NORTH CALDWELL- There is no doubt that West Essex has had a fine season to date and the Knights (12-2 overall, 10-0 in the Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division) are determined to keep the 2024 spring campaign heading in a positive direction regardless of the fact that they are not seeded as high in the 91st Greater Newark Tournament field as at least some followers of the North Caldwell-based regional school thought should have been the case.
West Essex, which is situated in the No. 2 division in the SEC’s pecking order, is the No. 7 seed in the 23-team GNT field with six members of the conference’s top-rated American Division above it, even though the Knights had one of the better won-loss records that were presented to the committee charged with assembling the field during the April 22nd GNT seeding meeting.
“I’ve been in those meetings before, and I know that it’s a challenge for the committee in seeding the field while looking at balanced, or unbalanced schedules that teams may have,” said West Essex second-year head coach Joe Cardinale. “Essex County has some strong programs and I respect the people making those decisions.
“I believe we’re a good team, and although I feel we got a tough draw, there is not much we can do about it but show up prepared to play.
“I don’t think our kids need any extra motivation, and I know that they are just excited to once again play in a great tournament like the GNT.
“We respect all the teams in the field and we’re looking forward to our first-round game (Friday afternoon vs. the survivor of Wednesday’s preliminary round contest between 10-Cedar Grove (12-2-1, 9-0-1 in the SEC-Colonial Division) and 23-North Star Academy).
“If it is Cedar Grove we know that they are a good team that is very well coached by Vin Cordasco who was on my staff at both Montville and Cedar Grove and they have a very good pitcher in Evan Turi (2.26 ERA, 45 K’s in 31 IP).”
The top six seeds in the 2024 GNT are 1-Livingston, 2-Seton Hall Prep, 3-Columbia, 4-Montclair, 5-Millburn and 6-Caldwell.
The only SEC-American Division team that West Essex had played prior to the seeding meeting was Nutley (1-10, 1-7), the bottom feeder in the division who the Knights defeated 7-3. West Essex is scheduled to have a SEC crossover contest at Columbia (8-5-1, 4-3-1) on Wednesday (May 1) in Maplewood, and also take on neighborhood rival Caldwell (6-10, 3-6) in an independent night game at Montclair State University’s Yogi Berra Stadium, 7 p.m., Thursday, May 9.
If West Essex advances past either Cedar Grove or North Star Academy in Friday’s first round action it would likely meet 2-SHP in the Wednesday, May 8, quarterfinals at Porcello Field in West Orange, which would mark the second straight year that the Knights, as a No. 7 seed, and SHP, as the second seed, would be meeting in the GNT quarters.
The Pirates must first get past their own first-round contest on Friday vs. the winner of Wednesday’s preliminary round game between 18-St. Benedict’s and 15-Glen Ridge. |
