The 2025 New Jersey high school baseball season has now come to its conclusion.
Players and teams up and down the state made some serious statements on the diamond, and now it is time to recognize the best of the best from each conference. Have a look at the Conference Player of the Year, Pitcherof the Year, rankings, and more below
Action in the NJIC proved to be exciting and competitive from Opening Day until the final game. Glen Rock and and Cresskill won their respective division titles. Ridgefield/Dwight-Englewood, Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge, and St. Mary (Ruth.) and Lyndhurst all split for their respective division championships.
Player of the Year
Evan Lagemann, Glen Rock, Sr.
The Union College commit logged at least one hit in all 29 games that he played in this season.
Totaling 50 hits and a .568 batting average, Lagemann put together one of the best seasons in recent NJIC memory. He led Glen Rock to a championship in the loaded North 1 Group 2 sectional tournament, scoring 46 runs and stealing 17 bases.
He also amassed 18 extra-base hits, 29 walks/HBPs, and 28 RBIs. Lagemann accumulated 14 multi-hit games, 14 multi-run games, and five multi-RBI games.
In the postseason, he batted 8-for-18 with six runs, four RBIs, and two doubles.
Lagemann also pitched for the Panthers, striking out 22 batters in 28 2/3 innings. He closed the game out in the sectional final, tossing two scoreless frames.
Lagemann graduates with 101 career hits, 97 runs, 65 RBIs, 39 stolen bases, 38 hit by pitches, 31 walks, and a .423 career batting average.
“He is so deserving. Evan is just a tremendous baseball player and leader,” Glen Rock head coach Steve Spitaleri said.
Pitcher of the Year
Connor Detrick, Midland Park, Sr.
Throwing five complete games and four shutouts, Detrick won eight games for the Panthers.
He sported a 1.52 earned run average across 78 1/3 innings, which was among the Top 5 in all of New Jersey. Detrick finished with 57 strikeouts.
In the postseason, he tossed 22 2/3 innings, allowing just three runs on 11 hits with 15 strikeouts.
Coach of the Year
Frank Clark, Midland Park
Frank Clark rallied an entire town together. A small Bergen County public school, Clark led the Panthers to the program’s first-ever sectional championship, doing so in the North 1 Group 1 bracket.
The final was played at home, and Clark felt like all of Midland Park was in attendance. He changed the program for the better, leading them to a 21-9-1 record with an appearance in the Group 1 state finals. He navigated through two major player injuries, and kept the team’s morale afloat despite only running with 11 players through the postseason.
Midland Park threw four shutouts in the playoffs, defying the odds despite being outnumbered by the opposition every game.
Clark now has 367 victories all-time among Midland Park, Waldwick, and Emerson (Union City).
Team of the Year
Glen Rock
En route to winning their first sectional title as a Group 2 program, Glen Rock went 24-6 in the standings with 17 games that saw 10 or more runs scored.
They began the season with six straight wins before defeating the defending N1G2 champions in Pascack Valley on the road. Daniel Stutzke’s RBI was the game-winner in the seventh inning against PV
Their postseason path was a tough one, which included victories over Sparta, Ramsey, Vernon, and PV. Glen Rock also had key regular season wins over St. Joseph (Mont.) and Passaic Tech.
Glen Rock finished the year ranked No. 17 in the NJ.com Top 20, and fourth overall in Group 2.
The Panthers scored 289 runs, led by 46 from Evan Lagemann, 41 from Jack Spitaleri, 30 from Andy Arrighi, 29 from Nick Atme, and 25 from Wyatt Morrissey.
Lagemann totaled 50 hits and a .568 batting average, while Jack Spitaleri drove in 33 runs. Atme added 32 RBIs, and Sean Spitaleri totaled 29 RBIs in just 48 at-bats.
On the mound, Glen Rock had a collective 2.21 ERA, led by Aidan Alvino (0.86), Luca Lanza-Ronquillo (0.97) Casey Loren (1.11), Nick Atme (1.83), Daniel Stutzke (2.27), and Zack Silberstein (3.03).
Final rankings
- 1-Glen Rock (24-6)
- 2-Midland Park (21-9-1)
- 3-St. Mary (Ruth.) (17-9)
- 4-Rutherford (18-8)
- 5-Lyndhurst (17-10)
- 6-Cresskill (15-11-1)
- 7-Hasbrouck Heights (17-9)
- 8-Wood-Ridge (17-12)
- 9-Pompton Lakes (13-10)
- 10-Ridgefield (13-12)
Conference all-stars
To see the list of division all-stars as selected by league coaches, click here.
Final stat leaders
To see final NJIC Conference stat leaders, click here.
PJ Potter covers North Jersey and Central Jersey baseball. He can be reached at ppotter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @PJ_Potter
