UNION COUNTY — The 72nd annual baseball Union County Tournament will be seeded Monday, May 4.
Who will be awarded the top seed might not be an easy decision.
Sort of like what pitch to throw on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded in a tie game?
At the start of this week, two-time defending UCT champion Governor Livingston High School had the best record among Union County Conference teams at 11-3. Union Catholic High School, which reached last year’s UCT final for the first time since the only year the Vikings won the tournament, in 1984, was 10-4.
Governor Livingston and Union Catholic began the week tied for the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division lead at 7-1. They are scheduled to clash on Tuesday, May 12, in Berkeley Heights and Thursday, May 14, in Scotch Plains.
Arthur L. Johnson High School began the week tied for the Mountain Division lead at 6-2 with New Providence High School. Arthur L. Johnson, which earlier this year snapped Governor Livingston’s state-record 40-game winning streak, was 9-3 overall as of Monday, April 27. New Providence was 7-6.
Arthur L. Johnson is scheduled to play at New Providence on Monday, May 4, and then host the Pioneers on Thursday, May 7.
Roselle Park High School led the Valley Division at 6-0 and was 9-2 overall at the start of the week. Plainfield High School was second in the division at 4-2 and 7-2 overall.
Roselle Park swept Plainfield last week, winning 3-2 at home on Tuesday, April 21, and then 7-4 at Plainfield on Thursday, April 23.
Other eight-win teams, as of Monday, April 27, were Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, 8-3, and Westfield High School, 8-6.
Governor Livingston was scheduled to play at Westfield on Tuesday, April 28, after press time, and on Thursday, April 30, is to host the Blue Devils.
Governor Livingston’s three losses were by one run and in extra innings, including an 8-7 setback in eight innings to perennial parochial power Gloucester Catholic High School on Sunday, April 19, in the annual Autism Awareness Games, contested at North Brunswick’s Community Park.
Governor Livingston will attempt to become only the third program to win as many as three consecutive UCT championships. Westfield has the record of four straight, established in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Cranford won three in a row, its first three titles, in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Four UCT titles in a row
Westfield Blue Devils: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
Three UCT titles in a row
Cranford Cougars: 1999, 2000, 2001 – their first three titles
Two UCT titles in a row
Union Farmers: 1964, 1965
Westfield Blue Devils: 1986, 1987
Cranford Cougars: 2010, 2011
Cranford Cougars: 2022, 2023
Governor Livingston Highlanders: 2024, 2025
2026 Union County tournament dates
Wednesday, May 6: Preliminary round at higher seeds
Saturday, May 9: First round at higher seeds
Wednesday, May 13: Quarterfinals at higher seed
Saturday, May 16: Semifinals at neutral site to be determined
Monday, May 18: Final at Kean University
Union County Conference baseball standings as of Monday, April 27
Watchung Division = seven schools
1-Governor Livingston 7-1 (11-3 overall)
Union Catholic 7-1 (10-4)
3-Westfield 4-4 (8-6)
4-Scotch Plains–Fanwood 3-3 (8-3)
5-Cranford 2-4 (7-7)
6-Oratory Preparatory 1-5 (5-6)
7-Summit 0-6 (3-8-1)
Mountain Division = six schools
1-Arthur L. Johnson 6-2 (9-3)
New Providence 6-2 (7-6)
3-Elizabeth 4-4 (5-9)
David Brearley 4-4 (4-8)
5-Jonathan Dayton 3-5 (4-8)
6-Union 1-7 (6-8)
Valley Division = five schools
1-Roselle Park 6-0 (9-2)
2-Plainfield 4-2 (7-2)
3-Rahway 2-3 (4-7)
4-Linden 2-5 (2-7)
5-Hillside 1-5 (6-5)
Photo by JR Parachini
