Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

1 day ago

Watchung Hills “steals” walk-off, 6-5 win over Bridgewater-Raritan to sweep two-game set Just when you thought you've seen it all, you haven't. Way back in the first inning of Watchung Hills' Skyland Conference Delaware Division home game against Bridgewater-Raritan Thursday - heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio - first baseman Max Payne did something he may never, ever do again. He broke his bat - a metal bat - on what turned out to be an infield hit to the left side.

WILD ONE! #WatchungHills "steals" walk-off, 6-5 win over #Bridgewater-Raritan to sweep two-game set. Recap and postgame reax presented by #Sportsplex at Metuchen at the link! #Warriors #Panthers #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

4 days ago

Montgomery’s Kris Grundy honored with John Wooden Legacy Award from state, national Basketball Coaches Associations After a third straight sectional championship in Central Jersey Group 4, and a second straight trip to the Group 4 state finals, Montgomery boys' basketball coach Kris Grundy has been honored with the John Wooden Legacy Award, given annually to one boys' and girls' coach in every state. It's from the New Jersey and National High School Basketball Coaches association in conjunction with the John Wooden Family and the Wooden Foundation.

NEW: #Montgomery's Kris @Grundy honored with John @Wooden Legacy Award from state, national Basketball Coaches Associations. Full story with comments from coach at the link! #Cougars #NJHoops #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

5 days ago

Through first week – and them some – these high school baseball teams have started the season red hot The high school baseball season is already a week old, though a few got started a little earlier than most, but more than a few have started the 2026 campaign red hot. Some were expected, others have turned out to be pleasant surprises. And that could juggle our first in-season Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, the Week One edition of which comes out Monday morning.

NOTEBOOK: Through first week - and them some - these high school baseball teams have started the season red hot! Story at the link! #Edison #Monroe #Middlesex #SouthBrunswick #SouthPlainfield #Carteret #Immaculata #Ridge #GMC #SkylandConference #NJBaseball

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

1 week ago

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 2 Immaculata 3, No. 8 Hillsborough 0 Second-ranked Immaculata got three late runs - one in each of the final three innings - and a combined one-hitter from starting pitcher Cole Raymond and reliever Bryson Auten to beat No. 8 Hillsborough on the road on Opening Day 2026, 3-0. Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Hillsbrough High School on March 31, 2026.

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 2 #Immaculata 3, No. 8 #Hillsborough 0. LIsten back to all the #OpeningDay play by play as heard LIVE on CJSR! #Spartans #Raiders #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

1 week ago

No. 2 Immaculata downs No. 8 Hillsborough in pitchers duel, 3-0 behind combined one-hitter from Raymond, younger Auten Ryan Auten is the senior pitcher heading to Wake Forest, but it was his freshman brother, Bryson, who got the win Tuesday on Opening Day for Immaculata. Cole Raymond made his first start, after coming out of the bullpen last season, and went 3 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run, and just three baserunners. But Bryson Auten got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fourth out of the 'pen, then finished things off for a 3-0 win for No.

OPENING DAY FINAL! No. 2 #Immaculata downs No. 8 #Hillsborough in pitchers duel, 3-0 behind combined one-hitter from #Raymond, younger #Auten. Recap and postgame reax presented by #Sportsplex at Metuchen at the link! #Spartans #Raiders #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

Bridgewater-Raritan looks for bounceback year in 2026 with an experienced group, after major graduation, tough luck losses in 2025 Sometimes, the cyclical nature of public school high school sports is more powerful than any coaching or skill level can overcome. That was the case in 2025 for the Bridgewater-Raritan baseball team, which was dominant en route to winning the state Group 4 title the year prior with a veteran group that had played together for years. But so many key players graduated from that squad, and that - coupled with a ton of close losses - resulted in a 7-18 campaign in last season, after going 30-3 in 2024.

NEW: #Bridgewater-Raritan looks for bounceback year in 2026 with an experienced group, after major graduation, tough luck losses in 2025. A look at the Panthers with HC Max Newill at the link! #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

1 month ago

Newly state-ranked Hillsborough seeks first sectional finals berth when top-seeded Raiders host Jackson Twp. in CJ4 semis The 2013-14 Hillsborough boys' basketball team will be remembered as one of the greats in school history, going 22-3 and beating Gill St. Bernard's to win the Somerset County Tournament championship. But the 2014-15 team was a pleasant surprise. While they didn't get close to winning the SCT that year, they made an improbably run in the state tournament, stunning Freehold Township on the road in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game.

PREVIEW! Newly state-ranked #Hillsborough seeks first sectional finals berth when top-seeded #Raiders host #Jackson Twp. in CJ4 semis! Hear from both HCs at the link! #Jaguars #NJHoops #ShoreConference #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

2 months ago

Bound Brook boys’ hoops coach Anthony Melesurgo notches 400th career win with 83-45 victory over Belvidere It was 22 years ago when Bound Brook alum Anthony Melesurgo took the head coaching job at his alma mater. When he told people, some thought he was crazy. More than two decades later, he's reached yet another milestone in his coaching career: win No. 400. It came Tuesday night, with an 83-45 Skyland Conference Mountain Division home victory over Belvidere.

NEW! #BoundBrook boys' hoops coach Anthony #Melesurgo notches #400th career win with 83-45 victory over #Belvidere. Story and interview at the link! Congrats! #NJHoops #Crusaders #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

2 months ago

PHOTO GALLERY: No. 7 Immaculata vs. No. 7 Somerville (January 17, 2025) The seventh-ranked Immaculata Spartans got 26 points - and six threes - from senior Riley Gorman to win their eleventh straight game over Somerville, defeating the Pioneers 81-53 on Saturday, January 17, 2026. Click here to read the game story, complete with postgame reaction from Riley Gorman and head coach Ryan McKeever, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen! Here's a photo gallery from Central Jersey Sports Radio's coverage of the game:

PHOTO GALLERY: No. 7 #Immaculata vs. No. 7 #Somerville (January 17, 2025). 21 photos from the lens of Mike Pavlichko at a huge in-town #rivalry game! #Spartans #Pioneers #SkylandConference #boysbasketball

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

3 months ago

INSTANT REPLAY – BOYS: No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s 64, No. 1 Montgomery 53 No. 2 Gill St. Bernard's got 22 points from Jahmal Dixon, while No. 1 Montgomery saw Ethan Lin set the program's career scoring record, but it was the Knights who beat the Cougars on the road, 64-53, in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division game. Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from Montgomery High School in Skillman on January 8, 2026.

INSTANT REPLAY - BOYS: No. 2 #Gill St. Bernard's 64, No. 1 #Montgomery 53. Ethan #Lin sets the #Cougars scoring record in the second quarter! Listen back to all the game action! #Knights #SkylandConference #NJHoops

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

3 months ago

Coming off second straight sectional title, Montgomery will look to Lin to lead Cougars Montgomery has had a solid boys' basketball program for many years under head coach Kris Grundy, but the last two may be the pinnacle of their success so far, and they're not done yet. When Monty opens its 2025-26 season Saturday at home in the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic down in Skillman (5:30 pm vs. Don Bosco Prep) the lineup will look a little different, but the goal is top even what they've done the last couple of years.

PREVIEW! Coming off second straight sectional title, #Montgomery will look to #Lin to lead #Cougars. Hear from HC Kris #Grundy at the link! #NJHoops #SkylandConference #Cougars

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

4 months ago

Rutgers Prep girls hoops in unfamiliar, yet familiar territory heading into 2025-26 season On the one hand, this is new, or at least different for Rutgers Prep girls' basketball coach Mary Klinger. The Lady Argonauts are coming off a season in which they did not play in the Somerset County Tournament final, their first miss since 2014. On the other hand, everyone who played a significant contributing role in 2024-25 - a season in which Klinger didn't have a single senior to rely on - is back for this season.

PREVIEW! #RutgersPrep girls hoops in unfamiliar, yet familiar territory heading into 2025-26 season. We talk with HC Mary #Klinger at the link! #Argonauts #SkylandConference #NJHoops

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

6 months ago

Local hoops coaches supportive of NJSIAA’s new H.S. Basketball mercy rule, running clock With the NJSIAA instituting a statewide running clock mercy rule in high school basketball - standardizing the previously-optional rule across New Jersey - it will certainly have effects on many games and programs this winter. The intent, of course, is to prevent mammoth blowouts, or at least keep them from getting further out of hand.. Now, when a score differential reaches 35 points in the second half, the clock will run continuously, only to be stopped for time outs, injuries, technical fouls, or officials' stoppages.

Local hoops coaches supportive of #NJSIAA's new H.S. Basketball #mercyrule, #runningclock. We talked with a few to get their take... at the link! #GMC #SkylandConference #NJHoops

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

6 months ago

NJSIAA approves statewide implementation of running clock in H.S. basketball Some rules created by NFHS - the National Federation of State High School Associations, which sets standard rules for high schools across the country - are optional, such as the shot clock in basketball. Others govern basic rules of all the sports played in high school, and must be followed. While New Jersey is still one of several states that have not implemented the shot clock in basketball - often due to concerns about the added cost - one rule it will now implement statewide is that of a running clock.

NEW: #NJSIAA approves statewide implementation of running clock in #HSbasketball. Full story at the link! #GMC #SkylandConference #NJHoops

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

7 months ago

NJSIAA adds another tweak to power points, affecting all sports in 2025-26, except football More changes are coming to the state's power point system, under a change recently announced by the NJSIAA. According to an email sent to athletic directors and coaches across New Jersey that was obtained by Central Jersey Sports Radio, the NJSIAA made the changes based on two "areas of concern" it says emerged after seeking feedback from member schools: how out-of-state opponents factor into calculations, and whether all games should be averaged, or if instead a only the best results should count.

BREAKING! #NJSIAA adds another tweak to #powerpoints, affecting all sports in 2025-26, except football. Click to read! #NJHoops #NJBaseball #GMC #SkylandConference #playoffs

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

8 months ago

NFHS approves “double first base” for 2027 high school baseball season in effort to curtail injuries, interference calls; player meetings also addressed In a huge and wide-ranging rules change for high school baseball, the National Federation of State High School Associations - which makes rules for sports nationwide - has adopted the use of a double first base, which adds an extra base of the same size in foul territory, in an effort to cut down on injuries, and avoid interference calls.

ICYMI: #NFHS approves "double first base" for 2027 high school #baseball season in effort to curtail injuries, interference calls; player meetings also addressed. Read more at the link! #NJBaseball #GMC #SkylandConference #NJSIAA

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

9 months ago

Hillsborough’s Mosko, steering Raiders through mid-season rough patch to win program’s first sectional title in 13 years, is named 2025 CJSR Somerset County Coach of the Year Every team has its ups and downs in a season. Even those that finish that rare undefeated season don't do it without any difficulty. But it's how they bounce back and overcome adversity that defines a team. And in the case of the Hillsborough baseball team, they did that just this season, bouncing all the way to the Central Jersey Group 4 title.

NEW: #Hillsborough's Matt #Mosko, steering #Raiders through mid-season rough patch to win program's first sectional title in 13 years, is named 2025 CJSR Somerset County #CoachoftheYear! Story and interview at the link! #NJBaseball #SkylandConference #SomersetCounty

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

The day after: Who will CJSR’s three area sectional champions play in next week’s NJSIAA semifinals as they go for a state title? With three teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio listening area winning sectional championships on Thursday, now the attention turns to the Group Round of the state tournament. There are four teams remaining in the state in each group, just 16 public schools remaining in the entire state, and three are from our area. Hillsborough rallies late to shock Old Bridge, 13-6, in CJ4 title game for program’s first title since 2012, third in school history…

The day after: Who will CJSR's three area sectional champions play in next week's #NJSIAA semifinals as they go for a state title? We have details on who #Hillsborough #Middlesex and #SouthPlainfield will face Monday for a trip to the state finals! #NJBaseball #GMC #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

Top-seed Ridge drops back-and-forth affair to Westfield, 9-6, in North 2, Group 4 final Westfield may have only scored runs in two innings, but it was runs in bunches for the Blue Devils, who used a five-run second inning and a four-run fifth to take down top-seeded Ridge, 9-6, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final Thursday in Basking Ridge.   After a quick top half of the first inning, it seemed as though Ridge would do as it did all season long throughout this one, rely on the pitching to shut down the opposition.

FINAL from BASKING RIDGE: Top-seed #Ridge drops back-and-forth affair to #Westfield, 9-6, in North 2, Group 4 final. Nick Hart has the story and postgame reaction from #RedDevils HC Tom Blackwell. #NJBaseball #NJSIAA #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

Central Jersey Group 4 Finals Preview: Experienced Old Bridge to host Hillsborough, making its first title game appearance in 13 years One one hand, the two teams that will meet in the Central Jersey Group 4 Final at Fred Cole Field Thursday are very similar, with good pitching staffs, solid defensively, and both can hit. On the other, this is sort of old hat for Old Bridge, which won the section in 2024, and went to the semifinals a year ago, losing to Monroe.

Central Jersey Group 4 Finals Preview: Experienced #OldBridge to host #Hillsborough, making its first title game appearance in 13 years. Notes, stats, interview and more at the link! #NJSIAA #GMC #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

Bernards seeks first sectional final berth in a decade as Mountaineers host Mendham Monday It hasn't been the best season Bernards baseball has ever had - fairly up-and-down - but the Mountaineers are a win away from doing something they haven't in quite some time: make an appearance in a sectional final. Head coach Jeff Falzarano is in his 22nd season with the Mounties, and just by looking at the 13-2 record, you might not guess that they'd be in the North 2, Group 2 semifinals - let alone…

#MOUNTIES UP! #Bernards seeks first sectional final berth in a decade as #Mountaineers host #Mendham Monday. We talk with veteran skipper Jeff Falzarano at the link! #NJSIAA #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

INSTANT REPLAY:  SCT Finals: (1) Immaculata 3, (2) Ridge 0 Second-seed Immaculata won its record 15th Somerset County Tournament Championship with a 3-0 win over top-seed Ridge, thanks in part to a solid six innings from starter Jackson Trego, and a two-RBI double by Colin Kassai that gave the Spartans' starting pitcher some breathing room. Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 21, 2025:

INSTANT REPLAY: SCT Finals: (1) #Immaculata 3, (2) #Ridge 0. Listen back to all the exciting play-by-play from the championship game! #Spartans #RedDevils #SkylandConference #NJBaseball

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

SCT Finals Preview: Skyland Delaware Co-Champs Ridge, Immaculata will settle it on the field for Somerset County title After a split in the regular season series, and a sharing of the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title, the coaches in Somerset County awarded Ridge the No. 1 seed in the county tournament, and even Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust felt they deserved it. But seeds don't mean anything. They're just an orderly way to assign games to teams. If they were a ranking of who was expected to win, why bother playing the tournament?

2025 #SCT Finals Preview: #Skyland Delaware Co-Champs #Ridge, #Immaculata will settle it on the field for Somerset County title. LIVE tonight at 6 on CJSR with Mike and Alec! #RedDevils #Spartans #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

10 months ago

Three of top four seeds advance in Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, as Ridge, Immaculata, Rutgers Prep earn wins; 11-seed Franklin upsets Watchung Hills in 8 innings The semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament are set, as three of the top four seeds won their quarterfinal games on Wednesday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, with 11-seed Franklin knocking off third-seed Watchung Hills in extra innings.. Due to the rain, all games were moved out to Hunterdon County, and somehow, they managed to get them in between the raindrops.

Three of top four seeds advance in Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, as #Ridge, #Immaculata, #Rutgers Prep earn wins; 11-seed #Franklin upsets #WatchungHills in 8 innings. #SCT #SkylandConference #NJBaseball

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

11 months ago

INSTANT REPLAY:  Montgomery 5, Manville 2 Montgomery got a complete game from Jake Hayes and timely hitting - including a couple of late insurance runs in the seventh - to beat Manville 5-2 in a tune-up for its Somerset County Tournament play-in round game. Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 7, 2025.

INSTANT REPLAY:  #Montgomery 5, #Manville 2. Listen back to all the exciting play-by-play from #TDBankPark! #Cougars #Mustangs #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

11 months ago

Hayes goes the distance as Montgomery tops Manville, 5-2, in crossover tune-up before SCT Montgomery will open play in the Somerset County Tournament Thursday. Manville will do the same Monday. But before that, the two squared off for a game on the big boys' field, at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater, home of the Somerset Patriots, and the SCT semifinals and finals. And Montgomery won at least its fourth straight against the Mustangs - in their first meeting in eleven years - 5-2, thanks in large part to a complete game effort from Cougars' starter Jake Hayes.

RECAP w/ AUDIO! #Hayes goes the distance as #Montgomery tops #Manville, 5-2, in crossover tune-up before #SCT. Postgame at the link, presented by #Sportsplex at Metuchen! #NJBaseball #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

11 months ago

Manville, Montgomery to play at TD Bank Park Wednesday in first meeting in over a decade The last time Manville and Montgomery met on the baseball diamond, Barack Obama was president and David Letterman was still on TV every night. The Cougars won that game 16-1. But this isn't April 2014. It's eleven years later, and the two will meet for the first time in eleven years Wednesday when they square off at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater for a 6 pm game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

PREVIEW! #Manville, #Montgomery to play at TD Bank Park Wednesday in first meeting in over a decade. Game time 6 pm on CJSR! Audio with both coaches at the link! #NJBaseball #SkylandConference #Mustangs #Cougars

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

11 months ago

Former Hillsborough coach, Rutgers basketball walk-on Ian Progin passes away at age 47 In many ways, after receiving a brain cancer diagnosis in 2011, Ian Progin shouldn't have lived as long as he did, and yet it wasn't nearly long enough by any stretch of the imagination. Through it all he kept coaching, took on new challenges, spent plenty of time with his family, and more. Sadly, he passed away Friday, at the age of 47.

Former #Hillsborough coach, #Rutgers basketball walk-on Ian #Progin passes away at age 47. Story here at the link, with comments from longtime assistant Chris Fox; additional reaction coming tomorrow on cjsportsradio.com. #NJHoops #Raiders #SkylandConference

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

11 months ago

Power Points Analysis: Bernards, Spotswood, EB Magnet all gain, while South River edges down We're exactly two weeks from the NJSIAA cutoff for the state playoffs - May 17th - and teams across the area continue to jockey for position in the standings. Here's a closer look beyond the numbers at where teams stand and what their chances are, based on NJ.com's official standings as of games played on May 2nd. For a full explanation of the new power point formula, …

Power Points Analysis: #Bernards, #Spotswood, #EastBrunswickMagnet all gain, while #SouthRiver edges down in Group 2 sections. We take a closer look at the link! #NJBaseball #GMC #SkylandConference #NJSIAA #stateplayoffs

Central Jersey Sports Radio

@cjsportsradio.bsky.social

11 months ago

Immaculata wins slugfest 15-6 at Hillsborough as Capindica, Kassai go deep for Spartans, who claim share of Skyland Delaware Division title There weren't too many crooked numbers on the board early in Thursday's Skyland Conference Delaware Division game between Hillsborough and No. 2 Immaculata, but there certainly were a few late. The Spartans broke open a game they led 4-2 after four with an eight-run sixth, and improved to 8-4 overall, 7-3 in the division, with a 15-6 road victory in Hillsborough that gave them a share of the Delaware Division title, coupled with Ridge's 11-1 loss at Hunterdon Central.

WRAP UP! #Immaculata wins slugfest 15-6 at #Hillsborough as #Capindica, #Kassai go deep for #Spartans, who take share of Delaware Division title. Recap and postgame reax presented by #Sportsplex at Metuchen at the link! #NJHoops #SkylandConference