Tag: state playoffs

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC’s last team standing, Middlesex aims for league record 7th state title Saturday when Blue Jays take on red-hot Midland Park in Hamilton

There has been nothing particularly spectacular this season about the Middlesex High School baseball team. And that’s a compliment.

There is no feared hitter batting over the .500 mark with eight home runs. There’s no pitcher with 100 strikeouts and a blazing fastball who’s going to a major Division 1 program.

Just, good, solid, consistent baseball players. Baseball players who have won 16 of their last 17 games and are a win away from their seventh state championship. Their current six trophies are more than any other GMC school – and even any other Skyland Conference school, for that matter, as well.

Granted, Dominic Long is 11-0 with a 1.31 ERA, and he will be expected to get the start Saturday against Midland Park (21-8-1) when the Blue Jays (22-5) face them in the NJSIAA Group 1 championship game at 1 pm at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton.

Long gave Middlesex just what it needed Monday in the Group 1 semifinals against Schalick. Head coach Blaze Iannetti went to him in the eighth after starter Chris Kozak issued a four-pitch, one-out walk, and he got two strikeouts sandwiched around a two-out single to keep the game tied 3-3, giving the Jays a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning, which they did, on an RBI single by regular pinch-hitter Dalton Michael.

Long and Kozak have been awesome this year. Long hasn’t lost a game, while Kozak is 6-4 but with an even lower 0.84 ERA. They’ve been the only two pitchers to start in the state tournament – with Michael the only other pitcher who’s made an appearance, getting in two innings of work – combining to go 5-0 with a combined 0.90 earned run average.

In their five state tournament wins, Middlesex has pitched two shutouts, two one-run games, and the only time they gave up more was in their 4-3 win over Schalick.

And they’re tearing it up at the plate, too. Dalton Michael is 2-for-3 on pinch-hitting duty with three runs batted in, including a double and a single. First baseman Owen Reynolds is hitting .545, and Dom Parenti – who hit his second home run of the season Monday in the Group 1 semis, leading off the bottom of the first – has seven runs batted in, as does Dylan Ianiero.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Blaze Iannetti talk about the season and the Group 1 final against Midland Park with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex opponent Midland Park on historic state tourney run despite key injuries

With a 15-4-1 record, having won four straight games and endured a mid-April rough patch, the Midland Park baseball team was looking to finish the regular season strong heading into the state tournament, until the opposite happened.

The Panthers, who would enter the North 1, Group 1 playoffs as the two seed, lost four straight. There were two tight games – a 7-4 loss to Emerson Boro and a 6-4 loss at New Milford – then a 10-2 loss at Ridgewood in the Bergen County Invitational Final, and another regular season loss, 2-0, at Cresskill.

That last loss was the turning point, and time for a wake-up call. Would they pack it in, a victim of injuries to a solid pitcher in senior Anthony Carrea and one of their best hitters in junior Ralph Caprio? Or would they have a next-man-up mentality, suck it up and start winning?

The answer? Since then, Midland Park has won six in a row, including a 1-0 victory over Wallkill Valley to win the North 1, Group 1 title – the first sectional title in school history – and now is playing for the NJSIAA’s Group 1 state championship.

That game will take place Saturday at 1 pm at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans’ park in Hamilton, where the Panthers (21-8-1) will take on Central Jersey Group 1 champion Middlesex (22-5) in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Click here to listen as Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action.

Midland Park has had a season of streaks. They won their first six games, then went 0-3-1 over the next four. They won five straight before a loss in the Bergen County Tournament first round at St. Mary-Rutherford before winning four straight, and going on that five game skid heading into the state tournament. Now, they’ve won six straight.

Senior Ryan Fleming is the team’s top hitter at .372, while Conor Shortway – who will play for Division III Mount St. Mary next Spring – has a team-leading 17 RBIs among active players. (The injured Caprio has 18.)

They may not score as much as Middlesex, but their pitching has been excellent all year, including those who have stepped up in Carrea’s absence. That includes junior Braiden Russel, who had been the Panthers’ closer, but now has thrown 40 2/3 innings, and is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA.

