Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Preview, 2026: Fascinating arms race to unfold

By 

• Brian Bobal | NJ.com

The 2026 high school baseball season is officially here.

The NJ.com baseball staff has started its preparations for the spring season. As part of our baseball preview package, scroll down and take a look at our preview for the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Included are who we figure to be the top teams, a sleeper that could turn some heads, players to watch this spring and a breakdown of the league’s divisions.

Greater Middlesex Conference Preview

Top Teams

Edison was one inning away from winning a GMC Tournament title last year. There is no doubt this team is going to play with a chip on its shoulder in 2026. There is a wealth of talent on this roster as well. Connor Murphy, Robert Roma, Ray Tavarez and Braydon Roma are a tough pitching core to contend with. The offense returns most of their biggest contributors from last year. Dom Innocenti, Robert Roma and Daren Tirado were three of the four players to record at least 30 hits last year who are returning.

Colonia lost one of the best pitchers in the county, Cory Pascarella, to graduation. The good news is Colin Kroner put together a 0.7 ERA in 59 2/3 innings and hit .333 with 24 RBIs. Dylan Chiera led the team last season with 36 hits and was one of five players with at least 20 RBIs. The senior class is going to be the heart of the team but Jayce Rodriguez is looking to build off a strong freshman season in which he hit .264 with 19 hits, 18 RBIs and 16 runs.

St. Joseph (Met.) won last year’s GMC Tournament title in thrilling fashion with a walk-off grand slam. This year’s squad will have plenty of new faces with a big senior group graduating last spring. Logan Ring and Luke Palermo were great s sophomores and will be two of the biggest offensive contributors in 2026. Kris Almanzar, Owen Krulikowski and Walter Christian are three of the senior leaders who aspire to get this team back to the top of the GMC mountain.

Middlesex captured a Group 1 state title last year and have the necessary ingredients to repeat. The Blue Jays also went to the semifinals of the GMC Tournament. The team will have heavy hearts all season after the tragic passing of James Matula in the offseason. The stellar one-two pitching duo allowed 24 earned runs in 147 innings of work with 137 strikeouts. There are exceptionally high expectations for the team this season, which only had three seniors graduate.

St. Thomas Aquinas earned a White Division crown last year and make the jump to the Red Division as a result. Louis Rizzolo is one of the better pitchers in the GMC and had a stellar 1.17 ERA in 59 2/3 innings with 98 strikeouts last year. He also hit .288 at the plate. The Trojans had 10 players with double-digit hits last season and only five are returning. Harrison Eng, Adrian Sanchez and Josh Figueiredo are going to be key producers as well.

Woodbridge opened the 2025 season with an 8-0 record and hovered just above .500 the rest of the way. Kevin Arroyo had a terrific junior season with a 1.11 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings. Gavin Slicner and Xavier Diaz are two massive threats in the lineup and each had 34 hits a season ago to go with a combined 36 RBIs and 57 runs scored. This team was bounced in the opening round of the GMC Tournament last year and then went to the North Jersey 2, Group 4 semifinals.

South Plainfield has a few dynamic pieces left despite losing a large senior class to graduation. Dom Massaro’s 41 hits were the second-most in the conference last year. He also had 20 RBIs and 27 runs. Aiden McCarthy and Chris Loniewski are stars as well with 41 total hits, 36 combined RBIs and 31 runs. McCarthy is a strong presence on the mound as well with a 1.34 ERA in 52 1/3 innings of work last year.

Old Bridge gave Edison a battle in the opening round of the GMC Tournament but fell and rebounded to reach the Central Jersey, Group 4 final. Brody Nugent, Erich Schikschenet and Chris Crosta are the face of the team’s offense and can lead this team to plenty of wins. Brady Meyer will be a reliable workhorse on the mound after posting a 3.20 ERA in 35 innings as a sophomore with 26 strikeouts.

Sleeper Team

Metuchen moved up into the White Division and brings back almost everyone from last year’s squad. There were nine players with at least 10 hits in 2025. All of them are slated to come back. Matt Jelleme and Lucas Malamug combined for 68 hits, 38 RBI and 40 runs, while also collecting a total of 133 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings. James Fenton had a solid freshman season with a 3.10 ERA in 38 1/3 innings as a pitcher to go with 29 hits, a .333 average and 22 RBI, which led the team, as a hitter.

