Tag: NJSIAA

Here’s what should have happened in Ridge-Westfield game, per NJSIAA rules. But did it?

There’s a lot that’s still unknown about exactly how things went down in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal game between top-seed Ridge and 8th-seed Westfield, which results in the Red Devils being disqualified from the state tournament due to a pitch count violation.

In a statement the NJSIAA provided via email to Central Jersey Sports Radio Saturday afternoon: “During Thursday’s quarterfinal game of the NJSIAA Section 2, Group 4 baseball tournament, Ridge High School violated pitch count rules. As a result, its pitcher was declared ineligible and, per rule, Ridge was required to forfeit. Westfield High School will now advance to face Bayonne High School on Tuesday (5/30).”

According to an NJ Advance Media report by Luis Torres, Ridge ace Connor Byrne was taken out of the game after throwing 82 pitches. This, after having thrown 69 in Monday’s opening round playoff game against Piscataway. That would have given Byrne 151 pitches thrown, one over the NJSIAA “hard limit” of 150 pitches per five calendar days.

That “hard limit” is in contrast to the single day pitch limit of 110 pitches, which is a “soft limit,” wherein a pitcher may stay in the game to finish the batter, whether the batter is out, reaches base, or that batter ends the inning or game. The hard limit means the pitcher must be removed even in the middle of an at bat.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL NJSIAA PITCH COUNT RULES IN .PDF FORMAT

That’s what we know. What we don’t know is why Byrne wasn’t removed at 150 pitches, or 81 on the day. Was Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell unaware of the hard limit, which is a new addition to the rules this year? Where was the official pitch counter in all this?

Per NJSIAA rules, here is what should have happened, before the first pitch of the game was even thrown:

  1. “During these state tournament rounds (State Tournament Rounds 1, 2, 3 & Sectional Finals), each school shall designate a pitch counter for their team. In addition, the home team must supply an “Official Adult Pitch Counter” who shall not be part of the coaching staff or team manager. The official pitch counter should be dressed in apparel that is considered neutral during the state tournament. The official pitch counter shall be situated in an area near the backstop and equally accessible to both teams. The official pitch counter will count pitches for both schools.” This means both Ridge and Westfield should have their own pitch counters, which is something that’s required all season long. The NJ Advance story says Westfield AD Sandra Mammary told Torres that both teams checked in with the official pitch counter after each inning.
  2. Before every game, both Head Coaches shall exchange their pitching logs as part of the pre-game conference with umpires. This shall include names, numbers and pitches thrown by each pitcher. We don’t know yet whether or not the official pitch counter, which was on site, according to Mamary, was provided this information. This would also tell the pitch counter how many pitches each pitcher was allowed to throw in the game.
  3. Pitch counts must be verified with representatives of both teams after each half-inning. If both teams agree on a pitch number, that number shall be recorded as the official pitch count. If one team disagrees on a pitch count, the official pitch counter’s number shall be recorded. Once the first pitch is thrown for the next half inning, there can be no protests or appeals to the pitch count. Again, from the comments by the Westfield Athletic Director, this appears to have taken place. At this point, the pitch counter and both head coaches should have been aware of the pitch limit on Byrne, since both head coaches would have received pitching logs as part of their pre-game conference with the umpires.
  4. The official pitch counter shall inform both coaches and the plate umpire when a pitcher reaches their maximum pitch count threshold. Coaches are responsible for their pitcher’s pitch count at all times. Here’s where the questions come in. The pitch counter should have informed both coaches and the plate umpire when the Byrne reached 81 pitches, the maximum he was allowed for the day. By all accounts in numerous media reports, that never happened. Byrne was removed after 82 pitches. As a backup, the Ridge coach also should have been aware of the rule and removed Byrne, which did not happen. Was there a discrepancy as to the pitch count when Byrne was removed? An update to the Torres story with a quote from Mamary says, “When that kid pitched his 82nd pitch, we stopped the game, we asked how many pitches they had because they are the home team and they confirmed that they had 82 pitches. The umpire said, ‘Yes, we have 82 pitches.’ (He) said back to my coach, ‘Yeah, there’s 82 pitches’. And we said, ‘OK. Now it’s kind of out of hands.'” So it also appears Westfield knew Byrne had thrown 81, and stopped the game only after the violation occurred, rather than when Byrne was at his limit.

Unless there’s a further discrepancy in the pitch count for Byrne, the only thing that’s clear is that the rule was violated, and per the rules, Westfield has the right to protest, which they did, and Ridge is disqualified from the tournament.

Rules are rules, whether they’re fair and intended to ensure the safety of student-athletes or not. Clearly, the rule was violated.

But it seems like there’s more than enough blame to go around.

Top-seed Ridge DQ’d from state tournament by NJSIAA after pitch count violation

As first reported by NJ Advance Media’s Luis Torres, the Ridge baseball team – the top seed in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs – has been disqualified from the rest of the state tournament after a pitch count violation.

The report says the violation came in the Red Devils’ 8-1 quarterfinal win over eighth-seed Westfield on Thursday, when ace Connor Byrne threw 82 pitches, following a 69-pitch outing Monday against Piscataway. That would have given him 151 pitches thrown in a period of four calendar days, one over the NJSIAA pitch limit for a five-day calendar period.

According to the NJSIAA pitch count rules, the five-day rule is a hard limit of 150 pitches. The rule says: “Once the 150-pitch limit in five calendar days is reached, the pitcher may not continue with the current batter.”

That’s different from the single-day rule, which says once the 110-pitch limit is reached, a pitcher may continue until the batter reaches base, is retired, or the third out is recorded to complete that half-inning or game.

The rule did not always include the caveat that a pitcher who reaches 150 in a five-day period must be removed immediately.

The report by NJ Advance Media said the game was protested by Westfield, to determine whether or not Byrne exceeded the limit.

The NJSIAA provided the following statement in an email to Central Jersey Sports Radio Saturday afternoon: “During Thursday’s quarterfinal game of the NJSIAA Section 2, Group 4 baseball tournament, Ridge High School violated pitch count rules. As a result, its pitcher was declared ineligible and, per rule, Ridge was required to forfeit. Westfield High School will now advance to face Bayonne High School on Tuesday (5/30).”

The NJSIAA rules state: “Failure to remove a pitcher when he has reached the maximum number of pitches thrown is the basis for protest by the opposing coach. If the protest is upheld, the penalty shall be forfeiture of the game.”

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell, when reached via text message, said he was speaking to his team on a Zoom call. This story will be updated with additional comments, if available.

The result means Ridge – one of the favorites to win not only the section, but maybe even a statewide Group 4 title – is out, and Westfield is back in. The Blue Devils will now play at fifth-seed Bayonne Tuesday in one semifinal game, while third-seed Woodbridge and two-seed Bridgewater-Raritan square off in the other semifinal, for a trip to the North 2, Group 4 championship game.

It also means whichever CJSR-area team wins the Woodbridge-Bridgewater game would now be guaranteed to host the finals, since the teams in the other semi would both be lower seeds.

Three of five area non-publics advance in state playoffs, as Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and St. Joe’s all win

Just three non-public schools from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area remain in the state playoffs, with Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and St. Joseph-Metuchen advancing, while Pingry and St. Thomas Aquinas were eliminated.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL GAME RECAP AND POSTGAME AUDIO FROM RUTGERS PREP’S WIN OVER MORRIS CATHOLIC

Below are Friday’s results, followed by next week’s schedule in all sections with CJSR-area teams remaining:

FRIDAY RESULTS

Non-Public North B
(1) St. Mary-Rutherford def. (8) Hawthorne Christian, 13-1 (5 inn.)
(5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Montclair-Kimberley
(3) Rutgers Prep def. (6) Morris Catholic, 6-3
(7) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (2) St. Thomas Aquinas, 8-3

Non-Public South A
(1) Red Bank Catholic def. (8) Pingry, 4-2
(4) St. Augustine def. (5) Christian Brothers Academy, 5-4 (8 inn.)
(6) Notre Dame at (3) Donovan Catholic, 9-6 (Thursday)
(2) St. Joseph-Metuchen def. (7) Paul VI, 8-4

TUESDAY, MAY 30

Central Group 4
(5) East Brunswick at (1) Old Bridge, 6 pm (live on CJSR)
(6) Monroe at (2) North Brunswick, 4 pm

North 2, Group 4
(5) Bayonne at (1) Ridge, 4 pm
(3) Woodbridge at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan, 4 pm

North 2, Group 3
(4) South Plainfield at (1) Millburn, 3 pm
(3) Randolph at (2) Cranford

Central Group 2
(12) Ocean Township at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven, 4 pm
(10) Delran at (3) Spotswood, 2 pm

Central Group 1
(5) Manville at (1) Point Pleasant Beach, 4 pm
(3) Middlesex at (2) Shore, 4 pm

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 (times TBA)

Non-Public North B
(5) Roselle Catholic OR (4) Montclair-Kimberley at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
(7) Gill St. Bernard’s at (3) Rutgers Prep (day and time TBD)

Non-Public South A
(4) St. Augustine at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(6) Notre Dame at (2) St. Joseph-Metuchen

FRIDAY, MAY 2: Public Sectional Finals

SATURDAY, MAY 3: Non-Public Sectional Finals

Batts walk-off grand slam wins it for North Brunswick, all-GMC Red semifinals on tap in CJ4, nine area teams advance

As if anyone needed any more evidence the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division may be one of the toughest in the entire state, one of its teams is guaranteed to be the state sectional champion in Central Jersey Group 4.

That’s because sixth-seed Monroe upset third-seed Jackson Memorial on the road, 9-8 Thursday, and second-seed North Brunswick got a walk-of grand slam from Justin Batts to beat 10-seed South Brunswick, 5-1, while fifth-seed East Brunswick and top-seed Old Bridge also won.

