GL Baseball Will Begin 2026
In Midst Of Long Win Streak

BERKELEY HEIGHTS - What can the Gov. Livingston baseball team do for an encore just five games into the 2026 season?

Should the two-time defending Group 2 state champions and the No. 1 team in the state to end 2025 win their first five games then the Highlanders would set the state record for the longest winning streak.

The present record of 38 is held by Don Bosco Prep, which included a 33-0 record in 2008 when the Ironmen captured the Non-Public, A state championship en route to a season-ending No. 1 classification.

GL enters its 2026 campaign with a school-record 34-game winning streak that dates back to May of 2024. After losing 6-5 at Scotch Plains on May 21, in Union County Conference-Watchung Division play, the Highlanders then edged Holmdel, 7-6, at home two days later in the first round of the Central Jersey, Group 2 state tournament, to begin the streak.

GL went 28-5 in 2024 to tie the school record for wins which was first established in 2015 when the Group 2 state champion Highlanders finished 28-6 that season. GL's 2011 Group 2 state championship team came into the next season at 27-6.

Last year GL became the first team in New Jersey to finish undefeated since Don Bosco Prep in 2008. The Highlanders also became the first public school team to go undefeated since Pennsville won the Group 2 state championship in 1981 with a 25-0 mark.

According to the NJSIAA baseball website, official practice for the 2026 season commences March 9.

GL is scheduled to open at home against New Providence on March 28 at 11 a.m. and will also be home for its next game against Oratory Prep of Summit on March 31 at 4 p.m.

GL is then scheduled to play at Oratory Prep on April 2 at 4 p.m. before returning home for a game against Lyndhurst on April 4 at 11 a.m.

The Highlanders are then scheduled to play at Scotch Plains-Fanwood on April 7 at 4 p.m.

The Union County Conference designed the schedule this year for games against division opponents to be back-to-back on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Watchung Division for 2026 consists of defending champion GL, Oratory Prep, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Cranford, Summit, Westfield and Union Catholic.

GL is scheduled to play Oratory Prep March 31 and April 2, Scotch Plains-Fanwood April 7 and April 9, Cranford April 14 and April 16, Summit April 21 and April 23, Westfield April 28 and April 30 and Union Catholic May 12 and May 14.

Six of GL's seniors signed their letters-of-intent Monday, March 2 at GL, including Keith Mann and Reid Bazydlo going to Felician, Zach Geertsma to Mississippi State, Michael Basile to Lehigh, Michael Novotny to UMass and Jaiden Fernandez to FDU-Florham. All but Fernandez are scholarship players.

With GL trailing visiting Raritan 2-0 and down to its last strike in last year's Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinal at GL, it was Novotny first and then Basile second that came through in the clutch for the Highlanders to keep their season alive. Novotny, down 1-2 in the count, produced an RBI-single up the middle - his only hit of the game - to pull GL to within 2-1. Basile then drilled an RBI-double to left-center that tied the game at 2-2.

Teammate Ryan Pappas, who earlier in the game was thrown out at the plate, followed with an RBI-single to center to give GL a highly-dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind triumph that sent the Highlanders to the sectional final, which they won again.

"My approach in that at-bat was simply, 'I didn't want to be the guy to make the last out,'" Novotny said.

"We still felt like we were going to win the game," Basile said. "Our confidence comes from our preparation."

To be able to repeat as county, sectional and state champions for the first time in program history in addition to winning a division crown and going undefeated takes a bit more than just talent when talking about the game of baseball.

"Coach said we weren't going undefeated; not to expect to," Basile said.

"I thought we were going to go undefeated last year," Geertsma said. "It was more than just baseball for us. We had a teammate whose father passed away. There was a real team closeness that allowed us to rally when we had to."

"With Mountainside and Berkeley Heights we have strong community backing," Basile said. "That and a little luck goes a long way."

Right after GL defeated West Morris 6-1 in last year's Group 2 final in Wood-Ridge, Morris Knolls took the same field, seeking a Group 3 three-peat against Northern Burlington. The Golden Eagles from Denville fell short 6-0.

"We know what the feeling of winning is and we want to win again," Basile said. "Why not go for a three-peat?"

"We're like a shark in the water," Novotny said. "We want to go for everything once again."

LAST TWO UNDEFEATED BASEBALL TEAMS IN NEW JERSEY:
2025: Gov. Livingston Highlanders (28-0) Group 2 state champions
2008: Don Bosco Prep Ironmen (33-0) Non-Public, A state champions

LAST TWO UNDEFEATED PUBLIC SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAMS IN NEW JERSEY:
2025: Gov. Livingston Highlanders (28-0) Group 2 state champions
1981: Pennsville Eagles (25-0) Group 2 state champions