On Thursday, Sept. 11, senior outfielder Joe LaRosa announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic career at The College of New Jersey. LaRosa is the first baseball player at SPFHS in the Class of 2026 to announce his commitment.
“I’m very excited,” LaRosa told The Fanscotian. “A little bit nervous, but overall, I’m very excited to have a new chapter in my life and be able to move on from high school.”
The College of New Jersey is a public institution, with their campus being located in Ewing, NJ. TCNJ is home to the Lions baseball team, competing at the NCAA Division III level in the highly competitive New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
In 2025, TCNJ baseball finished third in the NJAC with a 10-7-1 conference record. Overall, they held a record of 28-19-1, qualifying for a regional tournament appearance in the postseason. Their last NJAC tournament championship came in 2023, and they continue to be in the mix year in and year out during tournament time.
“We play in one of the top Division III conferences in the country, and have a great business program,” LaRosa said. “There’s a good combination of both a nice campus, and a good team. We have a new coach, and hopefully I can get some [playing] time as a freshman, which is my plan.”
A product of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood baseball league and the Out of the Park organization, LaRosa has been a consistently solid bat ever since starting travel baseball. As a high schooler, his career has been defined so far by two Union County Underclassman all star game appearances, two first team all county awards and a breakout sophomore season in which he batted .360 with 27 hits and two home runs.
LaRosa will be a player to fear this upcoming season, not just in the box, but in the outfield as well. While he is already committed to play in college, he knows his job is not yet finished at SPFHS.
“We’re excited to have guys back with experience, and even though it’s my last one, I’m really excited to win some more games in 2026,” LaRosa said. “It’s my last time playing with my friends, and I’m hoping to help make it a special season.”
