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There were some outstanding performances on the area diamonds this spring. We made some of our picks, but now fans get to vote: Who’s the best baseball player in the MyCentralJersey.com area?
Unfortunately, we had to leave off some stars but here are 22 of the top players in the Greater Middlesex Conference and area Skyland and Union County conferences (we limited one player per team).
The poll closes Tuesday, July 1, at noon.
More: Baseball: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
Please note that the votes don't always show up immediately. There are lags for the votes to register and a winner isn't declared until hours after the poll closes.
IF POLL DOESN’T SHOW, PLEASE REFRESH THIS PAGE
Ryan Auten, Immaculata, Jr.
The lefty transferred over from Delaware Valley and was dominating. He pitched a 1-0 no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and three walks against Franklin in a Somerset County Tournament semifinal. He struck out 69 and walked 32 in 40 innings and had a 2.80 ERA.
Grant Como, Westfield, Sr.
The lefty was one of the more durable pitchers in the state with six complete games in 80 innings, assisting the Blue Devils’ run to a North 2 Group 4 title and state final. He struck out 10, retiring the last 10 in order to beat Passaic Tech 4-1 in the state semifinal. The Penn State-bound Como went 9-3 with a 1.23 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
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. 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.
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).
Alex Famolari, North Hunterdon, Jr.
He was a cog both with his bat and on the mound. He led the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex champs with a .451 batting average. He also threw six innings for the win in the 1-0 H/W/S/T semifinal triumph over Phillipsburg. He went six innings, allowing one hit in a 1-0 win April 17 over Central Group 4 champion Hillsborough.
Brayden Fox, Hillsborough, Sr.
He delivered on the mound and at the plate. He hit .324 with 22 hits, 15 RBIs and had 18 runs scored. He also struck out 30 in 31 innings with a 2.68 ERA.
Zach Geertsma, Governor Livingston, Jr.
Geertsma proved why he will be playing at the University of Virginia. The Highlander shortstop/leadoff man hit safely in 24 of 28 games and had at least an RBI in half of them.
Soren Gregor, Hunterdon Central, Jr.
He was a fine second baseman and leadoff man for the Red Devils. He improved his batting average from .306 last season to a team-leading .492 this year. He hit .444 (12-for-27) in 10 games against Skyland Conference Delaware Division opponents.
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.
Matt Lehberger, Bridgewater-Raritan, Sr.
He was a big contributor on last season’s state Group 4 championship team and added another fine season in 2025. He raised his average from .306 last year to .357. He had at least one hit in 19 of the Panthers’ 25 games. Lehberger was a versatile player as he had time in center and right field and shortstop.
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.
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.
Brayden Morrison, Union Catholic, So.
Morrison was a big reason the Vikings earned their first Union County Tournament final berth since 1984. The catcher hit a team-leading .455 with 35 hits and 28 RBIs.
Connor Murphy, Edison, Jr.
After a slow start battling the flu, the righthander was near-unhittable with 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.
Cory Pascarella, Colonia, Sr.
Pascarella just had one of those special seasons on the mound. He used a low-90s fastball and a devastating 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.
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.
Louis Rizzolo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jr.
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.
Michael Robinson, Sayreville, Sr.
Robinson managed to flourish both defensively and at the plate despite battling injuries. 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.
Julius Rosado, South River, Sr.
Rosado was a must-see player in his four years with the Rams. Longtime coach Mike Lepore notes that Rosado is the GMC career home run leader (30) and has the second-most hits in GMC history (157). 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.
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.
Aidan Stieglitz, Ridge, Sr.
The Elon commit went 9-3 with 99 strikeouts and 26 walks in 62 innings to lead the Red Devils to a share of the tough Skyland Delaware Division title. He threw to 0.62 ERA. He was part of five shutout games, going 4-1. He had some tough losses including a 1-0 rain-shortened five-inning home setback to Seton Hall Prep.
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.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ VOTE NOW! Who is your choice for Baseball Player of the Year?
Continue reading...
Unfortunately, we had to leave off some stars but here are 22 of the top players in the Greater Middlesex Conference and area Skyland and Union County conferences (we limited one player per team).
The poll closes Tuesday, July 1, at noon.
More: Baseball: Links to the Courier News and Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
Please note that the votes don't always show up immediately. There are lags for the votes to register and a winner isn't declared until hours after the poll closes.
IF POLL DOESN’T SHOW, PLEASE REFRESH THIS PAGE
Ryan Auten, Immaculata, Jr.
The lefty transferred over from Delaware Valley and was dominating. He pitched a 1-0 no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and three walks against Franklin in a Somerset County Tournament semifinal. He struck out 69 and walked 32 in 40 innings and had a 2.80 ERA.
Grant Como, Westfield, Sr.
The lefty was one of the more durable pitchers in the state with six complete games in 80 innings, assisting the Blue Devils’ run to a North 2 Group 4 title and state final. He struck out 10, retiring the last 10 in order to beat Passaic Tech 4-1 in the state semifinal. The Penn State-bound Como went 9-3 with a 1.23 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
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. 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.
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).
Alex Famolari, North Hunterdon, Jr.
He was a cog both with his bat and on the mound. He led the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex champs with a .451 batting average. He also threw six innings for the win in the 1-0 H/W/S/T semifinal triumph over Phillipsburg. He went six innings, allowing one hit in a 1-0 win April 17 over Central Group 4 champion Hillsborough.
Brayden Fox, Hillsborough, Sr.
He delivered on the mound and at the plate. He hit .324 with 22 hits, 15 RBIs and had 18 runs scored. He also struck out 30 in 31 innings with a 2.68 ERA.
Zach Geertsma, Governor Livingston, Jr.
Geertsma proved why he will be playing at the University of Virginia. The Highlander shortstop/leadoff man hit safely in 24 of 28 games and had at least an RBI in half of them.
Soren Gregor, Hunterdon Central, Jr.
He was a fine second baseman and leadoff man for the Red Devils. He improved his batting average from .306 last season to a team-leading .492 this year. He hit .444 (12-for-27) in 10 games against Skyland Conference Delaware Division opponents.
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.
Matt Lehberger, Bridgewater-Raritan, Sr.
He was a big contributor on last season’s state Group 4 championship team and added another fine season in 2025. He raised his average from .306 last year to .357. He had at least one hit in 19 of the Panthers’ 25 games. Lehberger was a versatile player as he had time in center and right field and shortstop.
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.
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.
Brayden Morrison, Union Catholic, So.
Morrison was a big reason the Vikings earned their first Union County Tournament final berth since 1984. The catcher hit a team-leading .455 with 35 hits and 28 RBIs.
Connor Murphy, Edison, Jr.
After a slow start battling the flu, the righthander was near-unhittable with 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.
Cory Pascarella, Colonia, Sr.
Pascarella just had one of those special seasons on the mound. He used a low-90s fastball and a devastating 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.
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.
Louis Rizzolo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jr.
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.
Michael Robinson, Sayreville, Sr.
Robinson managed to flourish both defensively and at the plate despite battling injuries. 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.
Julius Rosado, South River, Sr.
Rosado was a must-see player in his four years with the Rams. Longtime coach Mike Lepore notes that Rosado is the GMC career home run leader (30) and has the second-most hits in GMC history (157). 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.
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.
Aidan Stieglitz, Ridge, Sr.
The Elon commit went 9-3 with 99 strikeouts and 26 walks in 62 innings to lead the Red Devils to a share of the tough Skyland Delaware Division title. He threw to 0.62 ERA. He was part of five shutout games, going 4-1. He had some tough losses including a 1-0 rain-shortened five-inning home setback to Seton Hall Prep.
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.
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This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ VOTE NOW! Who is your choice for Baseball Player of the Year?
Continue reading...
