Tag: Woodbridge

Woodbridge shortstop Gavin Slicner (6) hits a ball.
by Alec Crouthamel

Woodbridge’s Gavin Slicner is Central Jersey Sports Radio GMC Player of the Year after star-studded senior season

Sometimes in high school baseball, you see a stat that makes you rub your eyes to make sure you read it right.

Woodbridge shortstop Gavin Slicner could’ve wrote a whole book of those in his senior year.

The Barrons’ leadoff batter put up a stellar senior campaign and is the winner of the 2026 Central Jersey Sports Radio GMC Player of the Year.

Slicner had already put up a solid junior campaign, but came into his senior year with a determination to build and get even better for his follow-up.

The shortstop put up eye-popping offensive numbers as a senior, batting .517 on the year (including a .966 slugging percentage), with 12 extra-base hits and nine home runs, all team-highs. And even after doing the damage with his bat, Slicner was still a threat on the basepaths with 26 stolen bases to lead Woodbridge.

And the numbers weren’t of the empty kind at all. Slicner came through in countless big spots as a clutch hitter, with plenty of his 32 RBIs playing big roles in Barrons victories.

Comparing his junior and senior seasons, he raised his batting average – already at a solid .400 mark – by over 100 points, added 14 more RBIs, and hit six more home runs.

And while this is print, what we can’t show you is all the defensive gems he turned in at shortstop.

Slicner played a big role leading a veteran-laden Woodbridge squad, with an extremely strong senior class, flanked by standouts such as Xavier Diaz, Kevin Arroyo, Michael Gurovich, and Billy Mansfield. It was a tight-knit group, one that had played alongside each other since their younger days in Little League, and they helped the Barrons win plenty of games.

They made the North 2, Group 4 semifinals twice and the quarterfinals once, and two GMC Tournament quarterfinals. That included a sectional quarterfinal appearance this year, where tenth-seeded Woodbridge knocked off seven-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and nearly took down second-seeded Bayonne on the road.

And the Barrons relied on Slicner plenty in that first-round win over Raiders, as he clubbed an insurance home run in the seventh as part of a three-hit, three-RBI day.

In the end, Slicner and his fellow veteran teammates put together a strong run of Woodbridge baseball to look back fondly on.

The righty shortstop won’t be veering too far away for his next step, either. Slicner will head to Edison to play baseball at Middlesex College after graduation. The Colts finished off a strong 38-17 year, making it to the NJCAA Region 19 / District Final Four Series.

They also featured two former Barrons, as well, in pitchers Drew Lukachyk and Eddy Nunez, as all three played together in 2023. Middlesex boasted 15 former GMC players on its 2026 roster, and will bring in the best of the conference this upcoming season.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with CJSR GMC Player of the Year Gavin Slicner from Woodbridge

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Connor Murphy, Edison: The Monmouth-bound senior had an ERA you’d need a microscope to see: 0.54, while going 5-1 on the season, including a no-hitter on April 14 against St. Joseph-Metuchen. He fanned 83 this year, after striking out 82 last year, and graduates with 207 career whiffs, and an ERA of just 2.05 for his four varsity seasons.
  • Grant Lorentzen, JFK: This kid does it all, and not just in baseball. While he was 4-5 as a pitcher despite a 1.97 ERA, he also hit .472 this season. He finished his career with 220 strikeouts and a 1.81 ERA over four seasons, while also logging 102 hits at the plate. And as an impressive side note, he was also a thousand-point scorer in basketball – finishing with 1,246 points – and finished his football career as a two-thousand yard receiver, with 2,470 yards and 34 touchdowns. He had 1,221 this past season along with 22 TD catches, one of the top single-season totals all-time in New Jersey. He’ll play baseball and football at TCNJ.
  • Chris Kozak, Middlesex: While Kozak and junior Dominic Long were really starters 1a and 1b this year – and the difference may at times have been microscopic, the senior Kozak gets the nod here. We saw him get his 200th strikeout late in the season against St. Joseph-Metuchen. Kozak was 6-2 this season with a 1.98 ERA, and fanned 76 hitters, a career high.
  • Ben Faigin, Monroe: Just a junior, Faigin – who’s committed to Rutgers – was 7-1 this season, winning three GMC Tournament games while allowing just four total hits, including a 9-2 first-round win over Colonia in which he threw an immaculate inning. He also got a 1-0 win over South Plainfield in the semis, and led the 9th-seeded Falcons to a 7-0 victory over Old Bridge in the GMC final; both were one-hit, complete-game efforts.
  • Matt Chin, Old Bridge: The senior hit .407 with 22 RBI and two home runs to pace the Knights’ offense this year, helping his team gain a berth in the GMC Tournament and Central Jersey Group 4 finals. He’s also an excellent and smart center fielder.
  • Aiden McCarthy, South Plainfield: “The Bull” is a Rutgers commit, and tough as they come. He was 8-2 this past season, always giving his team a chance to win the big game, including an upset of top-seed Chatham in the opening round of the North 2, Group 3 playoffs. McCarthy struck out 74 this season, and had an even 2.00 ERA, while also getting it done at the dish, where he hit .367 – the best of his career – with 28 RBI, ten doubles, and two home runs. He also no-hit Old Bridge in a 4-1 win on April 21.
  • Louis Rizzolo, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior and Marist commit was 8-0 this season, with a 0.90 ERA, and also got it done at the plate, batting .382 with 12 RBI and three home runs. In the state playoffs, he hit a big, early three-run home run at Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B semifinals, en route to a 7-3 win and berth in the championship game against St. Mary-Rutherford. A four-year varsity player, he never had an ERA over 1.74 in his final three seasons, and finished with a career 1.49 ERA.

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 – GMC JIM MULDOWNEY CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS

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

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

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

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

  • Final: 2 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: Woodbridge 3, East Brunswick 2

After East Brunswick tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh on a passed ball with the bases loaded, Woodbridge left fielder Michael Gurovich worked out a five pitch walk – also with the bases loaded – to give the Barrons a walk-off win over the Bears in the opener of their two-game set Tuesday in GMC Red Division play.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play live from Woodbridge High School on April 27, 2026.

Woodbridge shortstop Gavin Slicner (6) hits a ball.
by Alec Crouthamel

Woodbridge walks off East Brunswick, wins pivotal GMC Red slugfest 3-2

Tuesday’s game between Woodbridge and East Brunswick on the diamond featured two offenses that had been tearing the cover off the ball of late, as each team shook off slow starts to jockey for position in a tough GMC Red Division. Both coaches expected offense to reign supreme, even with the top arms on the bump for each side.

So, naturally, the Barrons (6-7) came away victorious in walk-off fashion, 3-2, in a good-old-fashioned pitcher’s duel.

As they say in the Tri-State area, “That’s baseball, Suzyn.”

The Bears (6-8) trailed the entire way until they were down to their final out, tying the game in the top half of the seventh on a passed ball with the bases loaded. Third baseman Javier Casacuberta scored easily to tie it at 2-2, but the throw from Woodbridge catcher Anthony Lyczkowski skidded past pitcher Kevin Arroyo’s glove, and the ball rolled back into the infield.

Pinch runner Sean Christie advanced to third on the play, then tried to snag home plate after the low throw to give East Brunswick the lead. But Barrons’ star shortstop Gavin Slicner fielded the ball cleanly, fired a laser home, and Arroyo applied the tag to end the inning and keep the game deadlocked.

Then in the bottom half, Woodbridge pinch-hitter Endy Soto grounded a single into right field, flipping the lineup back to Slicner. He reached on an error after a pitching change, putting second baseman Josh Hines on the mound, and first baseman Xavier Diaz walked on four pitches to load the bases. Left fielder Michael Gurovich — five days removed from a five-inning no-hitter in a 14-0 victory over Edison — drew a five-pitch walk to end it in walk-off fashion.

Now time to catch your breath.

Before the wild seventh inning, both teams were locked into a classic pitchers’ duel. Arroyo and Bears’ starter Tyler Ditzel controlled the pace for much of the first half of the game, with just a single run coming through in the first four innings.

The bottom of Woodbridge’s order came to play on Tuesday, and they helped open up the scoring. Right fielder Hogan Boyd — batting seventh — reached on a single to lead off the bottom of the third after Ditzel had retired the Barrons’ first six batters in order. He then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and came around to score after Lyczkowski reached on an error.