Division breakdown

Red Division: East Brunswick, Edison, Monroe, Old Bridge, South Plainfield, St. Joseph (Met.), St. Thomas Aquinas, Woodbridge

White Division: Colonia, Iselin Kennedy, Metuchen, Middlesex, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Brunswick, Spotswood

Blue Division: Carteret, East Brunswick Magnet, J.P. Stevens, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, North Plainfield, Piscataway, South River

Gold Division: Dunellen, Highland Park, Perth Amboy Magnet, Piscataway Magnet, Somerset Tech, South Amboy, Timothy Christian, Wardlaw-Hartridge

Players to Watch:

Dom Massaro, South Plainfield, Sr., OF - Player profile

Aiden McCarthy, South Plainfield, Sr., P/1B - Player profile

Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Preview, 2026: Fascinating arms race to unfold - nj.com

Baseball preview team-by-team look at the Greater Middlesex Conference

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

April 1, 2026, 4:04 a.m. ET

The 2026 baseball season is about to heat up on the diamond. Here is a look at the teams this spring in the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Red Division
SOUTH PLAINFIELD

Coach: Scott Gleichenhaus

Last year: 18-11 overall, 9-5 Red Division

Key losses: Dan Kapsch (SS), Nick Irizarry (2B), Kevin Penny (P/1B), Mike Castagna (P), Steven Studlack (C)
Roster: Jayden Jimenez (Sr., RHP), Aiden McCarthy (Sr., LHP/1B), Dominic Massaro (Sr., CF/LHP), Aiden Kaplan (Sr., RHP), Ed Budzinski (Sr., OF/LHP), Joe Stanzione (Sr., LHP/OF), Alex Pigna (Sr., RHP/UTL); Chris Loniewski (Jr., C/INF), Mike Fiore (Jr., UTL), Noah Dennis (Jr., LHP), Sean Griswald (Jr., C), Hunter Ravi (Jr., OF), Justin Andrade (Jr., OF), Anthony Cicenia (So., SS), Andree Bena (So., LHP/1B), Andrew Burns (So., OF/LHP), Gabriel Garcia (Fr., 2B)

Outlook: The Tigers put together a fun postseason ride by capturing the North 2 Group 3 title as the No. 3 seed for their first sectional title since 2015. However, it was a senior-heavy team and South Plainfield returns just three regulars. The good news: one is a Player of the Year candidate and two of their four top pitchers are back. Dom Massaro will once again patrol center field after hitting .394 (41-for-104) with 12 walks, 28 stolen bases, 27 runs scored and 20 RBIs and provides depth to the pitching staff. Aiden McCarthy had a 1.34 ERA in 52 1/3 innings and hit .297 with a team-high 25 RBIs. He’ll split time with Andree Bena at first. Last year's third baseman Chris Loniewski moves to catcher. Jay Jimenez (2.29 ERA in 18 1/3 IP) and sophomore Andrew Bena are expected to lead the pitching staff along with McCarthy. South Plainfield does have pitching depth with seniors Joe Stanzione, Aiden Kaplan, Ed Budzinszki and Alex Pigna figuring in the mix along with Andrew Burns and Noah Dennis. Pitching and defense have always been the Tigers recipe for success and they should once again be solid up the middle. There were a handful of players competing to flank Massaro on each side in the outfield in Stanzione, Budzinzki, Hunter Ravi, Justin Andrade and Bena and Burns. Newcomers Anthony Cicenia (SS) and freshman Gabriel Garcia (2B) will handle the middle of the diamond. Mike Fiore and Pigna will figure into the infield mix, as well, to replace Loniewski at third.

NJ Baseball Preview Greater Middlesex Conference

South Plainfield 2026 Baseball Preview

TAPinto South Plainfield

By Guy Kipp
Published March 30, 2026 at 12:00 AM

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ — The South Plainfield baseball team will open defense of its 2025 sectional championship when the 2026 season gets underway on Tuesday at St. Joseph of Metuchen.

That will actually be a meeting of two teams that both won championships last spring: South Plainfield won the NJSIAA North 2, Group 3 crown, and St. Joe's won the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

Tigers' coach Scott Gleichenhaus will try to mold another contender around the multiple talents of senior center fielder Dom Massaro and senior pitcher/first baseman Aiden McCarthy, two of the top holdovers from last year's squad, which was hit pretty heavily by graduation.

The other two regulars returning from that team are right-handed pitcher Jayden Jimenez, who served as the Tigers' closer in 2025; and junior Chris Loniewski, who will be moving from third base to catcher this season.

Massaro is one of the top all-around athletes in Middlesex County, an all-conference star in both baseball and football, one of the fastest players in the GMC and a Gold Glove caliber fielder in center. Massaro batted .394 with 28 stole bases last season. He scored 27 runs and drove in 20 runs. Gleichenhaus suggested that Massaro, who bats right-handed but throws lefty, could see some time on the mound, too.

The mound is the property of ace left-hander McCarthy, who is coming off a brilliant junior campaign in which he pitched to a 1.34 earned-run average with just 12 walks and 37 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. McCarthy will play first base when he isn't pitching. He batted .297 with 25 RBI last year.

Jimenez shined as a closer for the Tigers in 2025, putting up a 2.29 ERA with 15 strikeouts and eight walks in 18 1/3 high-leverage innings.

Loniewski turned in a strong sophomore season at third base and batted .268 with 11 RBI. He'll be tested with the transition behind the plate this spring.

"We will have our work cut out for us after graduating two of our top four pitchers and returning three regulars from the starting lineup," Gleichenhaus said.

The pitching staff beyond McCarthy and Jimenez, will include sophomore LHP Andrew Bena, senior LHP Joe Stanzione, senior RHP Aiden Kaplan and senior Ed Budzinszki. Sophomore Andrew Burns, junior Noah Dennis and senior Alex Pigna will also be looking to contribute innings on the mound.

"Pitching and defense have always been the Tiger recipe for success," the coach said. He'll be breaking in a new double play combination this season, with sophomore shortstop Anthony Cicenia and freshman second baseman Gabriel Garcia making their debuts.

Seniors Stanzione and Budzinzki, junior Hunter Ravi and sophomores Bena and Burns are options for the two corner outfield spots, with  junior Mike Fiore and senior Alex Pigna both getting the chance to play third base.  

South Plainfield 2026 Baseball Preview | South Plainfield, NJ News TAPinto | TAPinto

2026 South Plainfield Baseball Schedule

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All-Group 3 teams, 2025

By Brian Bobal | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

There were game-winning hits and late-inning rallies. Add key strikeouts and defensive gems to the mix, too.

In the end, the 2025 New Jersey high school baseball season saw the state’s premier players deliver memorable performances on a daily basis.

Check out the NJ.com baseball staff’s selections for our All-Group 3 teams this spring.

First Team

P: Luca Mannino, Northern Burlington, Sr.
P: Cory Pascarella, Colonia, Sr.
P: Dan Nafziger, Toms River East, Sr.
P: Frank Cairone, Delsea, Sr.
C: Liam Velit, Northern Burlington, Jr.
INF: Cole Marchetti, Northern Burlington, Jr.
INF: Matt Ferrara, Toms River East, Sr.
INF: Dan Golembiewski, Brick Memorial, Jr.
INF: Ethan DuBois, Delsea, So.
OF: Nick Dromboski, Northern Burlington, Sr.
OF: Dylan Fitzsimmons, Morris Knolls, Sr.
OF: Chase Kroberger, Moorestown, Sr.
UTL: Charlie Wingfield, Ramapo, Sr.
UTL: Alex Famolari, North Hunterdon, Jr.

Second Team

P: Jake Lodgek, Mainland, Sr.
P: Chris Matesic, Paramus, Sr.
P: Colin Kroner, Colonia, Jr.
P: Nick Mokienko, Delsea, Sr.
C: Joe McGlynn, Brick Memorial, Jr.
INF: Braden Fry, Cranford, Jr.
INF: Joey DiMeo, Toms River East, So.
INF: Nick Irizarry, South Plainfield, Sr.
INF: Sean Heffernan, Burlington Township, Sr.
OF: Grant Fournier, Cherry Hill West, Sr.
OF: Liam Hayward, Ramapo, Jr.
OF: Teak Toto, Lawrence, Sr.
UTL: Evan Taylor, Ocean City, Sr.
UTL: Jimmy Musser, Northern Burlington, Sr.

Third Team

P: Selden Kolkebeck, Old Tappan, Jr.
P: Aidan Poot, Lawrence, Jr.
P: Dean Kaletcher, Morris Knolls, Sr.
P: Cody Herman, Ramapo, Jr.
C: Alex Bellovich, Ramapo, Jr.
INF: Chris Quick, Brick Township, Jr.
INF: Tyler Garbooshian, Brick Memorial, Jr.
INF: Ryan Johannessen, Roxbury, Sr.
INF: Ben Cohen, Summit, Jr.
OF: Dominic Massaro, South Plainfield, Jr.
OF: Chase Camac, Mainland, Sr.
OF: Cole Judge, Deptford, Sr.
UTL: AJ Terry, Randolph, Sr.
UTL: Brayden Nalducci, Brick Memorial, Sr.

Baseball: All-Group 3 teams, 2025 - nj.com

Final Group and conference rankings for 2025

By Brian Bobal | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
PJ Potter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Group rankings

Group 1

1-Middlesex (23-5)
2-Schalick (22-3)
3-Midland Park (21-9-1)
4-Audubon (20-8)
5-Brearley (15-10)
6-Wallkill Valley (17-7)
7-Point Pleasant Beach (20-8)
8-Pequannock (17-8)
9-Woodstown (16-10)
10-Verona (19-7)

Group 2

1-Gov. Livingston (28-0)
2-Haddonfield (24-6)
3-West Morris (20-11)
4-Glen Rock (24-6)
5-Pascack Valley (22-7)
6-Collingswood (17-10)
7-Mendham (11-15)
8-Rutherford (18-8)
9-West Essex (16-9)
10-Raritan (20-8)

Group 3

1-Northern Burlington (28-2)
2-Morris Knolls (15-12)
3-Ramapo (25-5)
4-Brick Memorial (22-7)
5-Toms River East (20-7)
6-South Plainfield (18-11)
7-Colonia (23-5)
8-Lawrence (21-8-1)
9-Mainland (17-10)
10-Shawnee (14-12)

Group 4

1-Cherokee (28-3)
2-Westfield (20-7)
3-Passaic Tech (24-7)
4-Eastern (20-7)
5-Kingsway (20-7)
6-Ridgewood (21-8)
7-Livingston (20-8)
8-Ridge (21-7)
9-Hillsborough (14-11)
10-Old Bridge (18-11)

Non-Public

1-Don Bosco Prep (26-2)
2-Gloucester Catholic (24-3)
3-Delbarton (24-5)
4-Christian Brothers (22-5)
5-DePaul (21-7)
6-Seton Hall Prep (22-2)
7-Red Bank Catholic (20-8)
8-St. Augustine (18-8)
9-Bishop Eustace (22-7)
10-St. Joseph (Met.) (16-7)

Conference rankings

Greater Middlesex Conference

1-St. Joseph (Met.) (16-7)
2-Middlesex (23-5)
3-South Plainfield (18-11)
4-Old Bridge (18-11)
5-Woodbridge (18-8)
6-Edison (17-11)
7-Spotswood (15-11)
8-Colonia (23-5)
9-St. Thomas Aquinas (16-9)
10-Metuchen (17-10)

Baseball: Final Group and conference rankings for 2025 - nj.com

Salute to the Greater Middlesex Conference banner winners of 2025

Andy Mendlowitz

MyCentralJersey.com

While there were many big wins this season, only a handful of Greater Middlesex Conference teams earned the right to add notches on the banner. In fact, eight squads won pennants or major tournaments.

Here are salutes to the champions.

State: Middlesex – The Blue Jays have the type of program where DNA through the years, fathers and brothers, don the same blue uniform and past players happily come back to talk with the current generation. This squad added to that legacy. First, Middlesex won the Central Group 1 title by outscoring its four opponents by a combined 35-2. The Blue Jays then took two thrillers for the state championship. In the Group 1 semifinals, Middlesex topped Schalick 4-3 in eight innings on pinch hitter Dalton Michael’s walk-off hit. In the final, Luke Jones drove in two runs and Marcus Lavornia added an RBI as the Blue Jays prevailed 3-2 over Midland Park. Dominic Long and Chris Kozak combined to throw all but two innings in the six-game postseason run.

Sectional: South Plainfield – The Tigers entered the North 2 Group 3 tournament as the No. 3 seed. No problem. South Plainfield got hot at the right time and outscored its first three opponents by a combined 28-3, including an 8-1 semifinal win over No. 2-seeded Millburn. In the final, Kevin Penny threw six shutout innings and the Tigers held off a late rally to stop top-seeded Colonia 5-4. To make the victory even more memorable, the school’s prom was that evening and the players certainly enjoyed their double celebration.

Jim Muldowney GMCT: St. Joseph – Four walk-off wins. The Falcons certainly won’t have any trouble finding material for a season highlight reel. St. Joseph did the improbable by capturing the GMC Tournament with four wins in its last at-bat. That includes a pair of 1-0 victories in extra innings. Richie Zangara threw an eight-inning shutout to defeat Sayreville in the first round and Joseph Barca twirled seven shutout innings in the win over Metuchen in the quarterfinals. Walter Christian and Luke Palermo had the respective game-winning singles. In the semifinals, Spotswood led St. Joseph 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh. Bobby Christensen hit a two-RBI double to tie it and JP Zayle’s single gave St. Joseph the win. The finals had the highlight of highlights as Zayle’s grand slam in the bottom of the seventh topped Edison 7-4 for the trophy.

Ray Cipperly GMCT Invitational: New Brunswick – Consider this, the last time New Brunswick won a baseball title Ronald Reagan was president and the iPhone was still a couple decades away. That changed this spring. The Zebras, who won a sectional title in 1986, captured the Invitational as the No. 5 seed with wins over No. 4 Piscataway, No. 1 J.P. Stevens and third-seeded East Brunswick Magnet in the final. Kelvin Heuston hit .444 in the run with Yeuri Garcia, Jacob Henderson and Elkin Reyes excelling on the mound.

Red Division: Woodbridge – The Barrons accomplished what is believed to be a first in the GMC baseball annals – win a division title in back-to-back seasons in different divisions. After capturing the White pennant in 2024, Woodbridge took the difficult Red Division crown with an 11-3 record and a two-game lead. The Barrons answered pitching questions with Kevin Arroyo, Michael Gurovich and Ryan Leach eating the innings and juniors Xavier Diaz (.436) and Gavin Slicner (.400) led the offensive attack.

White Division: St. Thomas Aquinas – The Trojans were in a loaded White Division with Middlesex, pitching-strong Colonia, always-good Spotswood and pesky teams like Sayreville, Perth Amboy and North Brunswick. Yet, St. Thomas Aquinas found a way. What makes it even more impressive is STA played without key starter Nikash Patel, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Louis Rizzolo had a 1.17 ERA with 98 strikeouts and Declan DiCarlo was 5-1 with two saves in 22 innings. But really, it was a team effort with the offensive production spread around.

Blue Division: Metuchen – Many fans probably didn’t tab the Bulldogs as preseason favorites in the Blue. The reason? Aside teams such as Carteret, North Plainfield and South River looming, Metuchen was coming off an 8-15 campaign, had two freshmen in the lineup and graduated its best hitter. However, nearly everyone returned from a mostly young team and some fledgling stars blossomed. Juniors Lucas Malamug (57 1/3 IP, 82 Ks, 1.47 ERA and .333 batting average) and Matt Jelleme (37 1/3 IP, 51 Ks, 2.81 ERA and .447, 20 RBIs) and freshman James Fenton (38 1/3 IP, 72 Ks, 3.10 ERA) led a slew of breakout players who are back in 2026.

Gold Division: East Brunswick Magnet and New Brunswick (co-champs) – There couldn’t have been more drama as the Gold pennant race went down the stretch with EB Magnet and New Brunswick tussling in the final two-game series to decide the winner. It lived up to the excitement as the squads split for a tie atop the standings. First, EB Magnet won 5-3 behind ace Anthony Bienvenue’s complete game. A day later, New Brunswick won 5-3 as Yeuri Garcia earned the win by allowing three runs in three innings and Jacob Henderson shut the door with four scoreless frames in relief.

NJ Baseball: Salute to the GMC banner winners of 2025

The 2025 Home News Tribune All-Area Baseball Teams

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Here are the 2025 Home News Tribune Greater Middlesex Conference All-Area baseball teams.

FIRST TEAM

P: Justin Hascup, Old Bridge, Sr.

Hascup could fire up a strikeout, or, simply induce weak contact on the mound. His approach baffled hitters the last three seasons for the Knights. The righthander had a 1.60 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings this spring and allowed just seven earned runs and 18 walks. He was also one of the best two-way players in the GMC. Hascup hit .385 (30-for-78) with 17 RBIs and 18 walks.

P: Connor Murphy, Edison, Jr.

Murphy was eager for the spring after gaining 20 pounds of muscle in a productive offseason. However, he battled the flu early on, lost some of that weight and struggled in a couple outings. By mid-April, Murphy felt better and was near-unhittable. The righthander had a stretch where he allowed one earned run in 33 innings over six appearances. He finished with a 1.89 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. He allowed 39 hits and 31 walks for a WHIP under 1.00 and finished 5-3. He also drove in 21 runs.  

P: Cory Pascarella, Colonia, Sr.

Pascarella just had one of those special seasons on the mound. He used a low-90s fastball and a devasting changeup to keep hitters guessing. The righthander, who also played left field and in the infield, had a 0.42 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 67 innings, allowing just 18 walks and 22 hits and was 7-1. He also hit .326 as the leadoff hitter with 23 RBIs.

P: Louis Rizzolo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jr.

After the Trojans lost two other top pitchers via graduation and to an injury, Rizzolo was needed to step up. He delivered. The lefthander struck out 98 in 59 2/3 innings with a 1.40 ERA. He allowed just 12 earned runs and 21 walks in leading the White Division champions. Rizzolo had a 15-strikeout performance and chipped in 13 RBIs and hit .288 with an additional 24 walks and stole a dozen bases.

C: Michael Robinson, Sayreville, Sr.

Robinson’s accomplishments are even more impressive when you consider he played through the season with a bad shoulder and a sprained ankle. Catchers, though, are tough and Robinson managed to flourish both defensively and offensively at the plate. He threw out 15 of 25 base runners. He also hit .354 with 28 hits (nine extra base hits) with 13 RBIs and struck out just six times in 97 plate appearances with a .454 OBP.

1B: Carter Cumiskey, Spotswood, Sr.

Cumiskey was the type of player who could carry a team and change the outcome of a game in seconds. He was a two-way star who thrived all four seasons. He hit a blazing .455 with 40 hits — with three home runs, eight doubles and a triple this year. For his career, Cumiskey had a .401 average with 133 hits, 16 home runs, 96 RBIs and a school-record 28 doubles. He was just as good on the mound posting a 1.20 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. To break it down, he gave up just one earned run in 31 innings against White Division opponents for a 0.23 ERA and held division opponents to a .177 batting average. The lefthander had 212 Ks in his career.

INF: Julius Rosado, South River, Sr.

Rosado was a must-see player in his four years with the Rams. He burst on the scene as a star freshman hitting .578 with 37 RBIs and he never let up. Rosado graduates as the program’s record holder in just about every key hitting category and longtime Rams coach Mike Lepore notes that Rosado is the GMC career home run leader (30) and has the second-most hits in GMC history (157) — that’s meaningful with all the top players through the years. This spring, he batted .500 with 37 hits, five home runs, 33 RBIs, 30 stolen bases and had a 1.573 OPS. On the mound, Rosado had 46 strikeouts and a 0.72 ERA.

INF: Gavin Slicner, Woodbridge, Jr.

Slicner was a clutch hitter with some power for the Red Division champions. He batted .400 (34-for-85) with three home runs and six doubles and had 18 RBIs. He walked 19 times, stole 17 bases and scored 33 runs. The versatile Slicner mostly played shortstop but deftly moved to second base and third at times. 

INF: JP Zayle, St. Joseph, Sr.

Zayle, aka Mr. Walk-off, etched his name in the storied program’s legacy during the Falcons run to the GMC Tournament championship. He hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh as St. Joseph beat Spotswood in the semifinal. In the final, he slugged a walk-off grand slam to give the Falcons a 7-4 win over Edison. The 6-foot, 225-pound second baseman hit .418 (28-for-67) with three home runs and a team-high 25 RBIs.

OF: Colin Kroner, Colonia, Jr.

Kroner was a three-prong star who helped the Patriots win 23 games at the plate, on the mound and with his glove. He hit .333 with 24 RBIs, including the walk-off hit in the 1-0 win over North Hunterdon in the North 2 Group 3 semifinal in 10 innings. Kroner, the team’s best defensive outfielder who plays LF, was a co-ace and had a 0.70 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings, utilizing a slider and curveball to fool hitters.

OF: Dominic Massaro, South Plainfield, Jr.

Massaro’s one of those players you may not realize how good he is until watching him in person. He flies around the bases and patrols center field, snagging away seemingly sure hits. His stats were pretty good, too. Massaro hit .394 (41-for-104) with 12 walks, 28 stolen bases, 27 runs scored and 20 RBIs to help the Tigers win the North 2 Group 3 title.

OF: Joe Spinello, East Brunswick, Jr.

Spinello was a speedy sparkplug for the Bears. The centerfielder covered ground with a strong arm and was 23-for-23 in stolen bases out of the two-hole in the lineup. He batted .395 (30-for-76) with three home runs, 11 doubles and a triple along with 19 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

U: Xavier Diaz, Woodbridge, Jr.

Diaz showcased his pure hitting skills with gap power for a .436 batting average (34-for-78) and had a .603 slugging percentage. He drove in 18 runs with two home runs and seven doubles while walking 15 times and scoring 24 runs. The junior chipped in 12 stolen bases and primarily played first base and saw time at third. Diaz has a career .366 batting average for the Barrons (83-for-227).

U: Chris Kozak, Middlesex, Jr.

One way to excel on the mound is to limit base runners. Kozak posted an 0.84 WHIP giving up 51 hits and nine walks in 70 1/3 innings. In all, he allowed nine earned runs for a 0.90 ERA with 65 strikeouts. In the Central Group 1 final, Kozak went 7 1/3 innings giving up three runs (1 ER) as the Blue Jays won 4-3 against Schalick in eight innings. In the state final, the center fielder Kozak threw out a runner going to third to end a sixth-inning rally. Kozak also hit .282 (22-for-78) with 16 RBIs, seven extra base hits and 17 runs.

U: Dominic Long, Middlesex, So.

Sometimes, the numbers just tell the story. Long finished 12-0 on the mound with a 1.37 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings. At bat, he hit .364 (32-for-88) with five doubles, 16 RBIs, 18 runs scored and chipped in seven steals. In the postseason, Long went 4-0 allowing four earned runs in 21 2/3 frames. That includes picking up the win in the sectional final with 2/3 relief innings and then throwing a complete game in the Group 1 final.

U: Collin Perna, South Brunswick, Jr.

Perna played every inning of every game at shortstop for the Vikings while swinging a potent bat. The junior hit .446 (29-for-65) with 16 extra base hits — a GMC-high six home runs and 10 doubles. He walked 15 times, stole 14 bases, scored 15 times and drove in 16 of South Brunswick’s 49 runs this season.

SECOND TEAM

P: Kevin Arroyo, Woodbridge, Jr.

P: Lucas Malamug, Metuchen, Jr.

P: John Smith, Old Bridge, Sr.

P: Richie Zangara, St. Joseph, Sr.

C: Adrian Sanchez, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jr.

1B: Robert Roma, Edison, Jr.

INF: Dylan Chiera, Colonia, Jr.

INF: Bobby Christensen, St. Joseph, Sr.

INF: Nick Irizarry, South Plainfield, Sr.

OF: Matt Jelleme, Metuchen, Jr.

OF: Luke Palermo, St. Joseph, So.

OF: Chris Rodriguez, Perth Amboy, Sr.

U: Dom Innocenti, Edison, Jr.

U: Dan Kapsch, South Plainfield, Sr.

U: Aiden McCarthy, South Plainfield, Jr.

U: Dom Parenti, Middlesex, Sr.

THIRD TEAM

P: Davyn Ciriaco, North Plainfield, Sr.

P: Declan DiCarlo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sr.

P: Ben Faigin, Monroe, So.

P: Soham Prajapati, J.P. Stevens, Jr.

C: Seamus MacKinnon, Highland Park, Sr.             

1B: Owen Reynolds, Middlesex, Sr.

INF: Will Buchan, Spotswood, Sr.

INF: Kelvin Heuston, New Brunswick, So.

INF: Willy Pena, North Brunswick, So.

OF: Jared MacWithey, East Brunswick, Sr.

OF: Mark Stein, Dunellen, Sr.

OF: Jeremy Vasquez, South Amboy, Sr.

U: James Fenton, Metuchen, Fr.

U: Grant Lorentzen, J.F. Kennedy, Jr.

U: Kevin Penny, South Plainfield, Sr.

U: James Zsorey, South River, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

NOTE: Players that were not on the first three teams earned Honorable Mention based on two criteria: 1, They were selected All-Division by the coaches. 2, They were selected to play in either the 2025 Frank Gavigan Senior All-Star Game or the 2025 GMCBCA Underclassmen Showcase.

Carteret: Nick Kee, Luis Hernandez

Dunellen: Michael Dow, Kristian Roman Lopez, Cole Mayer, Ryan Hutchins, Danny Watts

East Brunswick: Hayden Dziubeck, Tyler Zeichner

East Brunswick Magnet: Anthony Bienvenue, Nomar Carreras, Tommy O'Neill, Jack Clements, Charlie Misura

Edison: Anthony Calantoni, Brody Ferrer, Darren Tirado

J.P. Stevens: Mukund Rao

J.F. Kennedy: Zack Tyler

Middlesex: Dylan Ianiero

Monroe: Jack Lobue

New Brunswick: Devin Heuston, Alex Rodriguez, Jacob Henderson, Elkin Reyes

North Brunswick: Timothy DeGaetano

North Plainfield: Bennie Sokolowski, Tommy Zotollo, Jake Zotollo

Old Bridge: Chris Crosta

Perth Amboy: Justin Foy, Chris Aracena, Kristian Gonzalez

Perth Amboy Magnet: Zachary Lenardo

Piscataway: Riley Wingate, Sumedh Shingala

Piscataway Magnet: Colton Lyerly, Kyle Malchiodi

Sayreville: Thomas Schlaline, Logan Kaufman

South Amboy: Ben Smith, Diego Colon

South Brunswick: John Koch

South River: Noah Borrero, Julien Borusovic

Spotswood: Tyrus Lazar         

St. Joseph: Kris Almanzar, Domenic Erbafina

St. Thomas Aquinas: Will Bethea

Woodbridge: Ryan Leach, Derek Oxner, Michael Gurovich

NJ Baseball: The 2025 Home News Tribune All-Area teams

Baseball rankings: Final Home News Tribune 2025 Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10

 

Andy Mendlowitz
MyCentralJersey.com

Here’s how our Greater Middlesex Conference Top 10 ended up after a fun spring on the diamond.

Final GMC Top 10

1. St. Joseph (16-7) – preseason No. 10: No matter the situation, or how bleak things looked, the Falcons carried an inner confidence with a calmness and a belief they always had a chance. Credit first-year head coach Dennis McCaffery and longtime assistant Jerry Riporti for that attitude, as well as a veteran team that saw it all after finishing 7-20 last season. Remember, St. Joseph sat at 4-5 and then 6-6 on April 28. Things started clicking and the Falcons didn’t lose again until falling to top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy 6-3 in the South Non-Public A semifinals. The 10-game winning streak included capturing the GMC Tournament championship with four walk-off wins.

2. Middlesex (23-5) – preseason not ranked: How did Middlesex go from not ranked in the preseason to our final No. 2 team? Did we totally whiff here? (And sorry Blue Jays fans!) Well, Middlesex finished 10-17 in 2024 but showed glimpses with a young team and graduated just one senior. What some didn’t see coming was the transformation of sophomore Dominic Long (12-0, 1.37 ERA, 72 Ks) and junior Chris Kozak (7-4, 0.90 ERA, 65 Ks) into full-fledged, dominant aces. Other players improved and pieces fell into place. The two seniors in the starting lineup also delivered in Dom Parenti (.352, 16 RBIs) and Owen Reynolds (.341, 17 RBIs). Middlesex captured Central Group 1 and Group 1 titles, as well as making a GMCT semifinals appearance.

3. South Plainfield (18-11) – preseason No. 2: While the Tigers returned a chunk of players from last year’s 22-6-1 squad, they did lose some serious fire power at the plate and on the mound. South Plainfield just kept going and finished tied for second in the GMC Red Division. Tenth-seeded Middlesex upset the No. 2-seeded Tigers, 5-4, in the GMCT quarterfinals. South Plainfield shook it off and got hot en route to winning the North 2 Group 3 sectional.

4. Colonia (23-5) – preseason No. 3: As advertised, the Patriots pitching shined. Colonia had a team 0.95 ERA with 288 strikeouts in 184 1/3 innings. Cory Pascarella (127 Ks, 0.42 ERA) and Colin Kroner (86 Ks, 0.70 ERA) led the way with Dylan Chiera, Tyler Chiola, Matt Fasulo and Ryan Totin also throwing key innings. The Patriots placed second in the White Division a game behind St. Thomas Aquinas (they split during the regular season). Colonia reached the North 2 Group 3 final after an epic 1-0 win over North Hunterdon in 10 innings in the semifinals.

5. Old Bridge (18-11) – preseason No. 1: A year after winning the GMCT, the Knights were again in the mix despite needing to replace three key pitchers and some offensive production. Returning senior star Justin Hascup shaved his ERA to 1.03 with 60 strikeouts and classmate John Smith — who threw one inning in 2024 — flourished on the hill (1.63 ERA, 60 Ks). Old Bridge finished fifth in the Red Division with splits against No. 1 St. Joseph and No. 3 South Plainfield. However, the Knights get a bump with their postseason success, reaching the Central Group 4 final. In the semifinals, Old Bridge got by Edison in the teams’ fourth meeting this season.

6. Edison (17-11) – preseason No. 4: The Eagles had a slow start with some injuries and sickness but things started clicking come tournament time. Edison reached the GMCT final as the No. 11 seed with wins over No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 6 Old Bridge and No. 10 Middlesex. It was the Eagles first GMCT final since winning it in 2001. They had just three seniors in the lineup and seem primed for another run next year. Junior Connor Murphy reached star status with a 1.89 ERA and 83 strikeouts.

7. Woodbridge (18-8) – preseason No. 7: The Barrons captured the Red Division title a year after winning the White Division pennant. That’s especially impressive when you consider the team graduated nine seniors, including four All-Division selections. Junior Kevin Arroyo emerged as an ace in his first varsity season (63 1/3 IP, 1.11 ERA, 62 Ks) and Ryan Leach returned after missing 2024 with an injury to post a 2.87 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 46 1/3 frames. The Eagles swept Old Bridge and Edison in the regular season but lost in the GMCT first round. Woodbridge also fell to eventual Group 4 finalist Westfield in the sectional semifinals.

8. St. Thomas Aquinas (16-9) – preseason No. 8: The Trojans captured the White Division pennant in a loaded grouping after moving up from the Blue. Talk about a balanced lineup, the Trojans had nine players with double-digit RBIs and another with nine RBIs. Will Bethea led the way with 17 and Adrian Sanchez had 16. Jack Valenzuela returned after missing time with an injury to hit .400 (14-for-35). Louis Rizzolo became the workhorse (59 2/3 IP, 98 Ks, 1.17 ERA) on the mound.

9. Spotswood (15-11) – preseason No. 5: After repeating as Blue Division champions, the Chargers moved to the White with little difficulty. Spotswood swept Middlesex and finished third in the division with a 9-5 record. Spotswood made a nice run to the GMCT semifinals as the No. 8 seed dropping a heartbreaker to champion St. Joseph. Carter Cumiskey again led the way with a .455 batting average and had a 1.20 ERA on the mound.

10. (tie) East Brunswick (11-13) preseason not ranked: The Bears had a tough finish dropping their last six games. That includes a 7-6 loss in nine innings to Metuchen in the GMCT first round and a 2-1 loss to Franklin in the Central Group 4 opener. That’s just baseball, sometimes. The regular season, though, does matter and East Brunswick finished tied for second with No. 3 South Plainfield in the Red Division. (The teams split and each had 9-5 records.) EB swept No. 1 St. Joseph and No. 8 Edison.

Metuchen (17-10) – preseason not ranked: The Bulldogs won a tight Blue Division race and then turned heads with a pair of nine-inning GMCT games as the No. 13 seed. First, Metuchen upset fourth-seeded East Brunswick. Next, the Bulldogs gained respect with a 1-0 loss to eventual champion St. Joseph. Metuchen proved it can play with the bigger schools and deserves a Top 10 ranking. All-Division players Matt Jelleme and Lucas Malamug, both juniors, and James Fenton (Fr.) led the way.

NJ Baseball: Final Home News Tribune GMC Top 10 rankings