East Brunswick Magnet sent 25 hitters to the plate in the first two innings and scored a combined 15 runs, jumping on Timothy Christian early en route to a 16-4 road win on Opening Day, in a GMC Gold Division game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko and Dennis McNulty call all the action from Piscataway, NJ, on April 3, 2023.
East Brunswick Magnet starting pitcher Scott Pede – a senior expected to be the ace of the staff in 2022 with Joe Moye graduated – had an easy afternoon Monday in Piscataway.
By the time he came out of the game after pitching the second inning, he had more at bats – three of them – than innings pitched.
And he pitched well against Timothy Christian, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four. It was just that with a 15-1 lead after two, and having thrown only 34 pitches, head coach Todd Sak saw no need to keep him in the game, potentially saving him again to pitch Wednesday when the teams rematch in East Brunswick.
Pede was 2-for-4 at the plate, with a walk and two runs scored, as Magnet blew past Timothy Christian 16-4 on Opening Day.
EB Magnet sent 13 hitters to the plate in the first inning and scored eight runs. A single by Tommy O’Neil drove in three runs. Then, nine-hitter Joe Squillante drove in two more with another single. Ryan DellaFave – the No. 3 hitter in his second at bat of the inning – drove in two more with yet another single.
After Timothy got a run back on a single by Josh Francis in the bottom of the first, Magnet scored another seven runs in the top of the second, sending 12 men to the plate.
A Squillante walk drove in the first, then a Scott Pede walk drove in another. A ground ball to short by Della Fave that saw the throw sail out of play brought in two more, a single by Matt Murphy drove in two more, and a double by O’Neil drove in another.
Pede came out of the game after two, and Aidan Rosenthal pitched the last three innings to earn the win, allowing just three runs on one hit, striking out three, walking four and hitting one batter the rest of the way.
For Timothy, it was a tough start for pitcher Josh Thiero, who only managed to get through one inning. Though there was only one error in the first, two other plays could have gone either way, a hit or an error, and choppy fielding and miscues contributed to the offensive outburst.
Jonathan Walker pitched the second, but the bright spot was freshman Josh Guardado, who mopped up the final three innings, scattering two hits and allowing just one run, striking out two.
Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
Like just about every high school baseball team that will open the 2023 season this week across New Jersey, Timothy Christian will have some veterans back.
There’s shortstop Josh Francis, who hit .545 last season for the second-place team in the GMC Gold Division last year with 25 RBIs and five extra base hits. Starting pitchers Josh Thiero and Ben Wang – who combined to go 8-4 last year and toss 72 innings, striking out 84 hitters while walking only 32 – are back as well.
But there are also some newcomers, who epitomize the definition of the word. A half-dozen players on the 13-man roster at the tiny Piscataway school are freshmen, like Chris Solomine, Elisha Mena and Joseph Walker, none of whom have ever played any baseball before.
But head coach Jose Torres – a rookie head coach himself who played his scholastic ball up at Barringer in Newark in the earl 200s – says they are keen to learn, and made great strides in the preseason.
He’ll get his first chance to see how that translates in real game action when his Tigers take on the East Brunswick Magnet Tigers at home Monday in the 2023 season opener.
You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with first pitch set for 4 pm and pregame at 3:45. Mike Pavlichko will call all the play-by-play, joined by special guest analyst Dennis McNulty. Click here to listen.
Click below to hear Jose Torres talk about his team as they get set for the 2023 season opener:
High school baseball season has arrived; it’s Opening Day across New Jersey, and it’ll be the last go-round for East Brunswick Magnet’s Scott Pede.
Now a senior, Pede has been a key contributor for the Tigers all three seasons of his scholastic career, with his freshman season having been cancelled due to COVID-19.
The one-time baby-faced sophomore is now a full-fledged senior, and will take the hill for EB Magnet on Opening Day Monday when the Tigers visit Timothy Christian in Piscataway in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
First pitch is at 4:00; pregame begins at 3:40 with Mike Pavlichko on the call, joined by guest color analyst Dennis McNulty. Click here to listen.