Slicner then threatened with a two-base error, after a long fly ball bounced off the glove of East Brunswick centerfielder Joe Spinello, to put runners on second and third. Ditzel held strong, though, inducing an infield fly and a lineout to end the inning with only one run on the board.

Arroyo continued to breeze through his outing, as Woodbridge added a second run in the fifth, also helped by the bottom of the order. Boyd worked another leadoff single and stolen base, and centerfielder Jack Kobylakiewicz walked to put two runners on with nobody out. The Barrons tried a double steal, and Boyd got caught at third, but Kobylakiewicz found his way there anyway on a passed ball as Lyczkowski walked.

With runners on the corners, Ditzel got the ground ball he needed, but Slicner legged out an RBI fielder’s choice, beating the double-play throw at first.

The Bears finally got on the board in the sixth, as they started to figure out Arroyo’s stuff and varied pitch mix. Catcher Brandon Bastek lined a double down the left-field line, and Spinello reached on an infield single. Hines brought courtesy runner Jaiden Valdez in on an RBI groundout, but with the tying run one base away, Arroyo froze DH Cole Zebro on a two-strike breaking ball to end the inning.

Woodbridge looked to score once again in the bottom half, with back-to-back one-out walks, but Ditzel found his mojo with a pop-out and strikeout of Kobylakiewicz to keep the game within a run.

Then the seventh inning madness came into play.

By the time the dust — or turf pellets — settled, the Barons’ offense manufactured the game-winning run when they needed it most, on the back of a patient approach after a slow start to the game.

Arroyo earned the win with seven innings of two-run ball, surrendering five hits while striking out five with one walk. Ditzel was given the loss despite a standout outing, allowing three runs in six innings on four hits, five walks, and two strikeouts.

Woodbridge also notched a big win in GMC Red Division play, bringing the standings even closer. Edison leads the pack at 9-2, but second place through sixth place sit just two games apart.

The Barons won their fifth game in seven tries, and even on a day where the bats took a bit to heat up, they’re proving they can win the close ones.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Woodbridge head coach Mike Monaco and shortstop Gavin Slicner about the Barrons’ 3-2 victory over East Brunswick on Tuesday:

by Alec Crouthamel

Woodbridge readies for yet another key matchup in rugged GMC Red division against East Brunswick

As the adage in sports — and much of life — goes, the numbers don’t lie.

But sometimes, they don’t tell the whole story.

Woodbridge baseball sits at 5-7 on the year, but don’t be mistaken. The Barrons boast a run differential of +32, and have put up eight runs or more in all but one of their victories.

They’ve also rebounded from a 1-5 start — where all five losses came by three runs or fewer and the lone win was a 10-0 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas — to win four of their last six games.

The losses have all come late in games, where Woodbridge was in each one of them, and even had a lead in many, while the wins have come with impressive offensive outputs.

Now to close April, the Barrons open a two-game set against East Brunswick, another team with a similar story: high-powered offense with some close losses at the beginning of the year, playing in an extremely tough GMC Red division.

You can hear the first division game live from Woodbridge High School at 4 pm Tuesday, with pregame at 3:45. Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart will call all the action; click here to listen.

Woodbridge brings both returning veterans and younger talent to the lineup, and the production speaks for itself. Five players with regular at-bats are hitting over .300, and the lineup as a whole has combined for 33 extra-base hits.

Senior shortstop Gavin Slicner has set the table at every turn, as the head of the Barrons’ metaphorical offensive snake. He sports a .486 batting average, with 11 extra-base hits of his own. After him, the rest of the lineup is dangerous as well. The coaching staff has put full trust into anybody that steps into the batter’s box, and more times than not, that trust is validated.

And with the season nearing the midway point, now is the time to start playing your better baseball, and the Barrons have done that. Their last two series against St. Joseph (Met.) and Edison — one of the favorites for the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament’s top seed — saw the bats come alive with wins of 16-6 over the Falcons and 14-0 over the Eagles as they split each series. With the Red Division as tough as it is this year, each series and game means more and more.

But tournament seeding isn’t everything, and Woodbridge knows it. It earned the top seed last year and was upset by 16-seed South River in the first round. All that matters is putting together your best ball as the season continues along, and the Barrons will look to continue their upward trajectory against a division rival jockeying for momentum themselves in the Bears.

It all starts at 4 pm on Tuesday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Woodbridge head coach Mike Monaco:

by Nick Hart

East Brunswick looks to extend win streak to four games in GMC Red road matchup against Woodbridge

After an up-and-down start to the season, East Brunswick is on the brink of a four-game win streak as it travels to face Woodbridge. A win Tuesday afternoon would bring the Bears back to .500 on the season as they approach the home stretch of the 2026 regular season campaign.

It has been an offensive outpouring for East Brunswick over the past three games, outscoring opponents 36-19, while recording 31 hits during the stretch, something that head coach Chris Kenney always knew his guys were capable of.

“We’ve always been a pretty good hitting team,” he said. “Our top four or five guys really put the ball in play, very selective, good bat speed.”

You can hear that GMC Red Division game live from Woodbridge High School at 4 pm Tuesday, with pregame at 3:45. Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart will call all the action; click here to listen.

While production has come from throughout the lineup, it has been the veterans who have shined bright for the Bears. The top four players with the highest batting average this season are all seniors. 

Two players in particular, Julian Satterthwaite and Jaidon Coello have stood out the most as both are sporting a batting average over .400 through 13 games. 

On the mound, it still has been the upperclassmen who have flourished this season, but instead of seniors, it has been by way of a pair of juniors. Tyler Ditzel and Jordan Rudolph both are spotting a sub-three ERA on the season and have played a key role in their team’s success. With seven starters returning from last season, it is no surprise that East Brunswick has seen most of its production from familiar faces. 

Despite now playing twice a year, the Bears have only faced Woodbridge five times dating back to 2025 and have fallen to the Barrons in four of their last five matchups. Coming into Tuesday’s contest, Woodbridge has won three of its last five games, with the biggest victory being an impressive 1-0 win over Edison, the number one team in the GMC Red division. 

With both teams teetering around the .500 mark, the upcoming home-and-home series could be the difference between a winning and losing record this season. At the same time, both squads sit towards the middle of their division and will look to improve their seeding heading into the GMC tournament.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart talk with East Brunswick head coach Chris Kenney:

by Mike Pavlichko

Woodbridge hands first-place Edison second GMC Red defeat with 14-0 outburst, and a five-inning no-no for Gurovich

The GMC Red Division so far this season has been Edison leading the pack, and everyone else beating everyone else.

But on Thursday afternoon, Woodbridge brought the Eagles right into the scrum.

The Barrons pounded out 15 hits over five innings – while senior Michael Gurovich threw a no-hitter – in a 14-0 shutout win over Edison in GMC Red Division play, and the opener of their two-game regular season series.

This wasn’t one where the opposition kicked the ball around the infield either. The Barrons jumped on Edison early with four runs in the top of the fourth. They added another in the third, two in the fourth, and put it away in the top of the fifth with seven more. Overall, 12 of the 14 runs were earned.

Gurovich wasn’t overpowering. He was efficient, and pitched to contact, tossing just 62 pitches – an average of just over 12 per inning – striking out one, and allowing just two baserunners, both on walks.

In fact, he was so efficient, head coach Mike Monaco said he’d thought of pulling him when he was at 48 pitches to keep the option of using him as a closer Saturday against Edison in the second game, if needed. But having not given up a hit yet, he and his coaching staff quickly decided against it.

The Barrons had a heck of an afternoon at the plate. Billy Mansfield went 4-for-4 with six runs batted in, including a two-RBI triple in the first, an RBI triple in the third, and a solo homer and a two-RBI single in the in the fifth. Gavin Slicner also homered and went 3-for-4, as did Gurovich, who knocked in one run.

The Barrons are now 5-6 on the year, and since starting the season 1-5 – with a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas and two each to Old Bridge and South Plainfield – have won four of their last five, including a sweep of Monroe, a split with St. Joseph-Metuchen, and Thursday’s win over Edison, which falls to 8-3, 8-2 in the GMC Red, but still in first place by two games over South Plainfield (7-5, 6-4) and Old Bridge (6-7, 6-4).

The Barrons and Eagles close out the series Saturday in Woodbridge at 10 am – weather permitting – then will make an appearance on Central Jersey Sports Radio on Tuesday afternoon at home against East Brunswick at 4 pm, the opener of their final division series of the season.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Woodbridge head coach mike Monaco about the win over Edison and the season so far:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending GMC, SCT champs St. Joseph-Metuchen, Immaculata open season at No. 1, No. 2 in Bellamy & Son Paving preseason Top Ten

It’s never easy to predict how any high school team – in any sport – will do from year-to-year, what with graduation losses and unproven talent. The year before can be a guide, but who knows who a new group will respond, or if a new coach will reignite a program that struggled the year prior.

That said, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, and last year’s teams will mainly get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the preseason Bellamy & Son Paving High School Basketball rankings.

Defending GMC Jim Muldowney Tournament Champion St. Joseph-Metuchen will begin the year at No. 1. Though the Falcons (16-7) lose a ton of pitching – more than 134 out of 161 innings pitched by Joseph Barca, Richard Zangara and Domenic Erbafina – the bats may be able to carry them until second-year veteran skipper Dennis McCaffery sees what his young pitching staff has. The Falcons won the GMCT last year as a five seed, taking all four games in their final at bat, and they never led for a single at bat in the entire run.

Last year’s Somerset County Tournament champion holds in second place, Immaculata. At 17-8, they were also Skyland Conference Delaware Division co-champions with Ridge, and they’ll bring back a good amount of pitching. While they lose Rob Sikorski to graduation, their top two pitchers in terms of innings thrown – Jackson Trego and Ryan Auten, both seniors – return.

Ridge checks in at No. 3. Going 20-7 a year ago, the Red Devils lose ace Aidan Stieglitz but have a good chunk of returnees that should keep the Red Devils right in the thick of things, a year after sharing the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with Immaculata, and reaching both the Somerset County Tournament and NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 finals.

The only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win a state title last year, Middlesex begins the year at No. 4. The Blue Jays (23-5) were a GMC Tournament final four squad, and beat Midland Park to win the NJSIAA Group 1 title, their first since 2021. They bring back all but ten of their 193 innings pitched last year, led by senior Chris Kozak and junior Dominic Long.

Checking in at No. 5 is Edison, which is overflowing with quality pitching. The GMC Tournament runner-up Eagles (17-11) have four Division 1 commits. Pitchers Robert Roma and Dom Innocenti are set with Wagner, while Connor Muprhy is going to Monmouth.

No. 6 is Colonia, which went 23-5 a season ago, falling to South Plainfield in the North 2, Group 3 sectional title game. While Seton Hall-bound Colin Kroner returns to the mound, starter Cory Pascarella is gone to graduation and now playing at Monmouth, as is Matt Fasulo (.289, 19 RBI) at Rutgers-Newark.

At No. 7 is South Plainfield, which took some big graduation losses, including the middle of the infield (Dan Kapsch at short, Nick Irizarry at second). And of four pitchers for the North 2 Group 3 champion Tigers (18-11) who threw at least 15 innings last year and pitchers Kevin Penny, Aiden McCarthy and Mike Castagna are gone, more than three quarters’ of last season’s innings pitched.

Checking in at eight is Hillsborough. The defending Central Jrsey Group 4 champs were 14-11 last season, but lose a ton, including pitchers James Drinkwater, Brayden Fox (also an outfielder) and Krish Patel, as well as hitters like Andrew Advani and catcher Alex Reiling, among others.

In ninth is Old Bridge. The Knights were 18-11 last year as well, and made the Central Jersey Group 4 finals, falling to Hillsborough. They lose two aces in Justin Hascup and John Smith, with Brady Meyer the most experienced pitcher coming back. The lineup may have fewer question marks, but head coach Matt Donaghue always has a deep roster, it’s just a matter of experience.

And checking in at ten, it’s Woodbridge. the Barrons were 18-8 last year and GMC Red Division champs. They’ll take a hit losing pitcher Ryan Leach to graduation, but Kevin Arroyo returns after throwing 63 1/2 innings a year ago, with a 1.11 ERA and 62 strikeouts.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving 2026 Baseball Preseason Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio unveils 2026 High School Baseball Broadcast Schedule featuring a dozen regular season games, plus County, State tourneys

With a dozen regular season games, plus coverage of the GMC and Somerset County Tournaments – as well as state tournament coverage to be announced at a later date – Central Jersey Sports Radio has announced its 2026 high school baseball broadcast schedule.

It all gets started next week, with our opener on Tuesday, March 31 at 4 pm between defending 2025 SCT champion Immaculata and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 winner Hillsborough. Then, after the calendar turns to April mid-week, we get state Group 1 champion Middlesex visiting Spotswood, on Thursday, April 2.

Coverage also includes two regular season games at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater – Montgomery vs Pingry on April 11, and Rutgers Prep against South Plainfield two Saturdays later – as well as the semifinals and finals of the Somerset County Tournament on April 18th and 20th, respectively.

The schedule includes three of last year’s SCT semifinalists, and all four of 2025’s GMC Tournament semifinalists, including a rematch of the title game between Edison and St. Joseph-Metuchen, and a rematch on the Invitational final between New Brunswick and East Brunswick Magnet.

Last year’s North 2, Group 3 winner South Plainfield also is on the schedule, as well as finalist Colonia.

Click here to see the full 2026 broadcast schedule.

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week of upheaval in Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ top ten, while Rutgers Prep on 12-game win streak stays No. 1

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten before the end of the year, Gill St. Bernard’s has edged up to No. 2, while Colonia and Bound Brook also rose.

Still at No. 1 is Rutgers Prep (18-2). Winners of 12 straight the Argonauts went 2-0 in the week gone by, picking up a Thursday win at then-No. 6 Hillsborough, 72-30, then taking their opening game in the Somerset County Tournament, beating Watchung Hills 73-30 at home Saturday in the quarterfinals. Prep, the top-seed, will take on fourth-seed Bound Brook this Saturday at noon at Franklin High School in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Moving up a spot to second is Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4), by virtue of their head-to-head win over previously No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, back on Tuesday, a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a 66-40 won over Watchung Hills on Thursday, then a 67-46 win over Bernards Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. Second-seeded Gill will play third-seed Franklin in this weekend’s semifinals at 2 pm on the Warriors’ home court.

The loss to the Knights sent St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5) down one spot to third, coming off a rare 0-2 week. Their second loss cam Saturday at home to George (PA) 75-69.

Moving up one spot to four is Franklin (13-7). The Warriors lost Wednesday at Morris Catholic 63-51, but bounced back with a 70-50 win over Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday, and a 54-33 victory over Pingry in the SCT quarterfinals. The third-seeded Warriors will play at home Saturday in the semifinals against second-seed Gill St. Bernard’s.

Bernards (17-3) dropped a spot to fifth after a 1-2 week. The Mountaineers started the week with a 55-11 win over North Plainfield, but followed it up with a 50-37 loss at Voorhees on Thursday night. Bernards was knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament by Gill St. Bernard’s on Saturday, falling 67-46.

East Brunswick (18-4) had a 3-0 week, and moves up a spot to six after winning five straight since a road loss at Hillsborough. The Bears won 78-47 Monday at Woodbridge, picked up a 73-59 win over Spotswood Tuesday, then were 37-22 winners at Middlesex on Thursday.

Checking in at No. 7 is Colonia (16-2), also up one spot, following a 1-1 week. They beat Monroe Tuesday, 48-45, but lost Wednesday at Piscataway, 60-54.

Bound Brook is also up one spot, to No. 8, after a big SCT win on Saturday. First, though, they beat Old Bridge, 57-24, on Tuesday, then routed North Plainfield 67-29 on Thursday before winning at Hillsborough, 54-47, in the county quarterfinals. The Fourth-seeded Crusaders will play top-seed Rutgers Prep at noon this Saturday in the semifinals at Franklin High School, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Hillsborough (15-5) falls down to ten after two losses this week, and three straight overall. Granted, all three have been against top ten teams, with the most recent a 72-30 loss to No. 1 Rutgers Prep Thursday, and Saturday’s loss in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, 54-47 to Bound Brook.

And holding in tenth is Woodbridge (15-6). The Barrons lost Monday to East Brunswick, 78-47, then came back and beat Sayreville on Wednesday, 62-57, and won Friday at Carteret, 66-55.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 9: