Greater Middlesex Conference final Top 10 ranking (MyCentralJersey.com)

 

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

GMC FINAL TOP 10 FOR 2023 SEASON

1. Old Bridge (21-9) – The Knights were ranked No. 8 in our preseason rankings. Well, that’s why you play the game. Old Bridge earned its No. 1 ranking by capturing the NJSIAA Central Group 4 title then beating Eastern in the Group 4 semifinals to reach state final. The Knights contended in the tough Red Division until the final week finishing tied for second with St. Joseph and Monroe. The talent emerged with both upperclassmen and underclassmen improving throughout the season. Old Bridge finished strong by winning 10 of its last 13 games and beat state power Red Bank Catholic.

2. St. Joseph (21-10) – The Falcons made a strong case for the top spot and several factors were considered. While that’s something that fans can debate, there’s no denying their GMC Tournament championship as the No. 3 seed. St. Joseph proved its once again one of the top programs in the area. The Falcons advanced to the Non-Public South A title game falling to Red Bank Catholic.  

3. North Brunswick (21-7) – The Raiders clinched the program’s first-ever Red Division pennant with an 8-4 record in the brutal grouping. A tournament championship escaped North Brunswick, but fans can’t blame the Raiders for their effort. North Brunswick simply dropped two heartbreakers that could have went either way – a 2-0 loss to St. Joseph in the GMCT final and a 2-1 defeat to Old Bridge in the sectional final.  

4. Monroe (14-11) – The Falcons had a slow start record-wise beginning 1-4. Everything else, though, looked good with strong play. Monroe beat St. Joseph and then lost to St. Joe’s 3-2 to conclude the series and dropped a 1-0 game to North Brunswick. The pitching remained strong and the victories came. Monroe reeled off seven-straight wins and ultimately placed tied for second in the Red Division, no small feat. The Falcons reached both the GMCT and Central Group 4 semifinals, losing to North Brunswick twice by a run.  

5. South Plainfield (15-14) – The Tigers battled in the Red Division, finishing 5-7 to tie with East Brunswick for third place. The seventh-seeded Tigers upset second-seeded Old Bridge in the GMCT quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ St. Joseph 2-1 in the semifinals. South Plainfield split with No. 1 Old Bridge, No. 2 St. Joseph and No. 3 North Brunswick in the regular season.

6. Sayreville (15-10) – Winning the White Division means something. The Bombers made an impressive turnaround in the division by going from last to first. Sayreville played just about every team tough including beating Blue Division champs Spotswood and losing by a run to Old Bridge in regular season games.

7. Spotswood (21-8) – The Chargers controlled the Blue Division for most of the season and clinched down the stretch for the pennant. As the No. 11 seed, Spotswood scored an impressive upset over sixth-seeded Woodbridge in the GMCT second round. Spotswood continued its winning hardball by reaching the Central Group 2 final. Along the way, the Chargers pleased their fans with back-to-back walk-off wins in the sectional's first two round games.

8. Woodbridge (18-5) – The Barrons have won 45 games over the last two seasons and once again showed their grit in the postseason. Woodbridge rallied from a 7-2 deficit on the road in the North 2 Group 4 semifinals against Bridgewater-Raritan to force extra innings. While B-R had a walk-off 10-9 win, Woodbridge showed it’s a tough out. The Barrons finished second in the White Division behind Sayreville.

9. Edison (16-9) – The Eagles had quite a turnaround season going from 7-17-1 to 16-10 this spring and tied for third in the White Division. Edison split with division champs Sayreville, as well as with No. 8 Woodbridge and No. 10 Middlesex in White play.

10. (tie) Middlesex (17-9) – For many Group 1 schools, heavy graduation losses means a rebuild. Not the Blue Jays. Middlesex simply has a pipeline of good players coming up through the ranks. Once again, Middlesex had an impressive season that included finishing tied for third in the White Division with Edison and reaching the Central Group 1 final.

East Brunswick (15-12) – The Bears stayed afloat in the Red Division and had splits with No. 1 Old Bridge, No. 3 North Brunswick, No. 4 Monroe, No. 5 South Plainfield and No. 9 Edison. Quality wins do count, as does an overall winning record.

NJ Baseball: Greater Middlesex Conference final Top 10 ranking (mycentraljersey.com)