Editor's note: Video highlights and additional photos from the GMCBCA Frank Gavigan Senior All-Star Doubleheader will be added to this package, so please consider revisiting this page.
Jordan Hamberg of South Plainfield and Dom Vincelli of Spotswood earned Most Valuable Player honors in their respective games of the Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Coaches Association Frank Gavigan Senior All-Star Doubleheader, which was contested at Community Park in North Brunswick on Saturday night.
The event, which featured more than 70 of the league's top players, was dedicated in loving memory of veteran umpire John Lynam, and played as a benefit for Ray Fantel, an inspirational 11-year old boy from South Brunswick living with a rare degenerative neuromuscular disease that results in severe muscle weakness and limited mobility.
Johnny Albrecht of Monroe High School won the home run derby competition, besting a field of more than 20 competitors, which preceded the twinbill.
The seniors were broken into four all-star teams. The South All-Stars rallied for a 9-3 comeback victory over the North All-Stars, while the West All-Stars posted a 6-3 victory over the East All-Stars in games that were concurrently contested on adjacent fields.
The North Brunswick Baseball and Softball Association donated its facilities and staff for the 30th annual event.
The organization will also be serving as a host for eight GMC teams who will compete in pool play during one of the regions of the New Jersey "Last Dance" World Series, presented by RWJBarnabas Health, which commences on Tuesday.
READ: More than 20 GMC schools represented in Last Dance
Many of the seniors who participated in Saturday night's all-star doubleheader will be playing in the Last Dance, which features more than 220 teams from across the state.
Fantel and the family of Lynam each received separate commemorative plaques during a pregame ceremony, while Fantel also received a gift from the South Brunswick Baseball Diamond Club, which Vikings head coach CJ Hendricks and three of his players presented.
Fantel's older brother, Ethan, a rising freshman who will attend South Brunswick High School in the fall, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
In lieu of charging admission, the GMCBCA respectfully invited spectators to consider making a donation at the gate to benefit Ray Fantel.
DOANTE ONLINE: Those interested in making a donation to benefit Ray Fantel can do so by clicking on his name in the drop down menu of this website
Infants with SMA Type I, the disease with which Fantel was diagnosed at five months of age, usually have a life expectancy of two years. But Ray’s boundless optimism and indomitable spirit have helped him defy insurmountable odds. Ray will celebrate his 12th birthday in October.
“Ray is an amazing young man who doesn’t let SMA get in the way of living life to the fullest,” Fantel’s mother, Marcy, said. “SMA has not affected his spirit nor his happiness. We are always amazed at how Ray continues to fight SMA, live with a huge passion for life and touch so many people. He has an amazing attitude, smile and twinkle in his eyes."
The inscription on the plaque presented to Ray, read: “The Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Coaches Association would like to extend its sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to Ray Fantel, whose indomitable spirit serves as an inspiration to all the players taking the field in the 2020 Frank Gavigan Senior All-Star Doubleheader. We are honored that Ray could be a part of our team.”
Ray has played baseball as a member of The Miracle League of Mercer County at the YMCA in Hamilton since he was 4, but the pandemic canceled this year’s season.
With a gregarious nature and love for the game, Lynam was one of the state’s most respected officials. He passed away at the age of 68 on March 20, leaving behind his beloved wife of 45 years, Barbara, and their two devoted children, Christopher and Jennifer.
Lynam umpired baseball games for more than three decades. He was honored in 2015 with a Distinguished Officials award from the National Federation of High School Association’s Officials Association.
Warren Bennett, the crew chief who officiated one of the all-star games, joined peers Gary Giacketti and Bill Kilduff in presenting the commemorative plaque to the Lynam family.
“On behalf of the Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Coaches Association and New Jersey State Federation of Umpires Mickey Sedlak Chapter, the 2020 Frank Gavigan Senior All-Star Doubleheader is dedicated in honor and loving memory of John Lynam," the plaque's incription read. "John’s spirit will live on through his contributions to the sport and the countless lives he profoundly impacted.”
Lynam's family presented Bennett with the protective face mask Lynam used as an unpire. Bennett wore it while working behind the plate in the game between the East and West all-stars.
The doubleheader marked the first official baseball action for many of the league’s recently graduated seniors since the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March canceled the spring scholastic sports season.
GMCBCA co-president Vinnie Abene, who is the head coach at Edison, said he and his peers wanted to provide the league’s upperclassmen one more chance to be on the field together.
“They spent four years of their lives preparing for their senior season,” Abene said. “All the time and effort and practices and commitment, the workouts and all that stuff. For that not to come to fruition, this [gave] them one last opportunity to play the game they love with some of their best friends, who they have been with since they were 5 or 6 years old.”
Players received complimentary T-shirts, which they wore during the doubleheader. The Baseball Warehouse in Highland Park donated the MVP and home run derby plaques.
Umpires Bob Cirello, Chris Parkhill, Tim Lecras, Chris Vaneerde, Giackette, Kilduff, and Bennett volunteered their time and expertise to officiate the all-star doubleheader.
GMCBCA FRANK GAVIGAN SENIOR ALL-STAR GAME ROSTERS
NORTH
Davian Batista, U, Perth Amboy Tech; Adam Boucher, P/OF, St. Joseph; Caleb Carter, INF, St. Jsoeph; Oscar Correa, U, Perth Amboy Tech; Dillion Forsythe, OF, Wardlaw-Hartridge; Anthony Giordano, C, Edison; Dylan Glassman, OF, North Brunswick; Myles Herzog, 2B, Highland Park; Anthony Massaro, P/C, Wardlaw-Hartridge; Nikko Matos, INF/P, St. Joseph; Seb Mueller, 1B, St. Joseph; Vincent Powers, INF/P, J.F. Kennedy; Jake Ramos, OF, South River; Caleb Rodriguez, INF, North Brunswick; Chris Sommer, P/OF, Edison; Matt Sot, OF, St. Joseph; Ethan Vargas, 3B/OF, Edison; Joe Young, OF/P, J.P. Stevens; John Zarnowski, P, St. Joseph.
COACHES: Tim Ballard, J.F. Kennedy; Mark Blevins, North Brunswick; Dave Marzano, J.P. Stevens.
SOUTH
Johnny Albrecht, OF, Monroe; Ryan Ament, P, Sayreville; Nick Calicari, P/OF, Old Bridge; Gerard Chiricolo, P/1B, St. Thomas Aquinas; Ajay Churaman, P, Sayreville; Roger Dantoni, P, Sotswood; Ryan de la Cuesta, P, Old Bridge; George Guyette, P, Spotswood; Ryan Lebow, OF, Monroe; Nick Lodzinski, P, Sayreville; Logan Nodalny, U, Calvary Christian; Eddie Nugent, OF, Old Bridge; Liam Page, P/3B, Timothy Christian; Paul Pawlowski, P, Old Bridge; James Ryan, OF, Sayreville; Bryant Skurbe, OF, Monroe; Mathew Stefanovic, OF, Timothy Christian; Dominick Vincelli, C, Spotswood; Jack Welsh, 2B, Spotswood.
COACHES: Matt Donaghue, Old Bridge; Sean Field, Monroe.
EAST
Jay Bartus, OF, East Brunswick; Bryan Bellantoni, P/OF, East Brunswick; Jay Chaddah, C, South Brunswick; Josh Ciano, INF, Colonia; Joseph Cooley, OF, Piscataway Tech; Matt Flammia, C, Colonia; John Gonzalez, INF/P, South Amboy; Kyle Gruver, P/SS, South Brunswick; Michael Gurzynski, 1B/3B, Carteret; Jay Harry, SS/P, Metuchen; DJ McGuinness, P/1B, East Brunswick; Zac Mocci, OF/P, Colonia; Nick Nielson, 1B, Colonia; Gian Ortiz, OF, Carteret; Ryan Pozo, 1B/3B/P, Woodbridge; Ismael Reynoso, SS/2B, Woodbridge; Noah Ruiz, P/3B, Colonia; Matt Storch, 3B, South Brunswick; Elijah Colon, INF, Carteret.
COACHES: Dan Morvay, Carteret; Dan Poulsen, South Amboy; Mike Scialfo, Colonia.
WEST
Garrett Allo, 1B, East Brunswick Tech; Tyrus Chippendale, INF, Middlesex; John Ciannello, OF, Dunellen; Jared Copeland, C, Piscataway; Juan Corporan Espaillat, DH, Perth Amboy; Brody Donovan, C, South Plainfield; Keldrin Genao, 3B, Perth Amboy; David Hall, 3B, East Brunswick Tech; Jordan Hamberg, P/OF, South Plainfield; Matt Holmes, P, Middlesex; Jordan Horowitz, OF, East Brunswick Tech; Will Kozak, P, Middlesex; Jeremiah Minaya, P, Perth Amboy; Sam Nieves, C/OF, South Plainfield; Juan Nunez, OF, Perth Amboy; Kiera Rodriguez, U, New Brunswick; Cooper Smith, INF, South Plainfield; Thomas Stewart, P, Piscataway; Jared Zimbardo, OF/P, Middlesex
COACHES: Damon Clark, Perth Amboy; Justin Nastasi, Middlesex; Chris Osborn, Dunellen.
Email: gtufaro@gannett.com
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