memorial 5-0 to win its second state title in program history:

A panoramic view of Bainton Field at Rutgers, home of the 2026 NJSIAA state baseball finals. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Fans watch Old Tappan and Brick Memorial play in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
A Brick Memorial meeting on the mound during the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brody Moore throws a pitch for Brick Memorial against Old Tappan the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Fans watch Old Tappan and Brick Memorial from the stands at the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Old Tappan players watch the state Group 3 final against Brick Memorial from the dugout at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Fans watch Brick Memorial play Old Tappan in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Old Tappan players watch the state Group 3 final against Brick Memorial from the dugout at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Caden Yoon of Old Tappan lays down a bunt against Brick Memorial in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brick Memorial and Old Tappan play in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brody Moore of Brick Memorial pitches against Old Tappan in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brick Memorial hits against Old Tappan in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

A.J. Aiello of Old Tappan earns a walk against Brick Memorial in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Old Tappan hist against Brick Memorial in the state Group 3 final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The new video board at Rutgers’ Bainton Field. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Brick Memorial players watch from the dugout in between innings of the state Group 3 final against Old Tappan at Rutgers’ Bainton Field on June 14, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Bainton Field at Rutgers, home of the 2026 NJSIAA state baseball finals. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NJSIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES:

Wednesday, June 10:

  • Non-Public A: Delbarton 4, St. Augustine 1 (10 inn.)
  • Non-Public B: Gloucester Catholic 11, St. Mary-Rutherford 1 (5 inn.)

Sunday, June 14:

  • Group 4: Ridgewood 7, Kingsway 6
  • Group 3: Old Tappan 5, Brick Memorial 0
  • Group 2: Ramsey 4, Governor Livingston 2
  • Group 1: Point Pleasant Beach 10, Pompton Lakes 4
by Mike Pavlichko

Feeney’s solo home run gives Ridgewood 8-7 win in 8 over Ridge in state Group 4 semis

They say all good things must come to an end, and in this case, it applies not just to the game, but to the Ridge baseball team’s season.

The only team from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area to win a sectional title this season saw its 2026 campaign come to an end in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon in Bergen County, as Ridgewood senior Hudson Feeney led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to give the Maroons an 8-7 win over Ridge in the state Group 4 semifinals at Veterans’ park in Ridgewood.

In a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, each team had plenty of chances, but didn’t always capitalize. Ridge left 13 runners on base, Ridgewood left a dozen. And the Red Devils had the bases loaded in the top of the eighth with two outs, but failed to score.

They almost didn’t get there. Ridgewood led 7-6 going into the top of the seventh, when DH Matt Pypcznske led off with a groundball to third that was booted. Then Toby Nicholson singled to left, but the left fielder Brody Perrapato saw it go off his glove, allowing Pypcznske to score the tying run. Then, on a line drive out to second baseman Justin Loffredo, he nearly got doubled off, but an errant throw – the third miscue of the inning – allowed him to go third. But he was stranded after Kieran Callanan struck out and Lucas Grob flied out to right.

Ridgewood took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but Ridge jumped ahead 3-1 in the top of the third. Callanan hit a fly ball to left that was dropped, turning it into a two-base error, and Lucas Grob reached on a throwing error to tie the game at one. Jake Dolan doubled, Casey Kucerka drove in the second run with a groundout to short, and Sawyer Paul reached on a 1-2 fielder’s choice that saw Dolan slide in safely to make it 3-1.

The Maroons added a run in the third, then got four in the top of the fourth – an inning that saw starter Lucas Liston hit three straight batters – but Ridge hung tough and got back in it. They wiped out a 6-3 deficit with three more in the top of the fifth. Kucerka was plunked to lead off the inning, and Sawyer Paul singled. Dimitri Romer doubled to cut it to 6-5, and after two strikeouts, Colin Newcomb singled to tie the game at 6-6.

Ridgewood would take the lead again in the bottom half, getting an RBI single from Alex DeAngelo.

Ridge saw its season end at 17-11, while Ridgewood improved to 24-7, and will face South Jersey Group 4 champion Kingsway in the state Group 4 title game at Rutgers, Sunday at 1 pm. Kingsway was a 9-1 home winner over Hunterdon Central in the other Group 4 semifinal Monday.

The win went to the Maroons’ Brady Ross (4-1) in relief. He threw four innings and allowed four hits, one unearned run, striking out three. Dolan (2-1) took the loss in a three-inning relief effort, his longest of the year in nine appearances.

Click below for postgame reaction from Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko

by Mike Pavlichko

From a familiar opponent to a complete stranger, North 2, Group 4 champ Ridge travels to Ridgewood for state semis, trip to Group 4 title game

The last Somerset County baseball team to win a state championship was only two years ago, when Bridgewater-Raritan ran the table and won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, went undefeated in league play, then won the Somerset County Tournament, North 2, Group 4 title, and the state Group 4 championship in the last high school baseball game of the year down in Hamilton.

The road hasn’t been that smooth for the Ridge baseball team, but with a sectional trophy in hand after Friday’s 3-2, come-from-behind win over neighbor Watchung Hills, it’s been one of the more rewarding titles the program has earned over the years.

Ridge players celebrate with their fans along the right field wall after a 3-1 win over Watchung Hills in the North 2, Group 4 final in Basking Ridge on June 5, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

While Immaculata was the Delaware champ, Watchung Hills won the county tournament, and Ridge (17-10) beat them in last Friday’s North 2, Group 4 sectional final, a testament to how challenging that group of six teams was this season.

But now, the focus is on the next opponent: North 1, Group 4 champion Ridgewood in the state Group 4 semifinals. And you can hear that game Monday afternoon at 4 pm – with pregame at 3:45 – as Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action live from Bergen County. Click here to listen.

The Maroons (23-7) are a solid-hitting team with very good pitching. And like Ridge, they have had some unsung heroes this year. Consider the North 1, Group 4 final against Passaic Tech, the top-seed. Third-seed Ridgewood jumped on the Bulldogs early. Despite falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first, they got three in the second and two in the third to take a 5-1 lead that they would never relinquish.

One big reason: Kotaro Kim, a senior right fielder who hit a huge three-run homer in the fourth, after PCTI had cut the deficit to 5-2. He was also the hero in the semifinals, belting a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the eighth at second-seed Mount Olive, a team that earlier in the year had taken out state-ranked No. 1 Delbarton in the Morris County Tournament championship game.

So, this Ridgewood team is no joke. But then again, neither is Ridge.

In the sectional title game, Jake Dolan – who had not even thrown eight innings in relief all season coming in – got an inning-ending double play to end the top of the sixth, then shut down Watchung Hills 1-2-3 in the seventh after the Red Devils scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth for a 3-2 lead.

Others, like senior Matt Pypcznski, have stepped in at key moments due to injury, while fellow senior Sawyer Paul seems to keep getting big hits at the plate, and also plays a solid first base.

Rigde had had a lot of contributions from everyone in the lineup this year. And if they can do that in one more game, they’ll get a chance to play for a state title.

This will be the first meeting between the schools in at least Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell’s 20-plus year tenure as head coach.

Click here to listen to Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell talk about the Red Devils’ and their Group 4 semifinal matchup at Ridgewood with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Who’s next?

The winner of the Ridge-Ridgewood game moves on to the state Group 4 final, scheduled as part of a quadruple-header next Sunday afternoon at 1 pm at Rutgers University’s Bainton Field on the Livingston Campus in Piscataway – across from Jersey Mike’s Arena.

They will face the winner of the other Group 4 semifinal. That features Central 4 champion third-seed and fellow Skyland Delaware foe Hunterdon Central (18-13) and South 4 champion and top-seed Kingsway 23-5).

Hunterdon Central and Ridge – they’re both the Red Devils, of course – split a pair this year. Central won the first meeting, 12-7, at Ridge on April 7th, putting up a five-spot in the second inning. Ridge had cut the deficit to 6-4 by the fourth, but Hunterdon added another six in the sixth.

But Ridge returned the favor two days later with a 9-5 win out in Flemington. Aiden Kerrigan had a 2-for-4 day with four runs batted in, while Toby Nicholson had two RBI, Lucas Liston got the start, and Jake Dolan got the win in relief.

