Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com
The Greater Middlesex Conference baseball postseason is upon us. Both the GMC Jim Muldowney Tournament and the Ray Clipperly Invitational tournament kicks off this week.
Here is the top 10 with notes underneath the ranking.
GMC Top 10
(Records through Saturday, May 9)
1. Edison (14-5) – last week No. 1: Key boxes, checked. The Eagles couldn’t have done much better in the regular season by navigating through the always tough GMC Red Division with an 11-3 record en route to capturing the pennant. Edison has a team 2.48 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 124 1/3 innings led by Connor Murphy (64 Ks, 0.66 ERA) with Dom Innocenti, Ray Tavarez and Brayden and Robert Roma, among others, throwing key innings. Next up, Edison earned the top seed in the GMCT.
2. Middlesex (15-2) – last week No. 2: Middlesex had a case for the GMCT top seed after going through the White Division with a 13-1 record. Instead, the Blue Jays drew the No. 2 seed, but they’ll be a confident bunch with a deep lineup and strong pitching. They also won’t be frazzled in the bright lights with almost everyone back from last year’s squad that reached the GMCT semifinals and won Central Group 1.
3. Old Bridge (13-8) – last week No. 3: The Knights hit sort of a midseason bump by losing four of five with three close defeats. Since then, Old Bridge has won seven of eight and will be entering the GMCT as a hot No. 3 seed. The Knights had a 4-0 week with wins over Colonia, Metuchen and non-conference teams Bridgewater-Raritan and St. Peter’s Prep.
4. South Plainfield (11-10) – last week No. 4: The Tigers clinched third place in the Red Division with a 10-5 win over Monroe last week to finish 8-6 in the eight-team grouping. South Plainfield earned the No. 5 seed in the GMCT and looks to be a pesky out. Table-setter Dom Massaro is hitting .564 (44-for-78) with 27 runs, 22 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.
5. Woodbridge (11-7) – last week No. 5: The Barrons have the pitching, the hitting with chemistry, and momentum – they’ll also be a tough postseason out. Woodbridge enters the GMCT as the No. 6 seed on a six-game winning streak after finishing fourth in the Red Division (7-7). In fact, the Barrons have scored a Red Division high 135 runs and given up the fewest with 56 runs.
6. Metuchen (14-5) – last week No. 7: The Bulldogs drew the No. 4 seed in the GMCT after finishing second in the White Division. Metuchen got some impressive wins last week by beating Edison and Monroe and is surely tournament tested. Remember last season as the No. 13 seed, the Bulldogs upset No. 4-seeded East Brunswick and nearly everyone is back.
7. Monroe (8-12) – last week No. 6: Teams with top pitching are scary come tournament time. The Falcons have the arms and can compete with anyone when they’re firing. Ben Faigin has been one of the GMC’s best all-around players hitting .550 (33-for-66, 17 steals) and has a 1.70 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. The Falcons finished tied for fifth in the Red Division with St. Thomas Aquinas at 6-8 and drew the No. 9 seed.
8. Colonia (10-6) – last week No. 9: What was that about teams with top pitching in tournaments? Put the Patriots in that category. Colonia, which finished third in the White Division, is the No. 8 seed in the GMCT and hosts Monroe in the first round. Ace Colin Kroner (44 IP, 70 Ks, 1.75 ERA) against Monroe’s Faigin or Andre Love is a top-flight matchup.
9. South Brunswick (9-7) – last week unranked: The Vikings have been considered for our ranking in past weeks, and they move in on the eve of the GMCT. South Brunswick drew the No. 10 seed after finishing fourth in the White Division at 7-7. Colin Perna has emerged as a certified ace (53 Ks, 1.58 ERA) and is hitting .510 (25-for-49).
10. St. Thomas Aquinas (8-12) – last week No. 10: The Trojans finished a competitive season in the Red Division after moving in from the White by tying Monroe for sixth place at 6-8. That included wins over No. 1 Edison, No. 3 Old Bridge, No. 4 South Plainfield and No. 7 Monroe in two-game series splits. The GMCT seventh-seed can play with anyone, particularly with Louis Rizzolo on the mound.
GMC Invitational
The top teams who didn’t receive a bid for the 20-team GMC Tournament were seeded for the 10-team Ray Clipperly Invitational. Perth Amboy and Piscataway drew the top two seeds and received byes into the quarterfinals. Play begins with the first round on Tuesday, May 12, followed by the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 14, and semifinals on Monday, May 18. All games are at the higher seed. The final is at Edison on Friday, May 22.
NJ Baseball Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 and notes, May 9
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