Steinert, New Egypt head to sectional semifinals
Only two of the 15 high school baseball teams that qualified for the 2022 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletics Association Tournament from The Trentonian’s coverage area will still be playing this week as the tourney reaches some of its most important rounds.
The squads from Steinert High and New Egypt High are the only locals still standing heading into Tuesday’s sectional semifinal games with hopes of getting to play for Central Jersey titles Friday.
As the top seed in Central Jersey Group III, head coach Brian Giallella’s 21-8 Steinert club will get to host another game at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, but this one figures to provide quite the challenge. In the Spartans’ way is fifth-seeded Colts Neck.
Head coach Mike Yorke’s 16-7-1 team is the bracket’s defending champion. The Cougars have won four of their last five games, including victories over other Trentonian-area powers Notre Dame (5-2) and Northern Burlington (2-1), plus state wins over 12th-seeded Ocean Township (7-0) and 13th-seeded Matawan (12-2 in five innings).
Colts Neck is led by senior first baseman/pitcher Dave Cohen’s .460 batting average with 29 hits, three home runs and 23 runs batted in, along with senior pitcher Anthony Gubitosi’s 114 strikeouts and 0.34 earned run average in 61 innings thrown.
Steinert has won three of its last four games, including impressive, five-inning state wins over 16thseeded Ewing, 11-1, and eighthseeded Neptune, 12-2.
The Spartans are led offensively by senior catcher Joe Giori’s 25 hits, 18 RBIs and three home runs, while senior first baseman Joey Gmitter is hitting at a .343 clip with 24 hits and 15 RBIs. Senior outfielder Chris Nodeland also has 24 hits with a team-high 22 RBIs.
Seniors middle infielders Dylan Pope and Evan Bresnen have 23 and 22 hits, respectively, with Bresnen scoring a team-best 23 runs. Senior right-handed pitcher Noah Rivera, who is 8-1 this spring with a 1.47 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings, figures to be Tuesday’s
starter.
For those unable to attend, the Colts Neck-Steinert clash will be live-streamed, beginning at 3:15 p.m. with The Trentonian PreGame Show, at wbcbsports.com or on the WBCB Sports’ Facebook Page.
In Central Jersey Group I, head coach Vince Caiazza’s 15-6 New Egypt club also figures to have a tough go of things when it takes to the road to play at second-seeded Point Pleasant Beach (18-9) at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The third-seeded Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak which includes state tournament wins over 14th-seeded Keyport, 11-1 in five innings, and 11th-seeded Florence, 4-1.
New Egypt is powered by senior shortstop/right-handed pitcher Jacob
Kramer’s .578 batting average with 26 hits, 24 runs scored and 25 RBIs, plus 47 strikeouts and a 1.68 ERA in 33 1/3 innings with a 6-1 record. Junior catcher Zach Jenkins adds a .508 batting average with 32 hits, 31 runs scored and 26 RBIs.
Junior right-handed pitcher/infielder Shaun Dessel is also 6-1 and has a 1.75 ERA in 24 innings with 43 strikeouts. Senior third baseman/righty pitcher Rick Trapanese is hitting .490 with 25 hits and 22 RBIs as well as having a 0.57 ERA in 12 1/3 innings.
Head coach Angelo Fiore Garnet Gulls have won five of their last six games with wins over all three Toms River High Schools during that stretch, plus state shutouts over 15th-seeded Henry Hudson, 10-0, in five innings, and seventhseeded Bound Brook, 4-0.
Point Beach relies on senior second baseman Braden Ryan’s 26 hits and .473 batting average, senior outfielder/pitcher Andrew Banick’s 25 RBIs and 1.56 ERA in 18 innings, plus junior pitcher/infielder Kyle Kolans’ 39 strikeouts and 0.98 ERA in 35 2/3 innings.
Teams that win Tuesday are scheduled to play in their respective sectional finals Friday at the home site of the higher seeded club.
Central Jersey public school state semifinalists head to the home site of the South Jersey sectional winners Monday, June 13 with the state finals Saturday, June 18 at Bob DeMeo Field in Hamilton’s Veterans Park.
Non-public school state finals also will take place next week (Wednesday, June 15) at DeMeo Field in Veterans Park.