Somerset County in the State Playoffs

Teams from Somerset County have won eleven state titles since the NJSIAA began playing to an overall state champion in each group in 1971. Here’s a full list of the 21 appearances in the state finals by Somerset County schools:

  • 1971 – Bridgewater-Raritan East lost to West Orange (Group 3)
  • 1974 – Franklin lost to Ridgefield Park (Group 3)
  • 1975 – Manville lost to Glen Ridge (Group 1)
  • 1976 – Ridge lost to Lakeland (Group 2); Bound Brook lost to Palisades Park (Group 1)
  • 1987 – Ridge beat Hackettstown (Group 2)
  • 1989 – Bridgewater-Raritan West beat Rutherford (Group 2)
  • 1994 – Pingry beat St. Augustine (Non-Public B)
  • 1995 – Immaculata beat Gloucester Catholic (Non-Public B)
  • 1997 – Immaculata lost to Bishop Eustace (Non-Public A)
  • 2000 – Ridge beat West Morris-Mendham (Group 2)
  • 2002 – Ridge Ridge beat Dumont (Group 2)
  • 2005 – Hillsborough beat Watchung Hills (Group 4)
  • 2010 – Immaculata beat St. Joseph-Metuchen (Non-Public A)
  • 2012 – Hillsborough lost to Manalapan (Group 4)
  • 2013 – Rutgers Prep beat Morris Catholic (Non-Public B)
  • 2014 – Bernards lost to Buena (Group 2)
  • 2015 – Bernards lost to Governor Livingston (Group 2)
  • 2018 – Somerville beat Allentown (Group 3)
  • 2022 – Immaculata lost to Ranney (Non-Public B)
  • 2024 – Bridgewater-Raritan beat Eastern (Group 4)
by Mike Pavlichko

WATCH: See the final out of the North 2, Group 4 title game, as Ridge beats Watchung Hills 3-2

Top-seed Ridge defeated third-seed Watchung Hills on Friday, June 5, 3-2 at Pete Hall Field in Basking Ridge as the Red Devils won their second sectional title in North 2, Group 4 in the last six years, and their tenth overall.

Watch the video of the final out below, with Mike Pavlichko on the call – and working the camera!

by Mike Pavlichko

South Plainfield, Old Bridge fall in sectional title games Friday, ending GMC’s run in state playoffs

Losses by South Plainfield and Old Bridge in sectional titles games – coupled with St. Thomas Aquinas’ loss to St. Mary-Rutherford in the Non-Public North B final – have officially ended the run for the Greater Middlesex Conference in the NJSIAA state baseball tournament.

All that remains is Ridge out of Somerset County and the Skyland Conference, with the Red Devils coming from behind to beat Watchung Hills in the North 2, Group 4 title game, to win their tenth sectional championship as a program. they’ll visit North 1, Group 4 winner Ridgewood Monday in the state Group 4 semifinals, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

North 2, Group 3 Final – (3) Cranford 10, (4) South Plainfield 5: Two days after going on the road and knocking off top-seed Chatham in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals, the Tigers’ season came to an end with a 10-5 loss at Cranford.

South Plainfield (17-12) got on the board in the top of the first, taking a 1-0 lead on a groundout by starting pitcher Andrew Bena, driving in Dom Masaro, who had doubled to lead off the game.

But Cranford got the lead back in the bottom of the inning. After the first two batters were hit by a pitch, and Michael Tripodi singled to load the bases, a sac fly from Adam Kielczynski scored one. A walk reloaded the bases, and a single by David Rosa made it 2-1, then a Evan Ketschke walked to bring in another, making it 3-1.

The Cougars added one in the third, on a sac fly by Brayden Fry with the bases loaded to make it 4-1, and that would be all for Bena. But South Plainfield tacked one in the top of the fourth on a double by Joe Stanzione to keep it a two-run game, 4-2. But Cranford again got the first two hitters in the home half of the inning on base the painful way, then got a walk to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Ketschke picked up his second RBI of the day on a double to right to make it 5-2.

But the Tigers still wouldn’t go away. In the top of the fifth, Aiden McCarthy singled to lead off the inning, and Bena doubled to cut it to 5-3. After stealing third, Bena scored on a passed ball with Chris Loniewksi at the plate to make it 5-4. A sac bunt got him to second, but two groundouts ended the inning.

Cranford answered in the second, getting a two-run homer from Patrick Bendert – his sixth of the year – after a leadoff single by Fry, making it 7-4.

And yet, the Tigers still weren’t done, cutting it to 7-5 on a two-out double by Aiden McCarthy, but as Massaro scored, he tried to get to third and was thrown out to end the inning. But Cranford put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth, when – after two singles to lead the inning, and a fielder’s choice – Fry hit his tenth homer of the season, clearing the fence in left field to make it 10-5, with South Plainfield going out 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.

Bena took the loss to drop to 4-3, while Patrick Berry got the win in relief to improve to 3-0. Cranford, now 22-9, will visit Old Tappan on Monday. The top-seed in North 1, Group 3, they beat second-seed Ramapo at home Friday, 9-4, to win the sectional title.

Central Jersey Group 4 Final – (3) Hunterdon Central 14, (1) Old Bridge 1: Despite pumping out ten hits, Old Bridge simply couldn’t cash in against the Red Devils, dropping their second straight Central Jersey Group 4 title game, following a loss to Hillsborough a year ago.

Central got four in the top of the first off starter Blake Dunleavy, who came out after two innings of work, giving up seven runs – six earned – on eight hits. After a single sandwiched between the first two outs, Trevor Wallace doubled for the first run, and Chase Reinhard followed with an inside-the-park home run down the left field line to make it 3-0. And after a JP Santos single, he went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground ball to third by Matty Dalfonzo that resulted in an error.

Old Bridge got one back in the bottom of the inning. After two fly outs, Jared Volpe singled, and scored on a single by Erich Schikschneit, but he was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play.

Then Hunterdon Central buried Old Bridge in the third, with a six-run inning. After a single, hit batter and another single loaded the bases, Brady Meyer came on in relief, but he walked Dalfonzo walked to drive in one, then Trey Garutti walked to make it 6-1. A dingle by Ryan Ganguzza drove in two to make it 8-1, a single by Contiliano scored another run, and a Nik Holot sac fly made it 10-1 before Old Bridge could get out of the inning.

Hunterdon Central added another four runs in the top of the seventh, further putting the game out of reach. The Red Devils (18-13) now move on to the Group 4 state semifinals on Monday, where they will play at South Jersey Group 4 champion Kingsway, with the top seeded Dragons taking the title with a 12-2 win over third-seed Eastern.

by Alec Crouthamel

St. Thomas Aquinas falls to top-seeded St. Mary in Non-Public North B final for Gaels’ first title since 2023

Each coach had a similar message heading into Friday’s Non-Public B final.

If we take care of our own business, we’ll be in a good spot.

Top-seeded St. Mary of Rutherford did so at a higher level than third-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, winning its first sectional title since 2023, 11-7, at Tamblyn Field in Rutherford.

The Gaels (17-11-1) built up a 7-2 lead after just three innings of play, and even after a late rally from the Trojans (14-15), sealed the win in seven full innings.

Two freshmen faced off on the mound, a tough task for both sides. But St. Mary southpaw Ayden Vargas was ready for the challenge and then some, earning the win with 6 1/3 strong innings.

St. Thomas Aquinas freshman Justin Monterosso got the start for the visitors, but only recorded four outs before the Trojans went with junior Nikash Patel out of the bullpen.

Aquinas never backed down, scoring six runs in the final two innings and raising some blood pressures on the home side, but in the end ran out of innings and time to fully make a comeback.

The Trojans left the bases loaded in the top half of the first, and the Gaels responded with a run in the bottom half, as right fielder Andres Bracho singled home centerfielder Jakhi Gale to open the scoring. Gale reached base in all five plate appearances, and scored three runs on the afternoon.

St. Thomas Aquinas tied the game up in the top of the second, as they loaded the bases for the second straight inning. Catcher Adrian Sanchez got the Trojans on the board with a bases-loaded walk, but Vargas worked two consecutive strikeouts in the heart of the order to leave the bases loaded for the second straight inning.

St. Mary started to take full control in the bottom of the second with four runs to take a 5-1 lead. Five straight batters reached after the first was retired, with Patel replacing Monterosso on the mound in the middle of that stretch. Patel walked in two runs with the bases loaded for his first two batters faced, and even after a strikeout of first baseman Jeffrey Paulino, the Gaels added more.

Bracho stepped up once again, and singled into right field to bring home two more runs to make it a four-spot in the inning.

The Trojans added another run of their own in the top of the third, a sacrifice fly from right fielder Aiden Alberto, but St. Mary got right back to its mojo in the bottom half. The Gaels worked two more runs off a two-RBI double from shortstop Roysell Rivera, taking a commanding 7-2 lead early on.

Each team threw a shutout fourth, but in the bottom of the fifth, St. Mary fully broke the game wide open.

The Gaels worked four straight hits with one out, including RBI base hits by Gale and Rivera, before Paulino mashed a long home run up the left-field hill. By that point, St. Mary worked an 11-2 run, and with a runner on second, came close to ending the game in five innings.

Courtesy runner, Logan Bartley rounded third with a full head of steam after a single by catcher Joshua Figueroa, but Trojans right fielder Justin Brown launched a long throw from the outfield to throw Bartley out at the plate, and keep the game alive.

From there, St. Thomas Aquinas fought to the very last pitch.

The Trojans added a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single from Brown to score senior Louis Rizzolo, cutting the deficit to eight runs. Reliever Chris Gutaukas threw a shutout bottom half of the inning, setting up the Gaels to win the game in the top half of the seventh.

But as a wise man once said on ESPN, “Not so fast, my friends.”

St. Thomas Aquinas refused to go down without a fight, putting up four runs in the final frame to make things interesting. Designated hitter Harrison Eng reached on a full-count walk with one out, prompting St. Mary to go to the bullpen, as Vargas earned a round of applause for his efforts.

Designated hitter Demir Giddens replaced Vargas on the mound, but the Trojans kept fighting. Giddens struck out pinch-hitter Vic Burgos, setting the Gaels up one out away from a title, but it took a bit longer than anticipated. Monterosso worked a walk of his own, flipping the lineup back to the top one last time. Rizzolo worked another walk on four pitches, then catcher Adrian Sanchez brought home pinch-runner Andrew Scaff with a scorching RBI single. Patel came up and brought two more home with another single up the middle, and Brown made it three straight, going station-to-station with an RBI single of his own, as St. Mary made another pitching change during that stretch, putting Xavier Vargas on the bump.

All of a sudden, it was 11-7 with two runners on.

Vargas didn’t waver, though, facing third baseman Tyler Coello, the ninth batter of the inning. Even in a full count, Vargas trusted his stuff and froze Coello looking to seal the title.

Monterosso took the loss in 1 1/3 innings pitched, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk. Patel pitched four innings, allowing six earned runs, while Gutaukas allowed none in an inning and two thirds of his own.

Ayden Vargas earned the win with 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

In the end, the Gaels took advantage of their chances. Their top five hitters reached base 18 times, accounting for nine of the 11 runs on the scoreboard.

St. Mary won its 16th sectional championship – 13th in Non-Public North B – and will move on to the Non-Public B final against South champion Gloucester Catholic on Wednesday at Rutgers. St. Thomas Aquinas’ season comes to a close.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from both head coaches with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

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

Ridge overcomes 2-0 deficit to beat Watchung Hills, 3-2, for North 2, Group 4 title, program’s 10th sectional crown

Trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, top-seed Ridge tied the North 2, Group 4 title game at two, then scored the go-ahead run on an error in the bottom of the sixth to beat third-seed Watchung Hills 3-1, claiming the Red Devil program’s tenth state sectional championship, and second in the last six years.

Ridge will move on to play at North 1, Group 4 winner Ridgewood in the state Group 4 semifinals Monday at 4 pm. The third-seeded Maroons knocked off top-seed Passaic Tech Friday afternoon in the title game, 10-8.

With a packed crowd that was five or more deep along the fences past the dugouts – and another long stretch of students hanging over the edge of the right field wall, the celebration was a wild one, especially since Ridge had made the finals in this section last year, but lost to Westfield.

In a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, the deciding run came in the bottom of the sixth with the score tied 2-2. Dimitri Romer walked to lead off the inning, then DH Matt Pypczynske was hit by a pitch. Toby Nicholson came up next, but Ridge saw Romer picked off at third when Hills catcher Jacob Jaconski throw down to the shortstop, who had Romer hung up and threw to third, where Brady Simo applied the tag for the first out.

But Nicholson singled to put two on again. That’s when Colin Newcomb hit a hard but playable shot to short that Stef DiGeronimo booted, making it 3-2 Ridge, the first lead of the game for the Red Devils. And that was all they would get, as Kieran Callanan hit a liner to short, that DiGeronimo snared; he then got Nicholson off second to end the inning with a 6-4 double play.

Jake Dolan had come in from centerfield in the top of the sixth to replace starter Dimitri Romer with one out, and now came out to finish it off against the middle of the Warriors’ order. He got Rob Centamore to ground out to third, Max Payne to fly out to center, and Landon Pudlak to fly out to right to end it, as the Ridge players streamed out of the dugout, caps and empty water bottles flying.

Ridge players celebrate with their fans along the right field wall after a 3-1 win over Watchung Hills in the North 2, Group 4 final in Basking Ridge on June 5, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Dolan got the win in relief for Ridge (18-10), while Lucas Sheehan took the loss for Watchung Hills (18-9).

Watchung Hills scored a run in the third, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Rob Centamore then got another in the top of the fifth. Then, they made it 2-0 in the top of the fifth on a Brady Simo walk with the bases loaded.

But Ridge set themselves up with two in the bottom of the sixth.  With one out, Newcomb singles, and Callanan hit a ball to second, reaching when Landon Pudlal bobbled it. Grob singled to load the bases, and Jake Dolan hit a sac fly to right to cut the deficit in half.  Casey Kucerka then followed with a single to tie it at 2-2, but Sawyer Paul grounded into a fielder’s choice to end it.

Click here for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with Watchung Hills’ senior Jake Dolan and head coach Tom Blackwell, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge seeks second CJ4 title in four years, third overall, when Knights host Hunterdon Central Friday afternoon at Fred Cole Field

Under head coach Matt Donaghue, Old Bridge has been a consistent force, and perennial contender in the state tournament.

In 2023, they won the Central Jersey Group 4 title, beating North Brunswick at home 2-1. They went on to beat Eastern in the Group 4 state semifinals, 8-6, but fell 4-0 to Ridgewood in the state Group 4 title game down at Veteran’s Park in Hamilton.

After a loss to Monroe in the semis in 2024, they were back in the title game last year, but fell at home to Hillsborough. Now they’re back, with another opportunity to open the trophy case and add some more hardware.

Playing in the rugged GMC Red Division, the top-seeded Knights (21-9) already have an equivalent record to what they finished with in 2023, when they went to the state final.

Tonight at 6 pm, they’ll have a chance to surpass that, grab a trophy, and move on the state semifinals when they take on third-seed Hunterdon Central (17-13), which won their semifinal matchup over seven-seed Jackson Twp., 8-5. Old Bridge beat four-seed Hightstown in the semis, 10-0.

In fact, while Old Bridge is known for its aggressiveness at the plate and on the basepaths, it’s their pitching which has been superb in the state tournament, having not allowed a single run. They beat 16-seed East Brunswick 1-0 in the opening round, and eight-seed Freehold Twp. in the quarterfinals, 8-0, outscoring all three opponents by a combined 19-0.

Blake Dunleavy went 6 2/3 in the state opener against the Bears, while Brady Meyer got the final out in relief. Then, Mason Mule threw a complete game, one-hitter against Freehold, while Dunleavy came back with a five-inning whitewash of the Rams in the Knights’ run-rule win. So, it could be Mule, or Brady Meyer – who threw the GMC final last Saturday, a 7-0 loss to Monroe – who gets the start today.

Matt Chin leads the lineup with a .420 batting average and 22 runs batted in, while the rest of the lineup is fairly balanced, and hitting .281 as a whole.

The Red Devils are pretty comparable at the plate, hitting .289 as a team, led by senior outfielder Danny Contiliano, hitting .48-0 on the season with 28 RBI and five home runs.Junior Nick Holot is hitting .363, the only other regular hitting over .300 on the year.

Based on their state rotation so far, sophomore Jack Edwards – who started in a 12-7 quarterfinal win over Manalapan and went five innings, allowing six hits and three runs, all earned – could get the nod on the mount for Central.

Old Bridge doesn’t have a long playoff history of its own, only formed in 1994 with the merger of Madison Central and Cedar Ridge. The Knights won Central Jersey Group 4 in 2015 along with their championship from three years ago. Madison won sectional titles in CJ4 in 1976 and 1988.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue’s postgame interview from Wednesday’s semifinal win over Hightstown:

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)