Tag: state tournament

by Mike Pavlichko

State Playoff Preview: Top-seeds Old Bridge, Middlesex among 19 area teams opening state tourney play in Central Jersey sections

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.

Today, we continue a look at each and every matchup involving Central Jersey Sports Radio teams with the 19 qualifiers in three Central Jersey sections, Groups 1, 2 and 4. You can catch our Non-Public preview, which dropped Sunday, here. Previews for North Jersey, Section 2, Groups 2, 3 and 4 will drop on Tuesday.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4:

(16) East Brunswick (7-15) at (1) Old Bridge (18-8), 5 pm Wednesday: Throw out the records; no game is an easy one when it’s a pair of GMC Red Division teams going at it, as they are in this one. While the Bears were just 5-9 in the division this year, these two teams split a pair, with Old Bridge winning the opener of their two-game set, 11-10 on April 14th, but the Bears coming back for a 10-4 win on April 27th. But since then, Old Bridge – which was just 6-7 after that loss, has reeled off 12 wins in its last 13 games, and ten straight since a 9-0 loss to Immaculata on May 2. And East Brunswick has been going the opposite direction during that span. Prior to an 8-5 win at Hamilton West Friday, the Bears had lost eight in a row. The Knights have made deep runs here the last few years, falling to Hillsborough in the title game last year, to Monroe in the semis in 2024, and winning the title in 2023, going all the way to the state Group 4 final, eventually falling to Ridgewood. It’ll be interesting to watch who gets the start here, and – if they win – in Friday’s quarterfinals, with the GMC title game against Monroe looming Saturday afternoon.

(9) South Brunswick (12-11) at (8) Freehold Twp (13-12), 4 pm Wednesday: The Vikings are having a solid bounceback year under first-year but veteran head coach Lou Urbano, and will play the Patriots in the first round for the second time in three years; they beat Freehold Twp. 1-0 in 2024. Senior Collin Perna has been solid all year, 7-3 with a 1.69 ERA and 65 strikeouts on the season, while he also leads the team on offense, hitting .485 with 14 RBIs and a home run. Junior Jack Whitlock also is tearing rhe cover off the ball, hitting .451. The Patriots are a lighter-hitting team, batting just .238 as a group, but they’ve only scored 15 fewer runs (130 to 115) than the Vikings. There are no common opponents between the two this season.

(12) Montgomery (9-17) at (5) Monroe (13-13), 4 pm Wednesday: This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2017, and with only two since 2011, the teams split them. So there’s not much recent history to look at here. The Falcons started hot (4-0), then had a few rough patches during the season, but with three wins in the GMC Championship Tournament, they’ve won five of their last six – and still have the final this Friday. Much like Old Bridge, it’ll be interesting to see who Monroe throws here, and who they save for Saturday, if anyone. Top starter Ben Faigin – a Rutgers commit – also is the leading Falcon hitter, at .507 with 17 RBIs and two of the team’s three home runs. The Cougars come in on a six-game skid, with their last win coming via an 11-4 score over Gill St. Bernard’s in the SCT’s second round on May 11. As the lower seed and underdog, they are more likely to go with their best pitcher in this one, most likely senior Jake Hayes, who’s 4-3 with a 3.08 ERA.

(13) Sayreville (11-14) at (4) Hightstown (16-7), 4 pm Wednesday: These two have only played once int he last 15 years: two seasons ago, when the Bombers beat Hightstown, 4-3, in the opening round of the playoffs. Sayreville has lost two straight coming in, dropping an 8-4 decision at Woodbridge back on Wednesday, and taking a 9-8 loss at Old Bridge Friday on the Knights’ senior night, while the Rams have dropped two of their last three. Sayreville will have to deal with a potent lineup hitting .337 on the year, almost 100 points higher than the Bombers, who are led by junior Will Lukie hitting .333, the only player with more than ten at bats hitting over the .300 mark. Meanwhile, Hightstown junior Brian Drews is hitting .421 with 20 RBI, while senior Dylan Stables is hitting .405 with a team-best 28 runs batted in. The question is, will the Rams throw their best arm – senior Anthony Benitez at 6-2, with a 0.68 ERA – or hold him for the quarterfinals to line him up for a possible finals appearance?

(10) Hillsborough (11-10) at (7) Jackson (10-15), POSTPONED to 2 pm Thursday: The Jaguars are the higher seed here, but are five games under .500. In fact, they were just 6-15 two weeks ago, winning three straight before the cutoff to make a run in the standings in Central 4, and have won four straight overall. The Raiders, meanwhile, have won five of their last six, and two straight following a quarterfinal exit in the Somerset County Tournament at the hands of Ridge. This being the first year of the merged Jackson Twp. High School, the two have never met as currently constituted, but Hillsborough lost to Jackson Memorial in the CJ4 quarters in 2015. The Raiders are led offensively by Elijah Dawes (.393, 17 RBI) and Gavin Glazewski (.315, 12 RBI). Matt Mosko has a few options to start this one as Hillsborough looks to defend its sectional title from a year ago. The last team to repeat was Hunterdon Central, winning three straight from 2016 through 2018. Jackson has three players hitting close to .400 on the year, but they’ve allowed more runs than ‘Boro, which plays in a tremendously difficult division – the Skyland Delaware – where runs are a plenty, so much so that last-place Bridgewater-Raritan has scored more runs than anyone else in the group.

