Tag: Skyland

by Mike Pavlichko

No changes in Boys’ or Girls’ Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten with limited, soft opening week

With few teams taking advantage of the NJSIAA’s early start schedule, there was no movement in this week’s Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, either on the girls’ or boys’ side.

Only three ranked boys teams were in action this weekend, all at the Tip-Off Showcase at Montgomery High School Saturday afternoon and evening.

Top-ranked Colonia won its opener, dropping St. Peter’s Prep out of Jersey City, 46-40, despite falling behind early, while No. 3 Montgomery lost in the event’s nightcap, falling to Hudson Catholic, 48-44.

Earlier in the day, No. 2 Rutgers Prep lost a heartbreaker to Manasquan on a buzzer-beater, 64-61, on a half-court trey by Matteo Chiarella. That’s the same Manasquan team that looked to have beaten Camden last year in the state Group 2 semifinals before the officials got together and waved the basket off, saying the shot came after the buzzer. It sparked a huge controversy as replays from multiple media outlets and fans showed the shot clearly beat the buzzer; however, the NJSIAA does not use replay in games.

Below is the full Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten:

Meanwhile, on the girls’ side, the top four all won their openers. No. 1 Rutgers Prep cruised past Ewing, 66-29, also at the Tip-Off Showcase at Montgomery. Earlier in the week, No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas beat St. Joseph Hill (NY) back on Tuesday, but lost Saturday to Monsignor McClancy (NY), 71-62.

Third-ranked Gill St. Bernard’s and No. 4 Hillsborough also won their openers. The Knights topped Albertus Magnus (NY) on the road, 58-31, while the defending North 2, Group 4 champion Lady Raiders powered past Linden at home, 69-23.

Spotswood – No. 10 in the preseason rankings – lost down in Virginia to Spotswood. Yes, you heard that right, the Chargers played their namesake in Virginia at the She Got Game Classic, but lost 59-35.

Below is the full Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Three area teams expected to earn top seeds when NJSIAA announces playoff pairings Monday

Old Bridge and South Plainfield – the two GMC Tournament finalists – along with Bridgewater-Raritan are expected to earn top seeds in the NJSIAA playoffs when the seedings are announced Monday.

Saturday was the cutoff date, with the top 16 power point results for all teams counting toward playoff qualification. And it appears 36 teams from the CJSR coverage area will qualify.

Here’s a section by section breakdown based on official NJ.com power point standings as of noon Saturday, when power points officially close, with projected first round matchups for all local teams qualifying:

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4

Without a win in the GMC Tournament title game, defending sectional champion Old Bridge (18-7) might have ended up third, behind Manalapan and Jackson Memorial. But the Knights’ win over South Plainfield Saturday gave them 48 points, dropping an 18 from their score, netting them a gain of 30, and putting them in first by a single point over Manalapan (15-11), with a 516.5 to 515.5 point lead. If that holds, the Knights will get to defend their title as the top seed for the second straight year.

The rest of the standings show South Brunswick (13-12, 427) in fourth, directly above Monroe (12-9, 419.5). Next down the list is Sayreville (11-10, 396) in eighth, and after Hightstown (11-8, 379) ninth, it’s North Brunswick (9-11, 353), Hillsborough (9-13, 343) and East Brunswick (7-15, 338) one after the other. Montgomery (8-14, 326.5) checks in at No. 15.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (16) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (1) Old Bridge
  • (13) Freehold Township at (4) South Brunswick
  • (12) East Brunswick at (5) Monroe
  • (11) Hillsborough at (6) Howell
  • (10) North Brunswick at (7) Marlboro
  • (9) Hightstown at (8) Sayreville

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 3

With only two area teams in this section, it appears neither have made the playoffs. Somerville (10-14) looks to have finished just outside the top 16 at 10-14 with 337 power points. So unless there turns out to be a discrepancy, opt-out (doubtful) or a disqualification among the top 16, the Pioneers will be out, along with JFK (8-14, 307.5, 19th place).

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2

It looks like three area teams will make the playoffs here, with one more right on the edge in case anyone else drops out or there are last minute changes to the current standings.

GMC Blue Division champion Spotswood (18-3-2, 519) checks in at No. 2, well behind first place Governor Livingston, which is having a great year at 20-4, with 555 points. The Chargers made last year’s sectional final, falling to Rumson-Fair Haven, which is only 8-12 this season, and currently in 14th behind South River at 10-11 with 353 points. Two spots behind Spotswood is Carteret (17-6), which looks to be the fourth seed, but is just two points behind Wall (16-4, 504).

East Brunswick Magnet (9-9, 272) appears just outside the top 16, two points behind 8-14 Holmdel with 274 points.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (15) Manasquan at (2) Spotswood
  • (13) South River at (4) Carteret

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1

The top team here looks to be two-time defending champion Point Pleasant Beach (19-4, 463) by a mile over Shore (13-7, 397.5) and South Hunterdon (12-9, 378). Then there are two CJSR-area teams, GMC Gold Division Champion South Amboy (13-4, 358) and Middlesex (8-16, 352). The Blue Jays are young, but play a tough schedule in the GMC White and out of their division, leading to a high finish despite being eight games below the .500 mark.

After Riverside (11-8, 340) in sixth, Manville (10-8, 310) follows in seventh, then Henry Hudson (10-7, 291) and GMC Silver Division winner Dunellen (11-12, 275) just missing out on a first round home game in ninth. Further down, you’ll find Highland Park (8-9) in 14th place, and Somerset Tech expected to claim the last spot in 16th.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (16) Somerset Tech at (1) Point Pleasant Beach
  • (14) Highland Park at (3) South Hunterdon
  • (13) Keansburg at (4) South Amboy
  • (12) New Egypt at (5) Middlesex
  • (10) Palmyra at (7) Manville
  • (9) Dunellen at (8) Henry Hudson

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4

Somerset County Tournament semifinalist Bridgewater-Raritan is atop the pack by a good margin, and should get the top seed. The Panthers are 21-3, with more wins than anyone else in the section, and have 618 points, a comfortable margin over second-place Scotch Plains-Fanwood at 570. Third is Ridge (18-7, 538), which also will be playing Monday in the SCT semifinals at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater. After Westfield and Phillipsburg, there’s Woodbridge (17-8) in sixth with 509 points.

After two more out-of-area teams in Hunterdon Central and Woodbridge, there’s Edison (14-11, 430) in ninth, with Watchung Hills (13-12, 417.5) right behind them.

In 11th place is defending sectional champion Bayonne, which beat Bridgewater in last year’s sectional final. The Bees are four points ahead of the next CJSR-area team, of which there are four in a row: Piscataway (11-9, 342) is in 12th, followed by Perth Amboy (8-15, 338), JP Stevens (8-15, 338) and Franklin (8-12, 299.5).

Projected Local Matchups:

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

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3

There are only three area teams in this section, and two have qualified with South Plainfield looking like they’ll get the top seed, despite the Tigers’ loss to Old Bridge in Saturday’s GMC Tournament final. They’re in first at 19-5-1 with 572.5 points, ahead of second-place Randolph (17-8, 565). In fifth is Colonia (17-5, 508). North Plainfield (5-19, 241) finished two spots out of the running.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (12) Millburn at (5) Colonia
  • (16) Cliffside Park at (1) South Plainfield

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 2

The only area team here is Bernards, and the Mountaineers appear to be a seven-seed at 8-12-1 with 351.5 power points.

Projected Local Matchup:

  • (10) Rutherford at (7) Bernards

NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH A

There are three CJSR-area teams in this section, and with only 12 teams, all will qualify if they want to. But with no school having fewer than six wins, we don’t anticipate any opt-outs. In that case, the top four-seeds in the 12-team field would have byes.

That said, Red Bank Catholic (16-7, 551) is the top-seed by a good margin over 15-7 St. Augustine (528), followed by CBA and Notre Dame. But Immaculata (14-6, 438) is just a half-point behind the Irish (12-10, 438.5), so any discrepancy could muddy whether the Spartans have to play in the first round Wednesday or get a bye.

Further down the list, Pingry (9-12, 303.5) is in ninth, followed by Camden Catholic (9-13, 274), then St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-18, 260.5). The Falcons went to the title game last year, falling to RBC, but have struggled this year with a young and inexperienced team.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (12) St. John Vianney at (5) Immaculata
  • (11) St. Joseph-Metuchen at (6) Donovan Catholic
  • (9) Pingry at (8) Paul VI

NON-PUBLIC, NORTH B

This one could be a little tricky to figure out from the bottom up. Any team that doesn’t opt-out would be in, with just 13 teams in the section. Wardlaw-Hartridge opted out last year at 1-14-1, and would be expected to do the same this year at just 0-11. But Timothy Christian tradtionally does not opt out. They are just 2-10 with 137 points, but played last year with a 5-12 record. Assuming they play, the top five teams in an 11-team field would get byes.

As of now, the standings have defending champion St. Mary-Rutherford in first at 18-7 with 473 points, followed by two CJSR-area teams: St. Thomas Aquinas (15-7, 445) in third, and Gill St. Bernard’s (10-11-1, 339.5) in third. After Montclair-Kimberley (8-16, 334.5), there’s Rutgers Prep (7-14, 303); the Argonauts lost at St. Mary in last year’s sectional final.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (11) Timothy Christian at (6) Morristown-Beard (first round), winner at (3) Gill St. Bernard’s (second round)
  • (5) Rutgers Prep at (4) Montclair-Kimberley (second round)
  • (10) Golda Och/(7) Hawthorne Christian winner at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas (second round)

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 1 Bridgewater-Raritan 6, No. 7 Ridge 2

Frankie Verano had an two-RBI double to tie the game, and Kellen Komline cleared the bases with another in the sixth to help top-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan to a 6-2 Skyland Conference Delaware Division road win at No. 7 Ridge on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko call all the action from Basking Ridge as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

by Mike Pavlichko

Six unanswered runs give top-ranked Bridgewater 6-2 win at No. 7 Ridge, solidifying top-seed in upcoming Somerset County Tournament

Trailing 3-0 after three innings, the Bridgewater-Raritan bats weren’t exactly hitting lasers all over the field.

But two big extra base hits in key spots by Frankie Verano and Kellan Komline drove in five of the top-ranked Panthers six runs, who picked up a 6-2 win at No. 7 Ridge Tuesday afternoon, in a game heard of Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The win makes Bridgewater 14-1 on the season, 8-0 in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, and all but locks up the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament in advance of Monday’s seeding meeting in Somerville.

Ridge scored the first two runs of the game, getting on the board in the first and third innings with a run each.

Nick Sellitti led off the game with a double, then a sac fly to center by Jake Dolan moved him to third, and Ezra Sadowsky knocked him in with an RBI single.

In the third, starting pitcher Andrew Reynolds helped his cause with a leadoff double. He moved to third on an infield hit from Sellitti, a hard hit ball to third that Bridgewater’s Joe Spirra knocked down, the best he could do. After a single by Jack Dolan loaded the bases, Sadowski drove in his second run of the game with a sac fly to center. But Nick Rossi grounded into a double play, limiting the damage for the Panthers.

Andrew Reynolds had been cruising for Ridge heading into the fifth inning, setting down ten BR batters in a row going back to the final out of the first. But the Panthers would tie it, getting a leadoff single by JR Rosado, then another by Kellan Komline. After a lineout to right by Michael Taylor, Frankie Verano – the hero Monday night against Cherokee in an extra inning win at Trenton Thunder Ballpark, but hitting just .117 coming into the game – ripped double to knot the game at two.

Though Reynolds escaped the inning with any more damage, the Panthers came back for more in the sixth.

Matthew Lehberger led off by reaching on an E-5. Matt Fattore singled, too, chasing Reynolds for Matt Faltas. The submarine righty walked Matt Cichocki to load the bases, then plunked Rosado on the first pitch, giving BR a 3-2 lead they would never relinquish.

That’s when Komline broke the game open with a bases clearing double on a 3-2 pitch to make it 6-2.

Taylor had come in from second base to get the last two outs of the fifth for starter Jack Lanum, and pitched two more full, shutout innings to get the win in relief, improving to 2-0. Reynolds took the loss to fall to 3-2.

Ridge falls to 10-6 on the year, 5-4 in Skyland Conference Delaware play, but with only two losses to Somerset County opponents – both coming to Bridgewater-Raritan.

Click below to hear postgame reaction – presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen – from Bridgewater-Raritan senior Frankie Verano, head coach Max Newill, and sophomore Kellan Komline:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Bridgewater-Raritan faces stiff challenge at rejuvenated, No. 7 Ridge Tuesday

Timely hitting, solid pitching, great fielding.

Those three elements are key to any baseball team, and they’ve been present on a consistent basis for the Bridgewater-Raritan baseball team. Sitting at 13-1 and riding a five-game win streak since a loss to West Morris – their first of the season – Max Newill’s club is poised to get the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament when it’s all figured out next Monday night.

But the key word there is poised, and skids can happen at any time. Just see what happened to the top two teams in the GMC Red Division last week, with Old Bridge and Monroe each going 1-3, and South Plainfield passing both to earn the inside track to the top seed in the league tourney.

On Tuesday, when the Panthers play Ridge on the road, they’ll face a very different Red Devil team than they one they beat 8-4 on April 11th. That loss was Ridge’s fourth in their first five games. They have won nine of ten since.

Tuesday’s game starts at 3:45 pm, with pregame at 3:30 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen.

If you want to know how good the Panthers’ pitching has been, consider that Tuesday’s starter will be Jack Lanum. He’s 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA, which isn’t even the best on the team. The team ERA is 2.07, and they’ve only allowed more than three runs in a game three times, going 2-1 in those games. One of those came Monday, when the Panthers beat Cherokee 5-4 in ten innings at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

And while the team is hitting under .300, their hits have come at the right time, like Monday, or early, to set the tone, as the Panthers did when they plated three runs in the first last Thursday against Hillsborough en route to an 8-1 road win.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill:

by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge has rebounded from rough start, challenges top-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan Tuesday

With a host of graduating seniors like Connor Byrne, Brendan Callanan, Aiden Stieglitz, Adam Meiner and others, making a third trip in as many years to the Somerset County Tournament Championship game wouldn’t be easy. And a 1-4 start could have had any other team packing it in.

But while the pitching was holding down the fort, the bats slowly, but surely, started to turn around. Ultimately, that has translated to the Red Devils winning nine of their next ten games, and after four weeks and a day of baseball, Ridge is 10-5, with the No. 7 ranking in the Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

Perfect time for a rematch between Ridge and top-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan, which doubled up the Red Devils, 8-4, back on April 11th.

The two will meet again Tuesday afternoon in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the action live from Basking Ridge. Pregame is set for 3:30, with first pitch at 3:45 pm. Click here to listen.

As for the pitching, head coach Tom Blackwell will send out Andrew Reynolds for his third start of the year. He began the season in the bullpen after sitting out last year due to an arm injury. But he was a big part of “holding down the fort” earlier in the season.

He’s also been getting some big hits, when he’s not pitching, as have guys like corner infielders Zack Kucerka (1B) and Ben Larner (3B), while right fielder Ezra Sadowski continues to hit well. “He completely carried us offensively early in the season,” says Blackwell.

Click below to hear Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell talk about the Red Devils’ turnaround, and Tuesday’s matchup with top-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan:

by Mike Pavlichko

Winning, losing streaks throw chaos into Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

Other than Bridgewater-Raritan holding on to the top spot for a third straight week, chaos reigned in the Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Rankings, with several top teams going on losing streaks, while win streaks buoyed others.

At No. 1 after a 3-0 week is Bridgewater-Raritan (12-1), which won three straight on the road, beating Somerville 7-0 on Tuesday, Hillsborough 8-1 on Thursday, and Ramapo 11-3 on Saturday. With a week to go before the Somerset County Tournament seeding meeting, the top-seed is the Panthers’ to lose at this point.

Climbing five spots this week is South Plainfield (11-3), which went a stunning 5-0 in the week gone by. The Tigers beat Woodbridge 6-1 on Monday, beat Monroe 9-7 Wednesday, then swept a pair from Old Bridge – winning 6-3 on the road Thursday and 5-1 at home Friday, before topping Dayton 8-4 on Saturday. The run now has South in first place and in the drivers’ seat in the GMC Red Division, with a shot at the tournament’s top seed on the line this week when they play a pair against St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Spotswood (12-1-1) climbs two places to third after a 3-1 week, suffering its first loss of the season. After opening with a home-and-home series sweep of South River – 13-0 on the road Tuesday and 3-2 at home Thursday – the Chargers split two games on Saturday, falling 4-1 to JFK in the morning, then winning 3-1 over Highlands in the Coaches vs. Cancer showcase down in Margate.

Woodbridge (12-2) is up one spot to sixth, also putting together a 3-1 week. The Barrons opened with a 6-1 home loss to South Plainfiled on Monday, but then came back with three straight victories: Wednesday 11-1 at Rahway, Thursday 7-0 at Edison, and Saturday at home 4-1 over Edison. Woodbridge clinched the GMC White Division.

Monroe dropped from third to sixth after a 1-3 week that left them 8-6 on the season. The Falcons lost 9-7 at South Plainfield on Tuesday, then dropped a non-area game at Robbinsville 3-2 Wednesday before snapping the skid with a 6-4 home win over St. Joseph-Metuchen on Friday. They then fell Saturday at home by an 11-5 score to Sayreville.

After two weeks out, Ridge (9-5) is back in the rankings after a strong 4-1 week. That included a win over North Hunterdon 2-0 on Tuesday, a 6-0 win at Randolph Wednesday, an 11-1 rout at Somerville on Thursday, and a loss at New Providence 3-2 on Saturday before the Red Devils bounced back with a 2-1 win over Union Catholic Sunday in the Thank You Classic.

At No. 8 is St. Thomas Aquinas (10-2), up two spots from the Trojans’ previous rank of No. 10. STA picked up wins Monday at home (8-3) and Wednesday (19-3) on the road against North Plainfield, sandwiched around a Tuesday noon-conference loss at Elizabeth, 13-12. They came back and beat Piscataway Friday, 5-4.

In ninth is Watchung Hills, which went 2-1 last week, including a win over then-No. 2 Immaculata, 11-5, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Though they would lose the next day, 8-0 to North Hunterdon, they rebounded with an 11-7 win at Rutgers Prep on Thursday.

And Immaculata falls to tenth after an 0-3 week. After the Tuesday loss to Watchung Hills, they dropped a 5-1 home game to Montgomery on Thursday, and were whitewashed 10-0 Saturday at Phillipsburg.

Below are the full Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 5 Spotswood 7, Somerville 3

Fifth-ranked Spotswood got a 10-strikeout, complete-game effort from Carter Cumiskey – who also hit a solo home run to help his cause – in a 7-3 non-conference road win against Somerville on Monday, April 15, 2024.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from the Torpey Athletic Complex in Bridgewater, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

by Mike Pavlichko

And then there were six: A look at the undefeated teams left in the CJSR coverage area

We’re officially two weeks into the high school baseball season – though some haven’t quite managed two weeks’ worth with all the rain we’ve gotten – and there are a half-dozen teams who remain unbeaten.

Some have received a lot of attention, like Bridgewater-Raritan, No. 1 this week, taking the top spot in the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Others, like South Amboy (4-0) or Piscataway Magnet (2-0) have not.

So, here’s a look at all six teams without a blemish on their records so far.

Bridgewater-Raritan (6-0, #1 ranking)

The Panthers had high expectations coming into the season, and so far have delivered with aplomb. They had a big season-opening win over Rancocas Valley, and beat state-ranked North Hunterdon 7-1 back on Saturday, a win that – coupled with Old Bridge’s second loss of the season – elevated them to No. 1 this week in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

The Panthers are hitting .304 as a team, and have three home runs already. And they’re getting it from a mix of veterans – one each from Devin Goldberg and JR Rosado – as well as others like Matthew Lehberger, a junior who hit his first varsity homer against Hillsborough on April 9th.

The team ERA is 1.97, with Owen Crimmins, Corey Rible and others looking sharp.

The Panthers have a big test Tuesday afternoon when they travel out to Flemington to take on Hunterdon Central, a 4:00 start.

Spotswood (7-0, #5 ranking)

The Chargers won their seventh straight Monday afternoon, beating Somerville 7-3 on the road in the teams’ first meeting since 2007. That’s a nice feat, but it’s getting to be old hat around “The Swamp.” After all, Spotswood won its first nine games last season en route to a 21-8 season, and a trip to the Central Jersey Group 2 final.

Seton Hall commit Carter Cumiskey has been lights out. He’s 3-0, only allowing his first earned run of the season Monday afternoon, giving him a 0.39 ERA (in 17 and 2/3 innings pitched) with a 3-0 record. He struck out ten Pioneers in the win, and – oh yeah – also hit a solo home run that led Somerville to intentionally walk him his next two at bats.

Meanwhile, Glenny Fredricks – now in his 20th season with the Chargers – is sitting at 299 career wins after Monday’s victory.

Everyone in the lineup is hitting, and Spotswood continues to do the little things well, the definition of a Fredricks-coached team. The Blue Division-leading Chargers have scored more runs than anyone in the league (75) and are outscoring their opponents 75-16 through seven games, a +59 run differential that’s also the best in the GMC.

The Chargers are back in action at home Thursday at 4 pm against Marlboro, where Fredricks will go for win No. 300 in his coaching career.

Woodbridge (7-0, #6 ranking)

Like Bridgewater and Spotswood, the Barrons returned a veteran group and also had high expectations for this season. So far, it’s all gone according to plan for Woodbridge. At +53, they’re second in the GMC in run differential, giving up just eight runs all year, the lowest of any team that has played at least three games. (Edison, right behind them in the GMC White, has only given up nine in six games; the Eagles are 5-1.)

Woodbridge has swept home-and-homes from Colonia, Sayreville, and JP Stevens, while beating Middlesex in their first meeting of the year on the road Monday, 4-3.

Senior Eddy Nunez – who burst on the scene as a freshman in the “COVID comeback” season – has thrown 19 innings, more than anyone on the staff, and struck out 27 (1.4 per inning) on the season. His ERA is a slim 1.47, while senior Shawn Kish has also been solid. So has Drew Lukachyk, who didn’t pitch much last year due to arm issues, but has returned to form this season.

Lukachyk is hitting .409 this year as well, and that’s not even the best average on a team that’s hitting an excellent .357 overall. Sophomore Xavier Diaz is hitting .471 and Kish – also a senior – is batting .429.

The Barrons host Middlesex Tuesday afternoon at 4, then entertain North Brunswick Thursday.

Immaculata (7-0, #7 ranking)

What a turn for Kevin Cust’s ballclub, whose best year since the COVID shutdown in 2020 was a 14-13 record two seasons ago, sandwiched between 9-win, sub-.500 seasons. This year, the Spartans are back in top form.

While they didn’t win their first seven that year, in 2018 Immaculata started 1-1, but then won 17 straight to go 18-1 in their first 19. That year, they beat Montgomery for the Somerset County title, then fell in the Non-Public South B final to Gloucester Catholic.

This year’s team opened up with three out-of-state foes – all wins – and now has won four straight since beginning Skyland Conference play, with all coming against Somerset County Teams in Montgomery on the road, then Watchung Hills, Franklin and Pingry at home. In their first seven, they’ve tossed three shutouts, and allowed two or fewer runs in five of those games.

The Spartans are tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .369 as a team, and led by junior Colin Kassai, who’s hitting .600 on the year – 12 for 20 – while senior Troy Rabosky is hitting .571 on 12 for 21.

Pitching-wise, they’ve given up 13 runs all year, and by scoring 66, have the largest run differential in the CJSR coverage area, let alone the Skyland Conference, at +63 on the season. Senior Josh Thompson has thrown 17 innings so far, with a paltry 0.41 ERA.

Immaculata plays Rutgers Prep Tuesday at 4, then travels to Flemington for a big test Saturday morning at 11:00 against Hunterdon Central.

South Amboy (4-0)

With all their wins coming in the GMC Gold Division, the Governors have swept their home-and-homes with Carteret and New Brunswick. While the Zebras are just 1-3, Carteret is 4-2, with their only losses coming to South Amboy, and the Ramblers are right behind them in the division.

While the pitching has been hit or miss, their offense has been more hit than miss. The Guvs are batting .329, with three regulars at .300 or better, including Weslyn Morel-Sanchez (.429), Benjamin Hernandez (.444) and Benjamin Smith (.545), who already has eight runs batten in on the season, plus the team’s only home run.

After a 19-7 win over New Brunswick on Monday – the Governors outscored the Zebras 30-10 in that home-and-home series – South Amboy visits the pristine field at East Brunswick Magnet for a 4 pm first pitch on Wednesday.

Piscataway Magnet (2-0)

Sure, it’s earlier for the Raiders than anyone else, having played two games – both GMC Silver Division opponents – but why not give the Raiders some pub?

It took them over a week to play their first game of the season, a 17-0 whitewash of Wardlaw-Hartridge. Then it was another six days before they got back on the field Monday to win at Perth Amboy Magnet, 8-7 in eight innings. The Raiders got two in the top of the eighth to break a 6-6 tie, then held PA Magnet to a run in the bottom of the inning to pick up the win.

Albeit through two games, Piscataway Magnet is off to a good start, hitting .382 as a team with four extra base hits (3 doubles and a triple). Freshman Kyla Malchiodi leads the way, hitting .750 (4 for 8) through two games with a team-leading nine runs batted in.

Senior Matt Baez got the win in the opener, tossing a complete game of five scoreless, one-hit innings, striking out 15 while walking only two in a ten-run rule win.

Their biggest test yet will come Tuesday when they visit GMC Silver Division leader Highland Park (3-1, 3-0 in the division) at 4 pm.

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood takes a trip to Torpey as Chargers and Somerville meet for first time in 17 years

The last time Spotswood and Somerville met on a baseball diamond, it was a thriller: a 1-0 game played in Branchburg that gave the Chargers the Central Jersey Group 2 championship. It was the best season in Spotswood history, and they had to beat the Pioneers’ ace, Nick McNamara to do it. Closer Mike Hohman finished it off on the mound.

Fast forward 17 years later, the Chargers are still coached by Glenny Fredricks, and Chris Banos is in his 10th season as coach of Somerville. The two know each other even longer than that, back to their days coaching American Legion ball for posts in Milltown (Fredricks) and Edison (Banos).

Spotswood (6-0) and Somerville (2-2) will meet up Monday afternoon at 4 pm at Torpey Athletic Complex in Bridgewater for a non-conference matchup that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko has the call with pregame at 3:40. Click here to listen.

The Chargers are ranked No. 5 in this week’s Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. They have a pair of wins each over Metuchen, North Plainfield and Piscataway, sweeping their Blue Division home-and-homes. They have scored ten runs or more in four of those games, outscoring their opponents 68-13, and pumping out 46 runs in the last three games.

Of players with at least ten at bats, junior and Seton Hall commit Carter Cumiskey is leading the team, hitting .556, knocking in 13 runs already. He had two home runs, but if you count preseason scrimmages? Coach Fredricks says he’s hit it out of the yard six times already. Cumiskey will be on the mound Monday, where he’s thrown 10 2/3 innings in two games, striking out 18, walking two, and giving up exactly zero earned runs.

Somerville, meanwhile, is still trying to get in a groove at the plate. Ajay Cray – who’s expected to be the DH today for starting pitcher Ryan Ciesla – leads the team with a .429 batting average, and the coach’s son, C.J. Banos, leads the team with for runs batted in, but no one else is hitting above .300 yet.

Chiesla won his first start, a going the distance in a 4-1 season opening win over Voorhees (Glen Gardner).

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with both head coaches!

Spotswood head coach Glenny Fredricks
Somerville head coach Chris Banos