Middlesex baseball: GMC Tournament championship- What to watch for

By Connor Hughes/For The Star-Ledger
on May 27, 2014 7:30 a.m.

Well, it's all come down to this.
After beginning the tournament with 31 teams all hoping for a shot at a championship, the GMCT has just two remaining: South Plainfield and St. Joseph (Met.). The two will battle it out at TD Bank Ballpark to see whom is crowned GMC Champion.
Will it be St. Joseph's first title in Steve Bucchignano's tenure as head coach, or will South Plainfield win its first tournament championship in over 30 years?
While the champion will be crowned tonight, let's set the stage for what is sure to be one of the best GMC games of the year.
WHO?
South Plainfield (6) vs St. Joseph (Met.) (4)
WHERE?
TD Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots.
WHEN?
7:30 pm
THE PITCHERS
St. Joseph (Met.) will be throwing Notre Dame-bound Brandon Bielak, who recently was voted "Player of the Year" by the GMC coaches. This season, Bielak has struck out a county-high 76 batters.
South Plainfield will counter with its own ace, Kyle Moroney. This season, Moroney has been one of the county's best pitchers, without garnering much attention. The Rowan-commit has allowed just two earned runs in 44 innings pitched.
THE HITTERS?
It's hard to glance over South Plainfield's lineup and not see Aidan McDermott's name jump off the paper. The senior hits for a high average, power and is a huge threat on the base paths. Batting in the three hole, McDermott is helped by clean-up hitter Justin Marks. The catcher is just as dangerous as McDermott and doesn't allow pitchers to pitch around him.
St. Joseph is capable of recording hits 1-9 in the lineup, but Mark Bobko is the highlight of it. The senior is batting .411 this year with 18 runs, 10 RBI, three doubles and a triple. Bobko has recorded 30 hits.
THE STORYLINE:
St. Joseph (Met.) coach Steve Bucchignano played his high school ball at South Plainfield and said following his team's victory over Spotswood it was "fitting" he'd have to defeated them in order to capture his first GMCT title.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?
For South Plainfield it's simple, jump on top of Brandon Bielak early. The senior is very, very savvy and only gets stronger as the game goes on. If the team wants to score runs, those opportunities are going to come early one. Once Bielak settles in... good luck.
St. Joseph (Met.) needs to find a way to do something no one really has found a way to do this year: hit Kyle Moroney. Having allowed only two earned runs, the South Plainfield ace is in strong consideration for Pitcher of the Year honors at the end of the season.

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/5505194816230803902/middlesex-baseball-gmc-tournament-championship-what-to-watch-for-fan-vote/