BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — There wasn’t any trophy on the line to be hoisted by the team that scored more runs.
There was not to be any pile-on-the-mound celebration once the final out was recorded.
Sure, Governor Livingston High School vs. Delbarton School was a Sunday afternoon, April 13, matchup that included two of the top-ranked teams in the state for the second straight season.
However, it was just another regular season game for both.
The difference this time? Governor Livingston came out on top.
Sparked by a seven-run top of the third with senior designated hitter Matty Diskin going deep for a two-run shot followed by a grand slam slugged by junior shortstop Zach Geertsma, the Highlanders remained undefeated after topping Delbarton, 11-4, in Sunday’s Autism Awareness Game that was moved to Rowland Park in South Brunswick.
Governor Livingston ranked fourth in last week’s NJ.com Top 20, improved to 5-0. Delbarton, ranked ninth, slipped to 5-2 and had a four-game winning streak snapped.
When the teams clashed in Morris Township at Delbarton last April, the host Green Wave won 3-2 in eight innings, after the Highlanders tied the game at 2-2 with a single run in the top of the sixth. Delbarton entered that game No. 2 in the state and Governor Livingston, No. 9.
Both went on to have incredible seasons, Delbarton winning 30 games and county and sectional championships, while Governor Livingston tied the program record for wins with 28, en route to capturing county, sectional and state championships in the same season for the first time.
All but one Governor Livingston player in a highly prolific Highlander lineup hit safely, while pitchers Keith Mann and Anthony DeNora allowed just two earned runs and combined to yield five hits total.
“This was a nice team win,” Governor Livingston head coach Chris Roof said. “Our pitchers did a great job limiting their damage. I thought we played good defense and hit the ball hard.”
First baseman Michael Novotny, batting second, was 3-for-5 and Geertsma was 2-for-5, with one run and four RBI. Also banging out two hits for the Highlanders were catcher Michael Basile and right fielder Ryan Pappas. Basile scored twice and Pappas drove in three runs.
“At the end of the day, it’s one game in a long season, but to beat such a quality team that’s well coached was definitely nice,” Roof said.
One of Governor Livingston’s losses in last year’s 28-5 finish, its only one outside of the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division, where the Highlanders finished second, was the one to Delbarton.
Guided by head coach Bruce Shatel, Delbarton finished 30-3 a year ago, after capturing the Morris County Tournament title, the North Jersey, Non-Public A crown and reaching the Non-Public A final. The Green Wave also won the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s American Division standings at 11-1.
Governor Livingston began its 2025 campaign at Elizabeth High School with an 8-4 win on Tuesday, April 1, and then defeated Arthur L. Johnson High School, 13-0, in its home-opener on the hill in Berkeley Heights two days later. The Highlanders then beat Summit High School, 8-3, at home on Tuesday, April 8, and followed that up with another shutout victory, this one by the score of 11-0 at home against Cranford High School on Thursday, April 10.
Governor Livingston’s Watchung Division game, scheduled at home against New Providence High School on Saturday, April 12, was rescheduled for Wednesday, April 30.
Governor Livingston began the week tied with Scotch Plains–Fanwood and Union Catholic high schools at 2-0 in the Watchung Division standings. Union Catholic stood at 5-1 overall and Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 5-2.
Union Catholic’s lone setback was at Somerville High School, 6-3, on Thursday, April 10, while Scotch Plains–Fanwood lost at Mountain Division foe Arthur L. Johnson High School, 6-5, on Tuesday, April 1, and Edison High School, 2-1, on Sunday, April 13.
Governor Livingston was to host Union Catholic on Tuesday, April 15, play at David Brearley High School on Wednesday, April 16, and then host Lyndhurst High School on Saturday, April 19, at 11 a.m.
Diskin, who will continue playing at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, and who was the winning pitcher in Governor Livingston’s county and state finals last year, threw his first two innings against Cranford after minor elbow surgery in the off-season. He threw 26 pitches and also received the mound victory.
“We plan to stretch him out about 55-60 pitches next,” Roof said.
Despite another solid start, a loaded lineup and now a win against a state-ranked foe, Roof realizes that there will be games where not everything will click.
“We definitely have length in our lineup,” Roof said. “However, these are high school kids and on certain days we may not be as sharp. It’s a nice group of kids who are a pleasure to coach.
“We’re not going undefeated. We’re going to lose some games. We just want to be playing our best come tournament times. There is still a lot of room for improvement.”
As of Saturday, April 12, Governor Livingston was the highest-ranked public school in the NJ.com state top 10. The only other two public schools in the top 10 were Group 4 schools Eastern High School at No. 5 and Cherokee High School at No.10.
Baseball state Top 10 as of Saturday, April 12
1-Gloucester Catholic
2-Don Bosco Prep
3-Seton Hall Prep
4-Governor Livingston
5-Eastern
6-St. Augustine
7-DePaul
8-Christian Brothers Academy
9-Delbarton
10-Cherokee
Photo By JR Parachini