South Plainfield (24-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 for a third straight week,

NJ Baseball:
South Plainfield vs. Morristown highlights Tuesday's state tournament action
BOB BEHRE, May 24, 2010 7:07 p.m.

Brandon Downes of South Plainfield has 15 home runs this season. Brandon Gonnella of Morristown is coming off a two-hitter and a one-hitter in which he struck out a combined 27 batters.Perhaps because someone or something above has shined down good fortune on New Jersey baseball fans, the two meet Tuesday in South Plainfield in a monumental sectional semifinal that has the potential to be unforgettable.South Plainfield (24-2), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 for a third straight week, and No. 20 Morristown (21-9) are actually very similar. Both teams mash and both can roll out a quality pitcher in any given round of the state tournament. The winner may become the favorite to win the NJSIAA Group 3 championship a week from Saturday.

The four public school and two non-public state championships will be contested on June 5.

First, South Plainfield and Morristown will attempt to survive Tuesday and advance to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final on Friday where the winner of a Union County squabble pitting No. 16 Cranford (22-5) and No. 17 Scotch Plains-Fanwood (24-5) will be waiting.“Their record speaks for itself,” said Morristown coach Josh Ury of South Plainfield. “I know they’re the real deal. They can swing it, play good defense and have pretty good pitching. We’ll have to throw strikes and do the little things to come out on top. My kids are excited to play the No. 1 team in the state.”Gonnella two-hit No. 6 Delbarton in the Morris County Tournament championship game on May 15 then one-hit a potent Nutley lineup in the sectional quarterfinals last Friday.

Plenty of intriguing matchups are featured on the sectional plate throughout the state and chances are you won’t have to go far to find a great game.Jackson (21-5), ranked No. 4, takes the power bats of its three and four hitters, Bryan Soloman (12 HRs) and Brandon Adams, to No. 5 Monroe (22-3) for an outstanding semifinal in Central Jersey, Group 4. That winner will face either No. 12 Manalapan (20-6) or the defending champion, Toms River North (12-11) in the sectional final.The North Jersey, Non-Public A North quarterfinals are stocked with big names and big games, as usual, but the marquee matchup in this round has No. 10 Pope John (23-4) traveling to No. 6 Delbarton (24-5). Pope John edged Delbarton, 4-3, on April 16. That game was also at Delbarton. Delbarton’s Nick Donatiello is expected to pitch against Pope John’s Brendan Mayers, who threw a five-hitter in the first encounter.That’s not to say the collision on the other side of the bracket pitting No. 14 Seton Hall Prep (21-6) at No. 9 St. Joseph (21-4) in Montvale should be ignored. Those two schools have a long and entertaining history in sectional competition. St. Joseph is trying to rebound from a shockingly early departure from the Bergen County Tournament, an event it won in 2009. Seton Hall is red hot with a cast that features just one senior in the lineup. Seton Hall has won eight straight and 16 of its last 18 games.St. Joseph will have the upper hand with Artie Lewicki (6-1) on the mound, while Seton Hall answers with the potent bats of center fielder John Norwood, catcher Stephan Halibej and first baseman Rob Fonseca.Meanwhile, Westfield (18-8) visits Bridgewater-Raritan (16-10) in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. Bridgewater edged Westfield, 7-5, on April 23 and both teams are playing very well at the optimum moment.Unranked Montclair (18-10) visits No. 7 Randolph (24-3) in North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 in what is surely the biggest baseball game ever between the two schools. The schools have had some epic playoff battles in football over the years.

BASEBALL TOP 20
1-South Plainfield (24-2)
2-Don Bosco Prep (23-3)
3-West Essex (23-3)
4-Jackson (21-5)
5-Monroe (22-3)
6-Delbarton (24-5)
7-Randolph (24-3)
8-Lenape (21-4)
9-St. Joseph (Mont.) (21-4)
10-Pope John (23-4)
11-Toms River South (21-4)
12-Manalapan (20-6)
13-St. Joseph (Met.) (18-7)
14-Seton Hall Prep (21-6)
15-Immaculata (18-3)
16-Cranford (22-5)
17-Scotch Plains-Fanwood (24-5)
18-Wall (22-5)
19-Paramus (22-6)
20-Morristown (21-9)


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