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129 Days left until the 1st game of the 2012 season.

Blast From The Past - May 18, 2008

Mark Tomei - Middlesex County Player Of The Year

By Josh Rosenfeld/For The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger  

Mark Tomei of South Plainfield is The Star-Ledger's Middlesex County baseball Player of the Year for 2011. 
(Frank H. Conlon/The Star-Ledger)

Player of the year: By his own standards, this was a disappointing season for Mark Tomei.

“My biggest goal this year was to try to win a state title,” the South Plainfield junior outfielder said. “I just went out there and tried to do my best every game.”

Turns out Tomei’s best was pretty darn good, because his offensive statistics were the equal of any player’s in the state: 58 hits, including 34 for extra bases, with 20 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 47 runs and 26 RBI as a lead-off hitter. He had a .496 batting average, a .983 slugging percentage and a 1.522 OPS.

“He took the aggressive approach. When you get a fastball, you want to attack it and that is what he did,” South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said. “And this year he got a lot of fastballs.”

Tomei batted ninth as a sophomore, but Guida looked to him to fill a void at the leadoff slot this fall.

“He wasn’t happy batting ninth,” Guida said. “This year I was able to put him at leadoff and he flourished there.”

Tomei credited Guida’s emphasis on fundamentals with helping him and praised the influence of senior teammate Brandon Downes.

“He’s probably one of my idols,” Tomei said. “I kind of look up to him as a big brother. He’s great on the field and off the field he’s just a well-rounded kid."

So what are Tomei’s goals for his senior campaign? Sixty hits? Thirty doubles?

“I want to win the GMC and state tournaments,” Tomei said. “It’s more about the team than myself.”

ALL-MIDDLESEX COUNTY

FIRST TEAM

Brandon Downes, South Plainfield, 6-3, 180, Senior
Virginia-bound outfielder drafted by Boston Red Sox batted .389 with 37 hits, nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 23 RBI as leadoff hitter with 23 walks, 11 intentional.

Mark Tomei, South Plainfield, 5-9, 185, Junior
County player of the year and outfielder had unreal offensive season with 58 hits including 20 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 47 runs and 26 RBI as lead-off hitter, batting .496. 

SECOND TEAM
Dan Hansen, South Plainfield
Stephen Petriello, South Plainfield. 

Other Tigers that garnered attention around the conference:
Fourh team: Charlie Huber, South Plainfield 
Fifth team: Nick DeMarco, South Plainfield 
All-junior: Stephen Petriello, South Plainfield; Mark Tomei, South Plainfield 
Juniors to watch: Nick DeMarco, South Plainfield
All-sophomore: Quinn Cochrane, South Plainfield
Sophomores to watch: A.J. Celentano, South Plainfield
All-freshman: Robert Eggert, South Plainfield

ALL-STATE BASEBALL 2011
FIRST TEAM 
Mark Tomei, South Plainfield, 5-9, 185, Junior
The left-handed hitting outfielder batted .496 with a whopping 58 hits, 34 for extra bases, including 20 doubles, five triples and nine home runs. Drove in 26 runs as lead-off batter with a .983 slugging percentage and 1.522 OPS, ended his season with a 16-game winning streak.

THE STAR-LEDGER FINAL RANKINGS
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
1-Perth Amboy (22-5)
2-Old Bridge (18-10)
3-South Plainfield (21-9)
4-Monroe (20-6)
5-Woodbridge (21-7)
6-St. Joseph (Met.) (17-10)
7-South Brunswick (15-8)
8-Middlesex (23-8)
9-Metuchen (15-9-1)
10-South River (14-9)

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2011/06/baseball_2011_season_in_review.html

AREA TOP 10
1. Governor Livingston (26-6)
2. Westfield (25-5)
3. Watchung Hills (18-8)
4. Voorhees (18-4)
5. Hillsborough (l8-9)
6. South Plainfield (21-8)
7. Hunterdon Central (20-9)
8. Ridge (15-13)
9. Middlesex (23-8)
10. Immaculata (12-10)

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110625/NJSPORTS0130/306250040/Memorable-year-high-school-baseball

Rosters set for NJBCA All-Star Games on Wednesday

THE STAR-LEDGER, June 14, 2011 8:11 p.m.

 

 

WHAT: N.J. Baseball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games. Two 10-inning games played simultaneously.

WHEN: Today, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Diamond Nation, Flemington.

WHO: Four teams of all-stars from around the state compete. Northwest plays South, Central plays Northeast.

ROSTERS

NORTHWEST

P-Anthony Elia, Mount Olive; Nick Donatiello, Delbarton; Matt Reynolds, Hackettstown; Kevin Ladner, Roxbury; Mike Cranston, Gov. Livingston; David Jesch, West Essex; Nick Macaione, North Warren; Mark Wilson, Johnson; Clayton Cerrato, Parsippany.
C-A.J. Murray, Westfield; Stephan Halibej, Seton Hall Prep; Tyler Boyd, Roxbury.
1B-Dan Kerr, Westfield; Rob Fonseca, Seton Hall Prep.
2B-Ryan Karl, Montville; Mike Rampone, Randolph.
SS-John Jennings, Gov. Livingston.
3B-Jackson Baird, Morris Knolls.
OF-Frank Tassielli, Hanover Park; Tim Swanson, Millburn; Cavan Penberthy, Bloomfield; Rob Drexel, Morris Catholic; Mark Osofsky, Cranford.