(15) Franklin (7-11) at (2) Edison (19-7), 4 pm Wednesday: The only meeting between these two in the last 15 years came last season, a 4-2 Edison win in the CJ4 quarterfinals, with Dom Innocenti getting the win in relief of Connor Muprhy. And while Murphy has been outstanding all year long, Innocenti has not pitched since April 23rd, and Roma – who had not thrown more than 44 pitches or three innings in a game since the season opener on March 31 – got shelled for three hits (a single and two doubles), allowing two earned runs in facing just four batters in what turned out to be a 9-1 loss in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals to Monroe, which will play for the championship this weekend. Can Roma – who has been banged up – go again? Or will the Eagles have to rely on Murphy in Game One and piece it together with the rest of the staff in the quarterfinals – or vice versa, considering Edison should be a heavy favorite? Though hitting a respectable .288, our of Edison’s seven losses, three have been shutouts, and they only scored one run in a fourth. So, regardless who pitches the opener, the bats will need to take care of their end of the bargain, too. The Warriors, meanwhile, have lost four of their last five, the only win in that stretch an 11-6 victory last Saturday over Pingry. They have a team ERA a shade over five, but also are a better-hitting team than Edison, at .325, led by freshman Mason Bonds (.426, 17 RBI, 1 HR) and junior Dyland Roche (.423, 8 RBI, 1 HR).

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2:

(9) Spotswood (14-12) at (8) Allentown (18-8), 4 pm Wednesday: It’s been an up-and-down season for the Chargers, who started the season 0-4, then had a four-game win streak in mid-April. But they head into the state tournament as winners of five of their last six games, the only defeat coming in the first round of the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament, a 3-0 loss to Metuchen. Here, they get Allentown, which has won 12 of its last 14 since a three-game losing streak in the middle of April. The Chargers are led offensively by senior Gavin romeo, hitting .324 with 14 runs batted in, but overall, Spotswood his hitting just .233, while the Redbirds are hitting .312 and have a solid pitching staff with a 2.52 earned run average, and four on the staff who’ve thrown at least 20 innings with an ERA under three. This is quite the challenge for Spotswood in an 8/9 game.

(11) Robbinsville (17-7) at (6) South River (17-9), 4 pm Wednesday: These two haven’t met in at least the last 15 years, so there’s no recent history between the clubs. The Rams stumbled a little after a first round loss to Middlesex, 12-2, in the GMC Tournament, dropping their next three straight to South Brunswick, Spotswood and Sayreville, before beating Monmouth last Thursday in a tune-up, 8-4. But overall, they’ve been good, and it’s a new season. Mike Lepore, Jr., has two solid starters he can go with here – and in the quarters, if they get there – in Julien Borusovic (5-4, 2.21 ERA) and Hunter Krainski (5-2, 2.55 ERA). And the two are among the team’s best hitters, too, with Burusevic hitting .397 with 24 RBIs and Krainski .403 with 26 RBIs and 2 HR. The Ravens are hitting about .50 points better as a team, .333, led by senior Tyler Bunnell (.456, 21 RBI), who is committed to Pitt, and also the all-time leading scorer in boys’ basketball history at Robbinsville.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

(16) Highland Park (5-16) at (1) Middlesex (20-4), 4 pm Wednesday: While we don’t pick games, this one should go to the Blue Jays, who have been tremendous all year, and are the defending Group 1 state champions, with a ton of players back, most importantly their two ace starters, Dominic Long and Chris Kozak. Whoever second-year head coach Blaze Iannetti goes with, just take your pick: They are a combined 12-2, with Long pitching to a 1.87 ERA and Kozak to a 1.13 ERA. Inf act, of the six pitchers who have seen action this year, none has an ERA over 2.94 (sophomore Devin Jackson, in 16 2/3 innings pitched over six appearances). They’re hitting .303 as a team, and do all the small things right. The Owls, meanwhile, have lost eleven of their last dozen games, and six straight overall, which include three shutouts, and a pair of 5-1 losses.

(12) Manville (0-13) at (5) Shore (17-8), 4 pm Wednesday: The Blue Devils are always one of those really tough, battle-tested Shore Conference teams, but they have bookended their season so far with losses. They started 0-4 and have lost three straight heading into the states, which makes them 17-1 in the stretch in between. Shore has won the last three in the series, but those were in 2018, 2021 and 2022 and have little bearing here. The Mustangs also have lost three straight coming in, to Morris Tech, at Lenape Valley and at JP Stevens. Seniors Brandon Shimp and Josh D’Ambrosio each pace the offense, hitting .338, but the lineup is a bit top-heavy, batting .260 overall, though Shore isn’t much higher, at .288 on the season. Manville, however, has scored more runs, and in fewer games. Shore has a slight edge in the pitching department overall, though Manville has two – Shimp and fellow senior Evan Canica – who’ve thrown well over 40 innings, and have ERAs of 1.04 and 1.84, respectively. If the bats can take care of business, the Mustangs might be primed to pull an upset.

(13) Somerset Tech (11-9) at (4) Metuchen (18-7), 4 pm Wednesday: This may very well be their first meeting ever, but at least since 2011; Tech only joined the GMC in the last few years. The Bulldogs are the second-place team in the White Division, but come in off a loss to Gold Division champion Piscataway Magnet, which is having a program season for the ages at 23-3. And Metuchen hung in with South Plainfield in a 7-6 loss in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals; the Bulldogs have wins in 14 of their last 17 games after starting the year 4-4. With three solid pitchers in Matt Jelleme and Lucas Malamung (seniors) and sophomore James Fenton, Metuchen has the arms for a run, and his hitting .313 as a team as well, led by Jelleme at .429, with 14 RBIs and one home run, while Fenton has hit four, and is batting .383 with 23 RBI. Tech is hitting .300 as a team, and would likely throw their best, junior Nate White (2-1, 1.89 ERA).

(14) South Amboy (9-10) at (3) Point Pleasant Beach (14-6), 4 pm Wednesday: The Garnet Gulls – a finalist last year after wining three straight from 2022 to 2024 – have won the last two meetings with the Governors, the most recent coming last year, a 12-2 decision in the CJ1 quarterfinals. After starting 2-0, and winning five straight in mid-April, Amboy has only gone 2-8 in its last ten games, including two straight overall, an 11-5 loss at eventual GMC Invitational champ Piscataway in the quarterfinals, and 10-0 at Colonia in a regular season game two Fridays ago; the Guvs haven’t played since that May 15th contest. With a team ERA of nearly six, can the bats compensate? They have some big hitters, including Robert Senape (.459, 21 RBI), Micah Nemeth (.455, 23 RBI) – both juniors – and senior Joseph Foreman (.424, 19 RBI). The Gulls have only used five pitchers all year, but they have two starters – Tommy Conroy and Thomas Slobiski – with ERAs under two.

