The no-hit aspect of JJ Drennan’s latest pitching prowess could certainly end at some point before this season ends. After all, a current streak of 17 straight no-hit innings is pretty impressive in itself as the Seton Hall Prep senior ace prepares to take the mound in this Saturday’s 93rd Greater Newark Tournament final at Verona’s Doc Goeltz Field.
Add in the fact that he has tossed 21 straight scoreless innings, including a 5-inning perfect game in a 10-0 GNT first round victory over Barringer, followed by another near-perfect game performance in this past Saturday’s 6-0 shutout of Columbia in the GNT semifinals, and the Boston College-bound Drennan is certainly on one torrid streak in terms of limiting any damage at all from opposing batters.
Top-seeded SHP (16-4) will meet a familiar foe in seventh-seeded Nutley (11-7) in Saturday’s noon GNT final in Verona. The Maroon Raiders edged third-seeded West Essex in this past Saturday’s second semifinal contest played under on and off rain at SHP’s Porcello Field.
Drennan struck out 10 without a walk in his 74-pitch masterpiece vs. fourth-seeded Columbia, and was just one out from a second straight perfect game when one of his 2-seam fast balls carried just a bit too inside and plunked the Cougars’ Joey Kerner for a hit-by-pitch.
Then, on his next pitch, Columbia’s Jack Livingstone lined a shot to the left side that SHP third baseman Jack Webber made a leaping catch on to seal the no-hitter and catapult 20-time champion SHP into another GNT final.
For his efforts, which also date back to a 1-hitter over six innings he tossed vs. Millburn, Drennan is the latest Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week.
His dominating and very economical outing vs. Columbia in the GNT semis may have been one of the best pitching performances of any New Jersey high school pitcher this spring.
“Once I got into the flow of the game, I felt good with all of my pitches,” said the Pirates’ mound ace. “The most important thing is to help my team return to the GNT final and we’re excited about the opportunity to win another championship!”
Drennan has been playing organized baseball since age 8, and he was always a solid position player as an infielder and very competent hitter, but then his pitching interest just grew as he’s become a real student of the craft.
“I really didn’t begin to take pitching seriously until my sophomore year,” he said. “Now my focus is on it more than ever.
“I like to watch highlights of Greg Maddux on you tube because he’s such a painter and I want to work to have command like him.
“I also like to watch Cam Schlittler who is pitching at such a high level right now for the Yankees, and Sonny Gray, who throws a really good curve.
“I just love to pitch and I want to continue to work on all my pitches in order to be the best I can possibly be.”
Boston College, which is enjoying a solid season with a 35-16 record entering recent action while competing well (17-10) in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference, has four former New Jersey high school pitchers on its current roster in former Brearley star southpaw Sean Budis, North Hunterdon’s Zach Fronio, St. Joe’s of Montvale’s Sam Hard, and Red Bank Catholic’s Ethan Marzo.
“I was mainly recruited by BC pitching coach Ryan Forrest, I fell in love with the campus, and I know that it is an excellent school academically,” said Drennan. “My goal is to be a starting pitcher in college and I’ll just keep working hard to reach that goal.”
The SHP standout has a great high school coaching staff including veteran head man Mike Sheppard, Jr., and longtime pitching coach Frank Gately.
“Playing for a legend in Coach ‘Shep’ is amazing and our entire coaching staff is fantastic,” added Drennan. “Coach Gately calls the pitches and I have the utmost confidence in delivering whatever he wants me to throw out there.”
Drennan’s strong and varied repertoire on the mound includes a 2- and 4-seam fast ball along with a wicked curve, deceiving slider and effective changeup.
“I like to use my entire arsenal out there,” he added. “As a starter I want to be comfortable throwing any one of my pitches depending on the situation.”
And, he’s kept working year-round to keep raising his game. Along with working with off-season pitching coaches Jim Wladyka of Wladyka Baseball in Lyndhurst, and former SHP Pirate Lou Fernandez with Hustle Baseball Academy in Fairfield, he has also played travel ball with the North Jersey Ghosts.
“I enjoy pitching and I love to compete in the great game of baseball,” said Drennan. “I am going to do whatever I can to help us win both a GNT title and a (Non-Public A) state championship.”
Parisi Speed School has been empowering athletes for over 30 years, since 1992. As the industry leader in youth performance training in the country, they have successfully trained over 1,000,000 athletes to include schools, teams, youth organizations and individual athletes from 7 years of age to the Pros in MLB, NFL, MLS, NBA and WNBA.
Parents and coaches are invited to visit their website for additional information at www.parisifairfield.com or contact their Director, John Cirilo at 973 227-0199.
***
SHP-Nutley GNT Rivalry Revived With This Saturday's Championship Game
They did meet in the 2016 Greater Newark Tournament final with SHP cruising to an 11-1 victory; but the period of time when the SHP-Nutley GNT championship matchup became a staple was when they met in the final five straight years from 2001 to 20025 with the Maroon Raiders coming out on top in three of those contests.
Now, a top-seeded SHP team that was expected to reach the 2026 GNT final, and a seventh-seeded Nutley squad which has had to rise up with consecutive victories over the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds to get to this point, are set to meet in the 93rd GNT championship game at noon next Saturday (May 16) at Verona’s Doc Goeltz Field.
SHP (16-4) rode the brilliant pitching of Boston College-bound senior right-hander JJ Drennan, who thew a no-hitter while also coming within one out of hurling a perfect game before hitting a batter, in a brilliant 6-0 pitching effort vs. fourth-seeded Columbia in the first semifinal played under threatening skies this past Saturday (May 9) at SHP’s Porcello Field in West Orange.
In the second game, while dodging occasional rain drops plus at least one brief downpour, Nutley (11-7) rode the strong pitching of junior Sean Fealey, who tossed a 1-hitter to lead the Raiders past third-seeded West Essex, 2-1.
Nutley also showed good plate discipline when they scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good when back-to-back batters Gabe Rodriguez and Chris Kovacs were hit by pitches with the bases loaded as each earned an RBI in what might be considered the hard way vs. West Essex ace Jackson Lodgek, but the runs proved decisive.
The Knights scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning but Fealey and company finished the job for another GNT upset for the Raiders.
Nutley had quite the past week which also included a pulsating 4-2 upset of second-seeded Caldwell in this past Wednesday’s quarterfinals in West Caldwell.
Nutley rode the enduring pitching of Rodriguez vs. the Chiefs as the junior third baseman-pitcher threw 111 pitches while allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run while walking 4 and striking out 4.
Fealey was another workhorse in Nutley’s 5-2 GNT first-round win vs. 10th-seeded Millburn when he threw a complete game 4-hitter with 5 walks and 8 K’s.
Coach Eric Puzio’s Raiders will need some more tournament magic to knock off Drennan and the Pirates in next Saturday’s GNT championship game.
SHP, behind the guidance of longtime coach Mike Sheppard, Jr., has watched Drennan (4-1) work all sorts of magic this season while relinquishing just 3 earned runs I his first 26 2/3 IP while allowing 7 hits, walking just 3 and hitting 2 batters while striking out 51 with 0.79 ERA.
Drennan entered recent action batting .319 with 25 runs scored and a team-leading 14 walks.
The SHP lineup’s biggest hitters are West Virginia University-bound senior slugger Jordan Burwell, who entered recent action with big numbers as he had 26 runs, 31 RBI and 15 extra base hits, including 7 home runs, a .533 batting average and an incredible slugging percentage of 1.017.
Senior Devin Aiken is another very solid bat in the Pirates lineup as he has produced a .380 average with 20 RBI and 7 extra base hits including a pair of homers.
NOTES- Nutley is 4-10 in GNT finals with its four victories coming in 1993 vs. West Essex (10-3) and with a trio of championship wins vs. SHP, 5-3 in 2001, 6-2 in 2002 and 3-2 in 2004 under former coach Tom Gargiulo…SHP will be appearing in its seventh straight GNT final 30th overall with a record 20 championships, including the last two years vs. Livingston by identical 6-0 scores….The last GNT final without SHP in it was in 2018 when Livingston defeated Nutley, 8-3, in Verona. There was no GNT final in 2020 due to the covid pandemic..Saturday will mark the 18th time that SHP and Nutley will meet in the GNT dating back to 1971 with the Pirates holding a 9-8 edge.
93rd Greater Newark Tournament
First round, Friday, May 1:
(1) Seton Hall Prep 10 (16) Barringer 0 (in 5 inn.)
(8) Verona 6 (9) Livingston 1
(5) West Orange 13 (12) MKA 3 (in 6 inn.)
(4) Columbia 14 (13) Glen Ridge 4
(3) West Essex 2 (14) Cedar Grove 0
(11) St. Benedict’s 7 (6) Montclair 4
(7) Nutley 5 (10) Millburn 2
(2) Caldwell 10 (15) Newark Tech 0 (in 6 inn.)
Quarterfinals, Wednesday, May 6:
(4) Columbia 1 (5 West Orange at 0 (in 8 inn.)
(3) West Essex 6 (11) St. Benedict's 5
(7) Nutley 4 (2) Caldwell 2
(1) Seton Hall Prep 5 (8) Verona 3
Semifinals, Saturday, May 9:
(1 Seton Hall Prep 6 (4) Columbia 0
(7) Nutley 2 (3) West Essex 1
Final: noon, Saturday, May 16, at Verona’s Doc Goeltz Field
Follow Steve Tober on 'X' @Chattermeister
GREATER NEWARK TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES:
2025: Seton Hall Prep 6 Livingston 0
2024: Seton Hall Prep 6 Livingston 0
2023: Millburn 3 Seton Hall Prep 0
2022: Seton Hall Prep 15 Bloomfield 0 (in 5 inn.)
2021: Millburn 6 Seton Hall Prep 5 (in 11 inn.)
2020: No tournament due to covid-19
2019: Montclair 10 Seton Hall Prep 0
2018: Livingston 8 Nutley 3
2017: Seton Hall Prep 4 Millburn 2
2016: Seton Hall Prep 11, Nutley 1
2015: Seton Hall Prep 12, Millburn 6
2014: Seton Hall Prep 7, Cedar Grove 6
2013: Seton Hall Prep 4, Montclair 2
2012: Montclair 2, Nutley 1
2011: Seton Hall Prep 8, Millburn 2
2010: West Essex 5, Columbia 4
2009: Livingston 5, Nutley 4
2008: Seton Hall Prep 8, Millburn 7 (8 inn.)
2007: Seton Hall Prep 5, Newark East Side 1
2006: West Essex 5, Seton Hall Prep 2
2005: Seton Hall Prep 11, Nutley 0
2004: Nutley 3, Seton Hall Prep 2
2003: Seton Hall Prep 3, Nutley 0
2002: Nutley 6, Seton Hall Prep 2
2001: Nutley 5, Seton Hall Prep 3
2000: Seton Hall Prep 3, Livingston 1
1999: Seton Hall Prep 4, Columbia 3
1998: Seton Hall Prep 6, Essex Catholic 4
1997: Seton Hall Prep 5, Bloomfield 2
1996: Bloomfield 3, Livingston 0
1995: Columbia 1, Belleville 0
1994: East Side 4, Glen Ridge 3
1993: Nutley 10, West Essex 3
1992: East Side 5, Seton Hall Prep 2
1991: Livingston 7, Cedar Grove 6
1990: Seton Hall Prep 13, Columbia 0
1989: Glen Ridge 7, Livingston 0
1988: Cedar Grove 5, Livingston 3
1987: Glen Ridge 3, Irvington 0
1986: Columbia 9, Belleville 8 (8 inn.)
1985: Cedar Grove 2, Caldwell 1 (8 inn.)
1984: Millburn 4, Nutley 3
1983: Seton Hall Prep 3, Glen Ridge 1
1982: Caldwell 4, Glen Ridge 1
1981: Belleville 10, Glen Ridge 4
1980: Livingston 8, Belleville 6
1979: Columbia 5, Livingston 4
1978: Columbia 3, Our Lady of the Valley 2
1977: Livingston 9, Seton Hall Prep 1
1976: Livingston 6, Essex Catholic 4
1975: Essex Catholic 5, Irvington 1
1974: Livingston 5, Verona 1
1973: Our Lady of the Valley 3, Bloomfield 1
GNT has been Essex County teams only since 1973.
GNT also included teams from outside Essex County from 1933-1972.
1972: Ewing 7, Bloomfield 3
1971: Seton Hall Prep 7, Haddonfield 2
1970: Union 5, Ewing 1
1969: Morristown 12, Montclair 3
1968: Morristown 2, Piscataway 1
1967: Morristown 5, Roselle Catholic 4
1966: Union 2, Parsippany 1
1965: Parsippany 5, Westfield 3
1964: St. Benedict’s Prep 6, Montclair 5
1963: Montclair 6, St. Benedict’s 3
1962: Garfield 6, Nutley 0
1961: South River 5, Linden 3
1960: New Brinswick 3, East Side 0
1959: Bayonne 14, Verona 8
1958: St. Peter’s Prep 3, Hanover Park 1
1957: Rahway 3, Irvington 2
1956: New Brunswick 11, Barringer 0
1955: Jefferson 7, Montclair 6
1954: Montclair 8, Englewood 0
1953: Englewood 9, Irvington 4
1952: Bloomfield 3, Nutley 0
1951: Linden 8, Jefferson 3
1950: Rahway 9, East Side 7
1949: Bayonne 3, Montclair 2
1948: Montclair 1, Irvington 0
1947: Irvington 6, Columbia 0
1946: East Side 4, Roselle Park 2
1945: Bloomfield 5, Columbia 0
1944: Caldwell 9, Bloomfield 0
1943: Kearny 6, Hillside 3
1942: Montclair 3, Irvington 2
1941: Hillside 9, Kearny 5
1940: Irvington 2, Trenton 0
1939: Irvington 4, Woodbridge 3
1938: Irvington 6, South River 1
1937: Hillside 8, Bloomfield 4
1936: Hillside 11, Nutley 2
1935: Bloomfield 4, Hillside 3
1934: Hillside 5, Barringer 1
1933: Irvington 1, Kearny 0
*GNT historical information from Jeff Goldberg