Connor Detrick – who started and got the wins in the sectional quarterfinals and the title game – will get the ball Saturday against the Blue Jays, coming in at 8-3, with a 1.35 ERA, and about a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 72 2/3 innings, the most thrown by any pitcher on the staff this season.

Click below to learn more about Midland Park from head coach Frank Clark, speaking with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  NJSIAA Group 1 Semifinal: Middlesex 4, Schalick 3 (8 inn.)

The Middlesex baseball team is back in the state finals for the second time in five years – after winning it all in 2021 – after a 4-3 win over Schalick in the state Group 1 semifinals. Pinch-hitter Dalton Michael won it with a single to left field, driving in Marcus Lavornia for the walk-off.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Mountainview Park in Middlesex on June 9, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Jays, in a pinch! Dalton Michael’s walkoff conjures spirit of ’21 championship team as Middlesex drops Schalick, 4-3, in extras

by Dylan Allen

South Plainfield falls short of Group 3 Championship game in heartbreaking fashion, losing to Morris Knolls 3-2, in 8

After surrendering back-to-back home runs, in the first inning, and being down 2-0 through the first three batters of the Morris Knolls lineup, it surely looked like South Plainfield was going to have a long day on the diamond.

It was quite the contrary, as South Plainfield came back to eventually tie the game at two, and had its fair share of chances to win the game. The effort from South Plainfield wasn’t enough, however, as Colin Iberer of Morris Knolls walked it off with a bases loaded full-count two-out walk in the eighth inning to send the Golden Eagles to Saturday’s NJSIAA State Group 3 final with a 3-2, eight-inning win.

Morris Knolls (15-10) had its ace on the mound in Dean Kaletcher, and boy, did he pitch like one to start. Kaletcher on the season had a 1.60 ERA with 77 strikeouts and only 17 walks and he retired the first seven batters he faced and racked up four strikeouts by the end of the third.

South Plainfield (18-11) had its ace on the mound as well. Junior Aiden McCarthy was tasked with pitching this road state semifinal game, and it didn’t start well. He surrendered back-to-back solo home runs to Dylan Fitzsimmons, his ninth of the year, and Ryan McDonald, his third of the year, giving the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead in the first.

But McCarthy settled in, and head coach Scott Gleichenhaus credited his senior catcher, Steven Studlack. “He’s one of the hardest working and greatest kids we’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching,” Gleichenaus said after the game, noting he “helped settle McCarthy down, and he even energized the team later with a line drive single in the third.”

But the rest of the way out, no one could score, and the pitching was must-see. Despite the first-inning homers, McCarthy went on to pitch six scoreless innings and only allowed three hits in that span. All of a sudden, the pressure was put on Kaletcher to preserve the 2-0 lead.

The fourth inning was when South Plainfield started to string together some hits off Kaletcher. With two outs and no one on base, singles from Dan Kapsch and Lorenzo Fuscoletti put runners on first and second. It was only the Tigers’ second and third baserunners of the game.

Up came third baseman Chris Loniewski with a chance to do some damage. After working the count, he slapped a ball into center field for a single, Kapsch took off from second with a burst of speed and got the sign from Gleichenhaus to round third and takeoff for home. Fitzsimmons, out in center, fielded and fired the ball in on a line to home and gunned out Kapsch at the plate to end the inning, preserving the 2-0 lead.

McCarthy kept on cruising, retiring Morris Knolls in order in the bottom of the fourth. Now to the top of the fifth, with one out in the inning, Kaletcher walked two batters in a row. Then, he allowed an infield single to leadoff man Nick Irizarry to load the bases. McCarthy lined out to shallow center field, which kept the runners from tagging.

But with two outs and the bases loaded, South Plainfield had the guy they wanted up at the plate: recently-named GMC Red Division Player of the Year Dom Massaro. He singled, plating two, tying the game at 2-2.

