Gloucester Catholic baseball captures 20th state championship with shutout of St. Mary

HAMILTON TWP. – The distraught “No” came deep from within RJ Mustaro’s gut.

The Gloucester Catholic High School senior had just stood up amongst his kneeling teammates and bellowed “Yea,” pumping his fist as the NJSIAA representative approached the Rams with the golden trophy.

But it wasn’t time yet. The rep held out his hand, telling Mustaro to wait. He kneeled back down and shouted, “No,” again.

Then he smiled.

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The Gloucester Catholic baseball program had waited five years for this moment. He and the rest of the Rams could manage another 10 seconds.

Gloucester Catholic captured its 20th state championship Friday, shutting out St. Mary-Rutherford 10-0 in six innings in the Non-Public B final at Bob DeMeo Field at Veterans Park.

“Just doesn’t feel real,” bridge-year senior Sal Serici said. “This is what we came back to do and we achieved it.”

The Rams, who own the state record for titles, hadn’t celebrated one since 2018, their longest drought since its gap between championships in 1986 and 1993.

Their last final was in 2019, when they lost a shocker to St. Mary, 4-3.

“We’ve all been deprived,” senior Tanner Nolan said. “… We had to come out different (this season). We had to come out with a different mindset, ready to send people home.”

They did, leaving Gloucester Catholic alone to celebrate.

“I’m surprised I didn’t cry yet,” senior Damon Suriani said.

Tanner Nolan first to trophy after dominant performance

It’s become a common refrain for Gloucester Catholic coach Dennis Barth this season.

“Lights out,” he responded when asked about Nolan, his star left-handed pitcher.

Nolan capped off his incredible senior campaign with a six-inning shutout, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts, including the final out of the game.

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“We rolled up on the bus and I looked at everyone, music was off, and I said this is over,” said Nolan, who finished his year 10-0 with a 0.48 ERA. “Get me one run and it’s over. It’s not happening. They’re not taking this from us.”

He was much more giving with the trophy, though he rushed to grab it first and raise it above his head.

“Don’t get me wrong, the whole team deserves it,” he smiled. “I couldn’t do it without them, but it just feels great (to hold the trophy). I had to get my hands on it.”

Sal Serici finishes bridge year with a bang

Sal Serici had to be convinced by teammate Matt Leahy to return to Gloucester Catholic for a bridge year.

He couldn’t be more thankful Leahy asked him to do it.

Serici drove in what amounted to the game-winning run Friday with a first-inning double, and he finished with a pair of doubles and runs scored to guide the offense.

“It means the world,” Serici said. “This is what we wanted to do from the beginning when me and Matty took the bridge year. … The whole team wanted it. We just wanted it more than everybody else.”

Serici was so excited after the final out that he leapt over the dog pile on the field, and had to get back up and jump on his teammates again.

“I might need to hop back in basketball,” he laughed.

Unheralded Rams deliver on offense

Gloucester Catholic had a potent offense in 2023.

All nine starters in its lineup batted above .300, but there are those that got more limelight than others.

However, in the biggest game of the season, it was the back half of the order that came up clutch.

Junior Jake Terranova, the No. 9 hitter, broke the game open with a three-run triple in the top of the third inning to put his team ahead 5-0.

“Never experienced anything like it before,” he said of how he felt when reached third base. “Best feeling of my life.”

Senior Tyler Bunting, the No. 6 hitter, matched Terranova with a game-high three RBIs, and freshman Guy Lynam, who bats seventh, punctuated the team’s day with a two-run homer to make it 10-0.

“It means so much,” Lynam said of his blast. “Not even just for me, but for everybody, Matty, Tanner … all those guys. Every single senior, fifth-year, it means so much to them. They struggled throughout their whole career, they got so close so many times. We knew this was the year.”

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Matt Leahy gets his moment

Matt Leahy’s bridge year was going great until two days ago, when he broke this thumb training for the title game.

“I was fully expecting not to be able to play at all,” he said. “I was convincing them all night, let me run the bases, for Damon, for anyone.”

Gloucester Catholic’s coaches allowed him to leadoff the game – and he came through with a walk, a stolen base and the contest’s first run, the game-winner.

Leahy was pulled after that, but reentered in the bottom of the sixth at shortstop. When Nolan struck out the final batter, Leahy had to put his protective thumb brace on before he could join in the celebration.

“We checked off every single box this year,” he said. “Obviously, it would’ve been cool to go undefeated, but winning all the championships (was) the No. 1 priority, and it’s amazing.”

They said it

“I couldn’t picture any better (ending). First beat (St. Augustine) at the beginning of the year, hadn’t done that my whole career. Winning the Diamond, that was amazing, and then lastly coming here and winning the state chip, it was the best year I could’ve imagined.”

– Gloucester Catholic senior catcher Damon Suriani

“Three more. No droughts. We want to do this every year.”

– Gloucester Catholic freshman Guy Lynam, who doesn’t want to wait five years to win another title

Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Gloucester Catholic High School baseball wins 20th NJSIAA state title