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Governor Livingston coach Chris Roof continues to build on an amazing career guiding the Governor Livingston Highlanders which now includes him reaching the 500-win plateau as he joins exclusive company in and out of Union County scene. (SC photos & by John Haddad 7eightsports)
Whenever Chris Roof reaches a milestone his first words to a question about it are: "Bill Howard." Howard was Roof's head coach when Roof played his baseball at Governor Livingston before graduating in 1992. Roof, 51, has said time and again that it was Howard who shaped the player he was on his way to excelling collegiately at Montclair State. Howard has also been a major influence on how Roof handles his coaching duties. At the helm of the Highlanders since 2004 after three years as the head coach at Millburn, Roof became just the fifth baseball coach in Union County history to reach 500 victories on Thursday, May 29, when top-seeded GL scored the game's final six runs en route to a 12-6 victory over ninth-seeded South River in the Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinal played at Snyder Park in Berkeley Heights. The top five winningest coaches in Union County are: Bob Brewster (655), Ray Korn (651), Gordon LeMatty (641), Dennis McCaffery (527, including 16 so far this year) and Chris Roof (500, including 24 so far this year). After serving as the head coach at Cranford from 1999-2024, this is McCaffery's first season as the head coach at St. Joseph's, Metuchen. McCaffery's squad edged Immaculata, 5-4, in a South Jersey, Group A quarterfinal on Friday (May 30). This is Roof's 21st season at GL, with his Highlanders next playing on Tuesday, June 3, in a CJG2 semifinal at home against fifth-seeded Raritan which edged 13th-seeded Cinnaminson, 2-1, also on Friday. The other June 3 semifinal is 14th-seeded Bordentown at second-seeded Robbinsville. The final at the higher seed is set for Thursday, June 5. Howard guided GL to its first state championship, the Group 2 crown in 1999. Roof was also an assistant coach on Howard's staff in 1996 when GL reached its first Union County Tournament championship game. "Bill Howard taught us how to be men," Roof said. Roof has guided GL to Group 2 state championships in 2011, 2015 and 2024 and to a second-place finish in 2006. At the moment GL is attempting to repeat as CJG2 and Group 2 state champs for the first time. Earlier this month the Highlanders repeated as UCT champions for the first time. "Getting to 500 wins is a culmination of everything," said Roof, who won his 300th game 10 years ago in 2015 when GL defeated Bernards 10-4 in the Group 2 state championship game at Toms River South. That was the first GL team to win 28 games (28-6). Last year's squad was the second (28-5). "I'm so blessed to be a part of this program and I'm happy for both (Berkeley Heights and Mountainside) communities; it means the world to me," Roof said. "This is home for me. I love it. "I have really good players who are also good kids. Many of the coaches on staff here have been with me for a long time." GL is now 24-0 overall and finished 11-0 in capturing the Union County Conference's Watchung Division title. Then came a second straight and fifth overall UCT crown as the top-seeded Highlanders outscored four opponents 49-0 and did not allow a hit in the championship game. "For me and my staff, at the end of the day it's all about how we've developed these young men, so that they will be ready for college and to move on," Roof said. "When these kids are on their own it's about them making the right decisions. Winning is great and as coaches we get into coaching to win, but the winning is gravy." GL came back from a 5-1 deficit to oust 16th-seeded Point Pleasant Boro 7-6 in its first-round game played at home on Tuesday, May 27. GL's previous five wins were by shutout. The Highlanders entered state tournament play at 22-0, with 13 shutout victories and had given up only 31 runs. GL is now 4-0 in one run games, its first three being 1-0 at Brearley on April 16, 8-7 at home vs. Westfield on Apri 21 and then 1-0 over Elizabeth in the May 17 UCT semifinals at Johnson. "Our first two games say a lot about our section," Roof said. "Point Pleasant Boro is a really good team that plays in a tough Shore Conference. We could have folded when we were down 5-1, but our team never gives up. We needed a challenge like that. We didn't have too many of them during the season." It doesn't matter that GL is undefeated. Nobody cares that the Highlanders, for the first time in program history, are ranked No. 1 in New Jersey this late in the season. GL has now won a program-record 30 games in a row dating back to last season, but that will be of no concern to the opponent the Highlanders face on Tuesday. "It's cool that we got to June undefeated," Roof said. "However, the section that we're in is very challenging to say the least." Junior right-hander Keith Mann (8-0), who pitched in relief of senior righty Matty Diskin against PPB, will get the start on Tuesday, according to Roof. Diskin is still a prominent batter in GL's starting lineup as the team's designated hitter, but after his injury against PPB he is no longer available to pitch for the rest of the season. Roof started senior right-hander Anthony DeNora against South River. DeNora is Roof's No. 1 relief pitcher. "If we're fortunate enough to make it past Tuesday then we'll have to piece it together for the final," Roof said. UNION COUNTY'S TOP 5 WINNINGEST BASEBALL COACHES: Bob Brewster: 655-342-3 (.657) Ray Korn: 651-308-1 (.679) Gordon LeMatty: 641-272-4 (.702) Dennis McCaffery: 527-160-1 (.767) Chris Roof: 500-184-1 (.731) Follow JR Parachini on 'X' @parachini_jr
GL's Chris Roof has been pointing the way for the Highlanders for 21 seasons as he joins rarified air in Union County in terms of coaching wins with the likes of former Cranford coach Dennis McCaffery and the fine former Westfield coach Bob Brewster. (SC photos and by JR Parachini)
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