South Plainfield had a chance to take the lead on the top of the seventh. Leadoff man Irizarry was hit by a pitch to start the inning. He then stole second base and later advanced to third on a wild pitch that got by Morris Knolls catcher Ryan Kuehne. The Tigers had a man on third with nobody out, and the meat of the order coming up. Kaletcher was then taken out of the game. He finished with six innings pitched, six hits, two earned runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.

That’s when Fitzsimmons came in and got his team out of the jam. Unfazed, he struck out McCarthy, got Massaro to hit a weak ground ball back to him, and got Kapsch to fly out to shallow right field to end the threat.

McCarthy came back out and pitched a one-two-three inning to send the game to extras. Morris Knolls put Fitzsimmons back out on the mound, where he continued to dominate. He allowed just one hit to Loniewski in the inning and struck out the side. Onto the bottom of the eighth.

Fitzsimmons led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to center field. McDonald followed with a sac bunt, and Gleichenhaus intentionally walked cleanup hitter Ryan Kuehne to have a chance at an inning-ending double play. With runners on first and second, Jason LoBello hit a hard grounder to third that Loniewski fielded cleanly and beat Fitzsimmons in a foot race to third to get the force out. But Troy Kuehne followed with a soft ground ball back to McCarthy, who slipped, letting the ball get by him and loaded the bases with two down.

That was all for McCarthy, and the call went in for closer Jayden Jimenez in one of the toughest spots a pitcher can be in: game on the line, two outs, bases loaded.

Jimenez would face DH Colin Iberer, who was 0-for-3 on the day. After fighting off several pitches foul, he worked the count full, before Jimenez just missed with a breaking ball for ball four, sending the winning run across.

There was hysteria everywhere. Happy, angry, disappointed fans, parents and players. Morris Knolls stormed the field and celebrated the walk-off win, where South Plainfield players could only stand and watch it unfold.

A truly gut-wrenching way to end a truly successful, championship season for the South Plainfield Tigers.

Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield Head Coach Scott Gleichenhaus, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

With state title in hand, Hillsborough still looking for more as Raiders host one last home game with heavy-hitting Cherokee on tap

When the Hillsborough baseball team – the nine-seed in Central Jersey Group 4 – hosted 12-seed Montgomery last Tuesday in a sectional semifinal game, it was a surprise. Even if they’d made a run to the finals and won their first sectional title since 2012, the figured they’d be on the road the whole way.

They played on the road in their next game, back on Thursday, and after falling behind 6-3 in the fourth, scored ten unanswered runs to beat second-seed Old Bridge 13-6, winning the title, their first in 13 years.

Now, everything else is gravy, but it sure would be nice to bring home one more trophy. To get that opportunity, Cinderella Hillsborough (14-10) will have to pull off one more upset: beating a solid Cherokee team that’s 25-3 and fresh off its second South Jersey Group 4 title in Monday’s Group 4 semifinals.

That game will be played at 4 pm Monday, and you can follow Alec Crouthamel for updates, along with postgame reaction and a recap here afterwards.

The Raiders are a Cinderella, but they’re also not. The record may be deceiving, After all, they are in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division with a bunch of really tough teams. Immaculata (17-8) won the Somerset County Tournament and the Division title. Ridge (20-7) shared it with them, went to the SCT final, and got the top seed in North 2, Group 4, where they lost in the finals to Westfield. North Hunterdon (14-11) made the North 2, Group 3 semifinals. And even Bridgewater-Raritan (7-18) finished ahead of the Raiders and Lions, who tied for last in the division at 3-7.

And then there’s Hunterdon Central. They finished 6-4 in the division, right behind Immaculata and Ridge, and were the top-seed in Central 4. Hillsborough “upset” them, but had split their regular season series. So in the end, the Raiders took two of three from Central.

Which begs the question: Are they really a Cinderella?

They may be if they knock off Cherokee, which will be favored to win Monday. Ranked No. 9 in New Jersey by NJ.com (and they never fell below 11 in the Top 20 all year ) the Chiefs are hitting .332 as a team and have hit 24 home runs on the season, and are likely to throw Rutgers commit Henry Radbill, who’s ranked the No. 8 left-handed pitcher among New Jersey seniors.

Radbill is 7-0 in ten starts this season – Cherokee only lost one game he started, 2-1 to Eastern on May 19th – with a 1.04 ERA, striking out 89, while walking just 18. He’s allowed just seven earned runs in 47 innings pitched.

But Hillsborough is playing its best baseball at the perfect time of year. Regardless of the outcome, the Raiders – who have won six straight for the first time since 2019 – also are guaranteed a winning record for the first time since that season. In four tournament games, they’ve outscored the opposition 32-9.

The winner will play in the state Group 4 title game Saturday at 10 am at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton. They’ll get the winner of the other Group 4 semifinal Monday between North 1 champion Passaic Tech (24-6) and North 2 champ Westfield (19-6).

Click below to hear Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko talk about the Raiders’ season, their Central Jersey Group 4 title, and Monday’s semifinal matchup with Cherokee:

by Mike Pavlichko

South Plainfield answered its questions, and then some; now Tigers are two wins from first state championship since 2015

Back in March, we were taking a look at some of the top high school baseball teams in the area coming into 2025, and we talked with South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus.

The Tigers were coming off a 22-6-1 campaign where they earned the top-seed in the GMC Tournament as the Red Division champion. They made it to the finals, falling 6-5 to Old Bridge in one of the highest-scoring title games in years, and went to the North 2, Group 3 finals, falling in spectacular fashion to Randolph, after looking in control late.

That left a bad taste in the mouths of the returning players, who came into the season believing they had unfinished business. But before that, Gleichenhaus also was looking at answering some big question marks, both on the left side of the infield with third-baseman Jayden Alvarez and shortstop Zach Robinson graduating, and the departures of quality senior arms like Chase Donovan and Aldo Pigna.

Well, those questions were answered fairly quickly. They started with a home-and-home sweep of Edison, and later swept two games from Woodbridge, which still wound up finishing ahead of the Tigers and got the top-seed in the GMCT.

And yet, here they are, 18-10, and in the state Group 3 semifinals Monday as the North 2, Group 3 champions, where they will travel up to Rockaway to take on three-time North 1, Group 3 champion Morris Knolls (14-11) at 2:30 pm. Follow Dylan Allen on Twitter for updates, and postgame reaction and a game recap here afterwards.

As far as the lineup, Gleichenhaus says other than a few position shuffles, his opening day nine hasn’t changed, and his top pitchers Kevin Penny and Aiden McCarthy have been rock solid.

The two teams are very similar in a lot of the numbers. The Tigers are hitting .278 as a team, Morris Knolls .266 on the year. South Plainfield has a 3.05 team ERA, with 3.03 for the Golden Eagles.

One area in which the Tigers have well outdone their opponents: on the basepaths. Morris Plains has only 10 stolen bases on the year, while South Plainfield has swiped 100 even. The Tigers are notoriously aggressive when it comes to baserunning – any aspect of the game, really – and that could be a big difference when the two meet up Monday.

The winner moves on to Saturday’s Group 3 state final scheduled for 4 pm at Veterans’ Park in Hamilton against the winner of the other Group 3 semifinal between South champion Toms River East (20-6) and Central champ Northern Burlington (26-2).

Click below to hear South Plainfield coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the Tigers’ North 2, Group 3 championship, the season, and Monday’s Group 3 semifinal matchup with Morris Knolls:

by Mike Pavlichko

Photo Gallery: 2025 Central Jersey Group 4 Championship: Hillsborough vs. Old Bridge

The Hillsborough Raiders won the program’s third NJSIAA sectional championship in baseball – and first since 2012 – with a 13-6 win over Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025.

The Raiders came back from a 6-3 deficit after four innings, scoring ten unanswered runs – one in the fifth, four in the sixth, and five in the seventh – to get the victory, putting them into the state Group 4 semifinals on Monday, June 9th, at home against South Jersey Group 4 champions Cherokee.

