CRANFORD, NJ — If Cranford High School baseball won Tuesday, May 30, and the odds were heavily in favor of the undefeated Cougars, then they will be making their third straight appearance in the North 2, Group 3 sectional state championship game.
That contest is scheduled to be played Friday, June 2, at the higher seed.
If second-seeded Cranford defeated sixth-seeded North Hunterdon Regional High School and top-seeded Millburn High School beat fourth-seeded South Plainfield High School, both at home on Tuesday, May 30, then, for the third consecutive season, it will be Cranford at Millburn on Friday, June 2, for the title.
Millburn won two years ago and then saw its 2021 season end in the Group 3 semifinals. Cranford came back late to win last year’s game and was then defeated in the Group 3 final.
Should Cranford repeat as sectional champions, then the Cougars would be playing in the Group 3 semifinals on Monday, June 5. The Group 3 final is scheduled to be played on Saturday, June 10, in Hamilton.
Going into the sectional semifinal game at home against North Hunterdon on Tuesday, May 30, Cranford had a program-first 26-0 record. Head coach Dennis McCaffery also has 498 wins. This is McCaffery’s 24th season at the helm of the Cougars – a tenure that began in 1999 after he was an assistant coach with James Shriner for the 1996, 1997 and 1998 seasons.
Cranford played North Hunterdon during the regular season and won 9-1 at home on Monday, April 17, behind the stellar pitching of Ben Monahan.
Millburn, guided by longtime Cranford assistant coach Brian Chapman, also defeated South Plainfield in the regular season, beating the Middlesex County school 10-5 on Saturday, April 22, in the annual Autism Awareness Challenge games played at North Brunswick’s Community Park fields. The Millers began the week at 25-3 and on a four-game winning streak.
Chapman’s son, Matt Chapman, is a pitcher for Cranford and will continue playing in college at the University of Scranton.
Cranford did not allow a run in its first two state tournament victories, ousting 15th-seeded Rahway High School 6-0 at home on Monday, May 22, and then blanking 10th-seeded James J. Ferris High School of Jersey City 8-0 at home on Thursday, May 25.
Monahan earned the mound victory vs. Rahway, going the first five innings. Brendan Barry and Michael Zalinkanskas also pitched for the Cougars. Shea Grady was 4-for-4 with four singles, three RBIs and one run scored.
Senior right-hander Sean Woodruff, 7-0, pitched the first six innings and Dan Olear pitched the seventh inning against James J. Ferris. Woodruff, who would most likely be the starter in sectional final on Friday, June 2, if Cranford advanced, struck out seven, walked one, hit one batter and allowed only three hits. Ryan Jaros was 1-for-3, with one double, one RBI and two runs.
The ultimate pitching matchup, if it is to be Cranford at Millburn again on Friday, June 2, would be Woodruff for Cranford and senior right-hander Steven Echaverria for Millburn. Echaverria is committed to playing at the next level for the University of Florida and is expected to also get drafted when the annual Major League Baseball draft takes place later in June.
Cranford entered Tuesday, May 30, with eight shutout victories and three times this year, shut out two opponents in a row.
The Cougars also repeated as Union County Tournament champions and won the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division title for the fourth straight season.
2023 North 2, Group 3 Baseball States
Seeds
1-Millburn. 2-Cranford. 3-Randolph. 4-South Plainfield. 5-Summit. 6-North Hunterdon Regional. 7-Belleville. 8-West Morris Regional. 9-Chatham. 10-James J. Ferris. 11-West Morris Mendham. 12-Warren Hills Regional. 13-Colonia. 14-Nutley. 15-Rahway. 16-Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology.
First round
Monday, May 22
Millburn 11, Payne Tech 1 – at Millburn
Chatham 2, West Morris 1 – at West Morris
Warren Hills 5, Summit 3 – at Summit
South Plainfield 5, Colonia 2 – at South Plainfield
Randolph 13, Nutley 3 – at Randolph
North Hunterdon 5, Mendham 1 – at North Hunterdon
Ferris 9, Belleville 6 – at Belleville
Cranford 6, Rahway 0 – at Cranford
Quarterfinals
Thursday, May 25
Top side of bracket
Millburn 9, Chatham 8 – at Millburn
South Plainfield 10, Warren Hills 0 – at South Plainfield
Bottom side of bracket
Cranford 8, Ferris 0 – at Cranford
North Hunterdon 6, Randolph 1 – at Randolph
Semifinals
Tuesday, May 30
4-South Plainfield at 1-Millburn
6-North Hunterdon at 2-Cranford
Finals
Friday, June 2
Semifinal winners at higher seed.
Defending champion: Cranford.
Photo by JR Parachini