On Wednesday, the quarterfinals of the Greater Newark Tournament for high school baseball will be held. There are several interesting matchups, like fourth-seeded Montclair taking on fifth-seeded Millburn. We will be previewing each matchup for the quarterfinal round of the Greater Newark tournament, as well as looking at the key hitters and hurlers for each team. There are a total of four games, so without further ado, let’s dive in.
Montclair (4) vs Millburn (5)
Last season, Millburn swept its season series with the Mounties 3-0, and none of the games were even close. This season, the two rivals played a close game on April 10, in which Montclair prevailed 10-7. Montclair also had a much better regular season as they went 12-6-1 and will go into this Greater Newark County game on a five-game winning streak, while Millburn went 8-9 and is on a two-game winning streak.
Montclair’s batting lineup is very potent, as evidenced by the nine hitters they had hit over .300 this season. However, the Mountie lineup is led by junior Benjamin St. Pierre and senior Mack Mathisen. Mathisen had a .364 batting average this season and had nine runs-batted-in, while St. Pierre has had a monster season. St. Pierre contributed a team-best 28 RBI to go along with a team-best .471 batting average.
As far as pitching is concerned, Montclair has that covered, too. This year, their staff was led by sophomore David Aishton and senior Shea Goel. Over 19.2 innings, Aishton allowed just three earned runs to go with a 1.07 earned-run-average while Goel struck out 28 batters and produced a team-best 1.05 ERA over a team-high 20 innings pitched.
The Millers can’t boast of having nine hitters hitting over .300, but their offense is capable. This year, it was led by junior outfielder Keigo Fujita and senior third baseman Matthew Weiner. Fujita led the team with a .388 batting average and 13 RBI, while Weiner was a close second with a .353 batting average and 12 RBI.
Millburn’s two best-starting pitchers this season have been sophomore Charlie Krasnove and junior Jake Roesler. Over a team-high 22.2 IP, Krasnove had 16 punchouts and a 2.47 ERA. Roesler fanned a team-best 21 batters over the same amount of innings pitched to go along with a .309 ERA.
This one’s going to be nip and tuck, just like the last time these two teams played in April. However, I have to give my alma mater, Montclair High School, the edge as they have the more potent batting lineup and pitching staff, but when the stakes are highest, you never know who may show up in the Greater Newark Tournament. EDGE- Montclair.
Livingston (1) vs Barringer (9)
The Livingston Lancers come into this Greater Newark quarterfinal matchup against Barringer as heavy favorites. And why shouldn’t they be? They have the 13-4-1 record to back it up and have won six of their last eight games despite falling 3-1 to No. 19 South Plainfield on May 4. These two teams faced each other recently on April 27, and Livingston drubbed Barringer 13-3. Since then, Barringer has kept the runs allowed to a minimum, allowing just three against Morristown on May 1 before they defeated Nutley 5-3 in the first round of the Greater Newark tournament.
Livingston’s biggest bat this year belonged to junior E.J. Frayne. This season, Frayne contributed a team-best 26 RBI, a .390 batting average, four triples and a home run. His batting average only pales in comparison to that of teammate Robbie Lynn, who hit .425 during the regular season. Livingston had nine hitters hit over .300. In terms of pitching,
Livingston’s ace was junior Max Peri. Over a team-high 38 and a third innings pitched, Peri struck out 32 batters and had a 1.83 ERA. Coming in right behind him with a stellar year all the same was sophomore Adam Goldberg. Goldberg struck out 26 batters over 24.2 innings pitched to go along with a 2.84 ERA.
Barringer’s offense this season is headlined by senior second baseman Legend Anderson. Anderson led Barringer with 14 hits and nine RBI. However, his teammate senior shortstop Enyerson Hernandez's .361 batting average was the best on the team. It's important to note that Barringer reached the quarterfinals because they have good pitching, which held Nutley to just three runs in the first round. Their top pitcher this season was junior Jose Rosa Alvarado. Over a team-high 30 innings pitched, Alvarado gave up eight runs (four earned), struck out 22 batters and had a 0.93 ERA.
Barringer may not have had a monster power hitter like E.J. Frayne or have nine batters hitting over .300, but they have the ace starting pitcher in Alvarado to keep this game close. Overall, though, the favorites, Livingston, get the edge to advance to the Newark Semis over the dogs here. EDGE- Livingston.
Caldwell (6) vs Bloomfield (14)
One of the weaker teams to make it this far in the Great Newark County tournament, Bloomfield will face off against Caldwell. Both teams finished with records under .500 this season; Caldwell went 8-12, while Bloomfield went 6-11. However, they’re both here, and they have shown plenty of grit to make it here. Bloomfield came into this game having won four of their last six games. Caldwell squeaked past Verona with a 6-4 win in the first round, while Bloomfield squeaked past Columbia 5-4.
The records of these two teams are nothing to sneeze at. Caldwell faced a strong schedule, which included a 7-4 loss against the number-one seed in the county tournament, Livingston, and an 8-1 loss to Seton Hall Prep, the number-two seed. Bloomfield faced a weaker schedule, but that still included No. 5 Millburn, who they lost to 2-0, and No. 7 West Essex, who they lost to 11-4.
Bloomfield’s batting lineup includes senior second baseman Evan Fried, who finished second on the team with a .396 average and first on the team with three home runs. It also includes senior first baseman Steven Myslinski, who led the team with 13 RBI. Bloomfield had six hitters hit over .300 in at least 30 at-bats this season. Their pitching staff is led by senior Darien Rivas, who struck out 37 batters in 28 innings pitched this year and led the team with a 1.98 ERA.
The big bat for Caldwell this season was senior catcher Alex Vega. The backstop led Caldwell with a .382 batting average and 16 RBI. Caldwell had 11 pitchers log at least an inning this season which is more than most teams. However, none of their arms was better than junior Marco Sozio, who struck out 30 batters over a team-best 25.2 IP and had a team-best 1.64 ERA.
As they say, when it comes time for the NBA and NHL playoffs, it’s a whole different season once the playoffs begin. As the county tournament is one part of the playoffs for New Jersey high school baseball, it's important to remember those words. Despite their records, these are two capable teams, and it's going to be a very exciting game. EDGE – Caldwell.
Seton Hall Prep (2) vs West Essex (7)
The Knights square off with the Pirates in what should be a blockbuster Greater Newark quarterfinal baseball game. Despite the disparity when it comes to seeding, both teams absolutely crushed their competition during the regular season.
Seton Hall comes in with a 15-2-1 record, while West Essex comes in at 16-2. Both teams come into this game on fire, having won four consecutive games. Seton Hall's offense has come alive as of late, having outscored opponents 25-10 during these last four games, while West Essex has done them a few better. In its last four games, West Essex has outscored opponents 40-8.
West Essex’s batting lineup is buoyed by senior Devin Fogg who hit an incredible .492 this season and drove in 16 runs. Eight of the Knight’s hitters hit over .300. Meanwhile, for ‘the Prep,’ balance is the name of the game. Six Pirate batters had over 10 RBI, and eight had at least a .300 batting average. But none was better than junior infielder Michael Bravette, who hit .500 and drove in 14 runs.
However evenly matched the two lineups may be, it’s going to be hard for West Essex to get past Seton Hall’s ace Marcelo Harsch. Over a team-high 24 innings pitched, Harsch was dominant, giving up 3 runs (1 earned), striking out 39 batters and posting a sparkling 0.29 ERA. The ace for the Knights this season was junior Tyler Gordon. The upperclassman put up a respectable 2.58 ERA and 27 strikeouts over a team-high 21.2 innings pitched.
You never know when an upset may be brewing, but this mountain is too steep for West Essex to climb. If Seton Hall starts Harsch, it’ll be curtains for what was a strong West Essex batting order when these two teams play each other on May 8. EDGE- Seton Hall Prep.
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Stay tuned to Jersey Sporting News for the Greater Newark tournament quarterfinal results.
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