(11) Florence (5-14) at (6) Dunellen (18-7), 4 pm Wednesday: The Destroyers are coming off a 3-0 loss to Piscataway in last Friday’s Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final, but had won five of six heading into that matchup, including a four-hour marathon in the semis, 22-17 over Perth Amboy. And in those five games, they scored 64 runs. But their last two losses have been via shutout. But here’s a stat for you: they’re averaging six walks a game while also hitting .341 on the season, led by Juan Luis Rodriguez, hitting .429 with 18 RBI and a triple, while senior Michael Dow is batting .400 with 20 runs batted in and a triple. The Flashes, meanwhile, have won three of their last four, and were just 2-13 ten days before the cutoff. Dunellen has the tools to get this one done.

(15) Henry Hudson (8-10) at (2) Piscataway Magnet (23-3), 4 pm Wednesday: These two teams have played three times since COVID, with the Admirals taking a 2022 decision, but the Raiders winning in 2023 and a matchup earlier this season, 9-1, on April 11th. Magnet started the year 18-0 before a 6-4 loss to North Plainfield, and just won the NJTAC Tournament for tech schools in Groups 1 and 2 on Friday, beating Morris Tech 23-3. The Raiders are hitting .343 as a team, led by Colton Lyerly (.429, 23 RBI, 2 triples) and Kyle Malchiodi (.417m 32 RBI, 2 HR). Those two are also their two top starters, and whoever gets the nod here is probably irrelevant; the Raiders should win this one.

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA releases baseball brackets for state tournament; as expected, Old Bridge, Ridge, Middlesex, Immaculata gain top seeds

The NJSIAA has announced the brackets for the 2026 state high school baseball playoffs, with four Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams gaining top-seeds.

GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge will be the top seed in Central Jersey Group 4, while Ridge was slotted in at No. 1 in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. GMC White Division champion Middlesex will be the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 1, and Somerset County Tournament finalist Immaculata got the top-seed in Non-Public South A.

Overall, 35 teams from the area qualified, and of those, 19 will be playing their first game – whether in the first round of sectionals or the quarterfinals – at home, with 16 starting out on the road.

The first round for non-public public schools will be next Tuesday, May 26, the day after Memorial Day. Wednesday, May 27, will be the opening round for public schools.

Brackets become official – pending any appeals or discrepancies – at noon on Wednesday, May 20th.

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (16) East Brunswick at (1) Old Bridge
  • (9) South Brunswick at (8) Freehold Twp.
  • (12) Montgomery at (5) Monroe
  • (13) Sayreville at (4) Hightstown
  • (14) Princeton at (3) Hunterdon Central
  • (11) Marlboro at (6) Manalapan
  • (10) Hillsborough at (7) Jackson Twp.
  • (15) Franklin at (2) Edison

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (16) Holmdel at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven
  • (9) Spotswood at (8) Allentown
  • (12) Raritan at (5) Delran
  • (13) Ocean Twp. at (4) Wall
  • (14) Bordentown at (3) Johnson
  • (11) Robbinsville at (6) South River
  • (10) Manasquan at (7) Point Pleasant Boro
  • (15) Cinnaminson at (2) Governor Livingston

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (16) Highland Park at (1) Middlesex
  • (9) New Egypt at (8) South Hunterdon
  • (12) Manville at (5) Shore
  • (13) Somerset Tech at (4) Metuchen
  • (14) South Amboy at (3) Point Pleasant Beach
  • (11) Florence at (6) Dunellen
  • (10) Delaware Valley at (7) Keyport
  • (15) Henry Hudson at (2) Piscataway Magnet

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (16) Barringer at (1) Ridge
  • (9) Columbia at (8) Phillipsburg
  • (12) Plainfield at (5) Bridgewater-Raritan
  • (13) Ferris at (4) JP Stevens
  • (14) Elizabeth at (3) Watchung Hills
  • (11) Union at (6) Westfield
  • (10) Woodbridge at (7) Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • (15) Piscataway at (2) Bayonne

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (16) Orange at (1) Chatham
  • (9) Middletown North at (8) Colonia
  • (12) Matawan at (5) North Plainfield
  • (13) JFK at (4) South Plainfield
  • (140 Rahway at (3) Cranford
  • (11) Summit at (6) Carteret
  • (10) Somerville at (7) Millburn
  • (15) Payne Tech at (2) North Hunterdon

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

  • (16) Hillside at (1) Caldwell
  • (9) Parsippany Hills at (8) Hackettstown
  • (12) Passaic Valley at (5) Rutherford
  • (13) Shabazz at (4) Madison
  • (14) Voorhees at (3) West Morris
  • (11) Bernards at (6) Lyndhurst
  • (10) Becton at (7) Mendham
  • (15) Parsippany at (2) West Essex

Non-Public North A

  • As expected, Timothy Christian has opted out.

Non-Public North B

  • (9) Hawthorne Christian at (8) Montclair-Kimberley, winner at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford
  • Bye to Quarterfinals: (5) Morristown-Beard at (4) Newark Academy
  • (10) Pope John at (7) Gill St. Bernard’s, winner at (2) Rutgers Prep
  • Bye to Quarterfinals: (6) Morris Catholic at (3) St. Thomas Aquinas

Non-Public South A

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Baseball Playoff Projections: Old Bridge, Ridge, Middlesex, Immaculata expected to get top seeds when NJSIAA reveals brackets Tuesday

According to the latest official power points standings, following Saturday’s cutoff, four Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams appear to have locked down No. 1 seeds in the upcoming state tournament, including Old Bridge and Middlesex from the GMC, and Ridge and Immaculata from Somerset County.

