The COVID-19 pandemic took away the spring sports season for New Jersey high school athletes but the baseball community has pulled off an extraordinary return to the diamond that will give varsity players the chance to compete for something meaningful.
Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, head baseball coach Mike Murray Jr. conceived The Last Dance Tournament shortly after the coronavirus spread throughout the state. He devised a format that would allow any high school team in New Jersey to compete in a three-tiered tournament that mirrors the NCAA baseball tournament on steroids.
Red Bank Catholic’s Jack Scrivanic will play college baseball at Wagner, but he gets to rep- resent the Caseys one more time at the Last Dance Baseball Tournament.
“It came together when we found out there was no spring season,” Murray said. “We put together an idea for what kids like, a tournament setting, an opportunity to compete. I sent it to Brian (Chapman) to take a look at and tell me if I’m crazy or not and he’s been working on brackets ever since.”
Murray and Millburn head coach Brian Chapman worked quietly behind the scenes during the spring to work out the logistics of the tournament. When a lot of the questions and potential problems had answers, the event gained amazing momentum. Then New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy allowed for the return of youth sports June 22 and the door opened for the Last Dance to happen.
The Middletown South baseball team is one of 11 area teams entered in the 222 team Last Dance field.
Red Bank Catholic baseball coach Buddy Hausman played an integral role in securing sites and entries from 36 Shore Conference teams including 11 from our area.
“The more it picked up steam and the more I talked with people, this opportunity was great,” Hausman said.
About The Last Dance Baseball Tournament
222 teams entered in 32 regions
Every team is guaranteed three games
Region winners advance to single-elimination tournament in weeks two and three
July 14-16: Region Play (modified round robin) July 21-23: Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Games
July 28: North and South Final Four
July 29: North and South Championship
July 30: Championship game at Trenton Thunder Stadium
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About region PLAy
All of the Two River-area teams are in eight-team re- gional pods. Teams that go 2-0 in their section will meet to determine the Region champion. Following the first week of play, 32 Region champions will then compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine one over- all state champion.
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“I tried to hook up Mike with anyone that I knew. We got the Lakewood BlueClaws to step up and be a host (in the single elimination tournament). It’s really going very well up to this point which is what we’re hoping to do for the kids, especially the seniors.”
The tournament is not associated with the NJSIAA and instead was sanctioned by the United States Single Sport Association (USSSA) which means teams will not be al- lowed to wear their school issued uniforms. Some school districts did not allow their teams to use the school’s name or their nickname. Shore Regional entered the Last Dance as the Jersey Shore Monsters and Saint John Vian- ney is officially listed as RBI Baseball. But every team in the 222-team field is composed of varsity baseball players that would have been eligible in the 2020 season.
The NJSIAA will not allow coaches to have contact with their teams until July 13, the day before the first round of the Last Dance. As a result, parents and former players associated with their high school teams are organizing practices leading up to the start of the tournament.
Every team gets a chance to play a minimum of three games with the final two weeks of competition shift- ing to a single-elimination format. New Jersey’s minor league ballparks, including that of the Lakewood Blue- Claws, are expected to host games over the final two weeks with the Trenton Thunder hosting the champi- onship game July 30.
It will be the first time in nearly four months that a high school athlete will take to the field in a meaning- ful competition and the tournament committee seems to
region 2A
Lincroft Regional (at CBA)
1. CBA Colts (Christian Brothers Academy)
2. Manasquan
3. EB Bears (East Brunswick)
4. Prep Baseball (Mater Dei Prep)
region 2b
Freehold Regional (site to be determined)
1. Columbia Blue (Freehold Township)
2. Blue and Gold (Marlboro)
3. Monmouth Dogfish (Freehold Boro)
4. Middletown North
region 6A
Red Bank Regional (at Count Basie Park)
1. RBC (Red Bank Catholic)
2. Bucs Baseball (Red Bank Regional) 3. Neptune
4. Long Branch Green Wave
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have covered all their bases, not only for the games. Tem- perature checks will happen before the start of each day of play by certified athletic trainers to assure teams will be healthy and safe prior to taking the diamond. Players and coaches will wear masks in the dugout but not on the field. Fans will be encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing and not gather closely.
While there are no rosters submitted yet, the early indication is that many of the area’s top players are ea- ger to take the field. Middletown South pitcher and Se- ton Hall commit Chris Lotito told The Two River Times that the large group of Eagles seniors is expected play in the Last Dance Tournament and CBA catcher Mason Wolf (Monmouth University) said the same thing about the Colts seniors.
There are so many questions about the return of high school sports in the fall and how athletes can stay safe and compete. The Last Dance is going to be the first chance to see what sports looks like in the post-coronavirus era.
“We want to do a good job showing that sports can be back safely,” Murray said. “If done in the right way it can unify kids, give them a sanctuary and some good news to hopefully turn the tide coming out of a devastat- ing few months.”
And while fans across the state will pay attention to who the last team standing is in this winner-take-all event, every player who takes the field is going to feel the thrill and excitement of high school sports one more time. Knowing that baseball is back makes it one special Last Dance for sure.
region 6b
Belmar Regional (at St. Rose Complex)
1. RBI Baseball (Saint John Vianney)
2. Blue and Grey (Howell)
3. Monmouth Regional Falcons
4. St. Rose
region 15A
Wall Township Regional
(North Wall Little League)
1. MS Baseball (Middletown South)
2. Cougar Baseball (Colts Neck)
3. Holmdel Hornets
4. Jersey Shore Monsters (Shore Regional)
region 15b
Ocean Township Regional
(at Wanamassa Fireman’s Field, Neptune City)
1. OT Baseball (Ocean)
2. RFH Bulldogs (Rumson-Fair Haven)
3. Hazlet Renegades (Raritan)
4. Matawan
