2026 Baseball NJSIAA Tournament Preview: The Shore in Group 3

In the 2025 NJSIAA Tournament, the strongest showing by the Shore Conference came in the Group III field. Toms River East was the Shore’s lone public school sectional champion and beat Toms River South in the South Jersey Group III final to claim the trophy. In Central Jersey Group II, meanwhile, Brick Memorial reached the Central Jersey Group III final and fell to eventual group champion Northern Burlington — the team that also ended Toms River East’s season one round later.

All three of those sectional finalists are back with either similar or grander aspirations this season, although none of the three is the best seed from the Shore Conference in Group III. That distinction belongs to Colts Neck, which will be trying to replace Brick Memorial as the Shore Conference team that challenges Northern Burlington in the championship game.

Group III is also the lone group in which the Shore is participating in more than two sectional brackets. Middletown North and Matawan will play in the North Jersey, Section 2 bracket, with the two teams hoping to make a run in the same way that Red Bank Regional (Central Jersey) and Lacey (South Jersey) will be shooting to make it to the second week of the state playoffs.

 

North Jersey Section 2, Group III

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 9 Middletown North, No. 12 Matawan
Top Seed: Chatham
Defending Champion: No. 4 South Plainfield

The Favorite: No. 2 North Hunterdon. The Lions have the rare luxury of two Division I arms, plus a Division III No. 3 starter that has performed like a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Penn State commit Hunter Brown leads the rotation and Yale commit Alex Famolari is a two-way threat, doubling as the team’s No. 2 starter and top hitter. Brooks Lunger has beenjust as effective as his Division I teammates, with the trio combining to allow 19 earned runs in 102 1/3 cumulative innings (1.30 ERA).

The Dark Horse: No. 11 Summit. Drawing No. 6 Carteret in the opening round gives the Hilltoppers a winnable game against a good team from a traditionally-weak GMC Blue division. No. 3 Cranford would be the likely round 2 opponent and while the Cougars have a dangerous lineup and a winning tradition, their pitching has not overpowered teams this season.

Matawan has a case to be the most dangerous double-digit seed in the field, with the young Huskies entering the tournament 6-3-1 over their final 10 games. Lorenzo Michaud and Liam Corbett have both had big seasons at the plate, while Corbett and Mark Fanelli have both been dependable on the mound as well. No. North Plainfield is a good first-round draw for Matawan and while defending sectional champion South Plainfield would be a tough opponent in the quarterfinals, the Tigers have just one pitcher – Rutgers-bound ace Aiden McCarthy – with an ERA under 3.50.

Bracket Breakdown: Chatham holds the top seed in the section, but will have to take some powerful punches after the first round to make the run to the title. In the quarterfinals, the Cougars will face either Middletown North or No. 8 Colonia and the only thing that may save Chatham is that Colonia may have to burn Seton Hall commit Colin Kroner to get past Middletown North’s well-rounded lineup. The Lions have gotten by on a committee basis on the mound, starting with senior left-hander Rob Cutolo, but their bats have done the job all year and should be ready to put up more of a fight than they did a year ago, when Colonia ace and current Monmouth University pitcher Cory Pascarella no-hit Middletown North in the sectional quarterfinals.

Although Colonia and Middletown North are threats to Chatham in the quarterfinals, this bracket still has the look of one that pushes the top four seeds into the semifinals. No. 7 Millburn and No.10 Somerville are both quality programs and tested teams, but whichever team survives their first-round battle will likely have to deal with North Hunterdon and its considerable pitching firepower. Cranford and South Plainfield, meanwhile, have manageable roads to the final, with Summit being the potential foil despite its 8-15-1 record.

Prediction: North Hunterdon over South Plainfield. The second-seeded Lions have the pitching to make the run as long as the lineup can set the table for Famolari and Lunger and both can deliver. South Plainfield should be able to lineup McCarthy for Chatham in the semifinals, which will give the Tigers a great shot to beat the Cougars, but would leave them without a hammer on the mound against one of North Plainfield’s co-aces, should this scenario play out. 

Round-by-Round Picks
First Round
(1) Chatham over (16) Orange
(8) Colonia over (9) Middletown North
(12) Matawan over (5) North Plainfield
(4) South Plainfield over (13) JFK-Iselin
(3) Cranford over (14) Rahway
(11) Summit over (6) Carteret
(7) Millburn over (10) Somerville
(2) North Hunterdon over (15) Payne Tech

Quarterfinals
(1) Chatham over (8) Colonia
(4) South Plainfield over (12) Matawan
(3) Cranford over (11) Summit
(2) North Hunterdon over (7) Millburn

Semifinals
(4) South Plainfield over (1) Chatham
(2) North Hunterdon over (3) Cranford

Championship
(2) North Hunterdon over (4) South Plainfield

 

Central Jersey Group III

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 2 Colts Neck, No. 3 Brick Memorial, No. 7 Red Bank, No. 14 Brick, No. 15 Lakewood, No. 16 Long Branch
Top Seed: Northern Burlington
Defending Champion: Northern Burlington

The Favorite: Northern Burlington. After going 28-2 and winning the Group III championship a season ago, the Greyhounds are now looking to finish 27-3 with a second straight state title. They are not quite as dominant as last year’s team, but the pitching remains excellent thanks to three rotation standouts in Rutgers commit Cole Marchetti, Villanova commit Logan Downey and Wagner commit Jordan Gilligo. Marchetti and Downey also help lead the offense along with Fordham commit and catcher Liam Velit and Marist commit Brent Walulak.

