UNION COUNTY — It was business as usual for the Governor Livingston High School Highlanders, while the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders and Roselle Park High School Panthers continued to show a great deal of improvement.
These three schools went on to capture Union County Conference baseball division championships for the 2026 season.
Governor Livingston won its second straight Watchung Division crown outright, doing so with an 11-1 record against the other six division schools. The Highlanders won the Watchung Division championship last year perfect at 11-0 and did not have to make up the one division game they didn’t play.
Arthur L. Johnson won the Mountain Division title outright with an 8-2 mark against the other five division schools. The Crusaders finished third last year at 8-3 behind second-place Elizabeth High School at 9-3 and first-place Oratory Preparatory School at 10-2. As a result of winning the Mountain Division last year, Oratory Prep moved up to the Watchung Division this year.
Arthur L. Johnson finished 0-12 in the Watchung Division in 2024.
Roselle Park won the Valley Division outright and, perfect at 7-0, will not need to make up its home game against Rahway High School. The Panthers made the biggest improvement, after finishing in last place in the Mountain Division a year ago at 0-11.
There was a new format this year where teams played the same division opponent back-to-back in the same week to avoid the possibility of facing the opponent’s ace twice during the season.
Governor Livingston won its first five division games before suffering its only division setback, a 6-5 extra-inning decision in nine innings at Cranford High School on Thursday, April 16. The Cougars last won the Watchung Division in 2023 and did so with a perfect 12-0 record that season. Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School won the Watchung Division in 2024 at 9-3, edging Governor Livingston by one game.
Arthur L. Johnson won its first six division games before being swept by Elizabeth for its only two division losses. Arthur L. Johnson lost at Elizabeth, 7-5, on Tuesday, April 21, and the Crusaders were then edged by the Minutemen, 4-3, at home in Clark on Thursday, April 23.
Roselle Park outscored the competition 56-21 in its seven division victories against no losses.
Governor Livingston Highlanders
Repeat Watchung Division champions (11-1)
Division games:
March 30: Governor Livingston 10, Oratory Prep 0 – at Governor Livingston
March 31: Governor Livingston 12, Oratory Prep 1 – at Oratory Prep
April 7: Governor Livingston 12, Scotch Plains–Fanwood 3 – at Scotch Plains–Fanwood
April 9: Governor Livingston 9, Scotch Plains–Fanwood 8 – at Governor Livingston
April 14: Governor Livingston 7, Cranford 4 – at Governor Livingston
April 16: Cranford 6, Governor Livingston 5 (9 inn.) – at Cranford
April 21: Governor Livingston 4, Summit 2 – at Summit
April 23: Governor Livingston 8, Summit 1 – at Governor Livingston
April 28: Governor Livingston 7, Westfield 1 at Governor Livingston
May 1: Governor Livingston 12, Westfield 1 – at Westfield
May 12: Governor Livingston 12, Union Catholic 2 – at Governor Livingston
May 14: Governor Livingston 19, Union Catholic 4 – at Union Catholic
Arthur L. Johnson Crusaders
Mountain Division champions (8-2)
Division games:
March 31: Arthur L. Johnson 17, David Brearley 7 – at Arthur L. Johnson
April 2: Arthur L. Johnson 17, David Brearley 2 – at Arthur L. Johnson
April 7: Arthur L. Johnson 8, Jonathan Dayton 5 – at Arthur L. Johnson
April 9: Arthur L. Johnson 14, Jonathan Dayton 1 – at Jonathan Dayton
April 14: Arthur L. Johnson 7, Union 2 – at Arthur L. Johnson
April 16: Arthur L. Johnson 8, Union 0 – at Union
April 21: Elizabeth 7, Johnson 5 – at Elizabeth
April 23: Elizabeth 4, Johnson 3 – at Arthur L. Johnson
May 4: Arthur L. Johnson 13, New Providence 3 – at New Providence
May 7: Arthur L. Johnson 10, New Providence 5 – at Arthur L. Johnson
Roselle Park Panthers
Valley Division champions (7-0)
Division games:
March 31: Roselle Park 3, Linden 1 – at Roselle Park
April 2: Roselle Park 6, Linden 2 – at Linden
April 7: Roselle Park 8, Hillside 7 – at Hillside
April 9: Roselle Park 15, Hillside 2 – at Roselle Park
April 21: Roselle Park 3, Plainfield 2 – at Roselle Park
April 23: Roselle Park 7, Plainfield 4 – at Plainfield
May 5: Roselle Park 14, Rahway 3 – at Rahway
Photo by JR Parachini
