Thomas Collins of Don Bosco Prep is about to send a shot the other way for the Northeast team.
The New Jersey High School Baseball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games took center stage at Diamond Nation on Monday as the state’s coaches honored the top 100 seniors in the Garden State and several of their own.
Before the South got the better of the Northwest squad and the Central and Northeast teams played to an entertaining 5-5 tie, the NJHSBCA leadership bestowed its annual awards on its brethren, one of the state’s finest umpires, and one member of the press.
Ridgewood coach Kurt Hommen was named the NJHSBCA Man of the Year. Coach Hommen was not present since he was coaching his team to a wild walk-off victory over Ridge in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals.
Four legendary coaches were inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame. The inductees were Pequannock’s Bill Arata, representing the Northwest, Buddy Matthews of Hoboken, from the Northeast, Mike Raymond of Hunterdon Central, from the Central, and Billy Kern of Mainland, from the South.
Service Awards were presented to individuals who have given so much to the sport of high school baseball. Midland Park coach Frank Clark, Lenape coach Matt Woods and much-respected NJSIAA umpire Warren Bennett were the honorees. Reporter Steve Tober, owner of the popular Sideline Chatter website, was presented the annual Mike Stang Award, typically bestowed upon a member of the media.
Northwest’s Jackson Lodgek of West Essex faces the South’s Dylan Salsbery of Egg Harbor Twp.
Of course, the Senior All-Star Games are about honoring the top seniors in the state and, as usual, the games did not disappoint. A typically loose atmosphere prevailed but the teams played with a ton of enthusiasm as the players always want to present their best for a statewide audience, and they love to represent for their specific areas of New Jersey.
Here is some of the game action that got the attention of DiamondNation.com.
Kelwin Battista of Pennsauken gave the South squad a 3-2 lead over the Northwest team in the bottom of the fifth when he laced a three-run double to the gap in left-center field. Righthander Jackson Lodgek of West Essex got out of further trouble in the inning, though, stranding two more runners.
The South team, which went on to edge the Northwest squad, 8-6, had loaded the bases in the fifth as Dylan Salsbery of Egg Harbor Twp. drew a leadoff walk, Henry Adams of Rancocas Valley doubled and Lodgek issued a walk to Hayden Baker of Cherry Hill West.
The South team built a 7-2 lead against the Northwest after scoring three runs in the fifth and two runs each in the sixth and seventh innings. But the Northwest kept fighting. Mason Wilson of Randolph delivered a two-out, two-run double down the left field line to shave the deficit to 7-4 in the eighth inning. Then in the ninth, Scotch Plains’ Joe LaRosa laced a triple to score a run and draw the Northwest within a run at 7-6. But the South held on for the victory.
Northwest did have a good start to the All-Star game against the South when Josh Hale of Jefferson ripped a solo home run to left field for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Chris Vaughn, a 6-4, 210-pound specimen from Madison High singled and took second when the ball was mishandled in the outfield to start a rally in the second for the Northwest team. Morris Knolls’ Billy Wingren followed with an RBI single to stake the Northwest to a 2-0 advantage. Vaughn will play for Lafayette next school year and Wingren is bound for Kean University.
Immaculata catcher Owen Schilling was in the middle of so many big innings during a terrific season for the Spartans, so he looked very much at home when he triggered a game-tying rally in the top of the ninth inning for the Central team. Schilling ripped a leadoff double and later scored from third base when Gavin Slicner of Woodbridge singled him home with two outs to forge a 5-5 tie.
The Northeast nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a steal attempt of home plate by Fort Lee’s Luke Senatore. The speedy Senatore was getting enormous secondary leads off of third base with two outs. Finally, he tried to time a throw back to the mound and steal home, but the throw back to the plate beat him to end the game. Give Senatore credit for his aggressiveness, willingness and guile to try to steal a win in an all-star game.
Immaculata’s Wake Forest-bound lefty Ryan Auten, he of the plus-90s fastball and nasty slider, struck out the Northeast side in the top of the first inning. Auten did run into a bit of trouble against the rugged Northeast lineup but stranded runners on first and third when, in typical Auten fashion, he struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
Northeast’s Melvin Genao of Passaic County Tech slides back into first base before relay throw arrives. Genao, who was around second base, had to retreat after a terrific running coach in dead center field by South Plainfield’s Dom Massaro of the Central team.
Li Perez of Rutgers Prep looked mighty impressive in pitching a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth inning for the Central team.
AWARDS AND HONORS
MAN OF THE YEAR
Kurt Hommen, Ridgewood
Hommen is the all-time Bergen County career victories leader with a 663-298-1 record in 35 years coaching Tenafly and Ridgewood. He sits at No. 9 all-time in New Jersey. He owns two NJSIAA Group 4 championships and is attempting to win his third this weekend. He also owns two Bergen County Tournament championships.
HALL OF FAMERS
Bill Arata, Pequannock
Arata’s 40-year career spanned 1976-2016, during which he coached football and baseball and was later the athletic director at Pequannock in Morris County. Arata’s baseball coaching career saw him average nearly 19 wins a season from 2001-2016. He posted a 292-113-2 (.721) record with five 20-win seasons, two Morris County Tournament titles, eight conference championships, two sectional titles and the 2009 NJSIAA Group 2 championship.
Buddy Matthews, Hoboken
Matthews built one of the more impressive baseball programs in Hudson County history. That is saying something in such a talent-rich county. He concluded a career that ran from 1986-2011 with a career record of 459-234 that included a 48-game in-county winning streak. But Matthews’ talented clubs were well known in North Jersey and beyond as his teams won four Hudson County Tournament championships, six sectional titles and reached an NJSIAA group championship five times.
Former Hunterdon Central coach Mike Raymond was inducted into the NJHSBCA Hall of Fame. His son, Cole, was on the Central Team.
Mike Raymond, Hunterdon Central
Raymond turned Hunterdon Central in Flemington from a moribund program into a perennial statewide powerhouse. His 314 career victories during the 200-2016 seasons averaged 18 wins a year. Under his leadership, the Red Devils won 30 championships, including three NJSIAA Group 4 titles, four sectional crowns, nine Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex championships, and numerous conference and tournament titles.
Monday was a special night for Raymond, as he not only was inducted into the Hall of Fame by his peers, but his son, Cole, a senior lefthander at Immaculata bound for Marist was a member of the Central team.
“It was a special feeling tonight, especially with Cole being on the Central team,” said Raymond, who still teaches physical education at Hunterdon Central and is Director of Baseball Operations at Diamond Nation. “And working here at Diamond Nation is special, as well. We are developing players here and that’s what it’s all about.”
Raymond’s wife Steph and parents Theresa and Sam, familiar faces at so many Hunterdon Central games, sister Margaret and brother-in-law John were on hand for the presentation.
“It’s a special honor and I accept it on behalf of all of my players,” said Raymond, taking in the Central vs. Northeast game. “I’ve had so many great players and great coaches contributing to our success at Central. I’ve been blessed. It was so great to have my family here to share the moment with me.”
Billy Kern, Mainland Regional
Kern has put together quite a career that began as a student and player at Mainland, his alma mater, in the early 2000s. He was the school’s head baseball coach by 2012 and went on to win 197 games through 2024. Kern’s teams won five conference championships, three South Jersey sectional titles, and his 2014 team won the school’s first ever group title, the NJSIAA Group 3 crown. Kern’s 2023 team also reached the Group 3 final. Kern is director of the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, which annually crowns the South Jersey all-groups champion.
Phillipsburg’s Nick Yaccarino of Northeast fires away to the South’s Stephen Lee of Oakcrest.
MIKE STANG SERVICE AWARD
Steve Tober, Sideline Chatter.
Tober’s diverse career in media includes outstanding work in print, digital, TV and radio. He is most familiar to players, coaches and fans today as the “Sideline Chatter Guy” thanks to his excellent work in a variety of high school sports. It just seemed his best work was in high school baseball for those in this corner of high school sports. Sideline Chatter actually began in 1980 as a print column in the Montclair Times. The website went live in 2004 and has become a go-to site for high school sports fans.
“I’ve enjoyed all my interactions with our state’s high school baseball coaches through the years while covering their teams,” said Tober. “It is a great honor to be recognized by the New Jersey High School Baseball Coaches Association with the Mike Stang Service Award. Our state is fortunate to have so many coaches who demonstrate class and respect for America’s pastime.”
NORTHEAST SERVICE AWARD
Frank Clark, Midland Park
A consistent and prodigious winner, Clark’s teams over the past 20 years have helped him register a 384-194-3 record. Clark was named the 2025 NJ.com State Coach of the Year after leading Midland Park to its first sectional championship and group final appearance. He began his coaching career at Emerson before successful stops at Union City and Waldwick. His teams have reached three NJSIAA Group championship games. He twice guided Waldwick to the North Group 1 championship. He has been recognized at the Bergen Record Coach of the Year and he’s a five-time NJIC Patriot Division Coach of the Year.
CENTRAL SERVICE AWARD
Warren Bennett, Umpire
Anyone who knows Warren Bennett knows him as a baseball junky. There simply is no conversation that steers far from baseball, and that’s just fine because Warren knows his baseball stuff. Who better to be an umpire than a person who loves the game wholly. That’s not to say Warren is one-dimensional, not the least. He was a three-sport athlete — football, basketball and baseball — during his days at his beloved Colonia High School. His 1987 baseball team — can he be that old? — reached the GMC final. He earned 11 varsity letters and was named the school’s first Athlete of the Year as a senior. Warren has taken his athletic ability and love for sport into his umpiring career. So it is no surprise he is among senior leadership in the NJ State Baseball Umpires Association and is currently the Assistant Tournament Assignor for the NJSIAA. More telling, Bennett is one of the most respected scholastic umpires in New Jersey.
SOUTH SERVICE AWARD
Matt Woods, Lenape
Matt Woods contributions to baseball are impressive for such a young person. The 2015 Eastern High grad’s biggest contributions have come in the area of community outreach. Woods is in an ideal position to give since he was hired as a physical education teacher and head baseball coach at Lenape High in 2023. After a playing career that included stops at Gloucester County College, St. John’s University, Rowan and Rookie Ball with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, Woods proudest moments are working to give every kid an opportunity to learn and grow in the game. He provides his local rec players a camp, regardless of their ability to pay, so they learn the game that will be taught when they get to high school.