That makes it all four teams in the semifinals of CJ4 from the GMC Red Division, with Monroe playing at North Brunswick Tuesday in one game, while Old Bridge hosts East Brunswick on the other, with the winners meeting for a sectional title next Friday at the higher seed.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY ON EAST BRUNSWICK’S 7-1 WIN OVER MANALPAN

North Brunswick 5, South Brunswick 1

Zack Konstantinovsky pitched into the sixth, with a 60-pitch limit based on NJSIAA rules. But after Alejandro Jabar gave up a home run to tie the game, North Brunswick won in its final at bat. Yomar Carreras led off with a walk, and Konstantinovsky did the same. Omar Carreras singled on a line drive to left field that was too hard a hit to drive in a run from second. Then, Justin Batts – a transfer from Bergen Catholic who has played youth ball with many of the Raiders since he was eight years old – smacked a grand slam to right field to win the game.

Click below to hear Justin Batts talk about the exciting walkoff win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Monroe 9, Jackson Memorial 8

The Falcons rallied to come from behind in a slugfest, the only upset win of the day in CJ4.

Each team scored a run in the first, but Jackson got four in the bottom of the second to take a 5-2 lead. Monroe answered, however, with a six-run third that put them up 7-5. Jackson got three more back with a Falcons run in between to make it 8-8 heading into the sixth where Monroe scored the deciding run, on a 5-3 fielder’s choice.

Click below to hear Monroe head coach Sean Field talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the win:

Below are Thursday’s results, followed by the upcoming schedule in all sections with CJSR-area teams remaining:

THURSDAY RESULTS:

Central Group 4
(1) Old Bridge def. (9) West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 10-0 (5)
(5) East Brunswick def. (13) Manalapan, 7-1
(6) Monroe def. (3) Jackson Memorial, 9-8
(2) North Brunswick def. (10) South Brunswick, 5-1

North 2, Group 4
(1) Ridge def. (8) Westfield, 8-1
(5) Bayonne def. (13) Phillipsburg, 3-2
(3) Woodbridge def. (11) Watchung Hills, 3-2
(2) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (7) Hunterdon Central, 19-8 (5)

North 2, Group 3
(1) Millburn def. (9) Chatham, 9-8
(4) South Plainfield def. (12) Warren Hills, 10-0 (5)
(6) North Hunterdon def. (3) Randolph, 6-1
(2) Cranford def. (10) Ferris, 8-0

Central Group 2
(1) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (8) Bordentown, 7-2
(12) Ocean Township def. (4) Carteret, 9-2
(3) Spotswood def. (11) Wall, 4-3
(10) Delran def. (15) Manasquan, 2-1

Central Group 1
(1) Point Pleasant Beach def. (9) Riverside, 10-0
(5) Manville def. (13) New Egypt, 2-1
(2) Shore def. (7) South Amboy, 2-1

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

Non-Public South A
(8) Hawthorne Christian at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
(5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Montclair-Kimberley
(6) Morris Catholic at (3) Rutgers Prep, 3 pm
(7) Gill St. Bernard’s at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 pm

Non-Public North B
(8) Pingry at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(5) Christian Brothers at (4) St. Augustine
(6) Notre Dame at (3) Donovan Catholic
(7) Paul VI at (2) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 4 pm

TUESDAY SCHEDULE (Some times TBA)

Central Group 4
(5) East Brunswick at (1) Old Bridge, 6 pm (live on CJSR)
(6) Monroe at (2) North Brunswick

North 2, Group 4
(5) Bayonne at (1) Ridge
(3) Woodbridge at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan

North 2, Group 3
(4) South Plainfield at (1) Millburn
(3) Randolph at (2) Cranford

Central Group 2
(12) Ocean Township at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven
(10) Delran at (3) Spotswood

Central Group 1
(5) Manville at (1) Point Pleasant Beach
(3) Middlesex at (2) Shore

Another day, another walkoff as Pingry, Gill advance in Non-Public opening round; Immaculata, Timothy C. bow out.

The four non-public schools in action in the opening round of the Non-Public state tournament split on Tuesday, with Pingry winning in Non-Public South A, while Gill St. Bernard’s won in Non-Public North B.

The 8th-seeded Big Blue (12-10) beat 9th-seed Union Catholic in walkoff fashion, 3-2, breaking a tie in the bottom of the seventh with a single run for the victory.

Meanwhile, 7th-seed Gill (9-14) erased a 7-0 deficit with nine late, unanswered runs, including five in the fifth and four in the sixth, which was the decisive inning.

Below are Tuesday’s results, and the upcoming schedule Friday’s Non-Public sectional quarterfinals, including matchups for all the Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams that had byes in Tuesday’s first round.

TUESDAY SCHEDULE

Non-Public South A
(8) Pingry def. (9) Union Catholic, 3-2
(5) Christian Brothers def. (12) Camden Catholic, 7-0
(6) Notre Dame def. (11) St. John Vianney, 13-0
(7) Paul VI def. (10) Immaculata, 6-2

Non-Public North B
(8) Hawthorne Christian def. (9) Timothy Christian, 10-0
(7) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (10) Morristown-Beard, 9-7

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE

Central Group 1
(6) Palmyra at (3) Middlesex, 4 pm

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

Central Group 4
(9) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (1) Old Bridge, 4 pm
(13) Manalapan at (5) East Brunswick, 4:15 pm
(6) Monroe at (3) Jackson Memorial, 4 pm
(10) South Brunswick at (2) North Brunswick, 4 pm

North 2, Group 4
(8) Westfield at (1) Ridge, 4 pm
(13) Phillipsburg at (5) Bayonne
(11) Watchung Hills at (3) Woodbridge, 4:30 pm
(7) Hunterdon Central at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan, 4 pm

North 2, Group 3
(9) Chatham at (1) Millburn
(12) Warren Hills at (4) South Plainfield, 2 pm
(6) North Hunterdon at (3) Randolph
(10) Ferris at (2) Cranford

Central Group 2
(8) Bordentown at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven
(12) Ocean Township at (4) Carteret. 4 pm
(11) Wall at (3) Spotswood, 2 pm
(15) Manasquan at (10) Delran

Central Group 1
(9) Riverside at (1) Point Pleasant Beach
(13) New Egypt at (5) Manville, 4 pm
(7) South Amboy at (2) Shore, 4 pm

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

Non-Public South A
(8) Hawthorne Christian at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
(5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Montclair-Kimberley
(6) Morris Catholic at (3) Rutgers Prep, 3 pm
(7) Gill St. Bernard’s at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 pm

Non-Public North B
(8) Pingry at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(5) Christian Brothers at (4) St. Augustine
(6) Notre Dame at (3) Donovan Catholic
(7) Paul VI at (2) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 4 pm

Spotswood walks off states win in extras, 14 others advance as NJSIAA playoffs begin

On the opening day of the NJSIAA state baseball tournament, 15 teams advanced to the sectional quarterfinal round later this week.

Top-seed Ridge was among those advancing, while Spotswood scored a walk-off win in eight at home against Monmouth. They got in when Breckyn DeAngelis hit a chopper to the left side that the Falcons’ third-baseman charged on, but threw wild to first base, allowing Ryan Orth to score from second on the play.

Click below to see the game-winning run, and hear head coach Glenny Fredricks talk about the game:

(Video submitted by Glenny Fredricks)
Spotswood head coach Glenny Fredricks

Below are today’s results, and the upcoming schedule for Thursday’s sectional quarterfinals – with one game on Wednewsday preceded by Tuesday’s Non-Public sectional opening round slate.

MONDAY RESULTS

Central Group 4
(1) Old Bridge def. (16) West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 3-0
(9) West Windsor-Plainsboro South def. (8) Montgomery, 7-5
(5) East Brunswick def. (12) Howell, 4-1
(13) Manalapan def. (4) Marlboro, 3-2
(3) Jackson Memorial def. 14) Freehold Township, 5-1
(6) Monroe def. (11) Hillsborough, 11-1
(10) South Brunswick def. (7) Sayreville, 3-1
(2) North Brunswick def. (15) Long Branch, 10-1

North 2, Group 4
(1) Ridge def. (16) Piscataway, 10-1
(8) Westfield def. (9) Franklin, 5-3
(5) Bayonne def. (12) Union, 14-5
(13) Phillipsburg def. (4) Elizabeth, 6-5
(3) Woodbridge def. (14) JP Stevens, 9-1
(11) Watchung Hills def. (6) Edison, 1-0
(7) Hunterdon Central def. (10) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 14-2
(2) Bridgewater-Raritan def. (15) Dickinson, 20-1

Central Group 3
(6) Allentown def. (11) JFK, 5-0
(7) Middletown Sotuh def. (10) Somerville, 15-4

North 2, Group 3
(1) Millburn def. (16) Payne Tech, 11-1
(9) Chatham def. (8) West Morris, 2-1
(12) Warren Hills def. (5) Summit, 5-3
(4) South Plainfield def. (13) Colonia, 5-2
(3) Randolph def. (14) Nutley, 13-3
(6) North Hunterdon def. (11) Mendham, 5-1
(10) Ferris at (7) Belleville (LATE)
(2) Cranford def. (15) Rahway, 6-0

Central Group 2
(16) Nottingham at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven (LATE)
(8) Bordentown def. (9) Delaware Valley, 4-0
(12) Ocean Township def. (5) South River, 10-7
(4) Carteret def. (13) East Brunswick Magnet, 6-2
(3) Spotswood def. (14) Monmouth, 1-0 (8 inn.)
(11) Wall def. (6) Johnson, 5-4
(10) Delran at (7) Raritan (LATE)
(15) Manasquan at (2) Governor Livingston (LATE)

North 2, Group 2
(12) Passaic Valley def. (5) Bernards, 2-0

Central Group 1
(1) Point Pleasant Beach def. (16) Perth Amboy Magnet, 14-0
(9) Riverside def. (8) Henry Hudson, 8-7
(5) Manville (12) Florence, 2-0
(13) New Egypt at (4) Somerset Tech (LATE)
(3) Middlesex def. (14) Burlington City, 8-0
(6) Palmyra def. (11) Dunellen, 10-0
(7) South Amboy def. (10) South Hunterdon, 2-0
(2) Shore def. (15) Keansburg, 10-0

TUESDAY SCHEDULE

Non-Public South A
(9) Union Catholic at (8) Pingry, 3:30 pm
winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(12) Camden Catholic at (5) Christian Brothers Academy
winner at (4) St. Augustine
(11) St. John Vianney at (6) Notre Dame
winner at (3) Donovan Catholic
(10) Immaculata at (7) Paul VI, 4 pm
winner at (2) St. Joseph-Metuchen

Non-Public North B
(9) Timothy Christian at (8) Hawthorne Christian, 4 pm
winner at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
BYE: Second Round (5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Montclair-Kimberley
BYE to Thursday: (6) Morris Catholic winner at (3) Rutgers Prep
(11) Wardlaw-Hartridge withdrew
(10)-Morristown-Beard at (7) Gill St. Bernard’s, 4 pm
winner at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE (Will be updated with time as we confirm)

Central Group 1
(6) Palmyra at (3) Middlesex, 4 pm

THURSDAY SCHEDULE (Will be updated with times as we confirm them)

Central Group 4
(9) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (1) Old Bridge, 4 pm
(13) Manalapan at (5) East Brunswick
(6) Monroe at (3) Jackson Memorial
(10) South Brunswick at (2) North Brunswick

North 2, Group 4
(8) Westfield at (1) Ridge, 4 pm
(13) Phillipsburg at (5) Bayonne
(11) Watchung Hills at (3) Woodbridge, 4:30 pm
(7) Hunterdon Central at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan

North 2, Group 3
(9) Chatham at (1) Millburn
(12) Warren Hills at (4) South Plainfield
(6) North Hunterdon at (3) Randolph
(10) Ferris at (2) Cranford

Central Group 2
(8) Bordentown at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven
(12) Ocean Township at (4) Carteret
(11) Wall at (3) Spotswood, 2 pm
(15) Manasquan at (10) Delran

Central Group 1
(9) Riverside at (1) Point Pleasant Beach
(13) New Egypt at (5) Manville, 4 pm
(7) South Amboy at (2) Shore

State baseball tournament opens today for public schools: here are first pitch times for all 30 teams in action Monday

The NJSIAA state baseball tournament begins today with first round play in all sections. The first two rounds are this week, with sectional quarterfinals taking place on Thursday. Next week, the Tuesday after Memorial Day will be the public semifinals, with sectional title games to be played Friday, June 2nd. All games are at the home field of the higher seeded teams.

Public statewide semis are hosted by North 1 and Central champions on Monday, June 5th. Non-Public Group Finals are on Thursday, June 8th, with Public sectional finals on Saturday June 10th, all at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton.

Here’s a look at the schedule for all 30 public schools from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area playing Monday, by section, with area teams in bold.

Central Group 4
(16) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (1) Old Bridge, 6 pm
(9) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (8) Montgomery, 4 pm
(12) Howell at (5) East Brunswick, 4:15 pm
(11) Hillsborough at (6) Monroe, 3:45 pm
(10) South Brunswick at (7) Sayreville, 4 pm
(15) Long Branch at (2) North Brunswick, 4 pm

North 2, Group 4
(16) Piscataway at (1) Ridge, 4 pm
(9) Franklin at (8) Westfield, 4:30 pm
(14) JP Stevens at (3) Woodbridge, 4:30 pm
(11) Watchung Hills at (6) Edison, 4 pm
(15) Dickinson at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan, 3 pm

Central Group 3
(11) JFK at (6) Allentown, 4 pm
(10) Somerville at (7) Middletown South, 4 pm

North 2, Group 3
(13) Colonia at (4) South Plainfield, 4 pm

Central Group 2
(12) Ocean Township at (5) South River, 4 pm
(13) East Brunswick Magnet at (4) Carteret, 4 pm
(14) Monmouth at (3) Spotswood, 4 pm

North 2, Group 2
(12) Passaic Valley at (5) Bernards, 4 pm

Central Group 1
(12) Florence at (5) Manville, 4 pm
(13) New Egypt at (4) Somerset Tech, 4 pm
(14) Burlington City at (3) Middlesex, 4 pm
(11) Dunellen at (6) Palmyra, 4pm
(10) South Hunterdon at (7) South Amboy, 4 pm

NJSIAA unveils state baseball tournament brackets; Old Bridge, Ridge get top seeds, as expected

The NJSIAA has seeded the state baseball tournament, and – as projected – Old Bridge got the top seed in Central Jersey Group 4, with GMC Red winner and GMCT finalist North Brunswick right behind at No. 2, while Ridge got the top-seed in North 2, Group 4; Bridgewater-Raritan took the second seed.

The Tournament begins Monday, May 22nd for Public schools, with the sectional quarterfinals on Thursday, May 25th, semis on Tuesday, May 30th, and sectional title games on Friday, June 2nd. For Non-Publics, everything follows a day later: the first round starts on Tuesday, May 23rd, followed by sectional quarterfinals on Friday, May 26th, semifinals on Wednesday, May 31, and sectional title games on Saturday, June 3rd.

All games are at higher seeds in the sectionals.

Public statewide semis are hosted by North 1 and Central champions on Monday, June 5th. Non-Public Group Finals are on Thursday, June 8th, with Public sectional finals on Saturday June 10th, all at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton.

A total of 38 area teams qualified, 25 from the GMC, 13 from the Skyland in Somerset County.

Below is the full schedule of first round games in sections involving Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area teams from the GMC and Somerset Counties. Those teams are in bold. Times TBA.

Central Group 4
(16) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (1) Old Bridge
(9) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (8) Montgomery
(12) Howell at (5) East Brunswick
(13) Manalapan at (4) Marlboro
(14) Freehold Township at (3) Jackson Memorial
(11) Hillsborough at (6) Monroe
(10) South Brunswick at (7) Sayreville
(15) Long Branch at (2) North Brunswick

North 2, Group 4
(16) Piscataway at (1) Ridge
(9) Franklin at (8) Westfield
(12) Union at (5) Bayonne
(13) Phillipsburg at (4) Elizabeth
(14) JP Stevens at (3) Woodbridge
(11) Watchung Hills at (6) Edison
(10) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (7) Hunterdon Central
(15) Dickinson at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan

Central Group 3
(16) Neptune at (1) Steinert
(9) Matawan at (8) Hopewell Valley
(12) Robbinsville at (5) Burlington Township
(13) Colts Neck at (4) Lawrence
(14) Hamilton West at (3) Middletown North
(11) JFK at (6) Allentown
(10) Somerville at (7) Middletown South
(15) Northern Burlington at (2) Brick Memorial

North 2, Group 3
(16) Payne Tech at (1) Millburn
(9) Chatham at (8) West Morris
(12) Warren Hills at (5) Summit
(13) Colonia at (4) South Plainfield
(14) Nutley at (3) Randolph
(11) Mendham at (6) North Hunterdon
(10) Ferris at (7) Belleville
(15) Rahway at (2) Cranford

Central Group 2
(16) Nottingham at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven
(9) Delaware Valley at (8) Bordentown
(12) Ocean Township at (5) South River
(13) East Brunswick Magnet at (4) Carteret
(14) Monmouth at (3) Spotswood
(11) Wall at (6) Johnson
(10) Delran at (7) Raritan
(15) Manasquan at (2) Governor Livingston

North 2, Group 2
(16) McNair at (1) Hanover Park
(9) Becton at (8) Leonia
(12) Passaic Valley at (5) Bernards
(13) Voorhees at (140 Ridgefield Park
(14) Ridgefield at (3) Caldwell
(11) Hackettstown at (6) Parsippany
(10) Lyndhurst at (7) Madison
(15) Rutherford at (2) Technology

Central Group 1
(16) Perth Amboy Magnet at (1) Point Pleasant Beach
(9) Riverside at (8) Henry Hudson
(12) Florence at (5) Manville
(13) New Egypt at (4) Somerset Tech
(14) Burlington City at (3) Middlesex
(11) Dunellen at (6) Palmyra
(10) South Hunterdon at (7) South Amboy
(15) Keansburg at (2) Shore

Non-Public South A
(9) Union Catholic at (8) Pingry, winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(12) Camden Catholic at (5) Christian Brothers Academy, winner at (4) St. Augustine
(11) St. John Vianney at (6) Notre Dame, winner at (3) Donovan Catholic
(10) Immaculata at (7) Paul VI, winner at (2) St. Joseph-Metuchen

Non-Public North B
(9) Timothy Christian at (8) Hawthorne Christian, winner at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
BYE: Second Round (5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Montclair-Kimberley
(11) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (6) Morris Catholic, winner at (3) Rutgers Prep
(10-Morristown-Beard at (7) Gill St. Bernard’s, winner at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas

Ridge, Old Bridge expected to get top seeds, Piscataway gets a must-win to qualify for state tournament; here are projected pairings ahead of Friday’s seeding meeting

Based on the official power point standings published on NJ.com, Ridge and Old Bridge are expected to get the top seeds in their respective Group 4 sections when the NJSIAA seeds the state tournament this Friday.

Piscataway beat St. Thomas Aquinas for the second time this season, a 14-4 win Wednesday at home that appears to have put the Chiefs in the playoffs. They entered the day in 17th, behind Newark East Side, but appear to have jumped them with the victory, which followed a 7-4 win over Aquinas in the opening round of the GMC Tournament, after having lost to the Trojans 11-4 just three days prior in their first meeting of the year.

There also appears to be one tiebreaker involving a local team, with Edison and Hunterdon Central tied with 439 power points. Having not played head-to-head, not having any common opponents, the tie would appear to go to the Eagles, with their .625 winning percentage (15-9) better than the Red Devils, who are .600 at 12-8 on the season.

We”ll take a closer look at all the matchups once the official brackets are released Friday. But for now, here are projected opening round matchups for all 38 teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area that have appeared to qualify for the state tournament – 25 from the GMC and 13 from Somerset County – with area teams in bold:

North 2, Group 4:
(16) Piscataway at (1) Ridge
(15) Dicksonson at (2) Bridgewater-Raritan
(14) JP Stevens at (3) Woodbridge
(11) Watchung Hills at (6) Edison
(9) Franklin at (8) Westfield

North 2, Group 3
(13) Colonia at (4) South Plainfield

North 2, Group 2
(12) Passaic Valley at (5) Bernards

Central Group 4
(16) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (1) Old Bridge
(15) Long Branch at (2) North Brunswick
(12) Howell at (5) East Brunswick
(11) Hillsborough at (6) Monroe
(10) South Brunswick at (7) Sayreville
(9) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (8) Montgomery

Central Group 3
(11) JFK at (6) Allentown
(10) Somerville at (7) Middletown South

Central Group 2
(14) Monmouth at (3) Spotswood
(13) East Brunswick Magnet at (4) Carteret
(12) Johnson at (5) South River

Central Group 1
(14) Burlington City at (3) Middlesex
(13) Florence at (4) Somerset Tech
(12) New Egypt at (5) Manville
(11) Dunellen at (6) Palmyra
(10) South Hunterdon at (7) South Amboy

We won’t be posting projected matchups for Non-Public schools since some teams may have opted out; the NJSIAA does not typically make that information public. However, here are the projected seeds for CJSR-area teams:

Non-Public North B
(2) St. Thomas Aquinas
(3) Rutgers Prep
(7) Gill St. Bernard’s
(9) Timothy Christian
(12) Wardlaw-Hartridge

Non-Public South A
(2) St. Joseph-Metuchen
(8) Pingry
(10) Immaculata

Revisiting baseball power points before Wednesday’s final games before the cutoff

Today – Wednesday – is the cutoff for the NJSIAA state tournament. Seeding will take place Friday with the top 16 power point teams in each section qualifying. The best 16 power point values on a team’s schedule count toward their power point total, but residuals only come from an opponent’s first 16 games.

Remember, a win today, doesn’t automatically add that value onto the total. If a team has 500 power points, and gets a win over a 16-win Group 4 school for 58 points (6 quality points for the win + 4 for the group + 48 residuals – three for each win) they don’t just get 58. You have to drop the lowest score among their top 16. So, if that lowest score is a 20, the net gain is 38. Since wins are worth much more than losses, teams with fewer than 16 wins heading into today (where their best loss might be worth 12 points) and playing a moderate opponent stand to gain more than a team with 17 wins (where their worst win may be worth 15 points). (See how it works in real life below with Woodbridge.)

Ultimately, we project 36-37 area teams will qualify for the state playoffs, with 36 already in, and Piscataway being the lone bubble team to make it 37. Of those, 12 are from Somerset County, and 24 (or 25) from the GMC.

With this being the final day for games to count toward the best 16, here’s a more focused look at each Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team’s positions, based on official standings and today’s schedule as published on NJ.com as of 1 pm Wednesday, May 17th:

North 2, Group 4

As expected, it looks like Ridge will get the top seed here at 20-3 with a power point total of 580.5. There’s too much ground for Bridgewater-Raritan (17-5, 526 points) to make up. And the Panthers should be in second, with a 30 point lead over Woodbridge (17-5, 496). They would gain 29 points for a win over Metuchen today, but dropping their lowest score – an 11 – only have a net gain of 18. The Barrons should be safely in third, ahead of Bayonne (10-5, 470.5), which doesn’t play today.

Edison (14-9, 416) currently sits in sixth, and probably can’t go higher, but they do play Robbinsville today, and might need a win to avoid dropping behind Hunterdon Central (11-8, 413) and/or Westfield (11-8, 406) All three teams play today.

Franklin (10-10, 353) probably can’t finish higher than ninth, where it stands right now, but three teams behind them are within 13 points: Scotch Plains-Fanwood (9-13, 350), Watchung Hills (8-12, 344) and Union (8-14, 340).

And then there’s Watchung Hills (8-12, 344), which could pick up 30 net points with a win over Marlboro today, and pass Franklin if the Warriors lose.

JP Stevens should make it (6-16, 249); the Hawks currently sit in 14th. But Piscataway likely faces a must-win game against St. Thomas Aquinas today – yes, a rematch of their first-round GMC game, which the Chiefs won 7-4. That would be worth 43 points, minus their lowest score of six for a net gain of 37. That could get them in alone regardless of what 16th place Newark East Side (7-13, 217) does, since a win over East Orange would only be worth 19, and a net gain of 13. The Chiefs also could pass Dickinson – which is off today, according to the NJ.com schedule – and end up in 15th.

Central Group 4:

We say Old Bridge (16-8, 605.5) is a lock as the No. 1 seed since the Knights can’t be caught by North Brunswick (17-5, 569). The Raiders play Colonia today but would only net five points with a win. And the Raiders should be locked in as a two-seed because the closest team to them is Jackson Memorial (16-6) with 495 points, 74 behind North Brunswick.

