AREA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PREVIEW

Posted: March 27th 2026

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

Ready or not, a new high school baseball has already begun.

The NJSIAA’s new rules regarding the start of spring sports seasons now allow for teams to begin the regular season prior to April 1.

Clubs are taking advantage, with all five of the area teams scheduled to hit the field for real by the end of this week. Most have already played at least one game. One has even played three games already.

The following is a look at each of the area’s high school baseball teams:

CAPE MAY TECH

Cape May Tech begins the new season with a rather new roster after a 2-18-1 campaign last year. 

The Hawks will look for leadership from seniors John Morrison (.281 batting average in 2025), Owen Galvin (47 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched), James Richie and Eidian Valez-Candeleria. All are returning starters. Other returnees include juniors Logan Veras and Dan Comby and sophomore Sebastian Barnhart.

Cape May Tech will look for freshmen Andrew Pashley, Tristan Blakeslee and Cody VanArtsdalen to be among the newcomers making an impact.

Jason Godfrey is in his second season as the team’s head coach.

Tech has gotten off to a 3-0 start. The Hawks beat Pilgrim Academy early in the week before sweeping Bridgeton Wednesday and Thursday. 

Over the three games, Veras posted seven hits, Comby registered four hits and seven RBI and Pashley had five hits, one of which was an RBI triple that accounted for the winning run in an extra-inning win over the Bulldogs.

LOWER CAPE MAY

After losing seven senior starters from last year’s 12-win team, this sets up as a rebuilding season for the Caper Tigers under 10th-year head coach Ryan Slaney.

But Lower Cape May still features some of the better players in the area, including emerging star sophomore C/P/IF Ashton Ray (.390 batting average, 11 extra-base hits in ‘25). Senior IF/OF Caden Elwell (.353 BA, 14 SB) and sophomore OF/P Ty Heacock (14 hits) are also returnees with significant experience from last season. Sophomore OF/P Cooper Milligan also returns after seeing some varsity action a season ago.

Among the varsity newcomers, senior Colin Hewitt and freshmen Cooper Milligan (IF/OF/P) and Chase Slaney (C/IF/P), the son of the head coach, are expected to make the most impact.

After graduating seven senior starters last season, we are essentially a brand-new team,” coach Slaney said. “We have a large sophomore class that we are excited to see grow and develop both this season and in the years ahead, along with a few promising freshmen who look to make an immediate impact in their first season with the program.”

Lower has begun the season at 0-2 after losses to Absegami on back-to-back days earlier this week. Heacock had three hits, including a double, over the two games.

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP

Middle Township won the first championship of any kind in program history last season when it shared the Cape-Atlantic United Conference title with St. Joseph. The team finished 13-9 overall.

The Panthers will now move up to the more competitive National Conference for this spring.

Middle is set to field a rather young team in 2026 but it’s also one with some decent experience as quite a few freshmen and sophomores saw significant varsity action a year ago.

Junior C Ryan Murray (.309 batting average, team-best 17 RBI last season), sophomore P/3B Kyle Mick (15 hits as freshman) and sophomore 1B/P Mikey Fritsch (14 hits as a freshman) are among the top returnees. Others who saw consistent varsity time last year include juniors Tommy Yarson (P/IF), Jerry Booth (OF) and Ty Gandy (P/OF).

Others with experience in the program looking for more varsity time include junior Tommy Phillips (P/OF) and sophomores Nathan Stocker (P/UT), Joe Eisele (P/IF) and Bryce Ziegler (P/UT).

Among the freshmen, Nick Matteucci (IF) and Gavin McDonnell (C) are expected to see varsity time.

Chris Branigan enters his sixth season as head coach at Middle.

Middle was scheduled to open the season Friday at Cumberland.

WILDWOOD

It could be an interesting season at Wildwood.

The Warriors have just two seniors on the roster and could have as many as five freshmen in the starting lineup for some games. But while such a roster construction might lead observers to believe a rebuilding season lies ahead, there is some optimism around the program that Wildwood could improve on last season’s 11-13 finish.

Despite the youth, Wildwood still features eight players who either started regularly or saw varsity action at least on a part-time basis a season ago. The team is led by junior SS/P Trevor Troiano (.339 BA, 2.55 ERA), one of the area’s top players. Other returnees with significant varsity experience include juniors Gianni Troiano (2B/P), Nolan Mawhinney (P/1B), Michael Blanda (OF/P) and Vinny Sweeney (UT/P) and sophomore Michael McWade (C/3B/P).

Others with some experience pushing for playing time include seniors Ka’Von Richards (3B/OF) and Ryan Gilligan (OF) and sophomore Lysander Ruiz (C/IF/P).

The five freshmen who are expected to make immediate impact include Owen Bannon (UT/P), Louis Sewell (UT/P), Will Auty (UT/P), Matt Maher (UT/P) and Michael Sciarra (1B).

“I expect us to be an above-average team this year and our experience should allow us to compete in every game,” said Rich Hans, who is entering his 26th season as head coach. “Our pitching should keep us in games as we will pitch to contact and make the routine plays. Offensively we will put the ball in play and rely on our speed to put pressure on teams.”

Wildwood will compete in the Tri-County Classic Division for the final time before moving back to the Cape-Atlantic League for next scholastic year.

Wildwood opened the season with a 28-0 win at Bridgeton on Tuesday. Gianni Troiano and McWade each had four hits while Sewell registered three hits and six RBI in the win. 

WILDWOOD CATHOLIC

Wildwood Catholic has been doing its best to keep its program going after bringing it back in 2024 after a three-season hiatus.

The Crusaders went 6-15 last season but lost a couple of key seniors as well as two players to transfer. The team does bring back one of the top players in the area in junior SS/P Nick Antonicello (.517 batting average, 22 SB, 70 K in 56 IP). Junior 1B/OF Jude Landis (.347) is also back after a solid sophomore season. Other returnees include senior Brody Zuccarello (OF), juniors Luke Galasso (OF/UT) and Andrew Baldt (C/INF) and sophomore Theo Margarites (C/P/IF).

Among the newcomers, junior Ashe O’Donnell (C/P) is expected to make an impact after playing his first two high school seasons at Lower Cape May. Other newcomers include senior Peyton Rosenello (C/OF), sophomore (C/UT) Johnny Livingston and freshmen Carter Givner (P/UT), James Koch (P/UT), Brian Lopez (UT), Jackson Grolin (UT) and Mason Zuccarello (OF).

Giacomo Antonicello, who had served as an assistant coach in the program for the past two seasons, takes over as head coach. He’s the father of Nick Antonicello.

Wildwood Catholic opened with a 17-2 loss to St. Joseph Wednesday. Nick Antonicello went 2 for 3 with a double in the loss.

The Crusaders were scheduled to face St. Joseph again on Friday.