SOUTH
P-Cody Brown, Gloucester Catholic; Kevin Comer, Seneca; Jeff McGarry, Lenape; Matt Rakus, St. Augustine; Anthony Urban, West Deptford; Dan Falvo, Jackson.
C-Craig Joseph, Cherokee; Mark Zagunis, Holy Cross.
1B-C.J. Wallowitch, Holy Spirit; Pat Sheldrick, Central Reg.
IF-Jacob DeWitt, Florence; Robert Homes, Winslow; Andy Lopez, Jackson; Mickey Donnelly, Central Reg.; Matt Meleo, Jackson; Bob Harris, Lakewood; Ryan Williams, Seneca.
OF-Tyler Faiola, Camden Catholic; Chet Godfrey, Millville; Ed Charlton, St. Augustine; Devon Hedgepeth, Rancocas Valley; Brett Phillips, Audubon; Pat Jensen, Lacey; Jon Roszel, Manchester Twp.

NORTHEAST
P-Jordan Gross, Don Bosco Prep; T.J. Hunt, Ramapo; Dave Palladino, Emerson; Matt Lawsky, Glen Rock; Andrew Furber, Wayne Valley; Brendan Mayers, Pope John; Chris Carroll, Westwood; Charles Fletcher, Passaic Valley; Toby Schwartz, Bergen Catholic.
C-Alex DeBellis, Pope John; Eric Greenwald, Waldwick; D.J. Ross, Hopatcong.
1B-Nick Cordatto, Bayonne; Nick Henriques, Paramus.
IF-Jason Vosler, Don Bosco Prep; Kyle Grimm, Bergenfield; K.C. Abel, Wayne Valley; Tom Gaccione, Passaic Valley; Kevin Alonzo, North Bergen; John Brucker, Sparta.
OF-Mark Naseef, Lyndhurst; Mike Tolercio, Wayne Valley; Nick Bruno, Don Bosco Prep; Matt Ackerman, Pope John; Yeudy Ventura, Union City; Donnie Cimino, Westwood.

CENTRAL
P-J.B. Kole, Ridge; Emilio Calderon, Perth Amboy, Steven Bloodworth, North Hunterdon; Brandon Dolan, St. Joseph (Met.); Mike Daley, Immaculata; Jose Lopez, Hightstown; Jon Young, Old Bridge; Kyle Rubbinaccio, Manalapan.
C-Vin Tranchina, Red Bank Catholic; Anderson Rosa, Perth Amboy.
1B-David Rondesko, South River; Sean Keselica, Voorhees.
IF-Brandon Young, Hillsborough; Josh Ake, Hunterdon Central; Chris Suseck, Hunterdon Central; D.J. Ruhlman, Montgomery; Blaise Lezynski, Notre Dame; Rich Ricciardi, Manalapan.
OF-Carl Thomore, East Brunswick; Brandon Downes, South Plainfield; Ryan Casey, Robbinsville; Steve Spadafino, Steinert; Dan Hansen, South Plainfield; Mike Clarke, Woodbridge; Nick Dini, Monroe.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/4334149245911222862/rosters-set-for-njbca-all-star-games-on-wednesday/

MIDDLESEX: Rosters for Tuesday's GMC All-Star Game

By Josh Rosenfeld/For The Star-Ledger
Published: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 5:48 PM
Updated: Sunday, June 12, 2011, 6:44 PM
.

The 2011 Frank Gavigan Greater Middlesex Conference Senior All-Star game will be played Tuesday, June 14 at East Brunswick at 7 p.m. The game is run by the GMC Baseball Coaches Association and will pit a team of All-Stars from the GMC Red and Blue Divisions against All-Stars from the White and Gold Divisions.

Here are the rosters:

Red-Blue

Name                      School                Position            #

Brandon Dolan        St. Joseph               P                 35

Rob Johnson           Middlesex                P                   6

Jon Young               Old Bridge               P                   1

Nick Boyler              South River             P                 16

Mitch D’Amato         Edison                    P                   7

Charles Thielmann   Piscataway           P                  24

Dustin Devoe          South Amboy         P                   4

Shawn Weeks         Spotswood           C                 34

Ariel Torres              South Brunswick   C                   7

Eric Goitia                Sayreville              C                 15

Dominick Mangarella  Bishop Ahr          C                 11

David Rondesko      South River           1B               10

Peter Protnicki         J.P. Stevens          1B               25

Robert Pepe            Bishop Ahr            INF                3

Kevin Marte             New Brunswick     INF              13

Blake Cuomo           Sayreville              INF               4

Matt Hratko             St Joseph              INF               7

Taylor Amato           Old Bridge             INF               9

Carl Thomore          East Brunswick     OF              18

Craig Cleffi              South Brunswick   OF              12

Matt Walters           Metuchen             OF              17

Jon Yurecko            South Brunswick   OF              20

Mike Passanante    Middlesex             OF              19

JJ Glinka                  East Brunswick    OF                8

James Vacchio        South River          OF              14

Dominick Forcella    St Joseph            DH                2

White-Gold

Name                   School                 Position        #

Frank Zurla           Dunellen                 P                   11

Emilo Calderon     Perth Amboy           P                   18

Dan Hansen         South Plainfield       P                   19

Nick Stallone        Woodbridge            P                   21

AJ Pichalski           John F. Kennedy     P                   13

Rob Terracciano    Timothy Christian   C                   12

Anderson Rosa     Perth Amboy          C                    2

Nick Dini                Monroe                  C                  22

James Lyczkowski  Woodbridge         C                    9

Mike Scarrone       Monroe                  1B                23

Justin Soto            E.B. Vo-Tech          1B                20

Frank Iglesias       Wardlaw-Hartridge  1B              45

Steven Hock          North Brunswick    1B                13

Jimmy Small           Monroe                  INF              10

Anthony Pena        Perth Amboy Tech INF                 7

John Marietta        Cardinal McCarrick INF               19

Sean Youngman    North Brunswick    INF                 8

Kevin Savoia         Cardinal McCarrick INF               22

Brandon Downes  South Plainfield     OF                31

Juan Contreras     E.B. Vo-Tech          OF                  6

AJ Marchitelli         Carteret                OF                  2

Matt Wagner        Colonia                 OF                 33

Mike Clarke          Woodbridge          OF                  8

Ryan Smith          Cardinal McCarrick OF                  4

Orlando Ramos    E.B. Vo-Tech          DH                25

 http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2011/06/middlesex_rosters_for_tuesdays_gmc_all-star_game.html

MIDDLESEX: Draftees Thomore, Downes Selected for NJ All-Star Game

Published: Wednesday, June 08, 2011, 8:42 PM
Updated: Wednesday, June 08, 2011, 9:26 PM


By Josh Rosenfeld/For The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger

 

East Brunswick's Carl Thomore and South Plainfield's Brandon Downes, both selected in this week's Major League Baseball Draft, are among 10 Greater Middlesex Conference seniors to have been named to the Central team in next week's New Jersey State All-Star Game.

The event consists of two games played simultaneously at Diamond Nation in Flemington at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15.

The Colorado Rockies selected Thomore with the 77th overall pick in the third round on Tuesday while the Boston Red Sox selected Downes in the 43rd round on Wednesday.

Here are the 10 Greater Middlesex Conference players selected to participate:

PITCHERS                                             
Emilio Calderon, Perth Amboy

Brandon Dolan, St. Joseph
Jon Young, Old Bridge

CATCHER
Anderson Rosa, Perth Amboy

FIRST BASE
David Rondesko, South River

OUTFIELDERS
Mike Clarke, Woodbridge
Brandon Downes, South Plainfield
Dan Hansen, South Plainfield
Carl Thomore, East Brunswick

DESIGNATED HITTER
Nick Dini, Monroe
    

South Plainfield's Brandon Downes, drafted by the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, has been selected to participate in next week's State All-Star Game. (William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2011/06/middlesex_draftees_thomore_downes_selected_for_nj_all-star_game.html

                
Brandon Downes Drafted by Red Sox

Three area players bound for Atlantic Coast Conference schools were chosen in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft. But it will take some very special offers for Hunterdon Central shortstop Josh Ake (University of North Carolina), South Plainfield center fielder Brandon Downes (University of Virginia) and Westfield catcher A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) to turn down college.
Ake was taken by the Mets in the 29th round, while Downes was picked by the Red Sox in the 43rd round and Murray in the 48th by the Astros.
“Chances are I'll be going to UVA,’’ said Downes, whose older sister Kelly informed him of his being drafted.
Downes will get a chance to play at Fenway Park. The Red Sox will have their draft picks take part in a game prior to their June 22 contest.
Ake, a four-year varsity starter for Hunterdon Central, who helped the Red Devils win state Group IV titles as a freshman and sophomore, will soon leave for Chapel Hill to
take some summer courses.
“We'll see how it plays out over the summer,'' he said of possibly signing a pro contract. “I'm definitely considering it, and if the offer is good enough, but it'll
take a lot of money.’’
Murray is the third player in his family to be drafted.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110608/NJSPORTS/306080053/Three-area-players-taken-MLB-Draft?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Game 30: Old Bridge 3, South Plainfield 2 (Final GMC Tournament)

South Plainfield (2) at Old Bridge (3), Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, Final Round - Baseball

The Star Ledger, June 01, 2011 10:33 p.m.

By Josh Rosenfeld

Mike Anastasio had just coached his alma mater, Old Bridge, to its first Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship. How did he plan to celebrate?

"I'm going to Disney World!" Anastasio shouted for all to hear.

He was serious. Anastasio had signed up to chaperone the Old Bridge senior class trip to Disney, which left at 2 a.m. this morning.

Anastasio and his senior-laden club were already walking on air after second-seeded Old Bridge earned a 3-2 victory over South Plainfield, No. 20 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to claim the first GMC title since the school opened in 1994.

Jon Young (9-2) went the distance and tamed the mighty South Plainfield lineup by allowing eight hits and two walks while striking out five. South Plainfield touched Young for two runs in the top of the sixth and had runners on second and third when the inning ended, then squandered a lead-off hit in a scoreless seventh inning.

The game was scoreless for the first five and a half innings, much to Anastasio's liking.

"I'm thinking it's in my favor," Anastasio said. "I knew that Johnny was going to get his second wind. He'll probably hit a little bump in the road and you know they're going to hit the ball. I just hoped they hit it at somebody."

Young didn't mind the scoreless duel, either.

"I was very confident. I was thinking the whole time that I had to keep throwing up zeroes," Young said. "Whoever scores the first run is going to win the game. I knew our bats were there."

Anastasio preaches small ball, somewhat out of necessity, and that is what got Old Bridge (18-10) going.

Anthony Jichetti led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left and was promptly bunted over to third by Brian Knoth. Payam Agha Ghassem then laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt up the first-base line for a hit when South Plainfield pitcher Charlie Huber could not field cleanly.

"You live by the sword, you die by the sword," Anastasio said. "Not that we thought that they would make errors, but I just wanted to put the pressure on and move guys over. Play baseball. All of those crazy, stupid drills that we did that they hated? I'm glad we did them."

Tom Garvey battled through a nine-pitch at-bat for another double to left scoring Agha Ghassem. Young then singled in Garvey for a 3-0 lead.

South Plainfield (21-9), seeded fourth, came roaring back with the top of its lineup batting in the top of the sixth. Mark Tomei walked and took second on Ryan Hutchinson's single through second. Brandon Downes then singled in Tomei, but Hutchinson was nailed rounding second by third baseman Vin Dacunto on a perfectly executed cut-off.

Downes advanced two bases to third on an errant pick-off attempt and scored on Stephen Petriello's single up the middle to make it a 3-2 Old Bridge lead. Dan Hansen singled Petriello to third and Eric Niemayer, running for Hansen, stole second while attempting to get hung up in a round down to allow Petriello to score. He didn't, and Young escaped with a strikeout and a ground ball to Dacunto.

"That's what we always do. We have a knack to come back, sometimes a little too late," South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said. "I always feel confident. We had the top of the lineup coming up. It was a very good game, down to the last pitch, the last play and that's the way championship games should be played."

Nick Ross led off the South Plainfield seventh with a pinch-hit single between first and second but was forced at second on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Young then caught the .500-hitting Tomei looking and got Hutchison to hit a game-ending ground ball to third.

"You can't be worried about what you hear about a team," Young said. "You just have to go out there and throw your game. Don't throw to the batter, be a pitcher."

Young did just that and he and his classmates were off to Disney World. As champions of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2054271813685093396/south-plainfield-2-at-old-bridge-3-greater-middlesex-conference-tournament-final-round-baseball/

Old Bridge wins GMCT final

Written byGREG TUFARO

EAST BRUNSWICK — After escaping a first-and-third jam to preserve a one-run lead in the previous inning, Jon Young wasn't about to let the South Plainfield baseball team push across the tying run in the top of the seventh.
The senior right-hander struck out the league's most dangerous hitter before inducing his 13th groundball out to strand a runner at second in Old Bridge's 3-2 victory over the Tigers in Wednesday night's Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament final at East Brunswick High School.

The league championship was the school's first since Madison Central and Cedar Ridge merged to form Old Bridge in 1994. Madison Central won a GMCT title in 1989 and a Middlesex County crown in 1977.

"I knew I couldn't let up one more run,'' said Young, who improved to 9-2 and will attend Rutgers University on a partial baseball scholarship in the fall. "I had to do whatever I could. The strikeout came in handy.''

Pinch-hitter Nick Ross led off the seventh for South Plainfield with a single to right. Ross was erased at second when pinch-hitter Rob Eggert bunted back to Young, who alertly gunned down the lead runner on the sacrifice attempt. That brought Mark Tomei, who entered the game with a conference-best 56 hits and a .506 batting average, to the plate.

After fouling off three consecutive 1-2 pitches, Tomei was caught looking as Young's fifth strikeout victim. Ryan Hutchinson grounded out to shortstop Taylor Amato, who recorded his eighth assist, to end the game.

"It was a tough two days,'' said South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida, referring to his Tigers having a 12-game winning streak snapped with Tuesday's 10-6 loss to Mendham in the North 2 Group III final and falling to the Knights 24 hours later.

"It's tough to lose consecutive days in a semifinal and a final. We asked them to leave it all on the field, and I think they did. It gave us an opportunity to win a game. We had an opportunity with the tying run on base and the guys that we wanted up.''

(Page 2 of 2)

South Plainfield starting pitcher Charlie Huber (6-2), who traded zeroes with Young, coasted into the fifth with a one-hit shutout. Huber threw just 35 pitches through the first four innings. He threw 34 pitches in the fifth alone and was succeeded by closer Nick DeMarco.

Anthony Jichetti led off the fifth for Old Bridge with a double down the left-field line. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Payam Agha Ghassem, who had the Knights' only other hit - a third-inning single - laid down a perfect safety squeeze to plate Jichetti. The bunt to the first-base side of the mound was a tough fielding chance for the left-handed Huber.

"He gave me the sign and I wasn't expecting it,'' Ghassem said of Old Bridge coach Mike Anastasio. "We work on it in practice every day. I knew it was going to come in handy. I had to get it down. It was the perfect pitch. I tried to get it to the right side. The pitcher luckily bobbled it.''

No.‚9 batter Tom Garvey followed with the best at-bat of the night. He fouled off three straight full-count offerings before lacing an RBI double to left field for a 2-0 lead. Young capped the rally with an RBI single to right on another full-count offering.

"Thank God it was three runs and not two,'' said Young, who drove a fastball that was up and away to the opposite field. "I shouldn't have been swinging at that pitch, but somehow I got the bat on it and I had a nice rip, so I'll take it.''

South Plainfield rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth. Tomei drew a leadoff walk on a full count. Hutchison singled to right. Brandon Downes followed with an RBI single to left. Hutchison was erased after making a wide turn at second on a 7-5-4 relay. Downes took third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Stephen Petriello's single to center. After Dan Hansen singled to put runners on the corners, Young worked out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

Anastasio never considered removing Young, whose nasty two-seam fastball, which he kept down in the strike zone, never lost its bite.

"Jon is our guy, plain and simple,'' said Anastasio, a 1983 Madison Central graduate. "I've seen him all year. In the middle of games like this it looks like he's flattening out a bit. But he's got another gear, and he showed it tonight. That's why he's going Division I. When you push him, that's when he's at his best.''

South Plainfield starting pitcher Charlie Huber (6-2), who traded zeroes with Young, coasted into the fifth with a one-hit shutout. Huber threw just 35 pitches through the first four innings. He threw 34 pitches in the fifth alone and was succeeded by closer Nick DeMarco.

Anthony Jichetti led off the fifth for Old Bridge with a double down the left-field line. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Payam Agha Ghassem, who had the Knights' only other hit - a third-inning single - laid down a perfect safety squeeze to plate Jichetti. The bunt to the first-base side of the mound was a tough fielding chance for the left-handed Huber.

"He gave me the sign and I wasn't expecting it,'' Ghassem said of Old Bridge coach Mike Anastasio. "We work on it in practice every day. I knew it was going to come in handy. I had to get it down. It was the perfect pitch. I tried to get it to the right side. The pitcher luckily bobbled it.''

No.‚9 batter Tom Garvey followed with the best at-bat of the night. He fouled off three straight full-count offerings before lacing an RBI double to left field for a 2-0 lead. Young capped the rally with an RBI single to right on another full-count offering.

"Thank God it was three runs and not two,'' said Young, who drove a fastball that was up and away to the opposite field. "I shouldn't have been swinging at that pitch, but somehow I got the bat on it and I had a nice rip, so I'll take it.''

South Plainfield rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth. Tomei drew a leadoff walk on a full count. Hutchison singled to right. Brandon Downes followed with an RBI single to left. Hutchison was erased after making a wide turn at second on a 7-5-4 relay. Downes took third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Stephen Petriello's single to center. After Dan Hansen singled to put runners on the corners, Young worked out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

Anastasio never considered removing Young, whose nasty two-seam fastball, which he kept down in the strike zone, never lost its bite.

"Jon is our guy, plain and simple,'' said Anastasio, a 1983 Madison Central graduate. "I've seen him all year. In the middle of games like this it looks like he's flattening out a bit. But he's got another gear, and he showed it tonight. That's why he's going Division I. When you push him, that's when he's at his best.''

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110601/NJSPORTS0130/110601013/Pitcher-Jon-Young-leads-Old-Bridge-win-GMCT-final?odyssey=nav|head

Old Bridge vs. South Plainfield for Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship

By JOSH ROSENFELD,

 May 31, 2011 5:34 p.m.

When Mike Anastasio convened his Old Bridge baseball team in early March, he asked them to write down their goals for the season.

One goal was universal.

"We wanted to put a banner in our gym," Anastasio said, noting there are no banners celebrating titles won by the baseball team on walls filled with banners for other sports. "We've got a chance of doing so so we're all geared up."

Old Bridge (17-10) will attempt to secure a banner emblematic of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship Wednesday night at 7 in East Brunswick when it takes on South Plainfield (21-7), winner of 12 in a row heading into Tuesday's state tournament game against Mendham.

Old Bridge's quest for a state title was derailed by Hillsborough last week so this is its last chance to decorate the gym walls.

Anastasio got his first look at South Plainfield, which is ranked No. 20 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, when it erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning to finally subdue Perth Amboy, 11-5, in the second semifinal last Saturday, after Old Bridge relied on small ball to defeat St. Joseph of Metuchen, 6-1.

"I had heard all year that they have some good hitters," Anastasio said. "It's one thing to hear about but when you see it, wow. They swing the bat, it's pretty incredible."

When asked to compare the teams South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida referred to an old adage.

"Good pitching usually beats good hitting," Guida said. "They can pitch. We know we have our work cut out for us."

Anastasio doesn't necessarily feel that that adage is appropriate here.

"I may be biased but I think our pitching is better than good," Anastasio said. "And I think their hitting is a lot better than good."

Anastasio plans on starting Rutgers-bound senior Jon Young (8-2, 1.77) to tame a South Plainfield attack that is heating up at the right time. Young is batting .373, second on the team behind Vin Dacunto (.377), leads with four home runs and shares the RBI lead with Alejandro Diaz at 17.

South Plainfield boats five players with 20 or more RBI and each of them has been on fire lately. Dan Hansen had the first two-home run game of his career in Saturday's semifinals, Brandon Downes and Stephen Petriello have been on a tear at the 3-4 slots and lead-off hitter Mark Tomei is batting .505 with 56 hits, including 20 doubles, five triples and eight home runs.

"They mash. What we do, you can't call mashing," Anastasio said. "It's the slugger vs. the fighter. Those guys can knock you out, we're going to have to peck away."

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/573405329683838364/old-bridge-vs-south-plainfield-for-greater-middlesex-conference-tournament-championship/

THE STAR-LEDGER TOP 20
1-Don Bosco Prep (25-0)
2-Gloucester Catholic (26-2)
3-Red Bank Catholic (23-2)
4-Manalapan (25-2)
5-Jackson (20-3)
6-St. Augustine (22-3)
7-Westfield (22-4)
8-Seton Hall Prep (20-5)
9-Pope John (21-4-1)
10-Ramapo (21-5)
11-Millburn (22-5)
12-West Essex (19-2)
13-Gov. Livingston (22-6)
14-Voorhees (17-3)
15-Steinert (23-3)
16-Robbinsville (23-3)
17-Cranford (20-5)
18-Brick (20-4)
19-Hackettstown (19-1)
20-South Plainfield (20-7)

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-8514885323479066793/a-look-at-the-state-baseball-tournament-don-bosco-prep-still-atop-top-20/

Game 29: Mendham 10, South Plainfield 6 (State Tournament)

NORTH 2 GROUP III
MENDHAM 10, SOUTH PLAINFIELD 6:

Senior Brandon Downes went 2-for-3 with a run scored and sophomore Quinn Cochrane went 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored for South Plainfield.
Junior outfielder Mark Tomei belted a solo homer in the third inning for the third-seeded Tigers (21-8).

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110531/NJSPORTS0130/105310319/HNT-BASEBALL-Perth-Amboy-shuts-out-Woodbridge-advance

Mendham (10) at South Plainfield (6), NJSIAA Tournament, Semifinal Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Baseball

The Star Ledger, May 31, 2011 9:23 p.m.

Casey Meyers belted the first pitch he saw in the seventh inning over the centerfield fence for a three-run home run to give upset-driven Mendham a 7-5 lead against South Plainfield, No. 20 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinals in South Plainfield.
Nick McGuire finished 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and junior lefty Dan Dessel scattered 10 hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk for Mendham (12-14), which won for the fourth time in its last five games. During that stretch, Mendham knocked off the defending Group 3 state champion, 17th-ranked Cranford, 7-3, last Friday in the state quarterfinals. Mark Tomei had a solo home run while Brandon Downes and Stephen Petriello finished with two hits apiece for South Plainfield (21-8), which had its 12-game winning streak snapped.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2054266813684093477/mendham-10-at-south-plainfield-6-njsiaa-tournament-semifinal-round-north-jersey-section-2-group-3-baseball/

Game 28: South Plainfield 11, Perth Amboy 5 (GMC Tournament)

THE STAR-LEDGER, May 28, 2011 5:30 p.m.

South Plainfield surprised No. 18 Perth Amboy, 11-5, as South Plainfield scored seven runs in the sixth inning. Dan Hansen hit two homers and finished with six RBI, Mark Tomei hit a three-run homer and Quinn Cochrane a solo shot for South Plainfield. FULL STORIES COMING SOON

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-8356507117616234722/seton-hall-prep-wins-79th-greater-newark-tournament-old-bridge-south-plainfield-advances-in-gmct-semifinals-on-baseball-diamond-saturday/

Details to follow.....

South Plainfield (11) at Perth Amboy (5), Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, Semifinal Round - Baseball

The Star Ledger, May 28, 2011 9:33 p.m.

By Josh Rosenfeld

Midnight struck during the sixth inning for Cinderella, clad in Perth Amboy red on this summer-like afternoon.
Despite the absence of its top three pitchers, all victims to inning restrictions as a result of its 17-inning marathon on Wedneday, top-seed Perth Amboy found itself clinging to a one-run lead heading into the sixth inning of its Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinal-round game with South Plainfield.
South Plainfield (21-7) erupted for seven runs in that frame on a three-run homer by Mark Tomei, another by Dan Hansen, who also homered earlier, and a solo shot by Quinn Cochrane to rally for an 11-5 victory yesterday at East Brunswick Tech.
Fourth-seeded South Plainfield ran its winning streak to 12 games and earned a berth opposite second-seeded Old Bridge (17-10), a 6-1 winner over St. Joseph, in the GMC championship game Wednesday at 7 p.m. at East Brunswick High School.
Hansen, better known for his pitching skills, was 3-for-4 with six RBI for South Plainfield. He singled in two runs in the first, drew South Plainfield within a run with a solo shot in the fifth and clubbed the three-run shot for a 10-5 lead in the sixth.
"It was crazy. I was going up there the entire game just looking to get a base hit on the ground somewhere and ended up with two home runs," said Hansen, who had never homered twice in a varsity game before. "I can't believe it."
Outfielder Jose Hernandez made his first start on the mound for the depleted Perth Amboy staff and yielded three unearned runs in the first before tossing three shutout innings. Perth Amboy (21-4) took a 5-3 lead by scoring four times in the fourth on an RBI single by Yon Jerry Perez, who had the game-winning hit in Wednesday's 2-1 epic victory over Sayreville, and a two-run double by pinch-hitter Tilson Brito.
"Jose Hernandez did exactly what we needed him to do. He should be proud of himself," Perth Amboy coach Ernie Kregeloh said. "Our pitchers carried us all year. Today, it had to be the bats and the gloves and we scored five runs."
Hansen made it 5-4 with a solo shot to right in the fifth and South Plainfield's sixth began with a single up the middle by Rob Eggert and a four-pitch walk to nine-hitter Ryan Marcoux with the .500-hitting Tomei coming to bat.
"The whole game I was popping it up, hitting little ground balls," Tomei said. "I was just thinking about getting as much power as I could on it, and I just hit it over the fence."
Tomei clubbed his team-leading eighth home run of the season to right center, putting South Plainfield on top to stay at 7-5 with the three-run blast. Hernandez induced a grounder to second before a catastrophic three-pitch sequence in which Brandon Downes doubled, Stephen Petriello received an automatic intentional walk, and Hansen and Cochrane homered on successive first pitches.
"He was only throwing fastballs and we recognized it and just kept on hitting it," Hansen said.
Sixth-seeded St. Joseph (17-9) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Matt Hratko drilled his team-leading eighth home run of the season to left, homering for the fourth game in a row. That was all of the scoring St. Joseph could muster off of Taylor Amato (5-6), who scattered five hits and struck out seven while walking one.
Old Bridge quickly assumed the lead by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first, the biggest blow being a two-run infield single by Briajhn Knoth that never made it past the infield grass with Vin Dacunto motoring home from second.
"We usually score late and its kind of nerve-wracking in the middle innings when we're down, so scoring early definitely boosted our morale," Amato said. "Once he hit the home run I knew I had to zone in."
Old Bridge tacked on single runs in the second and third, using four consecutive singles to plate Amato in the second, including a hit on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Nick Santurro. Knoth led off the third with a single, stole second, took third on a sacrifice by Payam Agha Ghassem and scored the final run of the game on a single by George Pagan.
"I knew we were going to have to bunt, hit-and-run and steal and do all of that stuff," Old Bridge coach Mike Anastasio said. "We just put some good swings on the ball early."
And South Plainfield, is opponent in Wednesday's championship game, put some good swings on the ball late.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-2054267813693093467/south-plainfield-11-at-perth-amboy-5-greater-middlesex-conference-tournament-semifinal-round-baseball/

Baseball: South Plainfield rallies to reach GMCT final

Staff Report
By Greg Tufaro
May 28, 2011

Knowing its opponent's pitching staff was completely depleted, the South Plainfield High School baseball team intended to reach Perth Amboy starter Jose Hernandez early.
The senior right-hander, who hurled just three varsity innings in his career, was forced to take the hill because the Panthers entered Saturday's Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinal against the Tigers having played 31 innings the previous three days.
South Plainfield couldn't reach Hernandez until the sixth inning when it parlayed three homers into a tide-turning seven-run rally en route to an 11-5 comeback victory at East Brunswick Tech.
The fourth-seeded Tigers (21-7), who extended their winning streak to 12 games, will face second-seeded Old Bridge for the GMCT championship at 7 p.m. Wednesday at East Brunswick High School.
Perth Amboy used up all the available innings of its three-man starting rotation during a three-game stretch last week including Wednesday's 2-1 GMCT quarterfinal victory over Sayreville, Thursday's 6-3 win over Perth Amboy Tech and Friday's 6-5 comeback victory over Edison in the North 2 Group IV Tournament.
The Panthers (21-4) swept the regular-season series with South Plainfield, rallying for two comeback victories.
They appeared to be on their way to a third straight comeback win Saturday when pinch hitter Tilson Brito's two-RBI double highlighted a four-run rally that gave the Panthers a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
"I told our guys Perth Amboy played (the equivalent of) five games in three days," South Plainfield coach Anthony Guida said. "That's going to take a toll on them. They've also beat us twice this year. They can do it again. Let's make sure that does not happen. I said they don't have much after (Hernandez). Three of their pitchers cannot throw. I said let's get to him. It took a while."
Perth Amboy spotted South Plainfield a 3-0 lead in the top of the first as the Tigers scored all of their runs with two outs following an infield error. Dan Hansen, who finished 3-for-4 with two homers and six RBI, fueled the outburst with a two-run single.
The Panthers scored an unearned run of their own in the first, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
South Plainfield, which stranded five runners over the first two innings, failed to pad its lead in the second, leaving the bases loaded without scoring a run. A spectacular defensive play in the ensuing inning ended another rally as the Panthers recorded an 8-5-4 double play to escape another jam.
Hansen's solo homer in the fifth trimmed Perth Amboy's lead to 5-4. Hernandez, who went the distance, throwing 106 pitches, appeared to have lost some velocity on his fastball at that point.
The strong-armed right fielder-turned pitcher allowed the first two batters to reach in the sixth. Both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
With first base open and leadoff batter Mark Tomei, the league's leading hitter with 56 hits, at the plate, Perth Amboy could have called for an intentional walk. Hernandez instead pitched to Tomei, who deposited his first pitch — a belt-high fastball — over the right-center field fence for a three-run homer and a 7-5 South Plainfield lead.
"When I saw Tomei coming up, I was like, this is where we want to be," Guida said. "We've got a pretty good shot. We always feel good with the top of our lineup coming up, not just Tomei."
Brandon Downes followed with a double. With first base open, Hernandez intentionally walked cleanup batter Stephen Petriello to pitch to Hansen, who deposited his initial offering — another belt-high fastball — over the right-center field fence for another three-run homer and a 10-5 advantage.
Designated hitter Quinn Cochrane homered on the very next pitch to produce the final margin. Hernandez was never chased because Perth Amboy had just one available arm, that of freshman Jose Ortiz, who had never thrown a varsity inning.
Perth Amboy chased South Plainfield starter Ryan Hutchinson after the first four batters reached safely to start the fourth. Reliever Nick DeMarco, South Plainfield's closer, hurled four scoreless innings to record the victory. The stint was his longest of the season.

Greg Tufaro: gtufaro@njpressmedia.com

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110528/NJSPORTS0130/105280310/Baseball-South-Plainfield-rallies-reach-GMCT-final

Middlesex: GMC Semifinal Preview; Strong GMC Showing In States

Published: Friday, May 27, 2011, 11:23 PM     Updated: Saturday, May 28, 2011, 12:05 AM

 By Josh Rosenfeld/For The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger

GREATER MIDDLESEX CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY, MAY 28
SEMIFINALS
AT EAST BRUNSWICK TECH

12:00  6-St. Joseph vs. 2-Old Bridge
Overview:

 

St. Joseph's Andrew Hille threw a two-hitter at Old Bridge on April 26. (Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)

St. Joseph: The Falcons have won seven of their last nine outings and the two losses were of the quality variety: 4-3 to fellow semi-finalist South Plainfield, winner of 11 in a row, and Monday to No. 6 Pope John, 10-5.  Dolan (6-2, 1.18), the likely starter, has been unhittable lately yielding six hits, one run and three walks in 13 innings over his last two starts while striking out 24. Hille (4-3) pitched his best game of the year against Old Bridge in his two-hit effort. Balance has been the key on offense as seven different players have double-digit RBI totals yet none above the 18 of Matt Hratko, who leads the team with seven home runs, and Dom Forcella, who leads with a .427 batting average.

 

Alejandro Diaz is a weapon at the plate or on the mound for Old Bridge. (Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)

Old Bridge: The Knights have alternated between wins and losses over their last 10 games although they’re due for a win having lost their last outing to Monroe, 2-0, on Thursday. Pitching depth is its greatest strength with three proven starters in Jon Young (8-2, 1.77), Taylor Amato (4-6, 4.45) and Hondo Diaz (2-1, 2.33). Old Bridge is batting .288 as a team and slugging at a .369 rate. Vin Dacunto leads the team with a .390 batting average while Young has hit four of the Knights’ six home runs (Diaz has the other two), leads with 17 RBI and is batting. 375.

The teams split a pair of one-run decisions April 25-26, Old Bridge winning the first in Metuchen, 2-1, St. Joseph winning the second at Old Bridge, 4-3. St. Joseph’s Brandon Dolan took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of the first game and teammate Andrew Hille fired a two-hitter in the second. St. Joseph, seeded 10th, defeated fourth-seeded Old Bridge, 3-2, in the GMC title game on June 1, 2008. St. Joseph defeated Msgr. Donovan, 5-0, in a first round Non-Public A South contest Friday while Old Bridge was eliminated from the Central Jersey, Group 4 bracket by Hillsborough, 5-3, on Monday.St. Joseph, 4-2.


Prediction: Old Bridge may have more pitching but St. Joseph has the better one if Dolan is on the mound. If he is,

2:30 (approx.) 4-South Plainfield vs. 1-Perth Amboy
Overview: Perth Amboy swept their back-to-back White Division games, rallying from a 7-2 deficit to win in South Plainfield on April 14, 10-8, then prevailing the following day in 10 innings at Rudyk Park, 10-9. Both teams won state tournament games Friday, South Plainfield topping Belleville, 9-4, and Perth Amboy rallying to defeat Edison, 6-5. Perth Amboy is still dealing with the aftershocks from Wednesday’s 17-inning, 2-1 win over Sayreville in the quarterfinals of the GMC Tournament and the ramifications of that marathon on its pitching staff.

 

South Plainfield's AJ Celentano stretches for a throw at first in Wednesday's GMC quarterfinal victory over Woodbridge. (William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)

South Plainfield: The GMC’s hottest team has won 11 in a row. The Tigers have been on fire at the plate as they showed Wednesday when they lit up Woodbridge ace Nick Stallone for nine hits and six runs over four innings in a six-inning 11-1 victory in the GMC quarterfinals. Mark Tomei, batting .509 with 54 hits including 20 doubles, five triples and seven home runs, had a double, triple and home run against Woodbridge and doubled twice Friday. Brandon Downes went 3-for-4 with two RBI against Woodbridge while Stephen Petriello had driven in seven runs in the last two games to raise his team-leading total to 29. Dan Hansen (6-1) looked sharp Wednesday against Woodbridge as he retired the last seven batters he faced.

 Perth Amboy's Fernando Rosa gets some love from a teammate after scoring in a game against Woodbridge earlier this season. (Ben Solomon/For The Star-Ledger)

Perth Amboy: Emilio Calderon (11-1), Fernando Rosa (4-0) and Wonder Ortega (5-2)

are all ineligible to pitch due to Wednesday’s marathon so coach Ernie Kregeloh will likely call on right fielder Jose Hernandez, who earned a save in Friday’s state tournament win over Edison, to start. Perth Amboy is on a pretty good run of its own having won nine in a row. Catcher Anderon Rosa leads the attack with a .512 batting average, 42 hits, eight home runs and 32 RBI, while his cousin, Fernando Rosa, is hitting .444. Outfielder Ismael Paulino has 31 RBI and bats .425.

Prediction: The teams have won 20 consecutive games between them but Perth Amboy appears to be in trouble without any of its top pitchers to contain South Plainfield’s mighty attack. South Plainfield, 8-5.
 
GMC RULES!: Great showing by GMC schools in the state tournament Friday, compiling a 9-2 record. And one of those losses was to another GMC school when Perth Amboy rallied to beat Edison.

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/baseball/index.ssf/2011/05/middlesex_gmc_semifinal_preview_strong_gmc_showing_in_states.html