Overall, 32 public schools and seven non-publics from the CJSR coverage ares expected to qualify. The GMC will send 36 teams; Somerset County (not counting GMC schools from the county) should send 13.

And, it appears half the GMC teams to qualify – 16 – will get first round home games, as well four of the seven SCIAA schools to qualify.

Here’s a section-by-section look at who is expected to make the NJSIAA state playoffs, based on standings posted on NJ.com as of 8 am on May 17, 2026, along with first-round matchup projections. The NJSIAA will hold its seeding meeting on Tuesday and release the brackets that day, with all matchups becoming official as of noon on Wednesday, May 20.

Central Jersey Group 4: There was a good amount of movement right down to the wire among the middle-of-the-pack teams, which had seen just a two power points separating a pack of eight teams.

  • Old Bridge (17-8) should be the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 4, after being a finalist last year and winning it 2023, when they went all the way to the state Group 4 final down in Hamilton. The Knights likely held on to the top spot with their win over Middlesex Saturday in the GMC Tournament semifinals. Looks like they’ll host fellow Red Division opponent, 16-seed East Brunswick, which gets in at 6-15, just edging out Trenton (8-12).
  • Edison (17-6) ends up in the number two spot, after being at No. 1 for several weeks. They dropped down to third heading into the final week, then jumped back up after a win over Piscataway Magnet Monday in the GMC Tournament first round, but took a hit when they lost to Monroe Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Likely opponent: 15-seed Franklin (7-10) at home.
  • Monroe (12-12), despite a win over South Plainfield Saturday in the GMC Tournament semifinals, could not get into the top four, but they did pull up two spots from a week ago, moving from seven to five. The Falcons will get 12-seed Montgomery (9-15) at home in the first round.
  • South Brunswick (11-10) rose in the past week from 12th to take the No. 9 seed, and would visit eight-seed Freehold Twp. (12-10) in the opening round.
  • Defending sectional champion Hillsborough (9-10) dropped from the top eight in the past week, and will start the playoffs as a ten-seed, on the road at seven-seed Jackson Twp. (9-15).
  • Sayreville (9-12) dropped from nine to the 13th-seed in the past week after going 0-2, leaving the Bombers on the road to play fourth-seed Hightstown (15-6).

Central Jersey Group 2: Rumson-Fair-Haven edges out defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston for the top-seed.

  • South River (16-8) drops to the six-seed, one spot lower than our last update last Sunday. The Rams should host 11-seed Robbinsville (16-7) in the opening round.
  • Spotswood (13-12) used a 2-1 week to move up one spot from ten to the nine-seed, and will be down the Shore in the opening round to play eight-seed Allentown (17-8).

Central Jersey Group 1:

  • As expected, Middlesex (20-3) – the defending sectional and state Group 1 champ – holds on to the top spot in the section, and will get to host as long as their run lasts, with their loss Saturday to Old Bridge in the GMC Tournament semis not really affecting their standing much. The Blue Jays should get 16-seed Highland Park (5-12) in the first round.
  • Despite getting knocked out of the GMC Tournament in the First Round by Edison on Monday, Piscataway Magnet (21-3) hangs on at No. 2. What has been a program record season will continue with an opening round home game against 15-seed Henry Hudson (6-9), a team they beat 9-1 in early April.
  • Metuchen (14-15) holds on to the four-seed here, and the Bulldogs will host 13-seed Somerset Tech (10-9) in the opening round.
  • No change for Dunellen (13-5), which hangs on for a top eight finish, as expected, and gets the six-seed, which will leave them hosting 11-seed Florence (5-13) in the first round.
  • Manville (9-10) gains one spot in the final week to finish 12th, leaving them on the road to play fifth-seed Shore Regional (17-7).
  • South Amboy (9-10) holds at No. 14, and would be on the road for their opener, playing at third-seed Point Pleasant Beach (13-6), a sectional finalist from a year ago.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4:

  • The top seed should go to Ridge (14-8) here, even though the Red Devils went 1-2 last week, picking up their win in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals over Hillsborough. That would give Ridge home field through the finals, and a first-round home game against 16-seed Barringer (5-12).
  • Watchung Hills (13-7) – which will square off with in the SCT semis Monday with Ridge for a third time this season after dropping two regular season meetings – looks like the third seed, giving them home field for at least the first two rounds. The Hustlin’ Warriors would open with 14-seed Elizabeth (6-16).
  • J.P. Stevens (15-7) pulled into the top four late, and stay there at No. 4 after a 2-0 week, also giving them a potential two home games. The Hawks would get 13-seed Ferris (7-17) in the first round.
  • The five-seed goes to Bridgewater-Raritan (10-14), which surged from nine on a 4-0 week this past week, including an upset of No. 4 seed Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. The 2024 SCT, North 2, Group 4 and state Group 4 champs will host at least a first round home game, and will get 12-seed Plainfield (14-4) to start.
  • Woodbridge (13-9) holds steady and takes the ten-seed, giving them a first round road game at seven-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood (12-11).
  • Piscataway (9-10) slipped a spot despite winning its only game last week, but stays on the right side of the bubble, getting the 15-seed. The Chiefs will visit second-seed Bayonne (16-5) for their opening round game.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: Chatham (16-6) overtook North Hunterdon (19-6) in the final week to the top seed here.

  • South Plainfield (13-11) gets into the top four, as we figured they could, thanks to a run to the GMC Tournament semifinals. The defending sectional champs here can host at least a couple of home games as the fourth-seed, and will get to play nearby JFK (7-15), which got the 13th seed, dropping one place in the final week before Saturday’s cutoff.
  • The Tigers’ rise knocked North Plainfield (17-8) out of the top four, but only to No. 5, where they’ll still get to host a first-round playoff game. The Canucks will get 12-seed Matawan (8-11) at Krausche Field in the opener.
  • Carteret (16-5) rose a spot in the past week to finish sixth, and that gives the Ramblers a first-round home game against 11-seed Summit (7-14-1).
  • Colonia (12-7) – despite getting knocked out of the GMC Tournament in the first round for a second straight year – hang in there at No. 8, having rebounded nicely with two wins after that defeat. The Patriots should host nine-seed Middletown North (11-10) in their opener.
  • Somerville (9-14) looks to get the ten-seed, dropping a spot after going 1-3 in the final week. The Pioneers would be on the road at No. 7 Millburn (10-14).

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Caldwell (19-3) hung on for the top spot over West Essex (17-6).

  • The only CJSR-area team in this section, Bernards (13-8) dropped one spot in the last week to settle for an 11th-place finish, which would leave the Mountaineers on the road to play six-seed Lyndhurst (13-12) in the opening round.

Non-Public North A: The state’s No. 1 team – Delbarton (14-4) – will get the top-seed here, despite being upset in the Morris County Tournament title game by Mount Olive.

  • We’d be surprised if Timothy Christian (in a co-op with Roselle Catholic) didn’t opt out here, facing the prospect of playing fourth-seed powerhouse Seton Hall Prep, just the No. 2 ranked team in the entire state.

Non-Public North B:

  • We knew it would be close, and it got even closer, but Rutgers Prep (13-5) should finish second here to St. Mary-Rutherford (13-9-1) by a slim .157-point margin. This might be one of those photo finishes and a reason the NJSIAA makes its brackets official a day after releasing them. This should be a ten-team field, at best, which would give the Argonauts – and the top six a bye. Rutgers Prep would get to host the winner of the 7-10 game, likely Gill St. Bernard’s (8-10) hosting Pope John (3-15), the final team in the field.
  • St. Thomas Aquinas (11-14) rose one spot in the past week after going 3-2 in that span. The Trojans would get a bye, too, then host the 6-seed Morris Catholic (13-10) in the opening round.

Non-Public South A:

  • Top-seed here should go to Immaculata (18-4), which overtook St. Augustine (18-6) in the past week, after dropping behind them the week before. In what we think might be an eleven-team field (would 12th-place Camden Catholic at 1-17 opt out?) the Spartans – either way – would have a first-round bye and play the winner of the 8-9 game, featuring Paul VI (6-13) hosting Donovan Catholic (6-14).
  • Pingry (9-12) drops a spot after a 1-3 week to finish tenth, and regardless how many teams are in the field, would open at seven-seed Notre Dame (11-9).
  • Likewise, regardless of the size of the field, St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-15) would finish 11th, and get the sixth-seed, St. John Vianney (12-9), on the road in the opening round.

by Mike Pavlichko

Baseball Power Points Analysis: With a week to go before cutoff, Old Bridge takes top spot from Edison; Middlesex, Ridge remain atop their sections; Immaculata, Rutgers Prep slip to two, but it’s close

Well, we’re down to the last six days before the NJSIAA cutoff in high school baseball.

That’s right, the 2026 season has flown by. The county tournaments are underway, and there is just one more week for teams to get in games to qualify for the state tournament.

Games played through this Saturday will count for playoff qualification, with the NJSIAA announcing the pairings on Tuesday, May 19, with brackets becoming official by noon the next day (in case of any discrepancies).

With that said, we’ll take one more detailed, section-by-section look at how the teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area are faring as we race to Saturday’s cutoff date.

Since only two games were played on Sunday, Mother’s Day – both in the Morris County Tournament semifinals, games postponed from Saturday due to rain – all games have been reported, and our analysis is based on power point standings as posted on NJ.com as of 8 pm on Sunday, May 10, 2026.

Click on the header for each section to see the official NJSIAA standings.

Central Jersey Group 4: For the first time in at least the last few weeks, there’s a new team atop the section. Old Bridge (13-8, 26.239 power points) surged in the past week, going 4-0 since our last update, and now the Knights top the section, but not by very much. They jumped Hunterdon Central, Hightstown, and the Eagles, but only lead the second-place Red Devils (11-99, 26.105) by .134 points. And even Edison (14-5, 25.959) is just .28 points behind Old Bridge. One thing that could help is the Eagles get 20-win Piscataway Magnet in the GMCT first round Monday, a win that will be worth 48 points – if they get it – and a net of 40, since it would drop their current lowest game, a loss to Columbia worth only eight. This one, we think, still is going to come right down to the wire, and is simply too close to call right now. The next CJSR-area team down the line is Monroe (8-12, 19.902), which has lost three straight since last week’s update, and fell two places to seventh. They have a slim margin – less than one full point – over both defending sectional champ and 8th-place Hillsborough (8-9, 19.657) as well as 9th-place Sayreville (9-10, 19.291). Like the race at the top, this one could go any which way, and could also come down to the wire. Of note: all those area teams remain alive in their county tournaments, so those could be some big wins, too. It’s also possible Marlboro (9-9, 18.811), Montgomery (8-11, 18.606, 11th) and maybe even South Brunswick (9-7, 18.499) could make a run at a top eight seed. The Vikings are just 1.158 points away. Just look at the Bombers, who pulled up from 15th place last week to ninth this week. Yes, it can be done, but it also can happen the other way. Franklin (5-7, 16.489) dropped from 8th (at 4-5 last week) to 14th this week, and that was with a 1-2 week. That’s not usually so disastrous, but this section is so tightly packed with seven eight teams jammed in a range of 20.086 to 18.223 power points. This could look entirely different by next Saturday. East Brunswick (6-12, 16.616) dropped from 12 to 15 this week, but they’re also more than two points ahead of the 17th-place team, Trenton (7-10, 14.3). They’re a bubble team for sure, but for now, they’re probably more than a 50-50 chance of making the field. North Brunswick (6-14, 13.797) is a bit of a longshot, then again, if they can go on a run in the GMC Invitational and win regular season games against Union and South Brunswick, they could make a big jump.

