BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — Whenever Chris Roof reaches a milestone, his first words to a question about it are “Bill Howard.”
Howard was Roof’s head coach when Roof played his baseball at Governor Livingston High School, before graduating in 1992.
Roof, 51, has said, time and again, that it was Howard who shaped the player he was on his way to excelling collegiately at Montclair State University. Howard has also been a major influence on how Roof handles his coaching duties.
At the helm of the Highlanders since 2004, after three years as the head coach at Millburn High School, Roof became just the fifth baseball coach in Union County history to reach 500 victories on Thursday, May 29, when top-seeded Governor Livingston scored the game’s final six runs en route to a 12-6 victory over ninth-seeded South River in the Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinal played at Snyder Park in Berkeley Heights.
As of Tuesday, June 3, here are the top five coaches: Bob Brewster, 655; Ray Korn, 651; Gordon LeMatty, 641; Dennis McCaffery, 527, including 16 so far this year; and Chris Roof, 500, including 24 so far this year.
After serving as the head coach at Cranford High School from 1999 to 2024, this is McCaffery’s first season as the head coach at St. Joseph High School, Metuchen. McCaffery’s squad (16-6) was scheduled to host Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft in a South Jersey, Group A semifinal on Wednesday, June 4.
This is Roof’s 21st season at Governor Livingston. His Highlanders, 24-0 and ranked No. 1 in New Jersey, were scheduled to host fifth-seeded Raritan High School on Tuesday, June 3, in a Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinal.
The final is scheduled to be played at the higher seed on Thursday, June 5. If Governor Livingston won on Tuesday, June 3, then the Highlanders will host either second-seeded Robbinsville High School or 14th-seeded Bordentown Regional High School.
Governor Livingston, the defending Central Jersey, Group 2 champion, has never captured back-to-back sectional crowns.
Howard guided Governor Livingston to its first state championship, the Group 2 crown in 1999. Roof was also an assistant coach on Howard’s staff in 1996, when Governor Livingston reached its first Union County Tournament championship game.
“Bill Howard taught us how to be men,” Roof said.
Roof has guided Governor Livingston to Group 2 state championships in 2011, 2015 and 2024 and to a second-place finish in 2006. At the moment, Governor Livingston is attempting to repeat as Central Jersey, Group 2 and Group 2 state champs for the first time. Earlier this month, the Highlanders repeated as UCT champions for the first time.
“Getting to 500 wins is a culmination of everything,” said Roof, who won his 300th game 10 years ago in 2015 when Governor Livingston defeated Bernards 10-4 in the Group 2 state championship game at Toms River South. That was the first Governor Livingston team to win 28 games (28-6). Last year’s squad was the second (28-5).
“I’m so blessed to be a part of this program and I’m happy for both the Berkeley Heights and Mountainside communities; it means the world to me,” Roof said. “This is home for me. I love it.
“I have really good players who are also good kids. Many of the coaches on staff here have been with me for a long time.”
Governor Livingston also finished 11-0 in capturing the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division title. Then came a second straight and fifth overall UCT crown, as the top-seeded Highlanders outscored four opponents 49-0 and did not allow a hit in the championship game.
“For me and my staff, at the end of the day, it’s all about how we’ve developed these young men, so that they will be ready for college and to move on,” Roof said. “When these kids are on their own, it’s about them making the right decisions. Winning is great and, as coaches, we get into coaching to win, but the winning is gravy.”
Governor Livingston came back from a 5-1 deficit to oust 16th-seeded Point Pleasant Borough High School, 7-6, in its first-round game played at home on Tuesday, May 27. Governor Livingston’s previous five wins were by shutout. The Highlanders entered state tournament play at 22-0, with 13 shutout victories, and had given up only 31 runs.
Governor Livingston began the week 4-0 in one-run games, its first three being 1-0 at David Brearley High School on Wednesday, April 16; 8-7 at home vs. Westfield High School on Monday, April 21; and then 1-0 against Elizabeth High School in the UCT semifinals on Saturday, May 17, at Arthur L. Johnson High School.
“Our first two state games say a lot about our section,” Roof said. “Point Pleasant Borough is a really good team that plays in a tough Shore Conference. We could have folded when we were down 5-1, but our team never gives up. We needed a challenge like that. We didn’t have too many of them during the season.”
It doesn’t matter that Governor Livingston is undefeated. Nobody cares that the Highlanders, for the first time in program history, are ranked No. 1 in New Jersey this late in the season.
Governor Livingston also began the week on a program-record 30-game winning streak dating back to last season, but that was to be of no concern to the opponent the Highlanders were to face on Tuesday, June 3.
“It’s cool that we got to June undefeated,” Roof said. “However, the section that we’re in is very challenging, to say the least.”
Junior right-hander Keith Mann (8-0), who pitched in relief of senior righty Matty Diskin against Point Pleasant Borough, was to get the start on Tuesday, June 3, according to Roof. Diskin is still a prominent batter in Governor Livingston’s starting lineup as the team’s designated hitter, but after his injury against Point Pleasant Borough, he is no longer available to pitch for the rest of the season.
Roof started senior right-hander Anthony DeNora against South River High School. DeNora is Roof’s No. 1 relief pitcher.
“If we’re fortunate enough to make it past Tuesday, then we’ll have to piece it together for the final,” Roof said.
Union County’s top 5 winningest baseball coaches
Bob Brewster: 655-342-3 (.657)
1983-2021 – 38 seasons at Westfield
Brewster has guided the Blue Devils to Group 4 state championship games in 2011 (Toms River South), 2013 (Toms River North) and 2018 (Veterans Park, Hamilton).
Brewster has led Westfield to all five of its North 2, Group 4 titles: 1988, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019.
Brewster has also led Westfield to 11 UCT championships, tied for the most by any coach, with his last coming in 2017.
Ray Korn: 651-308-1 (.679)
1974-1979 – 6 seasons at Roselle Catholic
One state championship – Parochial A in 1978
1980-2009 – 29 seasons (he did not coach one of those years, 2002) at Elizabeth
Three state championships – Group 4 in 1983, 1986 and 1994
Korn also guided Elizabeth to Union County Tournament championships in 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991 and 2008.
Korn was 110-91 in his six seasons at Roselle Catholic.
Gordon LeMatty: 641-272-4 (.702)
1959-1991 – 33 seasons at Union
Two state championships – Group 4 in 1972 and 1974
LeMatty also guided Union to Central, Group 4 state titles in 1966 and 1968 and the Farmers to the first seven of their eight UCT championships, the last one coming in 1975. In addition, LeMatty led Union to the 1966 and 1970 Greater Newark Tournament crowns.
Dennis McCaffery: 527-160-1 (.767)
1999-2024: 25 seasons at Cranford (there was no season in 2020 because of COVID-19)
McCaffery’s record at Cranford was 511-154-1 (.768)
2025: one season at St, Joseph’s, Metuchen – 16-6 as of June 3.
Three state championships – Group 3 in 2010 (won at Toms River North), 2012 (won at Toms River South) and 2013 (won at Toms River East)
8 state championship games – 0-1 at East Brunswick Tech, 3-3 in Toms River and 0-1 in Hamilton
McCaffery guided Cranford to all 11 of its Union County Tournament championships and closed with an 11-1 record in the UCT final. McCaffery and Bob Brewster of Westfield are tied at 11 for the most UCT championships won.
Cranford finished No. 1 in New Jersey in 2013 with a 25-1 record. At 17-0 Cranford lost at Westfield 2-1 for its lone setback. Cranford split with Westfield in division games that season and also beat the Blue Devils in the UCT final.
This season McCaffery guided St. Joseph to the Greater Middlesex County tournament championship.
Chris Roof: 500-184-1 (.731)
2004-2025: 21 seasons at Governor Livingston
2025: Record of 24-0 as of June 3.
Roof’s 21-season record at Governor Livingston so far, including this year’s 24-0 start, is 446-150-1 (.748)
Roof’s three-season (2001-2003) record at Millburn was 54-34 (.614).
Three state championships – Group 2 in 2011 (won at Toms River North), 2-15 (won at Toms River South) and 2024 (first Union County team to win at Veterans Park in Hamilton).
Four state championship games – 1-1 at Toms River South, 1-0 at Toms River North and 1-0 at Veterans Park, Hamilton.
Roof guided Governor Livingston to all five of its Union County Tournament championships and has a 5-5 record in the title contest. Titles won: 2016, 2018, 2021, 2024 and 2025. Title-game losses: 2007, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2023.
Program record for wins in a season is 28: in 2015 (28-6) and in 2024 (28-5, four losses by one run).
Governor Livingston repeated as UCT champs for the first time this season.
Photo by JR Parachini