Two seasons ago in a home game against Timothy Christian, Pede closed out a 10-1 win for Joe Moye, an imposing figure on the mound who’s now gone to graduation. Now, Pede is the biggest returnee on the staff.
Click below to hear East Brunswick Magnet head coach Todd Sak – now in his 19th season – talk about this year’s Tigers:
It was a good night generally for teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, as five advanced Wednesday night in the NJSIAA boys’ state basketball tournament, including two GMC schools that will meet for the first time this season with a sectional semifinal on the line.
In North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, top-seed South Plainfield and 4th-seed Colonia both advanced, and will play for a trip to the title game Friday at 5:30 pm in South Plainfield. Click here for more detailed coverage of the game, including postgame interviews with Tigers’ head coach John Greco and Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez.
In Non-Public South A, two area teams moved on to quarterfinal action. Sixth-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen got a game-high 27 points from senior Anthony Williams and led most of the way in a 75-61 victory over 11th-seed Pingry, while 7th-seed Rutgers Prep also led most of the way in knocking out 10th-seed Christian Brothers of Lincroft, 74-58. Senior Cameron Piggee, the hero of the Somerset County Tournament title game, scored 24 points, while fellow senior Jadin Collins added 22.
In Non-Public North B, eighth-seed Timothy Christian got past 9th-seed Eastern Christian 82-59 in Piscataway behind a career-high 33 points from sophomore Myles Dickerson.
The only teams to get knocked out Wednesday night were 6th-seed Manville in Central Jersey Group 1 – losing 58-46 at third-seed Point Pleasant Beach – while 5th-seed Calvary Christian of Old Bridge was bounced by 12th-seed Doane Academy of Burlington County, 63-36, in Non-Public South B play.
Below are results for all area teams, including full results in sections with area teams remaining. Scroll further down for the upcoming schedule, including games resulting from Wedensday night’s wins.
Central Group 1 Quarterfinals
#3 Pt. Pleasant Beach def. #6 Manville, 58-46
North 2 Group 3 Quarterfinals
#1 South Plainfield def. #8 Summit, 55-51
#4 Colonia def. #5 Chatham, 60-51
#6 Snyder def #3 Mendham, 56-53
#7 Payne Tech def. #2 West Morris, 69-59
Non-Public South A First Round
#8 Red Bank Catholic def. #9 Notre Dame, 65-51
#5 Union Catholic def. #12 St. John Vianney, 69-51
#4 Paul VI def #13 Donovan Catholic, 90-32
#6 St. Joseph-Metuchen def. #11 Pingry, 74-61
#7 Rutgers Prep def. #10 Christian Brothers, 74-58
Byes: #1 Camden Catholic, #2 St. Augustine, #3 Immaculata
Non-Public North B First Round
#8 Timothy Christian def. #8 Eastern Christian, 82-59
#5 Morris Catholic def #12 Morristown-Beard, 82-41
#4 Roselle Catholic def. #13 Koinonia, 101-25
#6 Montclair-Immaculata def. #11 Pioneer Academy, 79-43
#10 Hawthorne Christian at #7 Saddle River Day (score unavailable)
Byes #1 St. Thomas Aquinas, #2 Gill St. bernard’s, #3 St. Mary-Rutherford
Non-Public South B First Round
#12 Doane Academy def. #5 Calvary Christian (Old Bridge), 63-36
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
Central Group 4 Quarterfinals
#8 West Windsor-Plainsboro South at #1 Trenton
#5 Middletown South at #4 Jackson Memorial
#6 South Brunswick at #3 North Brunswick
#7 Marlboro at #2 Freehold Twp.
Central Group 2 Quarterfinals
#9 Point Pleasant Boro at #1 South River
#5 Rumson-Fair Haven at #4 Bound Brook
#6 Delaware Valley at #3 Raritan
#7 Roselle at #2 Manasquan
North 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals
#8 Newark East Side at #1 Ridge
#13 Scotch Plains-Fanwood at #5 Westfield
#6 Columbia at #3 Hillsborough
#7 Franklin at #2 Linden
North 2, Group 2 Quarterfinals
#8 Science Park at #1 Caldwell
#5 McNair at #4 Newark Collegiate
#14 West Side at #11 Bernards
#10 Hanover Park at #2 Madison
FRIDAY
North 2 Group 3 Semifinals
#4 Colonia at #1 South Plainfield
#7 Payne Tech at #6 Snyder
Non-Public South A Quarterfinals
#8 Red Bank Catholic at #1 Camden Catholic
#5 Union Catholic at #4 Paul VI
#6 St. Joseph-Metuchen at #3 Immaculata
#7 Rutgers Prep at #2 St. Augustine
Non-Public North B Quarterfinals
#8 Timothy Christian at #1 St. Thomas Aquinas
#5 Morris Catholic at #4 Roselle Catholic
36 Montclair-Immaculata at #3 St. Mary-Rutherford
Winner of #10 Hawthorne Christian/#7 Saddle River Day at #2 Gill St. Bernard’s
Central Jersey Sports Radio continues its breakdown of playoff sections with Saturday’s NJSIAA cutoff fast approaching. Here’s a section-by-section look based on official standings available on NJ.com as of 11 pm Monday:
Non-Public South B: This could come down to the wire, as Rutgers Prep (15-1) sits in first with 417 points, just eight ahead of Wildwood Catholic (16-4, 409 points.) But those are the only two teams in the same realm of power points, as St. Rose of Belmar in third has only 315 points, trailing by 94. This one could come down to residuals for the Argonauts, and Sunday’s game against statewide No. 1 St. John Vianney won’t count – it’s after the Saturday NJSIAA cutoff. Calvary Christian (12-2) out of the GMC Gold is fifth at 269, with Timothy Christian (6-7, 164) in 10th.
Non-Public South A: It’s St. John Vianney leading the pack here by a wide margin, 19-0 with a whopping 501 power points, 99 ahead of Paul VI (15-3, 402). Red Bank Catholic (18-3, 392) is next, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3, 366). It’s unlikely they could make up enough ground, which sets up a potential matchup with SJV in the sectional semis. It’s no better for fifth=-place Immaculata (11-7, 334), as the winner of that potential 5/4 quarterfinal game would get the Lady Lancers in the semis. Mount St. Mary (10-5, 301) would get them in the quarters if they hold in eighth place. Mother Seton (2-5, 72) brings up the rear.
Non-Public North B: The only real threat here is Gill St. Bernard’s, which is 11-3 with 289 points and sitting in 5th. Even though two of their 13 games are losses, even a couple of wins probably aren’t enough to propel them into third (currently held by Montclair Immaculate at 13-4, 345 points) and away from top-seed Saddle River Day (16-1, 486 points) until the sectional finals. Also in this section: Wardlaw-Hartridge (1-12, 89) in 12th.
Non-Public North A: The only area team here is Pingry, which is 6-10 with 209 points, and sitting ninth in the standings. The Big Blue could edge up into the top eight and even the top seven if they play their cards right. Top seven would avert an early matchup with top-seed Immaculate Heart (16-4, 399 points).
All this week, Central Jersey Sports Radio will take a look at playoff projections for Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County teams. Here’s a look at the Non-Public sections on the boys’ side, using the NJSIAA’s official standings available on NJ.com as of 11 pm Monday:
Non-Public South A: It’s not going out on a limb to say all the non-public sections are tough, but this one is a bear even for the local teams at the top. It says something when St. Augustine – the only undefeated team left in New Jersey – is only sixth in the section. Red Bank Catholic (17-3) leads the section with 475 points, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (20-1), with 457 points. Can the Trojans get a top seed? It would be difficult. The NJSIAA this year counts the best 13 games on a team’s schedule for power points. Right now their lowest power point value is 25, which means they would have to earn more than 25 points in a game between now and Saturday. Sayreville Tuesday is a 25 point game, and won’t move the needle much. But a win over Gill St. Bernard’s might. They’re a Group 1, so a win would get them 7, and their residuals would get them likely 35 points for a total of 42. Add 17 to their total and you get 472. But if Gill sneaks another game onto the schedule somewhere, they could hit 475. Ah, intrigue! Rutgers Prep is third, right behind the Trojans, at 16-1 with 424 points. St. Joseph-Metuchen (14-4) is in fifth, 15 behind Christian Brothers, and 4 points ahead of St. Augustine. They could make a move into the top four, for sure. Immaculata (7-11, 253 points) is 11th, while Pingry (7-5, 186) is in 13th.
Non-Public North B: This is where the third-ranked team in the state sits fourth in the standings. That’s how tough a section this is. Gill St. Bernard’s (11-5) is that fourth place team, with 365 points. They certainly could gain when you consider the “top 13” rule. Since they’ve only won 11 games, any win would likely boost their power points by a significant amount, because their power points include 11 wins and 2 losses as their best 13 games. On the schedule: Hillsborough on Wednesday at Aquinas – with its 20 wins – Saturday night at 7:45 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Even a win over Hillsborough should make up the four points they would need to pass third-place Morris Catholic (15-2, 368), and they may even have a longshot at second, which is held by Saddle River Day (14-2, 402). Moving to second or third avoids seeing top team Roselle Catholic until a potential North B Final, which would be at their place. The Rams are 17-2 with 473 points, uncatchable at this point. Also in this section, GMC Gold leader Timothy Christian (12-4, 256) is 7th, with Wardlaw-Hartridge (9-4, 213) in 9th.
Non-Public South B: The only area team in this section is GMC Gold Division team Calvary Christian of Old Bridge, which is 11-4 with 213 points, good for eighth out of 14 teams. They are just four points behind Wildwood Catholic (8-9, 217), and moving up just one spot would keep them away from likely top-seed Trenton Catholic (11-4, 363).
Game MVP Jake Novielli led Franklin with 15 points, as the Warriors built slowly to a big lead, and beat Timothy Christian 76-44 in the third of four games at the Skyland-GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Challenge on Saturday, January 8, 2022.
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action from Bound Brook High School:
The Warriors might have won by 32 points, but considering how the day started – with bus issues that delayed the game by a half an hour – it could have been a lot worse.
And like everyone involved in the third game of the Skyland-GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Challenge at Bound Brook would agree, at least it had nothing to do with COVID.
But it did, in a way, for Franklin, which played its opening game December 17th, but due to COVID-related issues, was shut down for over two weeks, until resuming play this Tuesday against Hillsborough, picking up a win.
Against Timothy Christian, the Warriors (2-2) bounced back after a heartbreaking two-point home loss to Hunterdon Central, getting 15 points from game MVP Jake Novielli, including three treys, in a 76-44 win.
Josh Migledolph chipped in 14 while Cameron Brown added 11 off the bench. All of that coming with starting point guard Darnell Marche and starting center Peyton Bonds missing the game for non-COVID-related issues.
Guard James Hayes led Timothy Christian (3-3) with 13 points in defeat, while Jonathan McNulty added 11.
Click below to hear postgame reaction from junior Jake Novielli and head coach Tony Mento:
Starting anything outside the confines of a pandemic is challenging enough, but doing so in the midst of one is hit or miss.
And so it went last year with what should have Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo’s inaugural Coaches vs. Coronavirus showcase, a fundraising event meant to raise money for those hit hard by the the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year? He again got plenty of interest, and the fates have smiled on the event, at least for the participants.
Though cases continue to surge in New Jersey – and across the U.S. – spurred by the omicron variant, all eight teams are healthy enough to play in today’s event, including the Crusaders, who are coming off a two-week layoff and only got back onto the practice floor as a group yesterday.
Scroll down for previews and notes on today’s games.
Click below to hear organizer and Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo talk about the event with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
Skyland vs. GMC Coaches vs. Coronavirus Schedule
Saturday, January 8 – Bound Brook High School
Dunellen vs. South Hunterdon, 12 pm
South Plainfield vs. Pingry, 2 pm
Franklin vs. Timothy Christian, 4 pm*
Bound Brook vs. Middlesex*
*games broadcast live on Central Jersey Sports Radio; click here to listen
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