Central Jersey Group 2: Rumson-Fair Haven (17-3, 32.047) has taken over the top spot here from defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston (18-3, 30.247) despite neither team losing a single game in the past week; the Bulldogs went 3-0, the Highlanders 4-0. It’s just that Rumson’s wins were worth more. The highest area team here is South River (1605, 26.332), but the Rams – despite going 3-0 in the past week and increasing their power point average – fell one spot from fourth to fifth. They’re a shade over a full point behind A.L. Johnson (15-4, 27.38) for a top four finish. Arch-rival Spotswood (11-11, 22.075) had a 2-2 week and pulled up one spot to tenth, so they should squarely be in the playoffs. But a top eight finish isn’t out of the realm of possibilities, especially if they can make a run in the GMC Tournament, which would mean knocking off a good 12-win Metuchen team in the GMC Tournament first round on Monday. Ahead of them are Manasquan (10-7, 22.573, 9th) and Robbinsville (15-5, 23.328, 8th).

Central Jersey Group 1: The lead has gotten even larger for defending state Group 1 champion Middlesex (18-2, 30.832), which went 3-0 since our last update, with wins over GMC Red clubs St. Joseph-Metuchen and East Brunswick, and another over Rutgers Prep in a Somerset County crossover. Their closest competition is from Piscataway Magnet (20-1, 27.611), which is having a season for the ages, but will have top-seed Edison – and likely one of their aces, Connor Murphy – Monday afternoon in the GMC Tournament’s first round. A huge upset there could put them over the top (we’ll keep an eye out if it happens). The Raiders would have to make a big run and knock off some big teams this week, since they already have 20 wins, and four wins have already dropped off their total (only the highest 16 power point values count). However, to finish in the top two – which guarantees home field through at least the sectional semis – they may have to hold off teams behind them, including Point Pleasant Beach (12-4, 26.482) in third and Metuchen (14-5, 25.314), which has Spotswood Monday in the GMCT first round. The Bulldogs remain in fourth, and though they don’t have a huge lead over fifth-place Shore (14-5, 24.994) – just .32 points behind – it’s a long way back to sixth-place Dunellen (13-5, 19.226), so they likely only have to worry about the Blue Devils. The next area team here is Somerset Tech (9-7, 13.208), which fell one spot to 11th this week. They’ll be on the road in the first round, as will Manville (7-9, 12.37), which looks solidly in at 13th. South Amboy (8-8, 10.951) in 14th, however, is a bit more on the bubble; they’re around 1.9 points ahead of 17th place Bound Brook (2-11), but at this point, any win for the Crusaders would be huge, having only two wins; they have Dunellen and Henry Hudson this week. Highland Park (5-12, 9.607) currently occupies the 16th seed, just .594 points ahead of the Crusaders.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: It’s still Ridge (13-6, 28.191) at the top, with a larger lead over second-place Bayonne (16-5, 26.718) than they had last week over Watchung Hills (11-5, 24.292), which is now down one spot to third. We think the Red Devils have a good shot at holding on to No. 1, but all of a sudden here’s JP Stevens (13-7) in fourth, climbing three spots from seventh after a 2-1 week. That’s how tightly a lot of the teams are packed. And there are three more teams at five, six and seven and very close to the Hawks, including Westfield (11-9, 23.467), Scotch Plains-Fanwood (11-8, 23.089) and Columbia (10-9, 23.056). So, JP is hardly assured of anything at the moment, with 1.236 points separating third from seventh place. The next area team is Bridgewater-Raritan (6-14, 19.963) in ninth, but they are not far behind Phillipsburg (10-6, 20.696) in tenth. The Panthers should have a shot at a top eight finish – and at least a first round home game. Woodbridge (11-7, 19.364) may also have a shot as well from their position in tenth. Piscataway (8-10, 14.159) is a bubble team but on the right side of it, and we think likely to make it in as well.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: North Hunterdon (16-6, 29.912) and Chatham (14-5, 19.658) are neck-and-neck for the second seed, and then we have two nearly-neighboring towns back to back at four and five: North Plainfield (16-7, 23.147, 4th) and South Plainfield (11-10, 21.816, 5th). Either has a shot at a top four seed, which guarantees home field through at least the sectional quarterfinals, with Middletown North (10-8, 21.575, 6th) also in range. It might be a longer shot for the next two teams though. That’s Carteret (14-4, 20.197) in seventh – down three spots since last week – and Colonia (10-6, 19.843) in eighth, which did the opposite, and rose three spots, even though they went 1-1 since out last update. They may have to fend off some teams behind them to hand on to a top eight finish, though. There’s Somerville (9-11, 19.508) in ninth – up one spot from a week ago – followed by Millburn (7-12, 18.789) and Summit (7-11-1, 12.282), but likely not anyone else. JFK (6-14, 14.895) likely finishes in the bottom eight, sitting in 12th, down one from last week’s breakdown.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Caldwell (15-1, 30.833) remains the leader here over West Morris (14-5, 28.592), even though the margin has shrunk a bit. Bernards (12-6, 19.268) edged up from eleventh to ten; they’re the only team from the CJSR coverage area in this section. They might have a shot at a top eight seed, but likely have to jump Hackettstown (11-5-1, 20.965) and Parsippany Hills (10-9, 21.007).

Non-Public North A: Although they now have a win under their belt – a 7-1 victory over 0-16 Perth Amboy Magnet – the Timothy Christian/Roselle Catholic co-op (1-14, 7.242) still sits in last place, and we think it’s likely they will opt-out of this thing. Assuming no-one else does, they would get fourth-seed Seton Hall Prep, the No. 5 team in the state which nearly got a perfect game Saturday from Boston College commit J.J. Drennan in a 6-0 win over Columbia; instead he settled for just his second straight no-hitter. Put this in a category of one of those games that just shouldn’t happen.