Brick Memorial has the lineup to compete against Northern Burlington’s pitcher and a pair of quality left-handers in Brody Moore and Zach Pirnik to take on the lineup, but until Northern Burlington falls, no other team deserves to be considered a favorite ahead of the Greyhounds, who will also be hosting on their homer-happy home field as long as they are around in Central Jersey Group III.

The Dark Horse: No. 13 Ewing. No road team in the first round stands out as a potential bracket-buster, but if there is one, Ewing has the best shot. The Blue Devils don’t have a dominant pitcher of a top-heavy lineup, but they have been competitive against the likes of No. 4 Lawrence and No. 5 Steinert – the two teams Ewing would likely have to beat to reach the semifinals.

Another dynamic to watch in round one is the underdogs in crosstown rivalry games. Brick goes on the road to Brick Memorial and while the Mustangs have overwhelmed the Green Dragons over the last two years, the familiarity factor could allow Brick to close the gap. Pitching has been an inconsistent area for Brick, but if the Dragons can execute against the top of Brick Memorial’s lineup twice through the order, the pressure could become a factor for a Mustangs team with gigantic expectations. The same rules apply for No. 12 Hamilton West at Steinert in the first round.

If we expand our sleeper search to teams that are hosting in the first round, No. 8 Burlington has a win over Steinert has seen Northern Burlington up close, so the Falcons would not be intimidated by the No. 1 seed. On the other end of the bracket, Red Bank has already beaten Colts Neck this season, so it’s not hard to dream up a run to the semifinals for a junior-heavy Bucs squad.

Neither Lakewood nor Long Branch would seem likely to advance, but their qualifying should be noted. Each has a capable pitcher to throw at the top two seeds and Lakewood has two in Abel Martinez and Cris Rosario. Both Northern Burlington and Colts Neck are likely to throw staff games in the first round and if one of them is capable of making one of the top seeds regret holding back pitching, it is Lakewood. With that said, Colts Neck should be able to beat the Piners without burning a top pitcher.

Bracket Breakdown: At first glance, this section looks like a collision course leading to a rematch between Northern Burlington and Brick Memorial. The Greyhounds have been nearly as good as they were last season, as has Brick Memorial, which won its first Ocean County Tournament title and already reached the 20-win mark a year after winning 22.

There are, however, a few teams that will have something to say about penciling in the two 2025 finalists for a rematch. Last year, Lawrence figured to pose a threat to Northern Burlington in the semifinals, but Northern Burlington handled the Cardinals in earning a trip to the sectional final. Lawrence is hoping this year will be different behind a senior core that has powered the program’s resurgence in recent years. To get that chance, however, the Cardinals will likely have to get through a capable Steinert squad that Lawrence would have to beat for a third time.

Colts Neck is also out for a measure of revenge. Brick Memorial beat the Cougars in the 2025 Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and can pay the Mustangs back this season if the two teams reach the sectional semifinals, which would be at Colts Neck. The Cougars have three pitchers performing well right now, particularly Ryan Spencer, who has been dominant since shifting to a bullpen role. Throw in a senior-dominant lineup and the Colts Neck has the makings of a team that can make a run to the final.

Prediction: Northern Burlington over Brick Memorial. Last year, it was Zach Pirnik who took on Northern Burlington on the mound in the sectional final and the Greyhounds got to Pirnik in the first inning and took advantage of some defensive mistakes by the Mustangs to win, 8-4. The six first-inning runs were Brick Memorial’s undoing, so returning to the final with some experience would serve the Mustangs well. They already won a championship game that they lost a year ago when they beat Toms River South in the Ocean County Tournament final so if Brick Memorial can get back to the final in Central Group III, maybe the Mustangs do the same in this tournament. Ultimately, the winner may be the team that preserves the most quality pitching in the semifinals.

Round-by-Round Picks
First Round
(1) Northern Burlington over (16) Long Branch
(8) Burlington Twp. over (9) Nottingham
(5) Steinert over (12) Hamilton West
(4) Lawrence over (13) Ewing
(3) Brick Memorial over (14) Brick
(6) Hopewell Valley over (11) Westampton Tech
(7) Red Bank over (10) Pemberton
(2) Colts Neck over (15) Lakewood

Quarterfinals
(1) Northern Burlington over (8) Burlington Twp.
(4) Lawrence over (5) Steinert
(3) Brick Memorial over (6) Hopewell Valley
(2) Colts Neck over (7) Red Bank

Semifinals
(1) Northern Burlington over (4) Lawrence
(3) Brick Memorial over (2) Colts Neck

Championship
(1) Northern Burlington over (3) Brick Memorial

 

South Jersey Group III

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 3 Toms River East, No. 9 Toms River South, No. 10 Lacey
Top Seed: Clearview
Defending Champion: Toms River East

The Favorite: Clearview. The Pioneers are a young team, but that has not stopped them from compiling an impressive collection of wins during a 20-5 season heading into the state tournament. Clearview has knocked off the No. 1 seed in four different sections: Central Jersey Group III (Northern Burlington), South Group IV (Kingsway), South Group I (Schalick) and South Non-Public B (Gloucester Catholic). Delbarton is the only other team in N.J. to beat Gloucester Catholic this season and Clearview also has a win over South Non-Public A No. 2 seed St. Augustine in the Diamond Classic.

No. 4 Delsea and Toms River South figure to be the toughest challenges for Clearview on that side of the bracket, while No. 2 Cherry Hill West, defending champion Toms River East and No. 6 Shawnee are set to slug it out in the bottom-half of the bracket. Cherry Hill West opened the season with 14 straight wins and ran its record to 19-2 before suffering three straight losses heading into the state tournament.

The Dark Horse: No. 12 Moorestown. One of the teams to beat Cherry Hill West at the end of the regular season was Moorestown, which posted a 13-9 record while playing a quality schedule. Despite that, the Quakers landed the No. 12 seed and will have to travel to Cumberland in round one, but have the pieces in place – both on the mound and at the plate – to win twice this week and earn a shot against one of Clearview, Toms River South or No. 8 Highland Regional.

No. 9 seeds don’t often make the march to the championship game, but Toms River South has the potential to be the exception. The Indians have a left-handed junior ace in Aiden Moylan who has pitched high-pressure games and delivered, but also a staff behind him that has given the Indians a chance to win a lot of games this season.

Lacey will hope to get a shot at Cherry Hill West in the quarterfinals, which the Lions can earn by knocking off Mainland. The Lions are dangerous because they have strong infield defense and four pitchers in Zach Lodge, Dalton Johnson, Andrew Hollister and Jayden McNeil who are all dependable and they are not reliant upon any one to carry the load.

No. 11 Absegami and No. 13 Ocean City are two other quality double-digit seeds who have tough match-ups in the opening round. Ocean City has championship pedigree in the tournament, while 16-win Absegami continues to improve each year under fifth-year coach Junior Mejia.

Bracket Breakdown: Last year’s South Jersey Group III Tournament concluded with a memorable night in Toms River, where Toms River East beat Toms River South to win its first sectional championship since 2006 with a packed-in crowd at Raider Ravine looking on. A repeat of that final will take a special effort from both teams, which are both different than what they were a year ago. In some ways, Toms River South is a better team, but it is hard to play better than the Indians did during their run to the 2025 sectional final. It will also require them to knock off the No. 1 seed, which the Indians did not have to do last year after Ocean City upset Mainland before Toms River South took out Ocean City.

On Toms River East’s side of the bracket, the Raiders will likely have to get through Shawnee for a second straight season. In 2025, then-seniors Dan Nafziger and Mason Pentz carried Toms River East through the bracket, with the duo allowing just one run in four games. While the Raiders’ staff has not been as spectacular, it has been dependable, with Liam Scallon, James Whalen and junior Dominic Roma all performing as starters and senior Jonathan Pallman settling in as a shut-down reliever.

Shawnee returns with, arguably, the best pitching in the section, led by Delaware commit Tim Dougherty and University of Pennsylvania commit Kayden Maybury.

Prediction: Clearview over Shawnee. If there is a reason to pump the brakes on Clearview, it is its reliance on underclassmen, including sophomore ace Josh Yurgin and freshman slugger Luke Yeager. If Toms River South can absorb some big swings from Clearview, the Indians could knock off the No. 1 seed and the same goes for Delsea should both the Crusaders and the top-seeded Pioneers make it to the semifinals. Ultimately, though, Clearview has proven itself in big games throughout the year, while Shawnee has the pitching lined up to make the run through a tough end of the bracket.

Round-by-Round Picks
First Round
(1) Clearview over (16) Timber Creek
(9) Toms River South over (8) Highland
(12) Moorestown over (5) Cumberland
(4) Delsea over (13) Ocean City
(3) Toms River East over (14) Hammonton
(6) Shawnee over (11) Absegami
(10) Lacey over (7) Mainland
(2) Cherry Hill West over (15) Triton

Quarterfinals
(1) Clearview over (9) Toms River South
(4) Delsea over (12) Moorestown
(6) Shawnee over (3) Toms River East
(2) Cherry Hill West over (10) Lacey

Semifinals
(1) Clearview over (4) Delsea
(6) Shawnee over (2) Cherry Hill West

Championship
(1) Clearview over (6) Shawnee