Here’s Central Jersey Sports Radio’s photo gallery from the game:

  • Hillsborough players warm up before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough players stand around before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Old Bridge players head out to take infield/outfield practice before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough players and the umpires stand around before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Old Bridge players talk with head coach Matt Donaghue before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Umpires stand for the national anthem before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Old Bridge stands for the national anthem before the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough bats against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • John Smith of Old Bridge throws a pitch in the first inning of the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough bats against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough bats against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Old Bridge bats against Hillsborough in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough’s James Drinkwater pitches against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Akhil Penkala of Old Bridge pitches against Hillsborough in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough bats against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough bats against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough’s Aidan Cooper pitches against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Old Bridge bats against Hillsborough in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough’s Aidan Cooper pitches against Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • HIllsborough players stream out of the dugout after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • HIllsborough players stream out of the dugout after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • HIllsborough players celebrate in front of the pitchers’ mound after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • HIllsborough players celebrate in front of the pitchers’ mound after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game against Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough celebrates its Central Jersey Group 4 championship after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko gets ready to deliver the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy to his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko gets ready to deliver the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy to his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko gets ready to deliver the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy to his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko gets ready to deliver the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy to his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko delivers the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy to his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko and his team celebrate with the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko and his team celebrate with the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough players hold the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy high after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko holds the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy in front of his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko holds the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy in front of his players after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough with its Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough with its Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough’s Andrew Advani talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game over Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough’s James Drinkwater and his parents (Peter on the left, Sandhya on the right) with the Central Jersey Group 4 trophy after beating Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough players toss the Gatorade cooler away after dousing head coach Matt Mosko during a postgame interview after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 title over Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough’s James Drinkwater talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game over Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio after winning the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game over Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough takes a team photo in front of the Fred Cole Field scoreboard after beating Old Bridge for the Central Jersey Group 4 title on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko finishes talking with Central Jersey Sports Radio after a team photo, following the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game over Old Bridge at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
  • The Hillsborough coaching staff (from l. to r., assistants Logan Blevins, Justin Nastasi, head coach Matt Mosko, assistant Daynon Blevins) pose with the Central Jersey Group 4 championship trophy after beating Old Bridge in the finals at Fred Cole Field on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
by Mike Pavlichko

The day after: Who will CJSR’s three area sectional champions play in next week’s NJSIAA semifinals as they go for a state title?

With three teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio listening area winning sectional championships on Thursday, now the attention turns to the Group Round of the state tournament.

There are four teams remaining in the state in each group, just 16 public schools remaining in the entire state, and three are from our area.

Hillsborough rallies late to shock Old Bridge, 13-6, in CJ4 title game for program’s first title since 2012, third in school history. It was a wild comeback, as the Raiders trailed 6-3 after taking a 6-3 lead through the first two innings. But they scored ten over the next three – including four in the sixth and five more in the seventh to secure the win.

Middlesex won its 15th sectional title, beating Point Pleasant Beach, 7-1, to win Central Jersey Group 1. The Blue Jays’ last four titles all have come over Point Beach, including wins in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Dominick Long tossed a complete game two-hitter, allowing one unearned run while striking out four.

And South Plainfield rebounded from last year’s loss in the North 2, Group 3 final to Randolph with a 5-4 win over Colonia. The Tigers pieced together five runs across four different innings to take a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh, and narrowly escaped, as the Patriots scored four in their final at bat, but could get no closer.

So who do they play next, and when? The state semifinals are Monday, with Central and North 1 champions hosting their South and North 2 counterparts. (The NJSIAA alternates hosts each year.)

Here’s a closer look:

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4:

Hillsborough will get South Jersey Group 4 champion Cherokee, and these guys are no joke. The Chiefs are 25-3 on the season, and were 9-1 in the Olympic Conference’s American Division. They reeled off 20 straight wins to start the season, before falling in the semifinals of the 51st Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic. They then dropped a second, 2-1 to Eastern, the same team they beat in the the SJ4 final on Thursday, 5-4. (They also won an earlier regular season meeting 11-1). They lost one more game to Delran right before the state tournament began, 4-2, but now have won four straight, of course.

They have a Rutgers commit in Henry Radbill, who is 8-0 with a 1.04 ERA, giving up just seven earned runs all year in 10 appearances and 47 innings pitched. He’s a dominant strikeout pitcher, with 89 Ks and just 18 walks allowed all season, and since he threw Tuesday in an 11-1 semifinal win over Kingsway – striking out 12 and allowing just two hits – he’s likely to get the ball in Hillsborough on Monday. The Chiefs are ranked No. 9 in the state this week by NJ.com.

Who’s on the other side? The other semifinal will feature North 1 winner Passaic Tech (24-6) hosting North 2 winner Westfield (19-6), which came back twice to beat Ridge, 9-6, Thursday in the North 2, Group 4 final. The Blue Devils were the third-seed in their section, PCTI was the two-seed in theirs.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

South Plainfield will have to travel up to North Jersey to take on Morris Knolls. The Golden Eagles are 14-11, 6-6 in the NJAC American Division, finishing third in a tightly-packed group of teams after first place Delbarton at 11-1 in the division. Late bloomers, they were just 6-11 heading into a game at Montclair on May 10th, won that game, and the next seven after that, coming into Monday’s meeting with the Tigers on an eight game winning streak.

They were the sixth-seed in the section, and upset top-seed Ramapo 5-4 Thursday to win the North 1, Group 3 trophy , erasing a 4-0 deficit after one with two in the third and three in the fourth. Dylan Fitzsimmons hit a two-run homer in the third and finished 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, driving in the third with a bases loaded walk in the fourth. If the rotation sticks, South Plainfield will see Dean Kaletcher on the mound Monday. He went Tuesday in the sectional semis, a 5-3 win over Old Tappan in which he went the distance, struck out seven, and allowed three earned runs.

Who’s on the other side? We’ve got Central champion Northern Burlington (26-2) here against South winner Toms River East (20-6). The Greyhounds were the top-seed in their section, and won the title, 2-1, over Brick Memorial, while the Raiders out of Ocean County were the 2-seed and beat six-seed and crosstown rival Toms River South, 6-1 in the final. It was East’s first title in 19 years. Notable: Lucas Melton robbed South of a grand slam in the sixth with a leap several feet over the fence in right field.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

Middlesex will face South Jersey Group 1 champion Schalick (21-1), which was the second-seed and knocked off top-seed Audubon in the sectional title game, 4-3, on Thursday. All the runs came early in this one, with the Cougars falling behind early, 1-0, then getting three in the second and one more in the third. Though Audubon scored twice in the bottom half to make it 4-3, that’s all they would muster the rest of the way, with reliever Lucas D’Agostino getting out of a major jam for starter and senior ace Luke Pokrovsky in the seventh. Schalick – which hails from Salem County – won its first title since 1992, a year in which they also beat Audubon for the title. They had been to the finals in 2019 and 2021 as well.

Middlesex is likely to see Jamari Whitley, who pitched against Woodstown in an 8-0 semifinal win Tuesday. He went six innings and gave up two hits, no runs, striking out eleven in that game. Schalick won its first ten games of the season before falling 10-4 to Haddonfield in the first round of the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, and also lost later in the season to Pennsville. They’ve won five straight since, including their four NJSIAA Tournament games.

Who’s on the other side? North 1 champion Midland Park (20-8-1) will host North 2 champion Brearley (15-9). The Panthers were the second seed in North 1, Group 1 and beat fourth-seed Wallkill Valley for the title, 1-0. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Bears in North 2, Group 1, beat second-seed Verona in the sectional championship via an 8-0 shutout.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 Final: (9) Hillsborough 13, (2) Old Bridge 6

The ninth-seeded Hillsborough Raiders overcame a 6-3 deficit, scoring ten runs over the final three innings to beat second-seed Old Bridge, 13-6, in the Central Jersey Group 4 Championship Game. The win was Hillsborough’s third sectional title, and first since 2012.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge on June 5, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Hillsborough rallies late to shock Old Bridge, 13-6, in CJ4 title game for program’s first title since 2012, third in school history

by Mike Pavlichko

Top-seed Ridge drops back-and-forth affair to Westfield, 9-6, in North 2, Group 4 final

by Nick Hart

Westfield may have only scored runs in two innings, but it was runs in bunches for the Blue Devils, who used a five-run second inning and a four-run fifth to take down top-seeded Ridge, 9-6, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final Thursday in Basking Ridge.  

After a quick top half of the first inning, it seemed as though Ridge would do as it did all season long throughout this one, rely on the pitching to shut down the opposition. 

The momentum from the top half of the first quickly shifted to offensive momentum for the Red Devils, who got their first two runners of the frame on via a pair of walks. After a flyout and yet another walk, Ridge loaded the bases looking to break the game open early. 

Casey Kucerka was next to bat and roped a line drive right at the second baseman, who threw the ball to first, looking for the inning-ending double play, but threw it up the line, allowing Kieran Callanan to score the game’s first run.

Despite conceding a run in the previous inning, the Blue Devils answered back in a big way in the top of the second.  Westfield sent nine batters to the plate, with six reaching base safely on a mix of walks, hit-by-pitches and some timely hitting. 

Four different players recorded an RBI in the inning for the Blue Devils, punctuated by a two-out 2-RBI single off the bat of Jake Alfano, to take a 5-2 lead. 

But once again, walks hurt Westfield, as Matt Bober worked a full count base on balls with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to bring the top of the order for the Red Devils. 

Callanan got himself ahead in the count and ripped an RBI double into the outfield to cut into the lead, but was later thrown out at third trying to advance on a wild pitch to end the inning. 

Kucerka came on in relief of Lucas Liston in the top of the third and retired the side in order to send his team back up to the plate. 

It was again the free passes that Ridge took advantage of in the bottom of the third as Jake Dolan worked a walk and later stole second. With a runner on second to start the inning, the Red Devils did not even need to record a hit to bring the runner home, scoring him on back-to-back groundouts. 

After another clean inning from Kucerka, including two punchouts, Ridge found themselves in striking distance, down 5-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. 

The Red Devils were able to get traffic on the basepaths yet again with a pair of singles. After a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, Ridge needed some two-out magic to take the lead. 

With the top of the order back up, Callanan poked an RBI double to cut the deficit to 1 run. That brought up Dolan, who mashed a 2-RBI triple into the outfield to cap off a 4-run inning to take the lead heading into the back half of the game. 

Kucerka worked himself into some trouble in the top of the fifth inning, loading the bases with a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks that ultimately ended his outing. 

Dolan was the next pitcher out of the bullpen, with a tall task ahead of him: work out of a bases-loaded jam with the heart of the Blue Devils’ lineup coming up. 

Pete Cabrales was the first to greet Dolan and hit an infield single to push across a run and tie the game at 6-6. 

Dolan struck out the next batter he faced as he looked to limit the damage but Westfield had other ideas. The next three batters each reached base, with RBI singles from Aaron Ives and Andrew Digregorio and an RBI walk by Anthony Bulger to cap off a 4-run inning, which gave the Blue Devils a 9-6 lead. 

Despite stepping on the mound in the fourth inning and giving up 3 runs, James Statler settled in for Westfield and completely shut down Ridge’s offense in the final stretch of the game. 

From the fifth inning on, Statler surrendered just two base runners, one a walk and one a single, while striking out four batters on his way to the victory. 

On the other hand, the pitching that was so reliable for the Red Devils all year had a tough go of things. As a group, the pitching staff gave up 9 runs on six hits, four walks and four hit-by-pitches in the sectional final game.     

The loss leaves Ridge 20-7, with one more game scheduled to end the season Friday against New Providence.

Click below for postgame reaction from Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart: