The 18th Autism Awareness Challenge is all set to go this week, where once again, according to its website, its mission is “To teach the baseball world about Autism Awareness and to teach baseball to those who have Autism and special needs.”
At North Brunswick Community Park, 48 teams from around the state will partake in the four-day event. Games will be held from April 16-19.
Among the four dozen teams are six programs that have been ranked at least once in the NJ.com Top 20 this season: Gov. Livingston, Gloucester Catholic, Delbarton, Ramapo, Red Bank Catholic, and Westfield.
The reigning Ocean County and South Jersey Group 3 champs in Toms River East are also playing in the event for the first time.
The headline matchup will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. between two reigning state champions: Gov. Livingston and Gloucester Catholic. These programs began the 2026 season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in NJ.com’s Top 20, respectively.
Gov. Livingston is also coming off a 40-game winning streak, including back-to-back NJSIAA Group 2 state crowns. Gloucester Catholic has won the Non-Public B state tournament three seasons in a row.
Delbarton, ranked No. 1 in the most recent NJ.com Top 20, will play Randolph on Friday at 7 p.m.
Participating teams have been raising money this spring for Mike Garlatti’s Teamwork Unlimited Foundation, who is the long-time organizer of the event and a scout with the Colorado Rockies.
All money raised goes to various scholarships, as well as charities for youth athletes with special needs.
Anthony Solari, the Autism Awareness Challenge’s biggest celebrity, is set to throw out the first pitch ahead of the game between Holy Spirit and Ramapo on Saturday.
North Brunswick Community Park will also host the Autism Awareness Challenge for softball, which includes 28 teams across a three-day slate.
The full baseball schedule for this season’s event can be seen below.
Thursday, April 16
- Roselle Park vs. Bound Brook, 4
- South Amboy vs. Rahway, 4
- Scotch Plains-Fanwood vs. East Brunswick, 7
- Piscataway Magnet vs. East Brunswick Magnet, 7
Friday, April 17
- Middlesex vs. Voorhees, 4
- Union Catholic vs. Rutgers Prep, 4
- Spotswood vs. Somerville, 7
- Delbarton vs. Randolph, 7
Saturday, April 18
- Barnegat vs. J.P. Stevens, 10
- South Plainfield vs. Millburn, 10
- Steinert vs. Sparta, 1
- Ramapo vs. Holy Spirit, 1
- Jackson Township vs. Livingston, 4
- South River vs. Weehawken, 4
- Carteret vs. North Brunswick, 7
- Metuchen vs. South Brunswick, 7
Sunday, April 19
- Monroe vs. Red Bank Catholic, 10
- Toms River East vs. St. Joseph (Met.), 10
- Sayreville vs. Mainland, 1
- Gloucester Catholic vs. Gov. Livingston, 1
- Notre Dame vs. Gill St. Bernard’s, 4
- Columbia vs. Edison, 4
- Old Bridge vs. Westfield, 7
- Oratory vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, 7