Tag: St. Thomas Aquinas

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – NJSIAA Tournament – Non-Public North B Semifinal: (3) St. Thomas Aquinas 7, (2) Rutgers Prep 3

Nikash Patel hit a grand slam, while Louis Rizzolo hit a three-run homer and had a solid outing on the mound as third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas beat Rutgers Prep for a third straight year in the state tournament, picking up a 6-3 win over the second-seeded Argonauts. Aquinas will now visit top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the Non-Public North B final on Friday afternoon at 4 pm.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Somerset, NJ, on June 2, 2026:

by Alec Crouthamel

Rizzolo, Patel power St. Thomas Aquinas to 7-3 win over Rutgers Prep for third postseason year in Non-Public North B semifinals

Three straight years Louis Rizzolo got the ball against Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B sectional tournament.

And three straight years, the senior southpaw helped guide St. Thomas Aquinas to a playoff victory.

The third-seeded Trojans (13-14) went on the road to defeat second-seeded Rutgers Prep 7-3 in the semifinals, advancing to their second sectional final appearance in three years. The Argonauts (17-7) saw their season come to a close after another strong campaign.

Rizzolo and junior Nikash Patel applied much of the damage, with both of them going the distance on the mound and accounting for all seven runs on two homers.

Both came with runners on, as Rizzolo mashed a two-out three-run blast on the first pitch to open St. Thomas Aquinas’ scoring in the second inning, and Patel launched a grand slam to extend a one-run lead to five. The seven earned runs were the most all season for Rutgers Prep ace Li Perez, and just the second outing all year he allowed any earned runs.

The Argonauts struck first in the game, as Perez worked a shutout top half of the first to set up his offense well. Second baseman Matt Bilmes reached on an infield single and advanced on an error, before designated hitter Maddox Chu lined an RBI double to bring him home.

But the Trojans responded immediately.

Perez retired two of the first three batters, but freshman Justin Monterosso – one of four first-years in the lineup – worked a key walk on four pitches to flip the lineup card over and bring Rizzolo up in a big spot.

The senior came through, as a fast-moving fastball from Perez left the yard even faster off the bat of Rizzolo, instantly putting St. Thomas Aquinas ahead with a 3-1 lead.

Rutgers Prep brought a response of their own after that, as Bilmes scored his second run of the day on a sacrifice fly from Perez, but Rizzolo limited the damage to just a run after loading the bases, striking out first baseman Mason Cimini looking to end the trouble. Perez struck out the side and retired seven straight after allowing the home run, and it looked like the veteran-laden Argonauts were setting themselves up to get right back into the game.

But in the top of the fifth, the Trojans’ veteran power struck again.

Monterosso worked his second important walk of the afternoon, reaching to lead off the inning on a full count, and Rizzolo singled to set up another big inning. Catcher Adrian Sanchez worked a full-count walk himself to load the bases with nobody out. Then came Patel. Perez got off to a solid start, working a 1-2 count, but Patel got a breaking ball he liked and powered it the opposite way, sending the ball over the right-centerfield fence to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Perez retired the next three batters to get out of the inning, but the damage had been done.

Argonauts catcher Ethan Nepomuceno launched a solo home run off Rizzolo to lead off the bottom half of the inning, but Rizzolo didn’t let another baserunner on in the inning, keeping the lead at four runs.

Senior reliever Peter Wheeler pitched the final two frames for Rutgers Prep, working around a hit-by-pitch to Monterosso and an intentional walk to Rizzolo to keep the score at 7-3.

Rutgers Prep had one final shot in the bottom half of the seventh. With Rizzolo up against his pitch count, he struck out Bilmes on four pitches, then shortstop Alex Perez on three. But Perez reached on a dropped third strike and wide throw from Sanchez for pitch 111.

But as the two have so many times, Patel picked up his starter, ending the game in just three pitches as Nepomuceno grounded into a 2-0, 4-6-3 double play to seal the win.

Rizzolo earned the win in 6 1/3 innings pitched, with three earned runs on six hits, with just one walk and 12 strikeouts. Perez was given the loss with seven earned runs in five innings, with five hits, four walks, and six strikeouts.

The Trojans will advance to the Non-Public North B semifinals for the second time in three years – they won it over the Argonauts in 2024 – and will face top-seeded St. Mary in Rutherford on Friday at 4 pm.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with St. Thomas Aquinas senior Louis Rizzolo, junior Nikash Patel, and freshman Justin Monterosso, as well as head coach Tom D’Agostino, about the Trojans’ semifinal victory over Rutgers Prep, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA State tournament resumes Tuesday after weekend hiatus, as three CJSR-area non-publics vie for a spot – and we have both games covered!

Last year, they met in the quarterfinals, two years ago for a sectional title in Non-Public North B.

St. Thomas Aquinas and Rutgers Prep will play for a trip back to that title game on Tuesday afternoon, while Immaculata will host Christian Brothers Academy out of Lincroft in the South B semifinals, with all three Central Jersey Sports Radio area teams looking to punch their ticket to a sectional title game.

And Central Jersey Sports Radio has you covered for all three as the state playoffs heat up.

Alec Crouthamel will be in Somerset to bring you live play-by-play of St. Thomas and Rutgers Prep (listen here), while Sean Newcomb will be reporting via Twitter on Immaculata out at Diamond Nation in Flemington. You can find game stories from both – along with postgame reaction – later in the evening at cjsportsradio.com.

Read through for capsules and links for more on Tuesday’s action, followed by Wednesday’s public semifinal schedule.

(3) St. Thomas Aquinas (13-4, 6-8 GMC Red) at (2) Rutgers Prep (17-7, 8-2 Skyland Raritan), 4:30 pm: The Trojans have ended the Argonauts’ season each of the last two years. In 2024, St. Thomas won 5-4 to claim its first sectional title in 18 years. Louis Rizzolo – one of their top pitchers now, but then just a sophomore – came on in relief to get a big out then tied the game with an RBI double as the Trojans had to come from behind for the win. STA would eventually fall to powerhouse Gloucester Catholic in the Group B final in Hamilton.

Last year, the two met in the quarterfinals – playing at Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge – with Rizzolo getting the W in a 6-1 victory over Rutgers Prep, before falling to Montclair-Kimberley in the semis.

Read Alec Crouthamel’s game preview here, including interviews with both head coaches.

Click here to listen to the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

(5) CBA (17-8, 7-3 Shore North A) at (1) Immaculata (22-5, 9-1 Skyland Delaware), 4 pm (at Diamond Nation, Flemington): This will be the first meeting between the schools since 2015, when CBA took a 14-4 win in the semifinals of this section. But that year, the records were basically flipped. CBA went 27-5 and finished the season on a 14-game win streak, taking the Shore Conference Tournament title and the Non-Public South A and State Group A title. Immaculata was just 15-3.

The Spartans will have everyone available for this one, pitching-wise, but the question is: who will head coach Kevin Cust go with? Cole Raymond got the start Tuesday in Immaculata’s regular season finale, a 7-0 win over Rutgers Prep, and pitched very well, allowing just three hits in six innings of work, striking out eight, and not issuing a single walk. We figure Raymond goes here, with Ryan Auten penciled in for a potential title game on Thursday, where they would face the winner of Tuesday’s other semifinal between third-seed Red Bank Catholic (18-8) and second-seed St. Augustine (20-7).

The Spartans have an incredibly balanced lineup, which is hitting .313, with all but one regular hitting .281 or higher. Sophomore Luca Catanzarite is leading the pack, hitting .424 with 19 RBIs and two home runs, while senior Owen Schilling is also tearing it up. hitting .342 with 19 RBI and three home runs.

CBA has won ten straight since a May first, 4-2 loss to Ranney in the Monmouth County Tournament, which left the Colts 7-8 on the year. Luke Grbic won the opener in the first round, 9-2 over 12-seed Camden Catholic, while Danny DiTullio got the W in a 9-2 road win at fourth-seed Union Catholic on Thursday. It should be Grbic back on the mound in the semis, which would line DiDtullio up for the final, should they beat Immaculata.

The Colts also can hit, batting .336 as a team, led by junior first baseman Michael Knox among the regulars, hitting .411 with 12 RBI and two home runs. Senior Jayden Matecjicka is hitting .407 with a team best 21 RBI and three homers. And overall, they’re about as balanced as the Spartans.

Follow Sean Newcomb on Twitter for updates.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals

  • (4) Hightstown (18-7) at (1) Old Bridge (20-9), 5 pm
  • (7) Jackson Twp. (12-15) at (3) Hunterdon Central (16-13), 2:30 pm

Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan (13-16) at (1) Ridge (17-10), 4 pm (LISTEN LIVE)
  • (3) Watchung Hills (17-8) at (2) Bayonne (21-8), 4:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (4) South Plainfield (16-11) at (1) Chatham (20-6), 4 pm
  • (3) Cranford (19-9) at (2) North Hunterdon (22-6), 3 pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 4: Non-Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

FRIDAY, JUNE 5: Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

MONDAY, JUNE 8: Public State Semifinals (at higher power point values)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10: Non-Public State Finals at Bainton Field, Rutgers University

  • Non-Public A Final: 4 pm
  • Non-Public B Final: 7 pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 11: Public State Finals at Bainton Field, Rutgers Univeristy

  • Group 3 Final: 10 am
  • Group 4 Final: 1 pm
  • Group 1 Final: 4 pm
  • Group 2 Final: 7 pm

by Alec Crouthamel

Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas face off for third straight year with Non-Public North B final berth on the line

Three things have been certain over the last three high school baseball seasons.

Death, taxes, and a playoff battle between St. Thomas Aquinas and Rutgers Prep.

This year marks the third iteration of the two teams facing off in the North Jersey, Non-Public B sectional tournament in Tuesday’s semifinal round.

The third-seeded Trojans (13-14) won the first two, taking the sectional title in 2024 and winning in the quarterfinals in 2025, but it’s a whole new season, with two very different teams. The second-seeded Argonauts (17-7) bring a lot of veteran experience to the table – including those losses in each of the last two seasons – and are battle-tested. St. Thomas Aquinas brings some of its own veterans, but also young talent that has progressed with more exposure to the big-game environment.

Will the third time be the charm for Rutgers Prep? Or will the Trojans end the Argonauts’ season for the third straight time? It all gets started with first pitch at 4:30 pm from Rutgers Prep, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 4:15 with Alec Crouthamel on the call; click here to listen.

Eight of the combined projected starters – including both pitchers – faced off in the 2024 game, and 12 in 2025, so there’s not a lot of unfamiliarity, even in a GMC/Skyland Conference crossover.

But these are different teams from those that took the field 368 days ago. They’ve both overcome some bumps along the way, but have found themselves in recent weeks to make it within a game of a sectional final appearance.

The Trojans got off to a bit of a bumpy start, breaking in multiple newcomers to the lineup and getting the youth movement as much experience as possible. But since the calendar flipped to May, St. Thomas Aquinas has gone 7-4, including a 7-0 quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Morris Catholic. Senior Louis Rizzolo and junior Nikash Patel – a dangerous pitching duo on their third year of postseason action together – combined for a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in just 75 pitches, while four different hitters recorded at least one RBI.

The Argonauts have blazed a bit of a different trail in 2026, but still have overcome some obstacles. They won 11 straight games over a month-long span, but dealt with a 2-3 stretch over the next nine days, including an extra-inning loss to Bridgewater-Raritan, where the Panthers overcame a four-run deficit and outscored Rutgers Prep 10-1 after the second inning.

From there, though, the Argonauts re-found their focus, including a five-inning, 16-0 victory over tenth-seeded Pope John in the sectional quarterfinals. Star pitcher Li Perez was nothing short of spectacular, allowing just one baserunner and recording all 15 outs via strikeout, while the offense got contributions from all over, including two home runs and five RBIs from senior Maddox Chu.

Both aces – Rizzolo and Perez – will take the ball for the second straight year (Rizzolo also started the 2024 game while Perez played the field) and if both have their best stuff as they did in the quarterfinals, runs will be at a premium.

But with a trip to the sectional final on the line – each team’s first since that 2024 matchup – nothing in the past matters once Perez throws that first pitch of the game.

Click below to hear Central jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with both head coaches about their respective seasons and the upcoming matchup in the Non-Public North B semifinal:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino
Rutgers Prep head coach Larry Santowasso
by Mike Pavlichko

State Playoff Preview: St. Joseph-Metuchen, Pingry, Gill to open NJSIAA play Tuesday

Hard to believe, but it’s already state tournament time in high school baseball.

The county tournaments are (mostly) done – with the GMC still to be decided this coming Saturday after rain throughout Memorial Day weekend – and everyone is set to begin sectional play in the NJSIAA tournament.

Over the next three days, we’ll take a look at each and every matchup involving Central Jersey Sports Radio teams, starting with the non-public schools, which open play on Tuesday, save for those that have first round byes and are awaiting their first opponent, including Immaculata and Rutgers Prep. St. Thomas Aquinas has a bye, bit already has their opponent determined.

We’ll have a look at Central Jersey Groups 1, 2 and 4 on Monday, and North Jersey, Section 2, Groups 2, 3 and 4 on Tuesday.

NON-PUBLIC NORTH B:

(10) Pope John (4-18) at (7) Gill St. Bernard’s (9-11), 4 pm Tuesday: Though Pope John has taken the last three meetings – with wins in 2019, 2021, and 2024 – that most recent win over Gill is far enough back not to matter. The Lions play a very difficult schedule, including four losses to the two teams that squared off in the Morris County Tournament final, with Mount Olive (now No. 13 in the state) knocking off the statewide No. 1 – and they still are – Delbarton. Both teams are hitting about the same, hovering around the .270 mark, but Pope John has given up more runs, with a team ERA of 7.35, while the Knights are under five. Junior Gavin Bucceri leads the team in hitting, at .379, while senior Jack Markovich is hitting .297 with three home runs. The teams have one common opponent in Pingry; Gill swept them in mid-April, getting a 13-2 and a12-8 win, while Pope John beat the Big Blue a month later, 11-7. The winner will head to Somerset to take on second-seed Rutgers Prep (16-6) in the sectional quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals: (6) Morris Catholic (13-10) at (3) St. Thomas Aquinas (12-14), Thursday (TBA): Just about any team that comes out of the GMC Red Division is probably stronger than their record would indicate. After all, look who’s in the GMC Tournament final: the second and fifth-place teams. And both Old Bridge and Monroe are quite deserving. In fact, their strength of schedule almost certainly was a factor in how high the Trojans were seeded. This will be the first meeting between the teams going back at least to 2008, the last year for which records are publicly available online. They do, however, have one common opponent. St. Thomas lost at home to Montville last Saturday, 12-4, while Morris Catholic beat them two weeks earlier, 8-6. But the Crusaders also lost a preliminary round Morris County Tournament game to a near-.500 Morris Hills team, 9-1, while Aquinas made it to the GMC Quarterfinals, beating South Brunswick 3-2 to get there, then falling to second-seed Middlesex, 3-0. With an up-and-down lineup led by Louis Rizzolo, hitting .373 and a couple others over .300, the Trojans likely look to Rizzolo on the mound in the opener: he’s 6-0 with a 0.98 ERA. A first round bye here means a lot, with Rizzolo starting a quarterfinal game, that would also line him up for a potential title game start.

(2) Rutgers Prep (16-6): The Argonauts have a first-round bye, and will open play Thursday against either seven-seed Gill St. Bernard’s or 10-seed Pope John.

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH A:

(11) St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-16) at (6) St. John Vianney (15-9), 3:45 pm Tuesday: It’s been a challenging season for the defending GMC Tournament Champion Falcons, to say the least. While they graduated a bunch, there’s still talent – and many league coaches will attest to this – but there’s also inexperience. Of their five wins, two came in a back-to-back sweep of East Brunswick in early April, then later in the month they put together a three-game win streak, with victories over Toms River East in the Autism Awareness Challenge, Woodbridge and St. Thomas Aquinas. The followed that up with an eight-game skid – though five of those games were decided by either one or two runs – before beating Freehold Boro, 11-1, to come into the state tournament on a positive note. Also on the plus side, Luke Baranauskas has been back in the lineup for a few games now, after missing the bulk of April; he’s the team’s top regular, hitting .409, while Logan Ring is hitting .352 with 17 RBIs, and Luke Palermo is right behind him with 16 – and it’s no surprise those are key returnees from last season, though they’re still only juniors. Regardless, beating Vianney will be a tough task, especially on the road, with a pitching staff allowing over five earned runs a game. This will be their first meeting since at least 2008. The winner got to third-seed Red Bank Catholic (17-7) Thursday in the quarterfinals; the Caseys have a first-round bye.

(10) Pingry (10-4) at (7) Notre Dame (13-10), 4 pm Tuesday: This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2016, so there’s no recent history here, either. Common opponent advantage goes to the Irish, who beat Gill St. Bernard’s 6-1 in the Autism Awareness Challenge, while the Big Blue were swept by Gill, 13-2 and 12-8, the week prior. Pingry has lost four of five coming in, with defeats at the hands of Pope John, Franklin, Hillsborough and Rutgers Prep, but they are coming in off a 6-4 victory over Oratory Prep, which is 10-4 just like Pingry. The Big Blue is hitting close to .300 (.299), with junior Langston McDonald (.380, 12 RBI) leading the way, while sophomore Andrew Crowley has a team-high 18 runs batted in, while hitting .338 on the year. Nearly every Pingry team has a tendency to be pesky and give opponents fits, and expect little different here in what could be a toss-up. The winner will take a long drive on Thursday to play in the quarterfinals at second-seed St. Augustine (19-6, #12 in NJ), which has a first-round bye.

(1) Immaculata (20-5): The Spartans – coming off a 1-0 loss in eight innings to Watchung Hills in the Somerset County Tournament final Friday afternoon – have a first-round bye and will open play Thursday at Diamond Nation in Flemington against either eight-seed Donovan Catholic (6-15) or nine-seed Paul VI (9-13).

Middlesex pitcher Chris Kozak (12) throws a pitch.
by Alec Crouthamel

Two-seed Middlesex shuts down seven-seed St. Thomas Aquinas 3-0, advances to GMC semifinals for second straight year

If you’ve seen Middlesex win one baseball game, you’ve likely seen a hundred of them.

The Blue Jays (20-2, 13-1) have a formula, and execute it well. A gem from one of their “bulldog” aces. Innings where they feed off of each other’s at-bats and stack up runs. Some clutch pinch hitting. And of course, timely defensive plays.

Second-seeded Middlesex got all of that in its 3-0 win over seventh-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas in the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament quarterfinals, moving onto the semifinals for the second straight year.

While the Blue Jays didn’t pile on as many station-to-station innings as they’re used to, a three-run fourth inning was all they needed with senior pitcher Chris Kozak on the bump.

He went the distance, throwing a complete-game shutout in 89 pitches, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

But the win didn’t come without some adversity. With their backs against the wall, the Trojans (10-13, 6-8) managed to load the bases with a single, walk, and single with one out in the top of the sixth inning, and the go-ahead run at the plate in starting pitcher Nikash Patel. For the second straight at-bat, Patel came out ambush-style and mashed the first pitch, but it sailed foul over the fence, just barely early on the breaking ball.

Two pitches later, Patel took another opportunity at a ball he liked. He grounded it hard towards senior shortstop Marcus Lavornia. Lavornia took a dive to his right, came up with the ball in his glove, and flipped it to second baseman Anthony Melchiorre.

With the echoing “Get rid of it!” from his coaching staff in the home dugout, Melchiorre fired a laser to first baseman Luke Jones, just barely beating Patel to the spot.

Inning over. No runs scored.

Kozak retired the side in order in 11 pitches the very next inning to end it.

The matchup began as a pitcher’s duel with neither side able to gain an offensive edge. The first 12 batters of the game were retired in order through the first two innings, and each team recorded their first hits of the game in the third inning, but nobody scored.

The opening stretch offered some impressive outfield defense as well, with the wind blowing out to left field on a cool, breezy afternoon at Mountainview Park. That included some catches on the run by Blue Jays centerfielder Dominic Long, and a diving grab by St. Thomas Aquinas left fielder Louie Scaff to end the first inning.

After Kozak worked a nifty pickoff move to retire courtesy runner Junior Perez in the top of the fourth, Middlesex’s offense got going in the bottom half.

Jones started it off with a one-out single, advancing to second on a passed ball. Designated hitter Sean Hughes flew out to left field to record the second out, but the Blue Jays worked some two-out magic.

Long drew a six-pitch walk to put runners on first and second, prompting a pitching change, as the Trojans replaced Patel with freshman third baseman Justin Monterosso. He walked Middlesex third baseman Diego Marcano on four pitches to load the bases to start his outing. Then, with Kozak at the plate, Jones scored on a spiked wild pitch that bounced high in the air to score the game’s first run.

Kozak helped his own cause by re-loading the bases with a five-pitch walk. Second-year skipper Blaze Iannetti then went to pinch-hitting extraordinaire Dalton Michael in a crucial spot.

Michael came out first-pitch swinging, and he lined a fastball into the left-center gap to score Long and Marcano.

St. Thomas Aquinas made another pitching change, inserting junior Chris Gutauskas, who induced an inning-ending groundout to get out of the jam.

The three-run frame was all the Blue Jays needed to come away victorious.

The Trojans did put up a fight in the sixth, but Kozak regained his composure with an easy-looking seventh inning. He threw over 15 pitches in just two innings, trusting his defense and inducing soft contact. He earned the win in his shutout performance.

Patel was given the loss in 3.2 innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs, with three strikeouts and two walks. Gutauskas retired all seven batters he faced in relief.

Middlesex advances to the championship tournament semifinals for the second straight year after doing so last year as the ten-seed.

The Blue Jays will face off against third-seeded Old Bridge — who outlasted six-seeded Woodbridge 1-0 in eight innings Wednesday — on Saturday at East Brunswick Magnet High School. Middlesex is looking for its first GMC Championship appearance since it won the title back in 2012.

Click below for postgame reaction from Middlesex head coach Blaze Iannetti and seniors Chris Kozak and Marcus Lavornia, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:


by Mike Pavlichko

GMCT Recap:  Monroe knocks off Colonia in only first round upset, as seven other higher seeds advance

Top-seed Edison and the rest of the top seven seeds advanced Monday in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament, with only eight-seed Colonia getting upset.

It was a chalk Monday in the tournament, which has been fairly lucky in the first two rounds with weather. Rain had been in the forecast at one point or another for the first three days of the event, including Saturday’s preliminary round.

But all those games got off without a hitch – even if a few raindrops fell, it was nothing major – and Monday turned out to be a gorgeous day, with temps in the low 60s under mostly cloudy skies until about an hour into the 4 pm games, when the sun shone for the rest of the later afternoon.

Here’s a recap of all eight games, followed by the schedule for Wednesday’s quarterfinals, which – as of 11 pm Monday – has a round a 50 percent chance of showers between the hours of 4 and 6 pm. Any games not played Wednesday likely move to Thursday, with temperatures around 67 degrees, showers in the morning, but a mix of sun and clouds by afternoon.

(1) Edison 10, (17) Piscataway Magnet 5: The Eagles (15-5) scored early and often, getting five in the first and five in the second, more than enough runs for senior Connor Murphy, who struck out 13 and allowed just one infield hit and three baserunners in the game.

Read a full recap of the contest here, along with postgame reaction from sophomore Sam Kentos (2 triples, 4 RBI), Murphy, and head coach Vinnie Abene, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

Piscataway Magnet took just its second loss of the season to drop to 20-2.

The Eagles – a GMCT finalist last season – will host nine-seed Monroe in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. They split their two-game set in early April, with Edison winning the opener 7-1 on the at home, and Monroe getting a 2-0 shutout in the rematch at home.

(9) Monroe 9, (8) Colonia 2: With ace Colin Kroner sidelined due to injury, the Falcons (9-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then added six more in the middle three innings to take a 9-1 lead, and allowed one sixth-inning run to the Patriots (10-7), who used four pitchers to get through the game. Starter Ryan Totin, who went 3 1/3 innings, took the loss, allowing five earned runs.

Matt Linke, Justin Mangamo and Michael Cinque drove in two runs apiece for the Falcons, who had dropped eight of nine coming in after a 7-4 start. Starting pitcher Ben Fagin was solid, scattering two hits and allowing just one unearned run, striking out 13 in a complete game effort.

Click here to listen to Monroe head coach Sean Field talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Falcons’ win over the Patriots.

In the quarterfinals, Monroe will be at Edison on Wednesday. The teams split this season.

(5) South Plainfield 2, (12) St. Joseph-Metuchen 1: For the Tigers (12-10), they don’t come up bigger than Aiden McCarthy in big spots. The senior pitcher scattered five hits in a complete game effort, allowing one earned run, striking out ten, to improve to 6-1 on the season.

South Plainfield got out to a 1-0 lead in the botom of the first on a sac fly to right by Chris Loniewski. St. Joseph (5-15) – the defending tournament champs – tied it in the top of the fourth with a single by Logan ring, but the Tigers got the lead back in the home half of the inning when Dom Massaro was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Ed Budzinski.

The win puts the Tigers in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at fourth-seed Metuchen (15-5), a team they have not faced since 2018.

(4) Metuchen 3, (13) Spotswood 0: Starter James Fenton went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out 15, and Matt Jelleme closed out the final two-thirds for the win. The Bulldogs (15-5) got an RBI from Matt Jelleme in ousting the Chargers (11-2), a GMCT semifinalist a year ago.

Metuchen will host 5th-seed South Plainfield (12-10) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, the first meeting between the teams since 2018.

(3) Old Bridge 1, (14) Sayreville 0:  In a pitchers’ duel, the Knights (14-8) got a four-hit shutout from Brady Meyer, and got the only run they needed in the bottom of the fourth inning – when Jared Volpe scored on a passed ball with Erich Schikchneit at the plate – in taking the tight victory over the Bombers (9-11).

Both starting pitchers went the distance in this one. Meyer walked four but struck out seven, while Jack Martyn of Sayreville allowed one earned run on five hits in six innings of of work. He threw just 70 pitches; while Meyer threw only 85.

In the quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Knights will host sixth-seed Woodbridge (12-7), a team they beat twice this year, but both by slim margins: 2-1 at home on April 2nd, and 9-7 on the road two days later.

(6) Woodbridge 7, (11) East Brunswick 1: The Bears (6-13) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, opening the scoring in the game, but it was all Barrons (12-7) from there on out, as they tied it in the bottom of the inning, then blew it open with five in the fifth before adding a seventh run in the sixth.

Jaidon Coello got East Brunswick on the board with a single in the fourth, but the lead was short-lived, as Xavier Diaz hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the inning, tying the game at one.

In the fifth, Woodbridge got another homer, this time a leadoff blast from Nate Langon to make it 2-1. Then, after a walk to Hogan Boyd, a single by Kevin Arroyo, and another walk to Jack Kobylakiewicz, a third walk – this time to Gavin Slicner – made it 3-1. Diaz singled to make it 4-1, Nick Lukachyk followed with one of his own to make it 6-1, more than enough to give the Barrons the win.

Arroyo got the win, scattering three hits across seven innings, needing just 98 pitches to finish, also recording seven strikeouts.

Next up, Woodbridge visits Old Bridge in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The Knights took both games from the Barrons this season, 2-1 and 9-7.

(7) St. Thomas Aquinas 3, (10) South Brunswick 2: After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Trojans (9-12) got three in the home half to take a 3-1 lead they’d never relinquish in beating the Vikings (9-8).

Louis Rizzolo was masterful, improving to 6-0 on the season thanks to a two-hit complete game in which he struck out 13 and allowed two runs, one earned.

The first came in South Brunswick’s first at bat after Ayden Antigua – who reached on an error – scored with two outs. Starting pitcher Collin Perna drove in the other run with a single in the third.

But Aquinas got all three of its runs in the bottom of the first. Nikash Patel singled to drive in Adrian Sanchez, who had reached on a one-out double, then after a single by Tyler Coello, Justin Brown drove in Patel and Coello with a single.

Perna took the loss for South Brunswick, throwing 5 1/3, striking out six and walking one. All three runs were earned.

St. Thomas will visit second-seed Middlesex (19-2) – a GMC semifinalist last year – in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The teams haven’t met this year, but split two games last season.

(2) Middlesex 12, (15) South River 2: The Blue Jays (19-2) won their fourth straight – and 15th in their last 16 games dating back exactly one month to April 11 – as they topped the Rams (16-6) in a five-inning, ten-run rule victory.

After getting a run in the first on a Luke Jones sacrifice fly that scored Marcus Lavornia – who’d stolen third after he reached on an error and sac bunt got him to second – Middlesex broke it open with five runs in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Lavornia singled to make it 2-0, Dylan Ianiero walked to bring in Chris Kozak, Jones flied out to right to bring in Lavornia, and Sean Hughes drove in two with a double to left to make it 6-0.

And after the Rams got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI double by Hunter Krainski and a sac fly by Noah Barrero, Middlesex simply added six more in the bottom of the inning, then held the Rams the rest of the way. Jones, who finished with four runs batted in, was key in that inning with a two-run double.

Dom long got the win for Middlesex, going four innings, striking out six, and allowing two earned runs. Dalton Michael closed it out in the fifth, allowing just a two out single.

The Jays will host St. Thomas Aquinas (9-12) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS

  • (9) Monroe at (1) Edison (follow Nick Hart on Twitter for updates and a game recap)
  • (5) South Plainfield at (4) Metuchen
  • (6) Woodbridge at (3) Old Bridge
  • (7) St. Thomas Aquinas at (2) Middlesex (follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates and a game recap)

SATURDAY, MAY 16 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS (at East Brunswick Magnet)

  • Semifinal #1: 12 pm
  • Semifinal #2: 2:30 pm (highest remaining seed)

SATURDAY, MAY 23 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINAL (at East Brunswick Magnet)

  • Final: 2 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls, back on top in Somerset County, are No. 1 team in Final Bellamy & Son Paving rankings

Sure, the Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team won 20 games last year, but it still wasn’t up to Mary Klinger’s standards. The coach calls the regular season the “preseason.” A division title is nice, but the county and state tournaments are the goals. Win those, and it’s a good year for the Argonauts. In 2025, they won neither.

But this year, with much of the same crew back, the Argonauts returned to their familiar spot as Somerset County Tournament champions, and finish the year No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

Led by four-year varsity standout Ava LaMonica – the team’s top scorer, who will be playing collegiately next year at Buffalo – as well as fellow seniors Ava Frith and Sophia Georgiades, as well as super sophomore Hailey Benbow – the Argos’ second-best scorer and top rebounder – Rutgers Prep (25-4) didn’t lose a single conference game this season, its three regular season losses coming to Red Bank Catholic, Cardinal O’Hara (PA), and Blair right before the state tournament. Their fourth came to Gloucester Catholic in the Non-Public South B Final.

Prep beat Franklin – the eventual Central Jersey Group 4 champ – in the Somerset County Final, and won the Skyland Division title with a 6-0 record.

Gill St. Bernard’s checks in at No. 2. With a 22-6 mark, the Knights won the Non-Public North B title with a victory over Saddle River Day, then lout to Gloucester Catholic in the state Non-Public Group B final at Rutgers, the same Rams’ team that beat Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. Gill lost its only meeting with Rutgers Prep this season, 51-44 in late January, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Finishing third is St. Thomas Aquinas (24-7). The Trojans – with the senior trio of Jordan Barnes, Trista Whitney and Kayla Navarro – blew through the GMC this season, going 11-0 to win the Red American Division, and stormed to their seventh straight GMC Tournament championship, beating resurgent East Brunswick in the final. They would bow out to eventual state champion Red Bank Catholic in the Non-Public South A semifinals.

Checking in at four is Franklin (22-9). A Somerset County Tournament finalist under first-year head coach Jimmy Kreie, the Warriors returned to their former – and fairly recent – glory with a win in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game over neighboring Hillsborough. They were knocked out of the state tournament by Lenape in the state Group 4 finals.

Fifth is Hillsborough (21-7). The Raiders had won two sectional titles in a row – in North 2, Group 4 in 2024 and Central 4 last season – but fell at Franklin in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

East Brunswick checks in at No. 6 with a 23-6 record. Ava Catanho and Julianna DelosSantos-Branson led the Bears back to prominence this season, as they got to the GMC Tournament title game, where they lost to now seven-time reigning GMCT champion St. Thomas Aquinas.

Bound Brook (25-4) – re-ignited by freshman sensation Peytan Pugh – finishes at No. 7, thanks to a Mountain Division championship, going 8-0 in divisional play. They nearly knocked off Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, and reached the Central Jersey Group 1 title game, falling on the road to top-seed New Providence.

Finishing eighth is Bernards (24-5), which started the year 10-0, and was the Skyland Conference Valley Division champion at 11-1. They lost to defending champion Madison in the North 2, Group 2 semifinals.

At No. 9, it’s Colonia. After a down season, head coach Jill Bachonski has the Patriots looking solid, finishing 20-4, and going 8-0 to win the GMC Red National Division. They reached the GMC Tournament semifinals, falling to eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas.

And No. 10 is Piscataway, making its season debut in the final rankings of the year. The Lady Chiefs finished 17-9, and went 6-0 to win the White American Division title, reaching the GMC Tournament semifinals, where they lost to East Brunswick.

Below are the complete final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten rankings for 2025-26:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GMC Tournament Girls’ Final: (1) St. Thomas Aquinas 62, (2) East Brunswick 41

Jordan Barnes led all scorers with 20 points, and Leah Kearney was named tournament MVP, as the top-seeded St. Thomas of Aquinas Trojans won their seventh straight GMC Tournament title, beating second-seed East Brunswick 62-41in the 40th girls’ GMC Championship game.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the play-by-play from Monroe Township High School on February 20, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Make it seven straight for St. Thomas Aquinas: Trojans top East Brunswick, 62-41, to win yet another GMC Tourney title

It never gets old for St. Thomas Aquinas.

Having won six straight GMC Tournament titles coming in to Friday night’s 40th championship game, second-seed East Brunswick hung around for a while. The Bears were down just six after one, and even had a chance to cut it to nine before the half, but missed a three and ended up down 12.

But the third quarter was the difference. Things opened up – for both teams – but the last thing anyone wants to do is get into a track meet with St. Thomas. They did, and STA extended its lead to 49-29 at the end of three, and by that time, it was well in hand.

In the end, it ended up as a 62-41 win for the top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (22-5) over second-seed East Brunswick (21-5), as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. It was the Trojans’ seventh straight title, extending their GMC-record streak, the longest for either the boys or girls in the 40-year history of the event.

Senior Jordan Barnes was the game’s high scorer, finishing with 20 points. She was MVP as a sophomore, and probably anyone could have been, but it went to Leah Kearney, well-deserved with a 12-point night, averaging 10 per game in the four tournament games.

The win wa also the 80th straight over GMC opponents – regular season and postseason – with their last loss coming in January of 2022, here against Monroe.

That means the senior fore of Barnes, Trista Whitney – who had nine in the final – and Kayla Navarro never lost a single game against a GMC opponent.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with junior and GMC Tournament MVP Leah Kearney, senior Trista Whitney, head coach Tim Corrigan, and senior Jordan Barnes, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: