The Roadrunner Baseball team has received and earned many accolades surrounding their 2024 season as they enter this weekend's NJCAA Division III World Series at Falcon Park in Auburn, NY.
The defending national champions have played exactly like the champions they are. And this is a trend they hope will continue in this Saturday's World Series opener, starting with their first opponent, No. 8 seed Northern Essex.
In winning the North Atlantic District / Region 19 title on May 19th, the Roadrunners showed brilliant resiliency plus the ability to engage good opponents in a lengthy marathon if need be. After topping Middlesex in the opening round, No. 2 seed Northampton promptly crashed the party by thumping RCSJ, 11-4, in a second-round winners' bracket clash.
The No. 1 seed Runners now were forced into winning three games (instead of 2) to recapture the District/Region crown. As it turns out, they were also forced to win all three games in one day (yes, one day!) due to a rainy-day washout on Saturday.
No problem, they got the job done in roaring fashion.
After dropping into the loser's bracket with a loss to Northaampton CC on Friday, the top-ranked RCSJ squad rallied to beat Brookdale, 7-5, in the elimination round, and then followed with surprisingly easy 20-9 and 15-2 triumphs over Northampton in the championship finals.
"We know Northampton well since we've played them several times this year -- and we know they are a good team," said MVP Max D'Alessandro a Lenape High grad. "But there was never any doubt among our players that this tournament was ours to win. We were resilient, and we showed it this weekend."
Next up: No. 8 Seed Northern Essex in D III World Series Opening Round
And the No. 1 Runners' opening round opponent in the NJCAA D III World Series may be the toughest in the field when they meet No. 8 seed Northern Essex Saturday, May 25, in a scheduled 4 pm contest. The Runners and the Knights have had some epic battles in recent years, including last year's World Series, and Northern Essex enters the tournament with one of the nation's top pitchers in Jayden Voelker, a sophomore right hander out of Coventry, Rhode Island. According to a recent news report, Voelker, the likely opening-round starter vs. the Roadrunners, "has developed as a force to be reckoned with on the mound, with a devastating fastball and precise precision that have made opposing batters struggle to connect. What distinguishes Voelker, however, is not only his athletic ability, but also his relentless work ethic and will for success." Voelker enters the tourney with an 8-1 record and 1.48 ERA.
The Knights, who are the Region 21 champions with a 27-13 overall record, will also support Voelker with their bats too. Sophomore Chris Bear has knocked in a team-leading 48 runs, while teammate Max Lalime is not far behind with 9 home runs and 46 RBIs. Freshman Tom Fratto and sophomore Mike Fabiano will also contribute, having combined for 73 RBIs during the regular season.
And what will Voelker and his team need to be concerned with entering the match vs. defending national champion RCSJ? Well -- just about everything!
Click Here to view Northern Essex Roster
Click Here to View RCSJ Gloucester Roster
The Runners' lineup is loaded to say the least. Outfielder Max D'Alessandro, the Region 19 tourney MVP who ripped 16 home runs during the regular season, proved clutch, but especially during the elimination game vs. Brookdale last Sunday when the Jersey Blues held a late 5-1 lead and had the Runners on the ropes.
Max promptly stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning and changed the momentum in its entirety by launching a three-run home run to put RCSJ to within 5-4. The Runners then followed that gigantic blast with three more runs in the sixth to finish with a 7-5 win.
"That single hit changed the direction for us," said veteran Coach Rob Valli. "If Max doesn't come through like that, we could have been eliminated right there. Instead, we gained the momentum we needed for that win and the two that followed."
Indeed. One of the top contributors to assist D'Alessandro was Gloucester Catholic grad R.J. Mustaro, who erupted for two clutch home runs in the tourney, including a walk-off grand slam to beat Middlesex in the opening round. Plus his defense proved to be of MVP caliber out of his right field position, displaying a clutch arm while making several circus catches.
The Runners' potent lineup came alive vs. Northampton with top hitters such as Gavin Degnan, Juan Peralta, Caden Dulin, Ernesto Polanco, Edwin Hernandez, Joe Spaccavento, Andrew Lombardi, and Wyatt Hoffman all making contributions throughout the weekend.
The pitching staff held their own against a loaded Spartan lineup as well, especially in the Game 2 championship triumph, as Patrick Taney, Enzo Descalzi and Doug King combined for the victory. Earlier, against a talented Brookdale lineup, pitching standouts Anthony Magliozzi Thomas Goldberg, Danny Kerr, and Mason Dobbs kept the Jersey Blues in check.
See complete first round match-ups below for Saturday, May 25th.
NJCAA Division III World Series
May 25-29/30
Falcon Park, Auburn, NY
Double-Elimination Tournament
Schedule of First-Round Games
Saturday, May 25, 2024
No. 6 St. Cloud Tech vs. No. 3 Dallas College-Eastfield, 9:30 am
No. 7 DuPage vs. No. 2 Dallas College-Richland, 12:45 pm
No. 8 Northern Essex vs. No. 1 RCSJ Gloucester, 4 pm
No. 5 Herkimer vs. No. 4 Camp, 7:15 pm