While some softball teams across the Garden State have already hit the diamond for games, many of the state’s best teams will begin playing in earnest on Monday.
But regardless of when your team takes the field, the quest for division and more importantly section and group titles begins right from first pitch.
Here’s a look at the new statewide softball section and group classifications heading into this season.
North 1, Group 1: Bergen Charter, Boonton, Butler, College Achieve Paterson, Cresskill, Emerson Boro, Hasbrouck Heights, Hawthorne, Hopatcong, Indian Hills, Kittatinny, Lenape Valley, Midland Park, Mountain Lakes, New Milford, North Warren, Park Ridge, Paterson Arts, Paterson Charter, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Saddle Brook, Waldwick, Wallington, Wallkill Valley
North 1, Group 2: Demarest, Dumont, Elmwood Park, Glen Rock, High Point, Jefferson, Lodi, Mahwah, Manchester Regional, Morris Tech, Newton, Parsippany, Parsippany Hills, Pascack Hills, Pascack Valley, Passaic Valley, Ramsey, Sussex Tech, Vernon, West Milford, Westwood
North 1, Group 3: Bergenfield, Cliffside Park, Dover, Dwight Morrow, Fort Lee, Garfield, Lakeland, Leonia, Montville, Morris Hills, Northern Highlands, Old Tappan, Paramus, Ramapo, Randolph, River Dell, Roxbury, Sparta, Teaneck, Tenafly, Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, West Essex
North 1, Group 4: Belleville, Bergen Tech, Bloomfield, Clifton, East Orange, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Livingston, Memorial, Montclair, Morris Knolls, Morristown, Mount Olive, North Bergen, Paterson Eastside, Paterson Kennedy, Passaic, Passaic Tech, Ridgewood, Union City, West Orange
North 2, Group 1: American History, Arts, Bard, Belvidere, Brearley, Cedar Grove, Dayton, Glen Ridge, Newark Tech, New Providence, North Arlington, Palisades Park, Ridgefield, Secaucus, University, University Charter, Verona, Warren Tech, Weehawken, West Caldwell Tech, Whippany Park, Wood-Ridge
North 2, Group 2: Becton, Bernards, Caldwell, Gov. Livingston, Hackettstown, Hanover Park, Harrison, Hillside, Hoboken, Lyndhurst, Madison, McNair, Ridgefield Park, Roselle, Rutherford, Science Park, Shabazz, Snyder, Technology, Voorhees, West Morris
North 2, Group 3: Carteret, Central, Chatham, Colonia, Cranford, Iselin Kennedy, Lincoln, Mendham, Millburn, North Hunterdon, North Plainfield, Nutley, Orange, Payne Tech, Rahway, Somerville, South Plainfield, Summit, Warren Hills, Weequahic, West Side
North 2, Group 4: Barringer, Bayonne, Bridgewater-Raritan, Columbia, Dickinson, Elizabeth, Ferris, Irvington, JP Stevens, Kearny, Linden, Newark East Side, Phillipsburg, Piscataway, Plainfield, Ridge, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Union, Watchung Hills, Westfield, Woodbridge
North, Non-Public A: Eastern Christian, Holy Angels, Immaculate Heart, Kent Place, Morris Catholic, Morristown-Beard, Mount St. Dominic, Mount St. Mary, Newark Academy, Oak Knoll, Paramus Catholic, Pingry, Pope John, St. Elizabeth
North, Non-Public B: DePaul, Gill St. Bernard’s, Golda Och, Hudson Catholic, Mary Help of Christians, Montclair Immaculate, Mother Seton, Roselle Catholic, St. Dominic, St. Mary (Ruth.), St. Vincent, Wardlaw-Hartridge
Central, Group 1: Academy for Urban Leadership Charter, Asbury Park, Bound Brook, Dunellen, Florence, Henry Hudson, Highland Park, Keansburg, Keyport, Manville, Middlesex, New Egypt, Perth Amboy Magnet, Piscataway Magnet, Point Pleasant Beach, Roselle Park, Shore, Somerset Tech, South Amboy, South Hunterdon, STEMCivics, Woodbridge Magnet
Central, Group 2: Allentown, Bordentown, Delaware Valley, Delran, East Brunswick Magnet, Holmdel, Jackson Liberty, Johnson, Manasquan, Metuchen, Monmouth, Ocean Township, Point Pleasant Boro, Raritan, Robbinsville, South River, Spotswood, Wall, Willingboro
Central, Group 3: Brick Memorial, Brick Township, Burlington Township, Colts Neck, Ewing, Freehold Borough, Hopewell Valley, Jackson Memorial, Lakewood, Lawrence, Matawan, Middletown North, Middletown South, Moorestown, Neptune, Northern Burlington, Pemberton, Red Bank Regional, Steinert, Westampton Tech
Central, Group 4: East Brunswick, Edison, Franklin, Freehold Township, Hightstown, Hillsborough, Hunterdon Central, Long Branch, Manalapan, Marlboro, Monroe, Montgomery, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Nottingham, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Princeton, Sayreville, South Brunswick, Trenton, West Windsor-Plainsboro North
South, Group 1: Audubon, Buena, Burlington City, Camden Prep, Cape May Tech, Clayton, Gateway, Glassboro, Haddon Township, KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy, LEAP Academy, Maple Shade, Palmyra, Paulsboro, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Pitman, Riverside, Salem, Schalick, Wildwood, Woodbury, Woodstown
South, Group 2: Barnegat, Camden, Camden Academy Charter, Camden Eastside, Cedar Creek, Cinnaminson, Collingswood, Gloucester, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Lindenwold, Lower Cape May, Manchester Township, Mastery Camden, Medford Tech, Middle Township, Oakcrest, Overbrook, Pennsauken Tech, Pleasantville, Sterling, West Deptford
South, Group 3: Absegami, Camden Tech, Cherry Hill West, Clearview, Cumberland, Delsea, Deptford, Hammonton, Highland, Lacey, Mainland, Ocean City, Pinelands, Seneca, Shawnee, Timber Creek, Toms River East, Toms River South, Triton, Winslow
South, Group 4: Atlantic City, Atlantic Tech, Bridgeton, Central Regional, Cherokee, Cherry Hill East, Eastern, Egg Harbor, Gloucester Tech, Howell, Kingsway, Lenape, Millville, Pennsauken, Rancocas Valley, Southern, Toms River North, Vineland, Washington Township, Williamstown
South, Non-Public A: Camden Catholic, Donovan Catholic, Immaculata, Notre Dame, Our Lady of Mercy, Paul VI, Red Bank Catholic, St. John Vianney, St. Rose, St. Thomas Aquinas, Trinity Hall, Union Catholic
South, Non-Public B: Bishop Eustace, Calvary Christian (Old Bridge), Doane Academy, Gloucester Catholic, Holy Cross Prep, Holy Spirit, Princeton Day, Ranney, Rutgers Prep, St. Joseph (Hamm.), Timothy Christian, Wildwood Catholic
Jake Aferiat can be reached at jaferiat@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @Jake_Aferiat.
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