Tag: Skyland Conference

by Mike Pavlichko

Two weeks before NJSIAA cutoff, here’s a look at where GMC, Somerset baseball clubs stand in the state playoff chase

According to schedules posted online, there’s just one Sunday game on the entire state slate this Sunday: Belvidere playing Sussex Tech up at Skylands Stadium.

And to this reporter, than just means he has all morning to break down power points without being out of date by lunchtime.

The NJISAA cutoff for the state playoffs is less than two weeks away, on Saturday, May 16th. The NJSIAA seeding meeting will take place the following Tuesday, and the brackets will become official at noon on Wednesday, May 20.

Then, things get underway after Memorial Day, with the opening round for non-public schools taking place on Tuesday, May 26. Public schools start the next day, and the three-week state playoffs wrap up with the Non-Public finals on Wednesday, June 10, with the public state finals on Saturday, May 14, all at Bainton Field on the Livingston Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway.

But for now, here’s where the Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County teams that comprise the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area stand, based on standings published on NJ.com as of 11 am on May 3, 2026. Click on the link at the heading of each category to see the full standings:

Central Jersey Group 4: Edison (12-4) took another loss since out last update, but the Eagles still managed to pick up another full point over Hightstown (9-5), leading them 22.503 to 20.504 in power point average. Hunterdon Central (7-9, 19.043) – playing in the very tough Skyland Conference Delaware Division – remains in third, but Old Bridge (9-8, 18.667) and Monroe (8-9, 18.588) have pulled ahead of Marlboro into fourth and fifth, respectively. A lot can happen between now and the cutoff, but the both were helped by seeing their first low score drop off, a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas for both only valued at five points, while the Knights picked up a 28-point win over Monroe (net gain of 23) and the Falcons beat Colts Neck (12-4) on Saturday for 41 points, a net gain of 35. Marlboro (7-6, 17.587) drops down to sixth, but they’re only at 13 games, so they should see low scores drop later this week, giving them a bump. South Brunswick drops to the seven spot occupied last week by Old Bridge. The Vikings are 7-7 (17.237 points) and just about a point-and-a-half out of fourth, so a top four finish wouldn’t be out of the question. They’re followed by Franklin (4-5, 17.187) in eighth, then Hillsborough (6-8, 17.122), and Montgomery (7-9, 16.385) in tenth. We think any of the above still have a shot at a top eight seed and, at least, a first round home game. After Manalapan in 11th (9-7, 15.766), East Brunswick is next at 6.9 with 15.617 points, less than two-tenths behind the Braves. Sayreville (6-9, 13.995) checks in at 15, and we’ll call them a bubble team for now, but with a good chance of getting in. We like their chances with Princeton (5-11, 12.801) in 16th, followed by Trenton (6-8, 12.51) and North Brunswick (5-12, 11.513). The Raiders look like a long shot, and it’s doubtful both will knock the Bombers out, but who knows?

Central Jersey Group 2: Governor Livingston (14-3) remains at the top of the pack here, with a tiny increase in the Highlanders’ lead over second-place Rumson-Fair Haven (14-3), by a 26.672 to 26.254 margin. South River (13-5, 22.222) pulled up from No. 6 to take the fourth spot this week. We knew they’d have a shot, and a 3-1 week since our last update helped, including wins over Piscataway and JFK, while losses to Princeton and North Brunswick in the first two weeks of the season dropped off the tally. The Rams still have to watch teams behind them, like Delran (12-4, 21.904) in fifth, and Wall (9-6, 21.174) in sixth. But they will likely be the only team to finish in the top eight from the CJSR coverage area, with the next team being Spotswood (9-9, 18.511). They Chargers might need a run to the GMCT semis to pull off a top eight finish. East Brunswick Magnet (3-13, 9.367) remains in 18th, two points out of a playoff spot, but saw its deficit grow a bit; they’re a longshot to make the top 16.

Central Jersey Group 1: Despite taking its second loss of the season Saturday to Westfield, Middlesex (15-2, 25.882 remains in first, but look who’s in second now: still-undefeated Piscataway Magnet. The Raiders are 17-0 with 23.743 power points (and one of only three unbeaten teams left in the state, by the way – the others being Doane Academy and Northern Burlington, both 15-0 out of the Burlington County Scholastic League) a shade over two behind the Blue Jays. Magnet’s rise knocks Point Pleasant Beach (9-4, 22.078) to third-place, while Metuchen (12-4, 21.028) is up a spot to fourth. Then, there’s Shore (11-5, 19.253) and Keyport (11-1, 18.705), followed by Dunellen (13-2, 17.393) in seventh, down one spot from a week ago, but still a pretty good shot to finish in the top eight since ninth-place South Hunterdon (6-7) is nearly four full points behind, a lot of ground to make up for a squad one game below .500 on the season. Somerset Tech (8-4, 12.079) check in at ten, but may need to watch out for South Amboy (7-6, 11.318) right behind them, and others like New Egypt (2-10, 10.667) and Henry Hudson (6-7, 10.631) in 12th and 13th. Near the bottom, Manville (6-8, 10.178) sits in 15th with a decent lead for now over No. 16 Keansburg (5-9, 8.618) and No. 17 Bound Brook (2-8). We’d say the Mustangs are on the bubble, but that’s just mathematics; in reality, they should be able to lock things up on their own without looking over their shoulder.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Despite having played just one game last week and having lost four straight sine starting the season 11-1, Ridge (11-5, 24.544) has actually climbed up into first place from third. That’s likely due to their challenging schedule, and keep in mind, they have just gotten to their 16th game. That means if they can get back on a streak this week with two against Hillsborouugh, sandwiched around Bridgewater-Raritan, with Somerville on Sunday, some of those losses will drop off as well, potentially solidifying the Red Devils’ lead even more. And Watchung Hills (10-3, 24.243) is right behind them, also up two spots from our last check-in a week ago. The Warriors are hot, having won six straight, including a big one Friday over a solid South Plainfield squad out of the GMC Red Division. The teams that were Nos. 1 and 2 last week are now third and fourth, but just like last week there’s not a big distance between the first two and Bayonne (13-3, 23.588) and Scotch Plains-Fanwood (22.838). There’s a little more distance to Westfield (9-8, 20.488) at No. 5, and we think Ridge and Watchung Hills should have a good shot at staying in the top five considering their current positions. Meanwhile, three other area teams have a shot at finishing in the top eight, and it could come down to the wire between JP Stevens (11-6. 19.237, 8th), Bridgewater-Raritan (6-9, 18.79, 9th) and Woodbridge (8-7, 17.047, 10th). All are within earshot of a first-round home game. Further down, Piscataway (6-10, 12.424) is a bubble team on the right side of things. They may have to take care of business, with Newark East Side (5-8, 12.174) nipping at their heels in 16th, and North Star Academy (8-4, 10.793) a spot out of the playoffs, but the biggest one out of the field right now that the Chiefs have to worry about right now, as they’re the only one – at four games over .500 – remotely close to a winning record.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: Chatham (13-3, 28.049) sits at the top with a sizeable lead of more than five power points over second-place North Hunterdon (12-5, 22.872). And after Cranford (11-7, 22.489) in third, it’s a string of four straight GMC teams, any of whom could end up in the top four, and it could come down to who has the best run in the county tournament. Carteret (12-3, 19.847) occupies the fourth spot, followed by 2025 finalist Colonia (9-5, 19.472) breathing down their necks. North Plainfield (14-5, 18.733) is just a point behind the Patriots, with defending champion South Plainfield (8-8, 16.858) still not that far back, either. And again, as teams hit that 16 game mark, wins will replace losses, so big jumps can be made. Further down, Somerville (6-10, 13.47) sits in tenth, with a top eight finish not out of the realm of possibility. JFK (6-10, 13.47) could be a little longer shot for the top eight, sitting in 11th, but they’re only about a half-point further away than the Pioneers.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Caldwell (15-1) is well on track to be the No. 1 seed here, with a sizeable lead of more than five points over West Morris (12-4). The only area team here is Bernards (9-6, 15.744), which sits in 11th, a little under four points out of the No. 8 spot, currently occupied by Lyndhurst (9-8, 19.394)

Non-Public North A: We’ll see if there’s even a CJSR-area team here, as the Timothy Christian/Roselle Catholic co-op is 0-11 (8.021 points) and sitting in last at 13th place. If they don’t opt out, they would play the four-seed, which at the moment is Seton Hall Prep (14-3), only the No. 5 team in the state. DePaul is No. 1 at the moment at 13-2, the top four teams are ranked in the state Top 20, with a fifth also considered. It’s a brutal section.

Non-Public North B: It’s still Rutgers Prep (10-2, 23.984) atop the section, but while the Argonauts have gained in power points, St. Mary-Rutherford has gained more. Now 11-5-1, the have 20.093 points, and are just .911 points behind; last week, the gap was more than three points. But Prep – which could be considered for a top four seed behind what likely will be Immaculata, Ridge and Watchung Hills – would only get one SCT game in, a quarterfinal, before the seeding. They do have a big one at North Hunterdon on Tuesday, after facing Bridgewater-Raritan Monday; both are Skyland Delaware Division teams. St. Thomas Aquinas has surged, going 3-1 since out last update, now 7-10 with 16.96 points, moving up from sixth, thanks to big wins this week over St. Joseph-Metuchen and Union City, a 27-point game, while an earlier four-point value loss to the Falcons dropped off. Gill St. Bernard’s (5-7, 15.448), however, stayed in fifth. This could be a nine- or ten-team field, depending on opt-outs.

Non-Public South A: After a 3-0 week, Immaculata is now 12-3, with a 27.284 power point average, and in the past week increased their lead from less than a point to more than 1.7 over second-place St. Augustine (13-4, 15.552). If the Spartans remain consistent as they have been, with a challenging schedule, they should be able to hold on here. St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-12, 13.683) still hasn’t gotten out of its funk, and falls one spot to nine this week, while Pingry (6-8, 13.153) holds in tenth, not far behind. A little run in the SCT could help.

by Mike Pavlichko

Baseball Power Points Update: Edison, Middlesex, Rutgers Prep and Immaculata in line for top seeds with three weeks left before NJSIAA cutoff

With only one Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team on the baseball schedule this Sunday, a rainy one at that, it’s time to take our first look at the power point standings in New Jersey, with the cutoff date of May 17 exactly three weeks away.

And there are two publics and two non-publics who are on the right track for top seeds in their respective sections.

Interestingly, the two publics are in Middlesex County – Edison in Central Jersey Group 4, and defending state Group 1 champion Middlesex in CJ1 – while the two non-publics are from Somerset. Immaculata sits atop South A at the moment, while Rutgers Prep tops North B.

This year’s change to the power point formula is that only the top 16 results will count toward qualification. Group points again are no longer a part of the equation, and OOWP remains in the formula. That’s the Opponent’s Opponent Winning Percentage, and for each game, that winning percentage gets .500 added to it, and the total is multiplied by the quality and residual points to get the value for each game.

For example: Team A beats Team B with 6 wins. Team A gets 6 quality points and 18 residual points. The OOWP is the average winning percentage of all of Team B’s opponents. So if that turns out to be a .520 win percentage, the OOWP is 1.020 (.520 plus .500), meaning the 24 power points (6 plus 18) is multiplied by 1.020 to get 24.48 power points.

The top 16 power point values are averaged to get the team’s power point average used for qualification.

(In a story we’re still researching from basketball season, early findings have shown OOWP does little to change power point standings compared to not using it at all, and just using quality points and residuals.)

In any event, here’s a section by section look of power point standings in sections with CJSR-area teams, with links to official standings as posted on NJ.com as of 9:45 am on Sunday, April 26th:

Central Jersey Group 4: This section has the biggest concentration of GMC and Somerset County teams anywhere, and after the top seed, many are bunched together. With the GMC Red and Skyland Conference Delaware Divisions stacked with top teams, don’t get fooled by records; strength of schedule is going to be a big factor here. Currently, Edison (8-3) is leading the pack, with easily the best winning percentage in the section at .727 and a power point average of 18.742, more than a full point ahead of second-place Hightstown (8-4, 17.726). After Hunterdon Central and Marlboro, there’s a trio of GMC Red Division squads, with Monroe (7-6, 14.867) in fifth, followed by South Brunswick (6-6, 14.252) in sixth and Old Bridge (6-6, 14.252) in seventh. The Red Division has been very good, but mostly beyond Edison – which is in first by two games over Old Bridge and, 2.5 over Monroe and three over Soouth Plainfield – everyone has been beating everyone else up. We think the Falcons, Vikings and Knights have a good shot at finishing in the top eight, but don’t count any of those teams out, even if they get an eight or a nine-seed. That’s because Hillsborough (5-6, 13.458) won this section as a nine-seed last year; currently, the Raiders sit in tenth, right above three more area teams. They’re a sliver ahead of Montgomery (7-8, 13.444), followed by Franklin (2-5, 12.663) in 12th, then East Brunswick (5-7, 12.465) in 13th. We think anyone from 11 up is going to be pretty safe here if they can continue without a dropoff in play, though even Franklin and East Brunswick are on the right side of things for now. Sayreville (5-7, 11.382) is a bubble team, but with some cushion; Trenton is right behind them, and North Brunswick in 17th (5-8, 9.967) has some real distance to make up between them and the Tornadoes (6-6, 11.003).

Central Jersey Group 2: While they may not be undefeated as they were last year, State Group 2 champion Governor Livingston is at the top of the pack this year, but not by much. But last year, Rumson-Fair Haven had a bit of an off-year. This year, not so much. The Highlanders are 10-3 (21.505) with the Bulldogs 11-2 (21.251), behind them by a pretty slim margin. This race could come down to the wire. For the first CJSR-area team, you have to get by Johnson, Point Pleasant Boro and Wall to get to South River (10-4) at No. 6 with 17.978 power points, and they’re not far out of fourth. But Allentown (7-6, 17.852) and Delran (10-4, 17.504) are also well within striking distance of the Rams from behind, so they’re not exactly guaranteed a top eight seed (and first-round home game) either. After Manasquan and Robbinsville, Spotswood (6-7, 15.381) is in 11th, but they’re just .006 points behind the Ravens, and could make a move here late. After a 1-5 start, the surging Chargers have won five of their last seven. East Brunswick Magnet (3-10, 8.573) sits in 18th place, but only about 1.2 points out of the 16th and final playoff spot.

Central Jersey Group 1: Defending State Group 1 champion Middlesex (13-1, 20.175) is right at the top of the pack again here, with Point Pleasant Beach (13-1, 20.175) in second. Those two always seem to hook up in the playoffs, including in last year’s sectional final here, a 7-1 win for the Blue Jays en route to Hamilton (then Wood-Ridge). Not far behind is Piscataway Magnet (13-0, 17.698), the only undefeated team left in the CJSR coverage area, and one of just seven statewide with an unblemished record heading into Sunday play. One of the other six, Keyport (9-0, 16.398) is very close behind, too, but with fewer games, could pass the Raiders. Then, there’s Metuchen (8-4, 16.207) and Dunellen (9-2, 14.842) who could also make a run from fifth and sixth, respectively. After Shore and South Hunterdon round out the top eight, South Amboy is just a shade back of the Eagles at 7-2, with 11.317 points, just .136 behind. The Guvs should have a shot at the top eight, but that’s likely all. The next team from the area is Manville (5-6, 8.138) at 14, followed by Somerset Tech (5-4, 7.873) and Highland Park (4-7, 7.313), rounding out the top 16. The Owls could make it with a couple more wins, with likely Keansburg (3-8, 6.22) in 17th their only real competition for that final playoff spot.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Fewer than two power points separate the top four from each other here, but there’s a little more distance to the next four. Currently, Bayonne (11-2, 22.007) holds the top spot, followed by Scotch Plains-Fanwood (8-3, 21.6), then two Skyland Delaware Division squads: Ridge (11-4, 21.335) and Watchung Hills (7-3, 20.037). We like both teams’ chances to finish in the top four, especially considering their strength of schedule. JP Stevens (9-4, 18.835) might have a shot, but they might also need some help from the teams ahead of them. Defending champion Westfield – which beat Ridge in last year’s sectional final – sits in seventh, and the next area team down is Woodbridge (5-6, 13.733) in tenth, with Bridgewater-Raritan (4-8, 13.505) in tenth, with their strength-of-schedule keeping them in the hunt right now. They should safely be in the playoffs at their current pace, but Piscataway (6-8, 12.859) is squarely on the bubble in 14th, albeit on the right side. A few more wins, maybe a run in the counties, and we think they’re a good bet to be in.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: South Plainfield is the defending champ here, but the Tigers find themselves in ninth place at the moment, with a 7-7 record, and 12.917 power points. Have they been a little inconsistent? Maybe. Or maybe it’s more the nature of the GMC Red, where everyone has been feasting off one another. Swept by Edison, they swept Woodbridge, but have since split with St. Thomas Aquinas and Old Bridge, before losing a pair of high scoring games to East Brunswick. Point is, wherever they land, and they still have a good shot at a top eight seed, they could be dangerous. The highest team here is Carteret (10-3, 20.221), but it might be a stretch with their schedule to say they have a good shot at Chatham (11-2, 1st, 23.932). It’s a good deal of ground to make up, and likely not out of the realm of possibility, but the odds are likely a little on the longer side. Still, finishing top two would be an accomplishment, and guarantee home field through at least the sectional semifinals. Behind the Ramblers, North Hunterdon is almost three points back (9-5, 17.663), and Colonia (9-3, 16.622) – last year’s sectional runner-up – sits in fourth. This isn’t an easy section: Cranford (7-7, 16.502( is a shade behind in fifth, and resurgent North Plainfield (10-5, 15.233) is right there in sixth, and could also have a crack at the top four. Somerville (6-6, 12.953) is the team South Plainfield is chasing for the eight spot; how high the Tigers can go will depend if they can string some big wins together. After that, it’s all the way down to 14 for bubble team JFK (5-8, 10.657), but looking at the competition behind them, we think they’re more likely to be in than out.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Caldwell (12-1, 16.509) has a sizable lead here for the top seed over second-seed West Morris (10-3, 22.591), with the only area team here being Bernards (6-6, 10.894). The Mountaineers sit in 14th, and while nothing is set in stone (far from it), they look like they should be in the final 16 when things shake out.

Non-Public North A: The only area team here is the new co-op Timothy Christian/Roselle Catholic, which is last out of 13 teams at 0-8. Defending champ Don Bosco is second, behind No. 1 DePaul, currently the No. 3 team in the state.

Non-Public North B: Rutgers Prep (9-2, 20.574) leads the pack here, with a sizeable lead over St. Mary-Rutherford (9-3-1, 17.51). Mother Nature cost the Argonauts a shot at South Plainfield Saturday, with rain moving their game against the Tigers at TD Bank Park until after the cutoff. But they’re still in an enviable position, in front by more than three power points. After those two, and Morris Catholic, Morristown-Bears and the Hawthorne Christian/Eastern Christian co-op, Gill St. Bernard’s (5-6, 11.489) and St. Thomas Aquinas (4-9, 10.73) sit in sixth and seventh. At best, this should be a eight- or nine- team field, with 11th place Golda Och only 0-4, and who knows if Pope John will opt-out, currently at 1-10.

Non-Public South A: Immaculata (9-3) has been lights out all year, and could sweep top-seeds this season, as they are on track to be the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament. They’re in first-place in this section with 22.906 power points, but they are less than one point ahead of St. Augustine (11-4, 22.099). After that, it’s all the way down to eight for St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-8, 11.743), but keep in mind, they rallied in the GMC Tournament to win it last year after entering the tournament at 10-6, and never led, winning each game in their final at bat. The Falcons even beat Immaculata – which won last year’s SCT – in the opening round here. There are 12 teams here in what could be an 11-team field, if Camden Catholic (1-9, 12th) decides not to play. Pingry (5-6, 9.689) is in tenth, ahead of 11th-place Donovan Catholic.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 1 Immaculata 6, No. 2 Ridge 0

Senior Ryan Auten pitched his second complete game of the year, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits, in a 6-0 win for top-ranked Immaculata over No. 2 Ridge, completing a sweep of their two-game regular season series.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, on April 22, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Ryan Auten’s two-hit gem gives No. 1 Immaculata 6-0 win over No. 2 Ridge, two-game sweep of Red Devils

Wake Forest-bound Ryan Auten threw his second complete game of the year, and No. 1 Immaculata picked up a 3-0 home win over No. 2 Ridge Wednesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington, sweeping the season series, and all but securing the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament.

Auten was throwing fire, as he always does, right from the first pitch of the ball game. 

He struck out the side in the first, and wound up fanning 13 overall across seven innings of work.  It was his first complete game since he won a 3-0 contest here in Flemington against Hillsborough in the opening series of the season.

The Spartans improved to 9-2 on the season, their lone losses coming out of conference, to Winter Park on a Spring Break trip to Florida, and to Delsea in Gloucester County this past weekend.

Like it did in Monday’s 3-0 win, Immaculata got on the board early, and added insurance from there.

Justin Labrador led off with a grounder to second that was bobbled, and scored an error. Luca Catanzerite followed with a walk, and Owen Schilling then knocked a base-hit to left field. Labrador came in to score, and with the throw coming to the plate, both runners tried to take an extra base. Catanzerite ended up at third, but Schilling was thrown out at second for the first out of the inning. Nehemiah Diaz made it 2-0 with a single of his own, plating Catanzerite.

The Spartans would add another run in the fourth, on a sac fly by Jackson Lewis – scoring Conor Quinn, who had walked – making it 3-0.

And then, they got three more insurance runs in the sixth. Reliever Carson Scott had replaced starter Dimitri Romer to start the bottom of the fifth, tossing a scoreless inning, but after walking Quinn to lead it off, and giving up a single to Andrew Wheeler, head coach Tom Blackwell pulled him for Andy Yuan. He reached on a 4-6 fielder’s choice that erased Wheeler, but allowed Quinn to score from third, making it 4-0.

After a Justin Labrador line out to second for the second out of the inning, Catanzerite got aboard on a pitch that glanced slightly off his helmet, then Schilling grounded a ball to short that was booted, driving in Lewis. With Diaz at the plate, Schilling tried to steal second, but the throw got past the second baseman Lucas Grob, skittered into center field, and Catanzerite scored to make it 6-0 Immaculata.

All the while, Auten was dealing. He allowed a single to Romer in the second with one out, but stranded him after getting a fly out to center field and a strikeout. Jake Dolan singled to left with one out in the third in the third, but he was stranded when the next to batters fanned.

And that was the sum total of Ridge’s offensive output at the plate, running into back-to-back ace pitchers for Immaculata: Auten on Wednesday, Cole Raymond the day before.

Ridge drops to 11-3 with the loss, all three losses coming in Delaware Division play (3-3): two to the Spartans and one to Hunterdon Central. The Immaculata defeats are their only losses against Somerset County squads. Dimitri Romer took the loss to fall to 2-1.

Auten got the win to improve to 3-0 for the Spartans, who are 6-0 in Skyland Delaware play, with one more to go before the seeding meeting on Tuesday, May 5th, which was moved to one day earlier due to a scheduling conflict.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel with Immaculata pitcher Ryan Auten and head coach Kevin Cust, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: Montgomery 11, Pingry 10

Montgomery rallied three times – the last time coming in the bottom of the seventh inning – to beat Pingry in a Skyland Conference crossover game, 11-10, with a two-out, bases loaded, walk-off infield hit by senior Evan Puleio.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the play-by-play live from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on April 11, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery bats come alive as Cougars top Pingry 11-10 on walk-off infield hit at TD Bank Park

One thing about baseball: the bats could be alive one day and completely dormant the next.

The Montgomery bats had mostly been dormant this season, with the Cougars hitting just .182 coming into Saturday afternoon’s Skyland Conference crossover game at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

But Saturday, everything clicked, even if it took them a while to get going.

Montgomery rallied three times against the Big Blue. Down 4-0 after the first half inning, the Cougars got a run back in the bottom, then four more in the third to take their first lead of the game at 5-4.

Pingry got three back in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead, and added one more in the sixth, but Montgomery tied it at eight with three in the sixth.

Then, after the Big Blue got two in the top of the seventh, Monty walked it off with three in the bottom of the inning, to pull to within a game of .500 at 3-4. Pingry dropped to 2-3.

In the decisive eighth, Montgomery had to feel good about its chances with the top of the order coming up, after the bottom half of the order had forced an 8-8 tie in the sixth.

With one out, Mason Neufield hit a double into the gap in left, and Henry Maddox – who had four hits in the game: two singles, a double and a triple – drove him in with a single to cut the deficit to 10-9.

Liam McDonald singled to move him to third, and Kenta Komatsu walked to lead the bases. Patrick Fogarty – who started the game on the mound and by now was playing shortstop, drove in the tying tun with a fly ball to right field, scoring Maddox.

Then Puleio worked the count to 3-2, and with the runners off with the pitch, knuckled a ball halfway down the third-base line. Pingry’s Sam deLaurier charged it as McDonnell slid safely into home, and somehow he got a throw off to first. But Puleio – a catcher – legged it out, beating the throw, setting off a wild celebration along the first base side.

It was the most runs Montgomery had scored since a 13-1 season-opening win over Warren Hills. They had scored just six runs in the five games that followed, going 1-4, including a 4-0 shutout at the hands of North Hunterdon. And they knocked out 12 hits in the game as well.

All this despite the fact Monty left nine runners on base through the first six innings, not counting those left on with the walk-off win.

The win went to Mason Neufeld in relief, the fourth pitcher used by head coach Pete Meuller. Neufeld threw one inning and gave up two runs to improve to 2-1 on the year. Michael Cardona – Pingry’s sixth pitcher of the day – took the loss, pitching the seventh; he’s now 2-1.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen with Montgomery’s Evan Puleio, Henry Maddox and head coach Pete Mueller:

by Chris Tsakonas

Pingry visits TD Bank Park in Bridgewater Saturday to meet Montgomery in Skyland Conference crossover

After rolling with an underclassman-heavy squad last year, there’s no shortage of familiar faces in the Pingry dugout this season.

The Big Blue have brought back almost their entire roster, graduating only four seniors from the 2025 season. Pingry’s offense returns several hitters who played key roles at a young age, as three of the top four RBI leaders – Aaron Wu, Sam de Laurier and Riley Wong – were freshmen or sophomores last season.

The Big Blue split the first four games of the season at 2-2, most recently going 1-1 against Warren Hills. The trio of Wu, de Laurier and Varneckas has picked up right where it left off: they have ten of Pingry’s 18 RBIs so far this season.

They’ll take all that offense to TD Bank Park in Bridgewater Saturday afternoon, as the Big Blue battle Montgomery (2-4) in a Valley-Raritan Division crossover in Skyland Conference play. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 2 pm, with pregame set for 1:40. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas are on the call; click here to listen.

On the pitching side, And four different pitchers have taken the mound already for Pingry, three with good starts, as senior Michael Cardona leads the way with a 1.27 ERA in 11 innings thrown. Langston McDonald (2.47 ERA) and Shane Varneckas (3.32 ERA) have also seen a heavy workload early this season.

They’ll face a Montgomery lineup that, thus far, has struggled a bit at the plate, but probably won’t for long. Sophomore Michael Englert, who went 3-for-5 with a triple and five RBI in the season-opener against Warren Hills – a 13-1 victory – could be back in the lineup Saturday after tweaking his knee in that game.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas talk with Pingry head coach Anthony Feltre:

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery has been tested early, looking to heat up as weather gets warmer for Saturday battle with Pingry at TD Bank Park

Peter Mueller – the veteran skipper who has been the Montgomery baseball coach for a quarter century, racking up over 300 wins – knows a thing or two about getting a team ready for the season.

He felt really confident about his team heading into 2026 with a good mix of veterans and younger players, and he still does, despite a 2-4 start to the season against a challenging schedule that’s included the likes of Ridge – a Somerset County Tournament finalist from a year ago, as well as a Hillsborough team that won Central Jersey Group 4, and always-tough-to-beat North Hunterdon.

And well he should.

Saturday afternoon, the Cougars get a chance to move within a game of .500 when they play the home team against Pingry at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater. It’s a 2 pm game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas. Pregame is set for 1:40, click here to listen.

One of the bright spots so far at the plate has been junior Alex Bender, who’s hitting .412 with five runs scored and three stolen bases. Sophomore Michael Englert, an “insanely athletic” left fielder who went 3-for-5 with a triple and five RBI in the season opener – a 13-1 win over Warren Hills – tweaked his knee in that game, and has missed the last five games, but could be back in the lineup against the Big Blue.

On the mound, the Cougars have gotten some good work, but just been on the wrong end of a couple of tough games. And it’s an experienced group, too. Senior Jake Hayes already has thrown a dozen innings, with a 2.84 ERA, but he’s 1-2 on the season, while fellow senior Liam McDonnell is 0-1, but with an ERA of just 1.91. He gave up just two earned runs in a 4-1 loss to Hightstown.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Peter Mueller talk about the early season and Saturday’s matchup against Pingry with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Alec Crouthamel

Watchung Hills looks for midweek sweep, 3-1 start in battle against Bridgewater-Raritan

As the ground continues to thaw — and the wind continues to whip, as it did Tuesday — Watchung Hills’ offense has stayed hot, on the way to a 2-1 start.

The Warriors have scored 22 runs in three games, an average of just over seven per contest. And they’ll take their solid play back home for a Thursday matchup against Bridgewater-Raritan. They already faced the Panthers once, a 9-1 victory on Tuesday, and are looking for the sweep as the season starts to get fully in swing.

Watchung Hills eagerly awaits the finale of the two-game home-and-home set. That’s a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with first pitch at 4 pm and pregame at 3:40, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The hitting and pitching stood out on Tuesday, as a classic pitcher’s duel between top arms Kellan Komline (BR) and Robbie Centamore (WH) set up a 2-1 game after four innings. But from there, both outings went in different directions.

Komline left the game after picking up two outs in the fifth, but the Warriors were already in full swing. They tacked on seven unanswered runs to end the game, as Centamore went six strong innings with 12 strikeouts.

Watchung Hills returns a key core of veterans after graduating a few of their top hitters from last year’s team. But it’s not like the new elder statesmen are filling new roles. This veteran group has seen a lot of varsity experience from a young age, and have developed under 13th-year head coach Joe Tremarco.

Centamore helps get everyone going both on the mound and at the plate. Stef DeGeronimo and Landon Pudlak — a junior and senior, respectively — continue their reign in the Warriors’ middle infield and are off to solid starts once again. Centamore and fellow senior Jacob Jaconski each pace the team with five hits in the early goings, and the lineup has produced at a high level, no matter who steps into the batter’s box.

On the pitching side, Watchung Hills is looking to a few veterans to fill out the rotation as an important secondary pitcher, including senior Isaac Russell. Centamore has thrown the lion’s share of innings so far, but won’t get the ball next after his stellar outing on Tuesday. In the bullpen, junior Caden Dias has emerged as a weapon out of the bullpen with three scoreless innings in the Warriors’ two wins so far.

As the sun continues to shine later, and the afternoons heat up, Watchung Hills looks to stay hot with its third win in four games to start the campaign.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco about the first week of the season, and Thursday’s game against Bridgewater-Raritan:


by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan still figuring things out as Panthers head up to Watchung Hills seeking series split

A look at the score from Tuesday’s 9-1 loss to Watchung Hills doesn’t quite tell the whole story of how that game went down.

It was a 2-1 game until Bridgewater-Raritan got dinked and dunked to the tune of four runs by the Warriors, and it ended up being a 9-1 final.

Maybe a more experienced team wins that game later in the season. Maybe without early-season pitch limits set by coaches so they don’t burn out arms in April, Kellan Komline goes a little longer.

They’re not excuses, but the reality of the situation. Then again, all you can do is get back on the horse, and try, try again.

That’s what the Panthers will do on Thursday afternoon when they travel up to Warren Township for the finale of the two-game home-and-home set against Watchung Hills. That’s a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with first pitch at 4 pm and pregame at 3:40, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Komline is one of the biggest returning veterans. He’s 1-1 on the season, and has struck out 14, walking eight, while allowing five earned runs, seven total.

He and catcher and fellow senior Michael Lobosco are the only two full-time returning starters from last season. Lobosco hit .295 last year with eleven runs batted in. Komline threw 41 innings, with a 0.68 ERA, while hitting .272 at the plate, playing centerfield when he wasn’t on the mound.

And yet, this season’s top two hitters – yes, it’s early still – are freshmen. There’s Nick Spirra, who’s likely to start at second base Thursday, hitting .417 with a team-best five RBIs, while leadoff hitter Andrew Schmeider – a rightfielder with a “physicality you don’t see much in a freshman,” according to head coach Max Newill, it 4-for-8 on the year with three runs batted in, and already a team-high six walks.

That’s just what you want for a leadoff hitter. Now – with just five regulars hitting better than .200 – the Panthers hope that hitting truly is contagious, and will work its way down through the rest of the lineup.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Bridgewter-Raritan head coach Max Newill about the first week of the season, and Thursday’s game against Watchung Hills: