UNION COUNTY — Winning the baseball Union County Tournament three years in a row has happened only twice.
Westfield High School did it first, winning a record four in a row in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. The Blue Devils have won the most county championships with 15.
Cranford High School did it second. After falling in the 1998 final to Summit High School, which was the first time Cranford reached the championship game since 1978, the Cougars won their first three titles in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Tom Polito just so happened to be the winning pitcher in all three of those Cranford championship-game victories. The Cougars have won the second-most crowns with 11.
Two-time defending champion Governor Livingston High School has designs on being the third school to win three consecutive UCT championships.
Governor Livingston began the week with the best record in Union County at 14-3 and was on another winning streak, this time at six when it was scheduled to play at 10-3 Watchung Hills Monday, May 4.
The 72nd annual UCT was scheduled to commence Wednesday, May 6 with preliminary round games.
Governor Livingston, which also had a game scheduled at home Wednesday vs. Union County Conference-Mountain Division foe Union, also began the week leading the Watchung Division at 9-1. Governor Livingston’s lone loss was splitting with Cranford.
The defending champion Highlanders will wrap Watchung Division play next week with their two games vs. Union Catholic. The Vikings began the week in second place in the Watchung Division at 7-1 and were 10-6 overall.
In last year’s UCT championship game at Kean University it was GL defeating UC 5-0.
Governor Livingston has advanced to the last three UCT finals. Governor Livingston lost to Cranford 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh in the 2023 title game and then held on to defeat Westfield 10-8 in the 2024 championship contest.
Governor Livingston had its state-record 40-game winning streak snapped at Johnson 2-1 in nine-innings back on April 11. Governor Livingston then lost at Cranford 6-5 in nine innings on April 16 after beating Cranford at home 7-4 on April 14. Governor Livingston’s third loss was to perennial parochial power Gloucester Catholic 8-7 in eight innings in the annual Autism Awareness Games on April 19 at North Brunswick’s Community Park.
Arthur L. Johnson High School began the week at 11-4 and was tied for the Mountain Division lead with New Providence High School at 6-2. The Pioneers began the week at 8-7.
Arthur L. Johnson was to play at New Providence on Monday and on Thursday, May 7 is to host the Pioneers. Those are the final two division games for both.
Roselle Park High School, which finished 0-19 a year ago, began the week at 10-4 overall and was leading the Valley Division at 6-0. Roselle Park’s final two scheduled division games were at Rahway Tuesday and then home against Rahway High School this Thursday.
Coaches had to submit a Google form by noon Monday for UCT seeding purposes. The athletic directors were then to meet Tuesday morning, with the seeds to be announced Tuesday afternoon.
The best bets for the top seed were Governor Livingston and, perhaps, Arthur L. Johnson.
“Even though we’ve been battling injuries, our team has played well to date and we look forward to competing in the UCT,” Governor Livingston head coach Chris Roof said Sunday, May 3.
Roof has guided Governor Livingston to all five of its UCT titles, winning in 2016, 2018, 2021, 2024 and 2025.
Serretti, who helped lead Governor Livingston to its first two UCT titles,
blasts a home run in his first Triple-A game
After several unsuccessful appearances in the championship game Governor Livingston finally broke through on Mother’s Day in 2016 at Kean University and captured its first Union County Tournament championship.
The Highlanders won the UCT again just two years later in 2018. One of the key players leading Governor Livingston both of those years was 2018 Governor Livingston graduate Danny Serretti.
Following a standout four-year career in the Atlantic Coast Conference at North Carolina, Serretti was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, the 177th overall pick of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft.
This past December, Serretti was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB Rule 5 Draft, the Triple-A phase, from the Tigers organization.
Assigned to the Amarillo Sod Poodles, Serretti batted .364 in 18 games, with 20 hits, six doubles, four home runs and nine RBI. That stellar performance elevated the Berkeley Heights native to Arizona’s Triple-A team.
The next step for Serretti is The Show, the big leagues, the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League’s West Division.
Serretti may get there sooner than later after socking a home run in his Triple-A debut.
At Greater Nevada Field, Serretti connected on a go-ahead three-run home run to help lift the Reno Aces to a 5-2 victory against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Wednesday, April 29. The Cowboys are the Triple-A team associated with the American League’s Houston Astros.
Serretti’s home run came on a 3-1 pitch which he drove deep over the right field fence for what proved to be the game-winning runs. It was reported that the home run went as far as approximately 430 feet.
Serretti went 2-for-4 in the game with his three RBI. His first Triple-A hit was a single he delivered earlier in the victory.
“It’s very cool to see what Danny is doing, especially at the Triple-A level,” said Governor Livingston head coach Chris Roof, who coached Serretti during his time at Governor Livingston.
Serretti was Governor Livingston’s shortstop as a sophomore in 2016 and a senior in 2018 when Governor Livingston captured the first two of its five UCT championships. Serretti was ranked among the best senior players in all of New Jersey eight years ago, when he batted .455 with 11 home runs.
“It’s really exciting, because he’s now just one step away from his dream,” Roof said.
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 games at higher seeds were scheduled
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
Photo by JR Parachini
