Interesting Decisions To Make
For GNT Seeding Committee

When eight Essex County coaches compare thoughts and notes Monday night at James Caldwell High School they might have some intriguing discussions once they move past top three seeds.

Looking at a possible first dozen teams in the 2025 field, as the first three it would appear that Seton Hall Prep (9-1, 6-0) at No. 1 followed by 2-Livingston (9-4, 4-3) and 3-West Essex(6-4, 4-3) are fairly well set.

But, then most of the discussions could ensue as to how to assemble the next line of team in a certain order.

Although Millburn (5-7, 3-4) is under .500 both overall and in the Super Essex Conference-American Division the Millers do own a pair of division wins over Columbia (6-5, 2-4) which might wind up making those two members of the SEC’s top division at the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

Longtime Millers Coach Brian Chapman’s team has also done it all through their first dozen games with their two most experienced pitchers, senior Alex Faust (1 inning of work so far) and junior Charlie Krasnove (7 IP) being used sparingly as they look to continue their rebound from injuries.

Sophomore Leo Dalton, who owns two shutout wins vs. Columbia, including a complete-game 2-hitter in a 2-0 Millers triumph on April 23, has been the ace of the staff so far.

Verona (10-0, 6-0 in the SEC-Liberty Division) could have some fodder to be the No. 4 seed. Even though the Hillbillies are in the conference’s second division, they have been nearly flawless against the schedule they do face with only a loss at Montclair Kimberley Academy (9-2, 5-1 in the SEC-Colonial, the loop’s third division) as any sort of blemish on the early-season slate.

That being said the ‘Billies, who are spearheaded by the production of senior center fielder Andrew DePaul (.529 BA, 15 RBI) could slot in at No. 6 followed, perhaps by 7-Montclair (5-8, 1-5 in the SEC American), 8-Caldewell (8-5, 5-2 in the Liberty), 9-West Orange (7-5, 2-4 in the Liberty), 10-MKA, 11-Cedar Grove (8-4, 5-2 in the Colonial) and 12-Nutley (5-8, 3-3 in the American.

Cedar Grove, which has a superb ace southpaw in junior Xavier Andujar, owns a win over Nutley in an SEC crossover contest, and lost to MKA.
The seeding committee will consist of Millburn’s Chapman, Livingston’s Mickey Ennis, Montclair’s Ron Gavazzi, Verona’s Joe Phelan, Caldwell’s Ryan Smith, MKA’s Mike Sasso, Glen Ridge’s Michael Dello Russo and Bloomfield’s Mike Policastro.

Preliminary round action is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, and first-round contests are slated for Friday, May 2 (with a Saturday rain date) followed by the quarterfinals, Wednesday, May 7, with all of those rounds played at the home field of the higher-seeded team.

The GNT semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, May 10, at Seton Hall Prep’s Porcello Field inside the Kelly Athletic Complex in West Orange, with the final at its traditional site of Verona’s Doc Goeltz Field on Saturday afternoon, May 17.