Written by: Eric Kautz '27

Published- September 18th, 2026

This summer, on August 12th, Luke Palermo ‘27 announced his commitment to continue his baseball career collegiately at Fairfield University, capping a journey of ups and downs with hard work, resilience, and determination. 

Palermo is committed to the university as a two-way commit, meaning he is expecting to pitch, play the field, and hit for the Stags. The senior will be a four-year letter winner for the Falcons, having been on varsity since his freshman year where many knew he was destined to play at the next level. Over the last three seasons, he has hit for an impressive .346 average. The southpaw has only pitched slightly over 18 innings due to an injury that prevented him from getting on the rubber his junior year. 

The Stag always knew he wanted to play college baseball. Growing up with his younger brother John ‘25, who also played baseball, the two shared a common passion for baseball, pushing each other to get better and constantly supporting each other. Palermo says that in his early years of high school, playing baseball with his brother and fellow teammates in the class of ‘25 made it more evident to him that his dreams were possible. Palermo was a crucial part of the Falcons 2024-2025 season, where the Falcons had a historic run in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament. As the fifth seed in the tournament, the Falcons walked off each and every game, including the tournament final. Luke hit a walk-off single in the quarterfinal round to secure the Falcons' 1-0 victory over Metuchen. 

Palermo's recruitment process was very uncertain. Many high school baseball players end up committing and choosing their school in their junior year, which Palermo was not able to do due to his injury and surgery that would prevent him from pitching for an extended period of time. This made this process tough on Palermo, watching many kids his age have their paths set while coaches were hesitant to go all in on Palermo with limited time being able to see him play and uncertainty about his injury. Through the whole process, Palermo kept his head up and was determined to not let the obstacles prevent him from getting where he wanted to be. After not being able to pitch his entire junior season, over eight months after his surgery, Palermo returned on the mound in club baseball. After success in different club baseball tournaments and games, Fairfield caught him playing several times and knew they had found their guy. 

“I was naturally drawn to Fairfield,” Palermo said. Palermo was immediately impressed by the school's academic excellence, campus, Jesuit traditions, and success on the baseball field. Fairfield, being in Connecticut, competes in the Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and is known as one of the conference's top squads. Other notable schools in the conference include Iona, Sacred Heart, Marist, and more. Just last year, Fairfield won the conference title over Rider for the program's second MAAC championship. The club has reached the tournament's final for four consecutive seasons. As a result of dominance in the conference, the team will be moving up to the Coastal Athletic Association in search of a tougher schedule. With all Fairfield had to offer, Palermo made the decision to commit to the university on August 12th.  

“Most importantly, my Mom and brother John for their endless support and constant effort to help me achieve my goals. Beyond that, my coaches outside of St. Joe's for their help in developing me. And of course, Coach McCaffery, Coach Riporti, and the St. Joe's baseball community for getting me to where I am today,” the Fairfield commit said. 

With his future at Fairfield secured, Palermo now turns his attention to one final season in the Falcon uniform. With the same resilience and determination that carried him through his recruitment, he hopes to leave his mark at Saint Joe’s before beginning the next chapter of his baseball career.

Written By: Richie Adenau '27

Published On: 9/16/26

After years of pursuing his dream of playing baseball at the highest level, Saint Joseph High School senior Luke Baranauskas ‘27 has officially committed to continue his academic and athletic career at Lehigh University.  “I chose Lehigh because of the combination of their academic reputation, baseball facilities, and all four amazing coaches,” Baranauskas said.

Baranauskas has made an impact for the Falcons both at the plate and on the mound.  During the 2025-26 season, he hit .360 with nine hits, seven RBIs, and a .480 slugging percentage.  As a pitcher, he recorded 16 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. 

His time at Saint Joe’s has played an important role in his development. His time with the Falcons helped him grow both as a teammate and a player and understand the importance of contributing to the team.  He also credits the Falcon coaches with helping him become the player he is today.  Baranauskas’ favorite memory was winning the 2025 GMC Championship.

“From when I was very young, I’ve always had the dream to play baseball at the highest level,” Baranauskas said.  Reaching that goal required plenty of work outside of just playing baseball.  Baranauskas reached out to coaches, showcased his ability, and stayed in contact with them by sending updates and videos during the recruiting process.  “Around the end of last summer, I knew that playing Division I baseball was within reach and a real possibility.” 

He credits his parents as a major part of his journey and success.  Their commitment to his goals included driving him an hour to his pitching facility twice a week and helping create opportunities for him to succeed. 

His main goals in college are to continue to develop as a pitcher, help Lehigh compete for a Patriot League Championship, and to become someone his coaches and teammates can rely on every time he takes the mound.

Now, Baranauskas is focused on having a strong senior season and preparing to play at the next level. 

Written by: Eric Kautz '27

Published- April 13th, 2026

After a tough start to the season the Falcons baseball squad got in the win column with a series sweep over East Brunswick. 

After two series against two of the top teams amongst the GMC, the Falcons took on East Brunswick in search of their first win on the season on April 9th at home. The boys lit up the scoreboard, getting in the win column with a 14-4 win in mercy rule fashion. Junior duo of Luke Palermo ‘27 and Logan Ring both drove in four runs in strong days. Ring is leading the team in hits on the season alongside Palermo, who is hitting .300. Walter Christen ‘26 and Davis Labno ‘29 also had strong days at the plate. On the rubber, Paul Rao ‘28 allowed just three earned runs in the complete game performance. The sophomores' ERA currently stands at 3.27. 

The second game of the series on April 10th was not as much of a comfortable a victory on the road. The Falcons took the win 3-2 behind a strong pitching performance from Saint Thomas Aquinas College baseball commit Connor Walker ‘26. Walker went over six innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs, before Labno relieved him for the final two outs, securing the victory. Walker's ERA is now 2.27. Labno and John Boykes RBIs marked the Falcons three runs. Nicholas Yacykewych ‘29 led the team on the day with two hits in just his 7th varsity game. 

The Falcons will now look to keep the winning streak alive next, taking on the team they beat in the county title last season, Edison, away on April 14th. 

Written by: Eric Kautz '27

Published- March 11th, 2026. 

In the first year under head Coach Dennis McCaffery, last year the Saint Joseph baseball team went from a 20-loss season to just seven. The former Cranford head coach completely turned around the Falcons baseball program. What made the turnaround so impressive was that the team's immense success from last season was with a lot of the same talent from the previous season. McCaffery transformed the team through instilling a gritty, hardworking, and determined mindset within each of his players. The process, although not easy, saw the Falcons capture the GMC title through a walk-off home run from JP Zayle ‘25 for the team's first Jim Muldowney Tournament Championship since 2023. 

The historic season that included walkoff victories in each round of the county tournament was heavily influenced by last year's senior class. The team graduated 12 players, five of whom are playing at the collegiate level. Zayle and fellow senior Bobby Christensen ‘25 led the squad in hits tied at 28, and were incredible leaders. On the mound, 135.7 of the team's 161.2 innings pitched were from seniors. The three leaders in innings pitched came from seniors Richie Zangara  ‘25, who is now playing at Ithaca, Domenic Erbafina ‘25, and Joseph Barca ‘25. The trio combined for 133.4 innings pitched, making up a massive portion of the pitching for the team, and were all crucial parts to the Falcons' success. 

This year, the Falcons will look to promising and experienced familiar faces to take their game to the next level. Saint Joe’s will look to players like Luke Palermo ‘27, Logan Ring ‘27, Owen Krulikowski ‘26, Kris Almanzar ‘26, Walter Christian ‘26, Connor Walker ‘26, and more. 

Palermo hit for a .403 average last year and has been heavily relied on his bat and arm since his freshman year. The junior is one of the top southpaws in NJ, but will be held back from pitching this year. Palermo understands that, despite his role being limited, he is essential to the team's success and will look to contribute as much as possible in the batter's box. With the change of scenery in the clubhouse, Palermo understands things will be different, but the roots will remain the same. 

“The loss of our ‘25 Seniors is definitely upsetting, but they have laid the foundation to build a strong culture for the program,” Palermo said. “The team’s identity is backed by humility and hard work. That will never, ever change,” he added. 

The pitching staff will be anchored by Connor Walker ‘26, a Saint Thomas Aquinas College Baseball commit. The pitching staff will also look for key contributions from Ring and Luke Baranauskas ‘27. The senior recorded 12 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts last season. Walker understands the weight on his shoulders. 

“I will have to become the guy that people can trust on the mound as we trusted the guys last year,” Walker said. “The bar is set at a GMC championship, but I think this year with this group, we can make a run for states and bring one home,” the pitcher added. 

The team tallied 58 stolen bases last year, making aggressive base running and bunting a huge part of their identity, focusing on the fundamentals and playing smart. “Stealing bases and doing the gritty stuff is important because it puts pressure on the opposing team's defense and helps create scoring chances. I take pride in doing the little things to help the team win,” Christian, who had five stolen bases last year, said. 

The ball club is now gearing up for March 31st, when they will open their season against South Plainfield with experienced and fresh talent looking to prove themselves all over again with the same mindset that empowered them last year. 

Written by: Eric Kautz '27

On Saturday, December 20th, the Saint Joe's 2025 baseball team was presented with their GMC championship rings from the most recent season.

The GMC championship came anything but easy for the Falcons. In the first year with new head coach Dennis McCaffery and coming off a down year, the Falcons were not projected to be in contention for the title. After four walkoffs in the tournament, including a walkoff grand slam in the title game, the GMC trophy made its way back to Plainfield Ave.

The Falcons in the tournament run capped four consecutive games in walkoff fashion with hits from Walter Christian ‘26, Luke Palermo ‘27, and two from JP Zayle ‘25.

“There were better teams than us last year. We were not the best team in the state, but nobody did what we did; we were not supposed to do anything close to that,” Zayle said in memory of the historic tournament run.  

Alongside the hitting in clutch spots, the Falcons also relied heavily on pitchers Joe Barca ‘25, Richie Zangara ‘25, and Dom Erbafina ‘25. “It was always the goal, and it was always the expectation, so just knowing we finally got the job done and in the way that we did it that was very special,” Zangara, who is now continuing his baseball career at Ithaca College, said. 

Alongside Coach McCaffery stood Coach Riporti, a very respected and loved coach throughout the program. Riporti said, “It was unbelievable, something I will never forget, and something that will never be duplicated.”

The Falcons finished the season with a 16-7 record and will look to defend their title this spring. 

To watch a recap of the outstanding tournament run, visit @saintjoesmetmedia on Instagram or click this link 

Written by: Eric Kautz '27

On December 3rd, Connor Walker signed his national letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Saint Thomas Aquinas College in New York. 

Walker, a pitcher, posted 20 strikeouts last season and has been a part of the varsity baseball team since his freshman year. Walker announced his commitment to the school earlier this year on September 15th. 

Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a part of the East Coast Conference in the NCAA Division II. 

Walker is now officially a Spartan, where he is bound to make an impact.