BY JAMIE HAZEL (with Emma Heagen)
Sports Editor
Knights baseball opens the season on March 31 against Edison High School after returning from their annual Florida trip. Expectations remain high for the 2026 season coming off last year’s 18-11 record.
Fueled by last season’s loss in the final round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 Tournament, the boys prepare for a hot start. “Last year we lost in the sectional final, but we worked hard this offseason, and our goal is a state championship,” said senior Christopher Crosta.
The team expects to control the Greater Middlesex County Red Division. “Last season, most of our GMC losses should’ve gone the other way,” said Crosta. “Those are the easily winnable games that we’ll have this season. I fully expect to dominate the GMC.”
The boys, coping with the loss of 12 players from last year’s team, hope to allow for new opportunities for other players, and a chance for anybody to step into the big shoes to fill. “It was a little weird not having them around, but I think everyone’s stepping up and taking on bigger roles, and we’re starting to build our own chemistry as a team,” explained junior Brady Meyer, who will contribute at the plate and on the mound after pitching 35 innings with a 3.20 ERA last year. “It’s been an adjustment, but we’re working hard and figuring it out together.”
The team consists of six returning seniors. Three standout seniors, Erich Schikschneit, Adrian Lutomski, and Crosta led caption practices every Saturday since December. “It was really just everyone taking swings in the cages or the pitchers throwing to the catchers,” explained Lutomski.
From March 20 to 26 the team plays in Florida for a bit of preseason competition and in order to build chemistry on and off field prior to the official start of the season. “I’m looking to gain a strong bond with my teammates and use the extra games we play down there to my advantage to start the season off hot,” said Lutomski.
The boys prepare for a rematch with Edison in less than a week. “Since it’s the first game, it’s really about setting the tone for the season, playing hard, and showing all the work we’ve put in during the offseason,” said Meyer.
Last year, the boys split 2-2 with Edison, but most recently, Old Bridge came out on top 4-3 in the 2025 NJSIAA Baseball Tournament Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals. “I’m expecting it to be competitive, but if we stay focused and execute our game plan, we should be in a good position to win.”
Come watch the Knights fight against Edison on March 31 at Fred Cole Field at 4pm.
Posted on March 27, 2026
Photos by Lors Photography
Knight Life 