However, things are a bit unsettled for the three GMC teams in fifth, sixth and seventh. Monroe is fifth at 12-8, with 417 points, followed by Sayreville (13-9, 413) and East Brunswick (10-11, 401). The Bears are the only one of the three to play today, against Notre Dame, a game that’s worth 50 points, and a net of 41 (nine is EB’s lowest power point value right now).

South Brunswick (9-12, 343) has a big game against Lawrenceville today that could push them past idle West Windsor-Plainsboro South, which they trail by 11.5 points if they come up with a win.

Hillsborough (8-14, 310) sits in 13th, and visits Nottingham today at 5 pm. That game is worth 35 points with a win, for a net of 26, which could push them as high as tenth place, but at least eleventh.

North 2, Group 3:

Since the weekend, South Plainfield (13-12, 526) vaulted all the way up to third place from seventh, with quality wins over a pair of GMC division champions: Spotswood of the Blue and Sayreville of the White. The Tigers – idle today – could slide back a bit. Randolph (13-9, 525.5) is just a half-point behind South Plainfield.

Colonia (9-12, 291) would be hard-pressed to move up from 13th place, and may be locked in, with Nutley (5-13, 282.5) idle.

Central Group 3:

Somerville (12-8, 388) and JFK (12-10, 382) moved down a spot each to tenth and eleventh. The Pioneers visit Ridge today, while the Mustangs host Ocean Township, so they could swap places, but they appear to be locked into those two positions.

North 2, Group 2:

Bernards (14-8, 410) dropped two games this week, and dropped from third to fourth since the weekend. They’re idle Wednesday, but could drop further, behind Parsippany (13-6, 405) and/or Caldwell (12-2, 404). Both play one more game before the cutoff: Parsippany at Morristown-Beard, and Caldwell at Montclair, so it’s scoreboard watching time for the Mountaineers.

Central Group 2:

Since the weekend, South River (13-7,437) has jumped Spotswood (16-6, 434) into third place. Neither can take first or second, currently held by Rumson-Fair Haven (17-4, 637) and Governor Livingston (16-6, 512), but the Chargers could leapfrog the Rams again with a home win over Rahway today, which would be worth 30, and a net gain of 19. A win avoids the top-seed until the sectional final, but Governor Livingston was the Union County Tournament runner-up, losing 1-0 Monday to Cranford in the title game.

But the Chargers also may need to win to keep Carteret (15-6, 417) at bay. The Ramblers play Plainfield today, and a win may be just enough to boost them into third over not only Spotswood, but also South River.

East Brunswick Magnet (11-6, 347.5) should be in the field, 41.5 points ahead of Point Pleasant Boro.

Central Group 1:

Middlesex (12-7, 351) fell to third since the weekend, 19 points behind second-place Shore (11-10), with Point Pleasant Beach (17-5, 386) in first. The Blue Jays play Rutgers Prep today, a 31 point win, with a net gain of 20. There might be a slim chance they can catch Shore, if they lose at Manchester Twp. (8-9-1) today. Somerset Tech (11-6, 330) may fall just short of catching Middlesex even with a win today over Bound Brook; they currently sit in fourth., and likely won’t fall.

That’s because South Amboy (12-6, 306) in fifth is idle, and sixth-place Palmyra (10-6, 298) has STEM Civics today.

Yet, seventh-place Manville (11-7, 290.5) plays at 11th-place Dunellen (9-6, 213.5) today, and that’s worth 24 net points, so they could pass both Palmyra and the Governors, moving into fifth, with a win. The Destroyers could move up to ninth, though, with a win, worth 37 points – their lowest value is a loss to North Plainfield, worth zero points, so it would be a clean gain.

Non-Public North B:

St. Thomas Aquinas (14-8, 440) remains in second, healthily behind first-place St. Mary-Rutherford (16-8, 479) and likely won’t catch them even with a win over Piscataway today. And they shouldn’t be caught from behind by Rutgers Prep (11-13, 393), which plays Middlesex; a win leaves them well short.

Idle Gill St. Bernard’s (6-14, 268) will probably hold there, with Hawthorne Christian (10-8, 260) well behind them, and idle. Timothy Christian (5-10, 184.5) won’t go any higher than ninth, but an unlikely win today by Morristown-Beard (2-14, 177) over Parsippany could bump them down. Wardlaw-Hartridge (1-13-1, 99) is in last place, in 12th.

Non-Public South A:

St. Joseph-Metuchen sits in second at 17-7, with 565 points, 22 behind Red Bank Catholic (18-4, 587). The Caseys play Millburn (21-2) today while St. Joe’s has a doubleheader against separate teams: North Hunterdon at 4 pm and Cranford at 8 pm. A sweep by the Falcons and a loss by RBC might get Joe’s the top-seed.

Pingry (10-8, 372) likely can’t jump out of eighth over Paul VI, even with a win today over Hun, while Union Catholic (10-13, 367) behind them is idle. So, the Big Blue probably stay there. Immaculata (7-12, 321) likely also remains in tenth, 46 points out of ninth, and 84 points ahead of 11th place St. John Vianney (6-14).