Governor Livingston baseball is Union County Sports Story of Year for 2025

Governor Livingston High School, pictured, went 28-0 in 2025, becoming the first team in New Jersey to go undefeated since Don Bosco Preparatory High School finished No. 1 in the state in 2008 with a record of 33-0.

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — Baseball is a sport of failure.

Baseball has always been a sport of failure and will always be a sport of failure.

No matter how good you are at baseball, you’re going to lose. You’re going to lose games.

You can still win a championship or multiple championships, but you’re going to lose.

Practice will, hopefully, make you better, but it will not make you perfect.

Along the way the scoreboard is not going to light up in your favor.

Baseball is a pitcher’s sport, with a different player taking the mound each game.

No matter how hard teams try, concluding a schedule without a blemish just doesn’t happen.

The Governor Livingston High School baseball team never repeated as county champions.

Governor Livingston never repeated as sectional champs.

The Highlanders never repeated as state champions.

Governor Livingston was ranked No. 1 in the state before, in 2017, but never finished a year as New Jersey’s best.

Those lofty feats were all achieved in 2025.

Oh and, by the way, the Highlanders did so without losing a game.

Governor Livingston, defying all the odds, did not lose a single game this past spring.

The Governor Livingston Highlanders baseball team, en route to repeating as Union County Tournament champions, Central Jersey, Group 2 sectional state champs and Group 2 state champions all for the first time, realized perfection from a won-loss standpoint once the final out was registered on a June Monday in Bergen County.

Governor Livingston went 28-0 in 2025, becoming the first team in New Jersey to go undefeated since Don Bosco Preparatory High School finished No. 1 in the state in 2008 with a record of 33-0.

Becoming the first team in the state to go undefeated in 17 years, tying the school record for victories in a year and winning 28 games for a second straight season, including a victory against perennial parochial power Delbarton High School, Governor Livingston baseball is my choice for Sports Story of the Year in Union County for 2025.

While the Highlanders won 13 games by double-digits and also 13 by shutout, including the UCT final, there were moments when it appeared Governor Livingston might not get out of Central Jersey, Group 2 alive.

As the top seed, Governor Livingston had to come back immediately against 16th-seeded Point Pleasant Borough High School to eke out a 7-6 first-round victory by winning the game in walk-off fashion with a single run in the bottom of the seventh. Point Pleasant Borough led 5-1 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Then, in the next round, also at home, ninth-seeded South River High School scored three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 6-6 before Governor Livingston scored the game’s final six runs for a 12-6 victory.

An even bigger scare came in the next round. In its sectional semifinal at home against fifth-seeded Raritan High School, Governor Livingston was down to its last strike in the bottom of the seventh and trailing 2-0. Then, lefty-hitting Michael Novotny produced his only hit of the game, an RBI-single up the middle to pull Governor Livingston to within 2-1 and keep the Highlander season alive.

Michael Basile followed with an RBI-double to left-center that tied the game at 2-2.

Two batters later, Ryan Pappas, who earlier in the game was thrown out at the plate, delivered the game-winning hit, sneaking an RBI-single up the middle to lift Governor Livingston to an incredible 3-2 comeback triumph.

Governor Livingston went on to rout second-seeded Robbinsville High School, 12-2, to win the section and then held on to down Haddonfield Memorial High School, 8-6, in the Group 2 semifinal played at Governor Livingston.

In the Group 2 final that was moved to Woodbridge High School’s field in Woodbridge, Governor Livingston scored the game’s first six runs on its way to a commanding 6-1 triumph against West Morris Regional High School.

State champs again, for the fifth time to be exact, and for the first time consecutively.

No. 1 in New Jersey for the first time.

Undefeated at last!

“Because we were undefeated and had that pressure on us, we felt that we were the most prepared team,” Pappas said. “Pressure makes diamonds.”

“It’s really unbelievable that we were able to get through this without Matty (Diskin) on the mound,” standout junior catcher Michael Basile said. “We made history because of all of our hard work.”

“I’m so proud of these kids,” said Governor Livingston head coach Chris Roof, who just guided the Highlanders to a fourth state championship and the program’s fifth overall. Roof, a 1992 Governor Livingston grad, was head coach Bill Howard’s assistant coach in 1999, when Governor Livingston captured its first Group 2 state title.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Roof said. “This is the pinnacle. To be able to do the best you could possibly do is just incredible.”

A good cast is worth repeating

2025 Governor Livingston Highlanders (28-0):

23-Zach Geertstma, junior, shortstop

10-Michael Novotny, junior, first baseman

17-Michael Basile, junior, catcher

28-Anthony DeNora, senior, third baseman

20-Ryan Pappas, junior, left fielder

12-Alex Adornato, senior, right fielder

8-Matty Diskin, senior, designated hitter

4-Reid Bazydlo, junior, second baseman

25-Dom Labisi, junior, center fielder

6-Keith Mann, junior, pitcher

2025 Group 2 State Championship Baseball

at Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex

N2 West Morris (20-11) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – 1 6 1

CJ Governor Livingston (28-0) 0 0 0 6 0 0 x – 6 8 2

WP: Keith Mann (10-0). LP: Nick Rotundo.

Singles: West Morris – Donovan Veletto, Jake Novello, Kelly Morgan. Governor Livingston – Michael Basile, Alex Adornato (2), Michael Novotny, Ryan Pappas, Matty Diskin, Zach Geertsma, Dom Labisi.

Doubles: West Morris – Cooper North (2), Jake Novello.

Governor Livingston in the Group 2 state championship game:

2025 (28-0): Governor Livingston 6, West Morris 1 – at Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex

Head coach: Chris Roof, who now has 505 career wins, 5th most of any Union County coach

2024 (28-5): Governor Livingston 3, Pascack Valley 0 – at Veterans Park, Hamilton

Head coach: Chris Roof

2015 (28-6): Governor Livingston 10, Bernards 4 – at Toms River South

Head coach: Chris Roof

2011 (26-6): Governor Livingston 8, West Essex 2 – at Toms River North

Head coach: Chris Roof

2006 (17-9): Hanover Park 8, Governor Livingston 0 – at Toms River South

Head coach: Chris Roof