Edison baseball team starts state tourney action this week
Eagles face Phillipsburg Friday afternoon
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer
Thanks to a monster performance at the plate from Jared Shukis and the solid pitching of Sean Renner, the Edison High School baseball team defeated Woodbridge 14-4 last week to improve to 21-3 on the season.

Renner went four innings in the mercyrule abbreviated contest and pitched well with a lead thanks to Shukis' two-homer six-RBI game. Shukis helped the Eagles put 10 runs across in the first inning with a grand slam. In the same inning, he knocked in another run with an RBI single. Steve Nappe and Andrew Rivera added RBI singles in the win.

The win also put the wraps on the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division regular-season schedule for the Eagles. They finished 11-3 in division play and clinched at least a share of the Red Division title. Crosstown rival J.P. Stevens High School will share the title with Edison with a win over Piscataway in its final division showdown.

"We're playing good baseball at the right time," Edison head coach Vin Abene said. "We know we have some big games coming up and anything can happen."

One of the big games on the horizon is the weekend's GMC Tournament semifinal match-up against Old Bridge. The Eagles are the No. 1 seed and are hoping to advance to face No. 10 St. Joseph High School. St. Joe's advanced to the title game after a 3-1 victory over No. 3 John F. Kennedy High School in the other semifinal game. The finals are scheduled for a 3 p.m. start May 31 at East Brunswick Vo-Tech.

Edison is fully aware that Old Bridge can hardly be taken lightly. The team possesses one of the better arms in Middlesex County in Mike Augliera. Augliera shut out the Eagles in the last meeting between the two schools in a 3- 0 victory. Edison lost both contests against Old Bridge this season.

After the win over Woodbridge assured the Eagles of at least a share of the Red Division title, the team stayed redhot with an 8-6 win over Metuchen. Edison's Mike Banwer picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the year.

"Mike pitched well and kept us in the game," Abene said. "He's done a nice job when we've called on him to take the mound this season."

Nappe had another big game at the dish, going 3-4 with a home run and a pair of RBIs. Nappe finished a hit shy, a three-bagger, of hitting for the cycle.

"We're on a nice roll, but we still have plenty of baseball to be played," Abene said. "Old Bridge is a very good team and we'll have to play well if we want to have a shot at the title."

Shukis was expected to get the start against Old Bridge at press time. Shukis pitched very well in his two losses to Old Bridge. The first was a 1-0 loss in a pitcher's duel between Shukis and Old Bridge's Nick Ballinger.

Next week will see Edison begin its quest for a state title. The No. 1 seeded Eagles will take on No. 9 Phillipsburg at 3:45 p.m. May 30. Renner is penciled in for the start.