Non-Public North B: Rutgers Prep (12-5, 24.058) had been in first for a while, with St. Mary-Rutherford right behind them but now they have overtaken the Argonauts, but not by much. St. Mary is 12-4 and has 24.49 power points, just .432 points ahead. This should come down to the wire, but they appear to be the only two teams duking it out for the top seed. Morristown-Beard (8-7, 18.823) and St. Thomas Aquinas (8-12, 18.761) are a good number of points back. The Trojans, however, may need a strong week to fend off fifth-place Morris Catholic (10-10, 16.963) and Montclair-Kimberley (5-14, 16.61). We say that about MKA, despite their record, because with just five wins, and still close to No. 4 in power point average, any win could be a huge jump – it would be a 20 percent increase in their win total. Gill St. Bernard’s (7-8, 15.428) currently sits in eighth place in what should be a ten team field, as Wardlaw-Hartridge didn’t field a team this year, and Golda Och (0-7) could opt out.

Non-Public South A: St. Augustine (17-4, 32.271) has pulled ahead of Immaculata (14-4, 31.008) for the overall top seed, and with the section so far-flung geographically, it would be a big difference if the Spartans had to make the long trip down to Richfield (about halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City) for a title game, as opposed to playing at home, at Diamond Nation in Flemington. But this race is far from settled, with just 1.263 points between them. Watch Red Bank Catholic (14-4, 28.362) in third as well. After that, it’s down to ninth for Pingry (8-9, 15.388), and then 11th (next to last) for defending GMC champion St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-14, 14.676).

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Group 3 Finals (Boys): Ocean City, Montgomery 40

Despite a 22-point game from sophomore Jayce Rodriguez, North 2, Group 3 champ Colonia lost to South Jersey Group 3 champion Ocean City, 55-46, in the NJSIAA state Group 3 title game, giving the Red Raiders their first state title since 1964.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway on March 15, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Ocean City capitalizes on late turnovers in tight game, tops Colonia 55-46 in NJSIAA Group 3 final

This season, the Colonia boys’ basketball team went further than any other Patriot team in program history in the state tournament, all the way to the state finals at Rutgers for the first time in eleven previous sectional championship season.

But they will have to wait one more year for a chance to take it one step further and win it all.

Some uncharacteristic late turnovers in the final four minutes of the NJSIAA Group 3 final at Rutgers ultimately cost Colonia, and the North 2 Group 3 champs fell 55-46 to South 3 champ Ocean City, in a game heard Sunday afternoon on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

It was a tight game throughout. Colonia led 14-12 after one quarter, and led most of the second half, but found itself trailing the Red Raiders by one, 29-28 at the break. The Patriots had ten from Jayce Rodriguez in the first eight minutes to lead the way, but also had 10 points off the bench, including six from Jayden Johnson.

In the second half, head coach Jose Rodriguez tightened his rotation. And despite no bench points through the first 12 minutes, the game was still close with the final four minutes on the clock – despite three early-fourth quarter treys from junior Josh Lenko – as Rodriguez called a time out to settle the troops.

But then came the turnovers. A poke away here, an errant pass there, and Ocean City capitalized on the other end, going five-of-six from the foul line. All of a sudden, in a game no-one led by more than seven, the Red Raiders pulled away to win by nine.

Lenko, who had 30 in the group semifinals against Central 4 champion Westhampton Tech, went off for 24 to lead all scorers. Sixteen of those points came in the second half. Luke Tjoumakaris finished with 15.

Colonia’s Tyler Herman goes in for a layup in the second half of the Group 3 title game at Rutgers’ Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway on March 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Jayce Rodriguez led Colonia with 20, and he had ten in each half. But no one else scored in double figures, as the Patriots were held to just two fourth-quarter field goals: an and-one from Jayce, and a bucket by senior Dylan Chiera, who finished with five, all in the second half.

For Ocean City, which finished the season 26-6, it’s their first state title since they won Group 3 in 1964, just three years into the sectional era. They also won Group 1 in 1955.

Colonia ends its season at 21-11, sectional champs for the sixth time in seven playoff seasons under Jose Rodriguez, who was named GMC Coach of the Year by the league coaches last month. (There were no state playoffs in the COVID-shortened 2021 season.)

They’ve also won five sectional titles in a row, tying a Middlesex County mark set by Odie Page’s New Brunswick teams, who won nine sectional crowns under his tutelage, and five straight from 1983 to 1987.

The Patriots won North 2, Group 3 in 2019, lost in the 2020 title game, but have been victorious in every final going back to 2022.

Click below for postgame reaction from the NJSIAA Group 3 Boys’ Championship Game, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel
Ocean City head coach John Bruno with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Group 4 Finals (Boys): Plainfield 49, Montgomery 40

Despite a 20-point game from Penn-bound senior Ethan Lin, Central 4 champion Montgomery lost 49-40 to North 2, Group 4 Champion Plainfield in the NJSIAA state Group 4 title game. It was Plainfield’s second straight state championship.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway on March 14, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Group 3 Semifinals (Boys): Colonia 67, Montville 57

North 2, Group 3 champion Colonia got 27 points from sophomore Jayce Rodriguez – including 14-of-14 from the foul line, all in the second half – and another 20 from senior Dylan Chiera, as the Patriots beat North 1, Group 3 champion Montville in the Group 3 state semifinals. The win sends Colonia to the state Group 3 finals for the first time ever, where they will take on Ocean City at Rutgers.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from the Dunn Center in Elizabeth on March 11, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery falls to Plainfield for 2nd year in a row in Group 4 final, as Gordon helps Cardinals pull away in 4th for 49-40 win

The Montgomery boys’ basketball team felt good about its chances coming into Saturday afternoon’s NJSIAA Group 4 state final at Rutgers, and they had plenty of reason to.

All season long, they have gotten outstanding performances from different players every night, with Ethan Lin running the show, Shriyans Mallavarapu blocking shots, Xavier Harrigan coming off the bench to play lock down defense, and Connor Benedict and Mike Simborski connecting from beyond the arc.

And they got that again, with the teams playing a tight first three quarters. Plainfield led 13-9 after one, with the second quarter seeing the lead change four times. It was 22-20 Cardinals at the half.

Whenever it looked like Plainfield was going to pull away, Monty would hit a big shot, whether it was a buzzer-beating three at the end of the first to trim a five-point deficit to two, or Simborksi from the college range on the left wing at the third-quarter horn to slash a seven-point deficit to four.

But the matchup zone defense of Plainfield caused Monty headaches all night, and by late in the game, their long possessions were stretching longer, and with a few misses, The Cards won the rebounding battle in the second half. It was tied 11-11 at the break, but the Cougars were left with a lot of one and dones, and they had a 12-5 advantage on the glass over the last 16 minutes.

And the exclamation mark was a thunderous one-handed jam by Gordon, streaking to the basked from the left wing on a break off a pretty feed from Kamai Lowery with 4:26 left. If it didn’t mathematically put the game out of reach, everyone in the building could sense that it was a harbinger of the celebration that would come when the clock finally winked down to :00.

Lin finished with 20 in the game – including four treys, and two in the fourth quarter – tied for game-high honors with Gordon, a junior who is uncommitted, but has offers from Tennessee, Mississippi State and North Carolina state, among others. Lin, meanwhile, in his last game as a Cougar, will be headed down to The Palestra to play for Penn.

Senior Kamai Lowery finished with 12 for Plainfield (26-5), while fellow senior Rashawn Williams added ten, including a pair of triples.

Sophomore Connor Benedict finished with nine for Montgomery (26-5), while Mallavarapu had six, but all were in the first half.

Click below for postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with head coach Kris Grundy, presented by Sportsplext at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia battles Ocean City for Group 3 title at Rutgers Sunday, as Patriots, Red Raiders both seek first state ‘chip

The Colonia boys’ basketball program made history Wednesday night, but there’s still some more ink in the pen, and more to write.

The Patriots’ 67-57 win over Montville sent them to the state finals for the first time ever. And now, a program that has won eleven sectional trophies – six of which have come under current head coach Jose Rodriguez – will look to claim its first state championship when it plays Sunday in the NJSIAA Group 3 final at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway.

They’ll take on Ocean City at 2 pm, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 1:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Colonia comes in at 21-10, with their season trajectory well-documented. They won just two of their first eight games, but are 19-4 since, their last two defeats coming right before the state tournament. After losing so much off-season talent, including two-time GMC Tournament MVP Aiden Derkack, R.J. Wortman and Zach Smith, it took a little while to figure out roles and adjust to the changes.

To say they “figured it out” might be the understatement of the year, as they eventually earned the top-seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, then four games later claimed their fifth straight sectional title.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about their semifinal win over Montville was not the 27 points Jayce Rodriguez – the team’s top scorer – poured in, or they early lead they built that they never lost the rest of the way, or even the outstanding effort from Nfa Clyne with an 11-point four-rebound night.

No, it was probably the fact the Patriots went 22-of-24 from the foul line, including 13-of-15 in the fourth quarter as the Mustangs attempted to come back. Of those, Jayce Rodriguez went 8-for-8 in the final quarter, and his last 14 points came from the foul line.

All that spells a team that knows the game, and knows the plan: draw contact, get to the line, score.

It was the kind of all-around team effort that maybe wasn’t happening in those first eight games, but certainly has been since.

Ocean City is a very similar team. The Red Raiders come in at 25-6, 9-3 in their Cape-Atlantic League American Division, which got them a second place finish behind Middle Township. They were a CAL Tournament finalist, falling by one to Atlantic City in the title game.

And while they may not have won five straight sectional titles like Colonia has, they have played in big games.

Ocean City won South Jersey Group 4 last year before tragedy struck in the state semifinals against Colts Neck. Senior point guard Ben McGonigle was injured early on and couldn’t return. The Red Raiders built a lead, and were up ten with two minutes to go in the third, but lost by two, 47-45.

So, just like Colonia, they know the hurt of just missing a state final.

It can be a different player for Ocean City every night. Senior forward Josh Lenko was the one who came up big in a 56-43 win over Central 4 winner Westhampton Tech in the state semifinals. A 14 point-per-game scorer on the season, he dumped in 30 points and hit six treys in the state semifinals Wednesday night, and as coach John Bruno said afterward, “you wouldn’t necessarily have prepared for that.”

The team’s top scorer is Luke Tjoumakaris, who’s averaging around 15 points a game all season, and in the states. The senior is a tough scorer around the rim, while senior Tighe Olek who averages xi points – “does the dirty work,” according to Bruno, drawing the opposition’s best defender.

And then there’s Bruno, a veteran coach who’s been at Ocean City for 37 years, and has won over 500 games in America’s Greatest Family Resort town. He’ll be pacing the sideline at Jersey Mike’s in

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez
Ocean City head coach John Bruno

Quirky/Useless Stat of the Day: While this will be Ocean City’s first game at Rutgers, Colonia has been there before, most recently playing in the 2018 GMC Tournament final. That was the last season under former standout Brandon Hall as head coach, and the tournament has since moved on to play the finals at other league venues. But maybe not for long. GMC officials recently met with new Rutgers Athletic Director Keli Zinn, and it’s possible – like how the NJSIAA recently struck a deal to hold all its state basketball finals at Rutgers, and recently announced baseball finals will be held there, too – that the tourney could come back to the “RAC” in the near future.

LINKS TO PREVIOUS COLONIA STATE TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: