All Shore Media High School Sports 4-8-13 Issue - 7 - Volume V

April 8, 2013 Volume-V Issue-7

ASM Top 10 Rankings

Baseball DivisionalPreviews

Ratcheting up theRivalry

Southern Ram Tough

Boys LacrosseDivisional Previews

Girls LacrossePreview

BasketballAll-Star Review

Stumpys Corner

School Directions

The f irs t thing fans, players , coaches and parentswant to know after the big game is always,

Is this going to be on

All Shore Media has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories

and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

All Shore Media Web Site Features

n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.

n Catch up on the action you might have missed

n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.

n www.allshoremedia.com is the most visited sports site in the shore conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 4,100 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news

n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

Is this going to be on

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

2

S t e v e M e y e rD i r e c t o r / C E O / M a r k e t i n gs m e y e r @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

S c o t t S t u m pD i r e c t o r / M a n a g i n g E d i t o rs t u m p @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m

S e n i o r C o n t e n t P r o v i d e r sM a t t M a n l e y / / M m a n l e y 2 1 @ g m a i l . c o m

B o b B a d d e r s / / b a d d e r s @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m

A l l S h o r e M e d i ai s pub l i shed by :A l l S h o r e M ed i a , L L C26 Oxford Drive Wayside NJ, 07712

Copyright 2013 All Shore Media LLCAll rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part withoutthe permission of All Shore Media is prohibited

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

3

Table of Contents

ASM Divisional

Predictions................................................Page 5

Baseball

Divisional Previews..................Pages 7 thru 19

Ratcheting up the Rivalry .................Page 16

Rise of the Rams..............................Page 17

Boys Lacrosse

Divisional Previews...................Pages 21 thru 25

Girls Lacrosse

Preview...................................................Page 26

Stumpys Corner................................Page27

Basketball All-Star

Review....................................................Page 29

Ocean & Monmouth County

School Directions................................Page 30

BASEBALL

1. CBA

2. Red Bank Catholic

3. Jackson Memorial

4. Toms River North

5. Colts Neck

6. Manalapan

7. Toms River South

8. Jackson Liberty

9. Freehold

10.Brick Memorial

Teams to Watch:

Marlboro

St. John Vianney

Middletown South

St. Rose

SOFTBALL

1. St. John Vianney

2. Toms River East

3. Wall

4. Middletown South

5. Manasquan

6. Raritan

7. Central

8. Barnegat

9. Freehold Township

10. Howell

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

4

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONC o n t a c t : S t e v e n M e y e r 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

s m e y e r @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m

C l a ss A No r th 1 . C BA2 . C o l t s Ne ck3 . Mana l apan4 . Ma r l bo r o5 . M i dd l e t own Sou th6 . F r eeho l d Twp . 7 . M i dd l e t own No r th8 . Howe l l

C l a s s A C en t r a l 1 . Red Bank C a tho l i c2 . S t . J ohn V i anney3 . Manasquan4 . Monmouth5 . Ra r i t an6 . Rumson F a i r Ha ven7 . Sho re8 . Ho lmde l

C l a s s A Sou th 1 . J a ckson Memor i a l2 . T oms R i v e r No r th3 . T oms R i v e r Sou th4 . B r i c k Memor i a l5 . T oms R i v e r E as t6 . B r i c k7 . L a cey8 . Sou the r

C l a s s B No r th 1 . F r eeho l d2 . O cean3 . Wa l l4 . Red Bank Reg i ona l5 . Ma tawan6 . Nep tune7 . L ong B r an ch

C l a s s B C en t r a l 1 . S t . Rose2 . Po i n t Bea ch3 . Ma te r De i P r ep4 . Keypo r t5 . Keansbu rg6 . Hen ry Hudson7 . Ranney8 . Asbu ry Pa rk

C l a s s B Sou th 1 . J a ckson L i b e r t y2 . C en t r a l Reg i on l3 . P o i n t Bo r o4 . Mons i gno r Donovan5 . Manches te r6 . Ba rnega t7 . L akewood8 . P i ne l ands

BOYS LACROSSE

1. Rumson-Fair Haven2. Jackson Memorial3. Southern4. Holmdel5. CBA6. Colts Neck7. Freehold Township8. Manasquan9. Lacey10. Toms River East

GIRLS LACROSSE

1. Red Bank Catholic2. Rumson-Fair Haven3. Manasquan4. Shore Regional5. Red Bank Regional6. Ocean7. Colts Neck8. Freehold Township9. Central10.Toms River North

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

5

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

6

1. Jackson MemorialCoach: Frank Malta, 9th seasonRecord Last Year: 25-3 (8-2)

The Jaguars will attempt to put together another 25-win season without scoring eight-or-more runs everygame thanks to air-tight defense and reliable-but-not-dominant pitching. Brandon Holup put together one ofthe more remarkable runs by a Shore Conferencepitcher last year, tossing five straight shutouts on theway to earning All Shore Media Pitcher of the Yearhonors. Although they have a reputation as a high-scoring team, the Jaguars would not have won the ShoreConference title without Holups dominance on themound.

Then again, who says Jackson Memorial will not havedominant pitching again? While no one should hold hisbreath waiting for another five-game shutout streak, theJaguars will trot out an army of left-handers whologged a small sample of innings last year. SeniorsAnthony Rocco and Jake Harlinski were particularlyimpressive with Rocco logging 19 innings with a 1.09ERA and Harlinski striking out 18 and walking onlythree in 22 innings. Brian Delesky will follow those twoin the rotation that will look to keep its talented offensein the game by keeping a strong defense involved.Senior catcher and University of Virginia recruit MattThaiss is poised for another big year and seniorsSpencer Young and Ed Guippone are coming offexcellent junior years, so there is plenty left in the tankat Jackson Memorial if the Jaguars get another good performance from the pitching staff.

2. Toms River NorthCoach: Ted Schelmay, 20th seasonRecord Last Year: 17-9 (4-6)

On talent alone, Toms River North might be the bestteam in Class A South and right there with ChristianBrothers Academy and Red Bank Catholic for the besttop-to-bottom rosters in the Shore Conference. Likemany good teams, it all starts with the pitching forToms River North, which returns senior right-handersRon Marinaccio and Karl Blum at the top of therotation. Marinaccio is coming off a 5-0 season on themound despite missing the first three weeks of theseason with mononucleosis and Blum is a DukeUniversity recruit who tops out in the low-90-miles-per-hour range. Add in promising junior Steve Slagmolen,and the Mariners boast one of the best three-manrotations in the conference.

Marinaccio and Blum are also standout hitters for theMariners, while junior Julian Feliz, senior CoryCordasco and senior Mike Miraglia all figure to bemajor producers in the lineup. The talent is in place forToms River North to reclaim the Class A Northchampionship, but Jackson Memorial has had theMariners number in recent years. Before Toms RiverNorth is considered a favorite, it will have to get overthe hump against the very formidable Jaguars.

3. Toms River SouthCoach: Ken Frank, 35th seasonRecord Last Year: 22-6 (8-2)

The reactionary answer should be When is TomsRiver South ever just ordinary? It is, however, aquestion worth asking after scouring through theIndians roster. Junior outfielder Russell Messler, freshoff a season in which he hit over .500 with 18 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases is right there with MikeRescigno as the best right-handed bat in the ShoreConference. In order for Toms River South to thrivethough, Messler may have to be a standout on themound because the Indians enter the season thinner thanusual in the pitching department. While there have beenyears in which Toms River South has had to replace alot of players, it has always had a Division I arm to fallback on, at least in recent years. Casey Cranmer shouldbe solid at the top, but there are questions followinghim in the rotation.

The same can be said about the offense, which returnsonly Messler to the lineup. The natural tendency is toexpect that veteran skipper Ken Frank will cook up awinning formula with a standout hitter and pitcher, butin a tough Class A South, winning is never a guarantee,not even at Toms River South. If there is enough talenton hand, as there usually is, Toms River South shouldagain be in the hunt.

4. Brick MemorialCoach: Evan Rizzitello, 3rd seasonRecord Last Year: 15-10 (6-4)

There is no denying Brick Memorial returns twoquality pitchers from the second-best rotation in thedivision last year, but both Brian Cottrell (34 strikeoutsin 54 innings) and Corey Zytko (21 strikeouts in 35innings) relied a lot on weak contact rather thanswings-and-misses. That means the defense will have tobe sharp, not necessarily a given considering that BrickMemorial will need to replace its middle infield andcenter fielder from a year ago. Center field should notbe a problem with talented junior Kyle Cala shifting tothe middle of the outfield, but shortstop and secondbase will go to less experienced players.

Junior Tyler Hobbs will take over at shortstop afterhitting .286 in part-time duty. If his glove plays in themiddle of the diamond, Brick Memorial should be atough opponent again with the pitching it returns.Senior third baseman Michael Martone and seniorcatcher Ryan Melia will be leaders on the field afterstarting last year, while senior Kyle Skoog brings speedto the lineup (11 stolen bases) and great control (ninestrikeouts, no walks in 10 innings) to the mound. Theoffense was hot-and-cold last season, so if theMustangs can put a few more runs on the board, there ismore than enough pitching in place to make them acontender for the division title.

5. Toms River EastCoach: Bill Frank, 29th seasonRecord Last Year: 9-12 (3-7)

Toms River North is exceedingly talented and JacksonMemorial is on a tremendous run with a handful ofgreat players back, but if Jackson slips up just a littlebit and the Mariners get off to a slow start again, therewill be a chance for some team to step up. With almostits entire lineup back from a club that had its momentslast year, Toms River East could be that team. TheRaiders lose catcher Jordan Hoefling and starters DanFoley and Trevor Fitzsimmons, but return the rest of thelineup. East should boast a solid rotation that featuresthree position players at the top as the season opens.

Senior Brandon Bloodgood returns as a middle-of-the-order hitter and a top pitcher in the rotation, whilefellow senior Paul Schiffilitti will head-up the rotationand play first when Bloodgood is on the mound. SeniorChristian Danyo provides punch from the left side inthe middle of the order and junior Max Lasky will mancenter field alongside fellow returnees Dave Lewis andJerry Caporale. Sophomore Jon Meola son of formerU.S. soccer goalkeeper Tony Meola took over theshortstop job as a freshman and should be an anchor onthe infield for three more seasons. Inconsistency hasplagued Toms River East in recent years, but coach BillFrank who is 10 wins shy of 500 for his career has agood mix of youth and experience in a program that hasa chip on its shoulder. Even if Jackson Memorial andToms River North live up to the hype, this may be theyear Toms River East baseball returns to prominence inA South.

Matt Thaiss, C, Jackson Mem. - The worry aroundthe Shore is that Thaiss wont get pitched to this year, butthe same thing happened last year (23 walks). Plus, thatmeans Jacksons fastest bench player will be on base a lotas the courtesy runner.

Tyler Iannarone, 1B, Brick - An unsung player as asophomore on the Ocean County championship team in2011, Iannarone did not let up last year, hitting .375 witheight doubles.

Spencer Young, SS, Jackson Mem. - Anotherunsung player on a good team, Young has been a steadyplayer at third base as a sophomore, second base as ajunior and now will be the shortstop as a senior.Dan Higgins, SS, Southern - A dual threat who willalso be a top pitcher in the division, Higgins will have tocarry a big load for the young Rams to open some eyesthis season.

Christian Danyo, 3B, TRE - The Raiders mostpowerful hitter is a three-year starter who will see some timeat third and as the designated hitter.

Russell Messler, OF, TRS - How is this for a debutas a sophomore?: .505 average with nine doubles, sixtriples, three home runs and 12 stolen bases. In a longline of great TRS outfielders, Messler fits right in at thispoint in his career.

Kyle Cala, OF, Brick Mem. - Played a corner outfieldspot in his first two seasons and in his junior year, takes hisglove and a good bat to center field.

Ed Guippone, OF, Jackson Mem. - The latestJaguar to go from role player to standout, Guippone hit .424in his first year as a full-time starter with an on-basepercentage (.514) better than that of teammates Joe Ogren(.451) and Matt Thaiss (.485).Brandon Bloodgood, 1B, TRE - Solid on both themound and at the plate, Bloodgood may be the Raidersmost polished player.

Ron Marinaccio, RHP, TRN - Despite missing thefirst three weeks of the season because ofmononucleosis, Marinaccio posted a 5-0 record on themound and a .444 average at the plate in earningsecond-team All Shore honors.

Karl Blum, RHP, TRN - Headed to pitch at Duke nextseason, Blum is looking to have a big senior season to capoff a stellar four-year varsity career.

Brian Cottrell, RHP, Brick Mem. - The senior was agroundball machine in his first full season on the mound andwill look to continue his assault on the worms of OceanCounty this season.

Donovan Waller, LHP, Lacey - Tall left-hander hasbeen a solid pitcher over his last two seasons and with achance to mature physically, he should be even better.

Casey Cranmer, RHP, TRS - An underrated link in thepitching chain last season, Cranmer will be the man thisseason as the Indians try to reload around the senior right-hander and Messler.

Evan Lobato, RHP, Brick - An impressive 4-1 recordwith a 1.82 ERA was a great start to his career, and doing itagain this time in Class A South should provide a healthychallenge for the talented right-hander.

Positionplayers to watch

pitchers to watch

By Matt Manley Staff WriterTeams listed by predicted order of finish

Jackson Memorial's Matt Thaiss

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

7

FOR EXTENDED TEAM PREVIEWS & INFO GO TO WWW.ALLSHOREMEDIA.COM

A south Continued on page 9

1. CBACoach: Marty Kenney, 39th Season

Record Last Year: 17-9 (7-5)

The current senior class at CBA entered the program in2010 with a tough act to follow after the 2009 team wonthe NJSIAA Non-Public A title by riding the right arm ofcurrent Boston Red Sox farmhand Pat Light.Individually, Joe Dudek, Chris Cordova, AnthonyCritelli, Matt Pidich and John McCarren have had plentyof success and CBA has been a competitive team in ClassA North. Considering the Division I pedigree of the core,however, the expectation for this group - like any groupat CBA - is championships.

The debate for preseason No. 1 is a potentially livelyone when one considers the talent on CBA and Red BankCatholic, but what should separate CBA from the rest ofthe conference is the depth of power arms, led by Pidichand McCarren. The Colts have plenty of pop in thelineup as well, but the pitching staff is the strength of theteam heading into the season. The division is loaded withtalent, so CBA is not going to go unscathed through ANorth, but the Colts should have enough in all facets ofthe game to hold off the rest of the field.

2. Colts Neck Coach: Mike Yorke, 13th season


The Cougars boasted an underrated staff by thenumbers last season, but this year's rotation will have tobe even better against the most imposing division in theShore Conference for pitchers. Casey Wall was solid inhis 25 1/3 innings last season with a 2.76 ERA and 23strikeouts and the right-hander will take on more inningsthis season. Six-foot-6 right-hander Mike Pepio also saw18 innings last season and showed an ability to miss batswith 16 strikeouts. Sophomore left-hander Chris Murphywill also get a chance to give Colts Neck significantinnings.

Colts Neck will also have to fill in for senior centerfielder and Lafayette football recruit Tim Vangelas - whoelected not to play baseball this season - but with threeDivision I players headlining the lineup in catcher MattKleinstein (West Virginia), outfielder Lucien Della Fera(Maine) and shortstop Jon Baturgil (LIU-Brooklyn),Colts Neck has plenty of firepower to overcome itsquestion marks.

3. ManalapanCoach: Brian Boyce, 8th season


The Braves appeared headed for an uneventful finish toan uneventful season prior to the NJSIAA Group IVTournament, but the bats woke up at the perfect time enroute to a second straight Group IV championship. Thefeat was all the more impressive because the Bravesreturned only two players from the starting lineup and nostarting pitchers from the 2011 championship team. Withthat in mind, the program appears poised to make anotherrun at a championship despite some key losses in keypositions. Manalapan loses its No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 hittersfrom its playoff lineup, which includes shortstop BrianLamboy, ace Joe Serrapica, center fielder Ryan Ranieriand top power hitter Vito Gadaleta.

On the plus side, the Braves return two quality, provenright-handers in Matt Simonetti and Dennis Girolamo tothe rotation and also bring back a top-notch defensivecatcher and top-of-the-order hitter in Mike Knauf. Throwin third baseman Billy Moed's power from the left sideand experienced returnees Matt Parke, Greg Yip andChris Tipaldo, and Manalapan has the makings of teamthat can make another run at a state championship.

4. Marlboro Coach: James Ferraro, 5th season


Colts Neck has the names, Manalapan has the historyand CBA has both, but Marlboro quietly finished insecond place in Class A North last season and has thekind of roster that could make the Mustangs a darkhorseto win the division this year. Marlboro has plenty ofpitching, starting with left-hander Adam Ashenfarb, whoposted a 1.09 ERA as a junior last year, and continuingwith another lefty in Evan Hilla, who pitched to a 2.42ERA last year.

The Mustangs should also catch the ball thanks to astrong defense, led by speedy, rangy shortstop AnthonyAsta. Asta will also ignite the offense at the top of theorder and if the Mustangs can maximize their run-scoringopportunities on offense, they could be a dangerous teamin a postseason tournament.

5. Middletown SouthCoach: Ryan Spillane, 5th season


Middletown South lost a frontline starting pitcher tograduation prior to last season and came back with itsfirst division championship since 1999. The challengewill be similar this season, although there is not aDivision I left-hander in place like Howie Brey was lastyear. Still, Perry Kulaga returns after sporting a ShoreConference-best 0.21 ERA in 33 2/3 innings last seasonand will see even more innings this season as the team'sace. Pitching should be an overall strength, not onlybecause of Kulaga, but because of returning right-handers Mike Grossi and Piero Vescio, as well as 6-foot-4 left-hander Mike Diorio.

Grossi also anchors a lineup with some potential to putplenty of runs on the board, with Kulaga, senior catcherNick McGann, senior second baseman Frank Servidioand junior shortstop Kyle Brey all figuring to playprominent roles in the offense. Middletown South doesnot have the proven, All-Shore level talent that CBA orColts Neck boast, but the Eagles should be right there forthe division race, just as they have been for the last threeseasons.

Matt Kleinstein, C, Colts Neck -West Virginiarecruit is one of the best power bats in the conferencewhile also sporting one of the best arms behind the plate.Joe Dudek, 1B, CBA - An elite bat from the left side,Dudek has learned to handle being pitched around andhow to deal with a variety of different looks from pitchers.If anyone pitches to him, a big year is a certainty.Anthony Asta, SS, Marlboro - The range atshortstop is as good as there is in the Shore Conferenceand with more reps come fewer mistakes. Asta should beone of the top gloves at any position to go with a goodleadoff bat.Jon Baturgil, SS, Colts Neck - An unsung heroof Colts Neck, Baturgil anchors the infield defense whileKleinstein and Della Fera get most of the focus for theiroffense

Billy Moed, 3B, Manalapan - Really came on atthe end of last season and will now be the focal point of aBraves lineup that will try to make more postseason noise.Chris Cordova, OF, CBA - A four-year starter,Cordova has shown significant improvement every year.Last year will be hard to top after he hit .426.Lucien Della Fera, OF, Colts Neck - A third-teamAll Shore selection as a junior, Della Fera is a goodathlete with a quick bat. Will hit somewhere near the top ofone of the Shore's most potent lineups.Austin Borrero, OF, Middletown North - Afour-year starter, Borrero is looking to have his bestseasons as the Lions look to bounce back from adisappointing 2012 season.Anthony Critelli, SS/UTIL, CBA - Class A North isdeep at shortstop and the Holy Cross recruit could be thebest of the bunch.

Matt Pidich, RHP, CBA - The hard-throwingright-hander started to show his ceiling last seasonafter entering the program as a freshman with highexpectations.John McCarren, RHP, CBA - McCarren wasvery good in 35 innings last year and if that numbergets into the 55-60 range, it means the Colts had abig year.Chris Stark, RHP, Middletown North -With a live fastball and a quality curveball, Starkhas the ability to give good lineups fits. He will haveto carry the Lions staff.Adam Ashenfarb, LHP, Marlboro - One ofthe more underappreciated pitchers in the area,Ashenfarb has been a reliable option over the pasttwo seasons and will now step into the role of ace.Perry Kulaga, RHP, Middletown South -Kulaga could have an ERA eight times the 0.21 ERAhe had last year and still be an All-Shore pitcher ifhe gives his team innings.Steve Ginter, RHP, Freehold Township -His season went overlooked because of his team'srecord and the performance of Ryan MacFarlane,but 42 strikeouts in 38 innings is a great foundationupon which to build.



CBA's Joe Dudek


pitchers to watch

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

8

6. BrickCoach: Jason Groschel, 8th seasonRecord Last Year: 9-15 (6-4)

When last we saw the Green Dragons in Class A South, they were a junior-loadedteam that was just starting one of its best two-year stretches in the recent history ofthe program. Brick had a lot of reloading to do and although the 9-15 record is notstriking, the Green Dragons played a very tough schedule for a team of mostly newstarters. Losing an all-division catcher (Brian Mayer) and two top pitchers (BrandonKieslor and Dan Mnich) will not be easy to overcome for this years team, but theDragons have more in place this year than they did a year ago.

Senior first baseman Tyler Iannarone has quietly put together two very goodvarsity seasons and will lead the offense. Senior Brian Henry will be the regularshortstop while junior Evan Lobato will headline the rotation and play shortstopwhen Henry pitches. Senior outfielders Brad Applegate and John Fuino, as well asjunior third baseman Nick Zbranak, all had successful 2012 seasons at the plate aswell. With a little bit of everything back at Brick, it is safe to add the Green Dragonsto the list of teams that can compete for a top spot in Class A South.

7. LaceyCoach: Corey Hamman, 5th seasonRecord Last Year: 5-16 (3-7)

Literally speaking, of course Lions can handle the jungle. But while Lacey may bethe Lions, Class A South is a different kind of jungle, one that will pose a challengeto a young team looking to establish a winning foundation. Lacey returns only threesenior starters and six overall from last year, so it will be up to that group to guidethe group of young incoming players.

Senior hurlers Donovan Waller and James Angellella will anchor the rotation,while Austin Peck, Ken Ferrante and Andrew Capatasto move into starting roles.Lacey has two impact juniors back this season, headlined by third-year startingcenter fielder Evan Reitmeyer. Classmate Connor Rooney will play at shortstop andalso give Lacey some innings on the mound after seeing some time last year. Walleris one of the top pitchers in the division and should give Lacey a chance to win ondays he pitches, but the challenge will be matching the depth of the top teams inClass A South.

8. SouthernCoach: Tom Natoli, 4th seasonRecord Last Year: 9-13 (1-9)

Although Southern struggled in Class A South competition, the Rams went 8-4outside the division and were generally competitive against other A South teams.While no one is seeking moral victories, Southerns players should feel confidentthat they were right there with most of the teams on their schedule, even if most ofthose games went the wrong way for them.

The problem for Southern is many of the players that hung tough in A South lastyear are gone. Jack Bush was an All-Shore outfielder while Joe Fiorello, NickMorrison and John Hasney were all productive hitters last year and replacing theiroffense is a tall order. Senior shortstop and No. 1 pitcher Dan Higgins is a potentialall-division player and will form a formidable battery with third-year startingcatcher Mark Heslin, who socked seven doubles last season. Those two are the onlyreturning everyday players for the Rams, but Southern should get a lift from seniorthird baseman Anthony Speziale, who missed last season due to injury. If thoseseniors have big years and Southern can start to develop its next core of talentedplayers, then the Rams will have a competitive season.

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

96. Freehold TownshipCoach: Todd Smith, 4th season


The Patriots scuffled through the Class A North season only to flip the switch in theMonmouth County Tournament on the way to a second county title in four years. The ClassA North regular season has given Freehold Township problems over the past several years,but the Patriots have played well when challenged outside the division and duringtournament season.

Freehold Township loses a number of key pieces from last year's team, most notably aceand shortstop Ryan MacFarlane and center fielder Nick Cardamone, but senior right-handerSteve Ginter is primed for a big season in the mold of what MacFarlane did last season.Ginter posted a 1.64 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings as a junior and along withsenior Kevin Checkett and junior Chris Talbott, will form a solid trio at the top of the staff.Talbott and classmates Mike Alexander (shortstop) and Nick Cardace (first baseman) arethree impact juniors primed for breakout seasons and if they all come through, addFreehold Township to the list of teams that are good enough to win the division.

7. Middletown NorthCoach: Michael Dooley, 2nd season


The Lions had high hopes heading into last season in what turned out to be a verycompetitive Class A North, but things fell apart and they were not a factor in the divisionrace. One bright spot of last year was a healthy, productive season by right-hander ChrisStark, who returns for his senior season after committing to the University of Maine.

Stark is also a productive bat for Middletown North's batting order and if the Lions areto surprise some teams in the division, they will need to catch the ball behind Stark and thepitching staff while finding some offense. One possible source for offense is senioroutfielder Austin Borrero, a four-year starter who has flashed signs of big things to comeover the course of his three years. If Borrero puts it together and Stark makes all of hisstarts, Middletown North could very well redeem itself for a disappointing 2012.

8. HowellCoach: Eric Johnson, 4th season


Howell has too good of a team to be classified as a last-place club, but that's the life of ayoung team in Class A North. This year's team will return only two senior starters and onlyone of those - outfielder Jordan Reizer - is a position player. Reizer is looking to have abounce-back season, having hit under .200 last year after hitting above .300 as asophomore. Senior Joe Purcaro will lead the pitching staff after breaking into the rotationlast year and will likely be the only senior to throw meaningful innings this season for theRebels.

Howell's potential lies in its up-and-coming juniors and sophomores, led by juniorshortstop Ryan Wares and junior catcher Cody Hubbs. A young team coming off of a 4-14season does not appear to be a threat to win a loaded Class A North division, but Howellhas shown an ability to compete over the years. If the newcomers learn quickly, the Rebelswill find a way to be competitive.

A south Continued from page 7A north Continued from page 8

1. Red Bank CatholicCoach: Buddy Hausmann, 6th seasonRecord Last Year: 18-7 (11-1)

Red Bank Catholic appeared primed for a secondconsecutive Shore Conference championship headinginto the 2012 season and after a torrid start to theseason, the Caseys faded down the stretch. As the No. 2seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, they lost toNo. 15 Toms River North in the round of 16. They thentook a 9-1 loss at home to St. Augustine in the NJSIAASouth Jersey, Non-Public A quarterfinals. The seasonended with a loss to No. 13 seed Freehold Township asthe No. 1 seed in the Monmouth County Tournamentfinal.

On the bright side, the Caseys return their entireinfield from last year's high-scoring offense, an infieldthat includes University of Maryland recruit and toppitcher Mike Rescigno. Rescigno will play third when heis not on the mound and juniors Al Molina (shortstop)and Brendan Madigan (second base) form one of themore formidable double-play combos in the ShoreConference. The key for the Caseys will be the rotationbehind Rescigno and the defense behind all the pitchers,both of which were issues down the stretch of lastseason. In light of last year's struggles, the Caseysshould be a team that storms out of the gate with thehopes of sustaining it through the end of the season.

2. St. John VianneyCoach: Mike Morgan, 7th seasonRecord Last Year: 13-8 (9-3)

Last year's Class A Central race was about as tight as adivision race can be and the Lancers emerged as thedivision champions for a second straight year. Their 8-4record was one game ahead of second-place Holmdel andjust four games ahead of last-place Red Bank andMatawan - both of which are in Class B North thisseason. Winning a third straight division championshipwill be a tall order with Red Bank Catholic joining thedivision, but there is no doubt the St. John Vianneyplayers will be geared up to play the Caseys twice ayear.

The Lancers have a stellar junior core and middle ofthe lineup, led by catcher Anthony Santoro, cornerinfielder Joe Rotelli, and infielders Evan Pietronico,Chris Morris and Pat Devenney. There is also plenty ofsenior leadership on the roster as well, most notablyoutfielders Andrew Lewnes and Steve Callari, and right-hander Dan LaMorte. It's hard to call the defendingdivision champs a "sleeper" in the division, but withsome high-level talent in the middle of the order and

promising pitching, St. John Vianney could be a sleeperto go deep into the postseason.

3. ManasquanCoach: Dennis Van Pelt, 4th seasonRecord Last Year: 10-15 (5-5)

While Red Bank Catholic will be looking to better itsperformance later in the season, Manasquan will hope toget off to a better start this year after establishing areputation as a late-season sleeper under fourth-yearcoach Dennis Van Pelt. Starting the season strong shouldbe a more manageable endeavor for the Warriors withthree pitchers returning to the rotation. Jimmy Walsh,Tommy Toole and Justin Morgan all improved over thecourse of the season on the mound and with juniorsTucker Caccavale, Austin Saito and Luke Tausek joiningthe staff, the pitching at Manasquan should be improved.

On the offensive side, Manasquan has been aformidable team during Van Pelt's tenure and that shouldnot change this season. Walsh, Toole, Morgan, and juniorJack Fay are all coming off strong offensive seasons andoutfielder Ty Hawkins - son of Point Beach coach TyHawkins - enters as part of a strong sophomore class thatwill begin to contribute this season. Manasquan isprobably a tick ahead of the other A Central public-school teams in talent, but the Warriors still have toprove they can put it all together from start to finish. Ifthey can do that, Manasquan can be a surprise team inthe Shore Conference.

4. MonmouthCoach: Ted Jarmusz, 30th seasonRecord Last Year: 17-10 (5-7)

For the last several years, Monmouth has been a teambuilt for the postseason, which is exactly the way coachTed Jarmusz wants his Falcons to be. Cahill was a bigpart of that success as a four-year, Division-I-caliberplayer, but so were graduates Brandon Pollina, BrianBlaney and Joe Panchak. The latter three all emergedthrough the lower levels of the program over the yearsand the Falcons will need more players like that to stepup and add to a solid group of returning players.

Senior right-hander Tom Broyles leads that group asthe team's No. 1 pitcher and most potent bat afterearning a third-team All-Shore spot last year. TheFalcons also return catcher Rich Burner, which should bea major plus for the defense and pitching staff. Withmore contributions from returning senior outfielders JeffFarrah and Zach Defino, the Falcons have the makingsof a club that could tread water for a month and catchfire late, just as they have done in their recent history.

5. RaritanCoach: Jeff Struble, 1st seasonRecord Last Year: 15-10 (6-6)

The Rockets hovered around the .500 mark in Class ACentral for most of the 2013 season before the NJSIAACentral Jersey Group II playoffs opened up and Raritanmade its move. Raritan won a wild CJ II bracket andbefore the Rockets lost to Buena in the Group IIsemifinals. Raritan loses three major pieces from thatteam - senior outfielders Mike Langan and JakeVanderveer and senior ace Dan Gutch - but the Rocketsreturn a good number of key pieces from a championshipteam.

Raritan will be strong up the middle with shortstopNick Pasquenza, second baseman Dom Guida andcatcher C.J. Pulcine, all of whom were starters on lastyear's team. Right-hander Rob Ronan has two years ofvarsity experience under his belt and will be the rock ofthe pitching staff that will need to be sharp in a Class ACentral division that features a lot of offense. If theRockets can churn out some strike-throwers, the defensewill catch the ball and Raritan will be in most of itsgames with a chance to win a lot of them.

Anthony Santoro, Catcher/UTIL, SJV - RutgersUniversity commit can play a number of positions on thefield, but he will undoubtedly be in the middle of theLancers order.

Ron Robinson, 1B, RBC - Not a bad varsity debutfor Robinson last year: .392 average, three bombs and 28RBI while hitting fifth for arguably the Shore's topoffensive team.

Tommy Toole, SS, Manasquan - Hit close to .400as a sophomore while going 6-1 on the mound andplaying all over the field. This year, he moves to shortstopfull time.

Al Molina, SS, RBC - Maybe the best junior in theShore Conference, Molina struggled a little out of the gateand then caught fire, finishing over .400 with four homersand eight doubles.

Mike Rescigno, 3B, RBC - One of the preseasonfavorites for Shore Conference Player of the year, theUniversity of Maryland recruit hit .423 even with a lot ofopposing pitchers pitching around him.

Matt Cosentino, OF, Shore - Cosentino has beenan all-division performer in each of his first two highschool seasons and he and a solid group of returneesshould help Shore get back into the mix in Class ACentral.

Joe Iacobellis, OF, RBC - One of four returningRBC players who hit .400 last year, Iacobellis also addednine steals while playing good defense in left field.

Andrew Lewnes, OF, SJV - The Lancers are set fora good couple of years with a good group of juniors, butLewnes heads up a solid senior class that should makeSJV a threat in A Central and the Shore Conference.

Joe Sadler, UTIL, Holmdel - Like Santoro, Sadlercan play behind the plate in addition to several otherpositions and at the plate, the junior has done nothing butrake since his freshman season in 2011.

Mike Rescigno, RHP, RBC - The best right-handed hitter in the Shore might also be the bestright-handed pitcher on the heels of a 49-strikeoutseason in only 26 1/3 innings.

Tom Broyles, RHP, Monmouth - Anothertwo-way threat, Broyles posted a 1.14 ERA on themound and hit .338 in the middle of the Falconsorder.

Dan LaMorte, RHP, SJV - The senior right-hander spun a no-hitter to highlight a breakoutjunior season, and it came against a good offensiveteam in Rumson-Fair Haven.

Rob Ronan, RHP, Raritan - A seasoned vetafter logging key innings as a sophomore, Ronanwill look to be the horse as the Rockets look torepeat in Central Jersey Group II.

Jimmy Walsh, RHP, Manasquan - Walshlost his first six decisions of the season whileactually pitching fairly well. Now, the 6-foot-6basketball standout will look to flip his 2-7 recordaround this year.



RBC's Mike Rescigno

A Central Continued on page 13


pitchers to watch

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

10

2012 DRAFT PICKSPlayer Team Round

Pat Light (CBA) Boston Red Sox 1Keon Barnum Chicago White Sox 1Andrew Velazquez Arizona Diamondbacks 7Nelson Rodriguez Cleveland Indians 15Ryan Harvey (Manalapan) Texas Rangers 18Rhett Wiseman Chicago Cubs 25Chris Shaw NY Mets 26Austin Barr NY Mets 29Richard Palase Seattle Mariners 32Tommy Burns Milwaulke Brewers 34Nolan Long San Francisco Giants 38

2011 DRAFT PICKSNick Ahmed Atlanta Braves 2Scott McGough LA Dodgers 5Tom LaStella Atlanta Braves 8David Palladino LA Dodgers 13Jeffrey Diehl NY Mets 23Keith Bilodeau SF Giants 24Kenneth Ferrer Washington Nationals 28Mike Papi Aneheim Angels 30John Brebbia NY Yankees 30Mike Dennhardt Cincinnati Reds 32Javier Reynoso Chicago White Sox 39Jordan Gross Boston Red Sox 40

2010 DRAFT PICKSPlayer Team RoundTyler Vail Oakland A's 5Sean Nolin Toronto Blue Jays 6Robert Aviles Cleveland Indians 7JC Menna Oakland A's 14Kenneth Ferrer Cleveland Indians 35

2009 DRAFT PICKSSean Nolin Seattle Mariners 48Chris Zagyi Chicago White Sox 42Fabian Roman KC Royals 36Camden Maron NY Mets 34Pat Light Minnesota Twins 28Joe Talerico NY Yankees 21Mitch Clarke Cincinnati Reds 19Steven Matz NY Mets 1

2008 DRAFT PICKSSean Nolin Milwaulke Brewers 50Scott McGough Pittsburgh Pirates 46Richard O'Donald Seattle Mariners 47Keith Landers Baltimore Orioles 18Mike Dennhardt Seattle Mariners 17

2007 DRAFT PICKSSean Giblin Pittsburgh Pirates 10JC Menna Pittsburgh Pirates 39Kyle Slate Philadelphia Phillies 37

BU CLASS OF 2013 SCHOLARSHIPSJustin Dunn Boston CollegeJohn McCarren Wake ForestChris Gaetano Monmouth UJoey Benitez Old DominionRyan Tufts Virginia TechAJ Bogucki U of North CarolinaRyan Testani Seton HallMatt Ruppenthal VanderbiltKarl Ellison VanderbiltGrant Lamberton Monmouth UPaul Tupper PrincetonAlex Woinski LafayetteCameron Stone Stony BrookTyler Kirkpatrick MaristNeil Kozikowski Virginia CommonwealthMatthew Osieja QuinnipiacJonathan Gonzalez Delaware StBrady Cotler Washington CollegeBrian Wikoff US Naval AcademySimon Mathews TempleJohnny Adams Boston CollegeShane Cooper IowaRyan Bailey Monmouth UCasey McCone BridgeportPavin Smith VirginiaMitchell Cavanagh St John'sDylan Manwaring Wake ForestMatthew Vogel South CarolinaEli Kashi George WashingtonKyle Simmons Furman Kwestin Smith Delaware StBen Monte Stonehill CollegeRyan Reuther Trinity CollegePhil Maldari EmoryKellen Croce MaineMikael Mogues Seton HallJonathan Tenaglia Franklin PierceMarc Canzanella Western New EnglandGreg Salamone Franklin PierceAdam Thayer BridgeportKeith Klebart Sacred HeartChris Vincent Franklin and Marshall

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

1 1

1. Jackson LibertyCoach: Jim Rankin, 6th seasonRecord Last Year: 19-8 (6-4)

The Lions have a 2010 Class B South championship,which was the last year they were in Class B South, butare still looking to win a postseason tournament duringthis now-four-year run. Jackson Liberty came within anout of upsetting Jackson Memorial in the ShoreConference Tournament semifinals in 2010 and wasshutout, 1-0, by Middletown South in the 2011 CentralJersey Group III semifinals.

This year's team has the pitching depth and talent atkey positions to contend for a championship aftercoming up short in each of the last three years. SeniorTyler Pallante and junior James Sofield return to therotation with stellar track records and junior right-hander Dan Serreino will join the rotation to give the

Lions two very good junior starters. Senior BrendanBenecke is one of the top catchers in the ShoreConference and headed to Wagner College next season,while shortstop Angel Garced is a standout at the plateand in the field. With two more starters returning inJordan Mundell and Dan Naif, Jackson Liberty has astrong foundation as it tries to add a championship to itsrecent string of winning seasons.

2. Central RegionalCoach: John Scran, 6th seasonRecord Last Year: 9-12 (5-5)

The Lions are ahead of the game when it comes to thedivision race based on the experience they return from awinning team, but with a lot of seniors back from lastyear, Central has a hungry, veteran team that willwelcome the challenge over overtaking Jackson Liberty.Outfielder Tom Clark and first baseman Troy Sigristwere all-division picks by the coaches last season andsecond baseman Mike Puglisi hit .333 with 16 runsscored. Senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher EddieCorrigan also returns, giving the Eagles four solidseniors around which to build.

Central's big gun is junior Andrew DiPiazza, a 6-foot-6 hurler who has already committed to Boston College.DiPiazza only threw 17 innings as a sophomore lastseason, but struck out 21 batters in those 17 innings.With a future ACC pitcher on the mound and a stronggroup of seniors in place at Central, don't give JacksonLiberty the division just yet.

3. Point BoroCoach: Dave Drew, 3rd seasonRecord Last Year: 11-14 (4-6)

Point Boro will obviously have to get solid pitchingin order to compete with the top teams in Class B South,but if any team in the division can overcome somequestions in the pitching staff, it is the Panthers. DevenDelPriore is two years removed from a season in whichhe hit .500 as a sophomore and the senior can playeither shortstop or catcher, which is his natural position.Point Boro also has slugger Ryan Prout back after aseason in which the catcher/first baseman hit .453 with

Brendan Benecke, C, Jackson Liberty -Wagner recruit is quietly one of thetop catchers in the Shore, although he sometimes gets overlooked with Matt Thaissplaying in the same town.Troy Sigrist, 1B, Central - Flirted with a .400 average and knocked in 20 runslast season. Sigrist will anchor the middle of an experienced lineup. Nick Panissidi, SS, Monsignor Donovan -Although the Griffins struggled toscore runs at times, Panissidi had little trouble driving them in, which he did 29 times. Angel Garced, SS, Jackson Liberty -A four-year starter on the infield, Garcedis one of the smoothest-fielding shortstops around. Deven DelPriore, SS, Point Boro - Two years removed from a .500 season atthe plate, DelPriore is looking to have a rebound senior season with the bat.Tom Clark, OF, Central - The senior will set the table for Sigrist after hitting .373with eight doubles and eight stolen bases last year. Dan McGeehan, OF, Monsignor Donovan -Center fielder will set the table forPanissidi as the Griffins look to get the offense going.Jordan Mundell, OF/INF, Jackson Liberty - The swiss-army knife of theJaguars roster, Mundell will play mostly in the outfield and at second base, but can alsofill in at third as well.Ryan Prout, 1B/C, Point Boro - Prout ranked in the top 10 in the ShoreConference in average (.453), hits (34), doubles (13) and RBI (25) last season.

Tyler Pallante, RHP, Jackson Liberty - The 6-foot-4 right-hander has made animpact on the mound and at the plate for all four of his high school seasons and should be infor his best season to finish things off.James Sofield, RHP, Jackson Liberty - Rarely do 6-foot-5 pitchers spend their offdays at second base, but Sofield has the athleticism to thrive on the mound and turning thedouble-play.Rich Power, LHP, Monsignor Donovan - An all-division selection by the coacheslast season, Power will lead an experienced, left-handed-heavy Griffins rotation. Andrew DiPiazza, RHP, Central - The 6-foot-5 junior threw only 17 innings last year,but he struck out 21 and is now rested and ready to fire away for his junior season.Ed White, RHP, Manchester - Stepped up as a third pitcher for the Hawks last yearand now he is the man on the mound for a Manchester squad looking to win a third straightdivision title.


Jackson Liberty's Tyler Pallante


pitchers to watch

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

12


A CENTRAL Continued from page 10B SOUTH Continued from page 12

13 doubles and 25 RBI on his way to a third-team All-Shore selection.

To build on last year's first-round upset of Middlesexin the Central Jersey Group II playoffs, the Panthers willneed to replace ace John Dunbar and construct apitching staff that keeps its defense involved and keepsits offense in the game. Seniors Ryan Lees, KurtVanBenschoten and Ryan Thrunk will all throwsignificant innings and freshmen Frank Graziano, TimRossi and Mike Falconetti figure to contribute rightaway. There are some major question marks in thePanthers rotation, but every team outside of JacksonLiberty and Central has some obvious questions headinginto the season. The big bats of DelPriore and Proutshould win some games for Point Boro.

4. Monsignor DonovanCoach: Paul Murray, 10th seasonRecord Last Year: 10-13 (4-6)

Senior shortstop Nick Panissidi drove in 29 runs lastyear and that was a large portion of MonsignorDonovan's run production during a season in which theteam's run-scoring was hot-and-cold. On the positiveside, Monsignor Donovan returns its entire pitchingstaff, led by left-handers Rich Power and AdamHolowienka, along with Panissidi.

Those three arms can carry Monsignor Donovan along way in the division on their own and an improvedoffense could make the Griffins even more dangerous.Senior outfielders Dan McGeehan, Tyler Fitzgerald andJames Meyreles all figure to contribute in the lineup,and sophomores Matt Drake and Steve Lazicki arelooking to make an immediate impact on the infield. IfPanissidi can turn in another good season at the plate,with the pitching that is in place, Monsignor Donovancan challenge Jackson Liberty and Central.

5. ManchesterCoach: John Musolf, 16th seasonRecord Last Year: 13-8 (8-2)

Manchester shared the Class B South title with Brickin 2011 and won it outright last year with its Class of2012 playing a large role in each championship season.Replacing that class is going to be difficult and doing itin a division that returns a lot of talent across the boardwill make it even tougher, but there are severalholdovers who can keep the Hawks in the race.

Seniors Jeremy Carney and Ed White return to thestarting lineup after strong junior seasons and Carneyhas been a major contributor in each of the last twoseasons. Junior Devon Tomei emerged as a solidbottom-of-the-order threat and is a strong candidate tomove into the top of the order and thrive if he can buildupon last year's success. White, Tomei and ShawnWernock will have to head a pitching staff that willdearly miss graduated standouts Tim Rogers and MattZingaro, the former of which was one of the moredominant pitchers in the Shore Conference over the pasttwo seasons. There are a lot of holes to fill, but oftentimes the class waiting behind a standout class is betterthan expected, and that's what the Hawks are hoping.

6. BarnegatCoach: Dan McCoy, 2nd seasonRecord Last Year: 12-11 (7-3)

As far as returning players go, Barnegat is in prettygood shape. The Bengals bring back six position playersfrom last year's team, which finished second in Class BSouth and got the program heading in the rightdirection. Unfortunately for them, the player most

responsible for the turnaround - Wake Forest left-handerMark McCoy - is no longer around. Not only wasMcCoy a dominant pitcher who took on some of theShore Conference's top lineups and opposing pitchers,but he was also one of the most productive hitters in theconference as well. Losing that kind of impact player isalways a challenge, especially for a program that had abreakout season behind the performance of said player.

On the other side of the coin, it helps to be ablereplace that production with a lot of different playerscontributing. Senior Rob DeSanti was a quality pitcherfor Barnegat last year and provides experience on theinfield as well. Classmate Justin Chasmar returns atshortstop and sophomore Nick Fraim showed promisebehind the plate as a freshman. It will take a total teameffort, but coming together as a team is an importantstep in the process of developing a winner and theBengals have enough experience to do that and surprisethe rest of the division.

7. LakewoodCoach: Gene Drumright, 9th seasonRecord Last Year: 4-14 (1-9)

The Piners are in almost the exact position asBarnegat, except they did not come within a game ofwinning a division title last year. Lakewood rode the all-around ability of Brenden Downey last year afterDowney served as the team's best pitcher, hitter andcatcher. He was the only major senior contributor on theteam, but few players did more to carry their teams thanDowney did.

Lakewood will also try to replace Downey with itsdeep roster of returning talent, which includes juniorDavid Patterson and senior Mike Villalba. Pattersonshowed promise during his sophomore season and couldbe a surprise standout in the division this season, whileVillalba is a four-year varsity player who will handle thefull-time catching duties after doing so only on dayswhen Downey pitched last season. Kristian Tate andAlex Martinez also provide Lakewood with some seniorleadership, while Jason Jerez, Carlos Torres and AlexCatalan join Patterson in heading up a strong juniorclass. The hole Downey left is a big one, but Lakewoodhas a nice collection of young talent that could be toughto handle if the players come together.

8. PinelandsCoach: Robert Sanzari, 1st seasonRecord Last Year: 3-16 (1-9)

The Wildcats were frequently hard-luck losers inClass B South last season and they hope to reverse theirfortunes this season under new head coach Rob Sanzari.Pinelands began to move some new players into startingpositions last year and the result was a fair amount ofgrowing pains. The payoff - if all goes according to plan- will be a more experienced club this season that ismore capable of pulling out close games.

Senior John Arch returns to lead the rotation whilefellow seniors Anthony Blasco and Joey Lunn will bothbe keys on the mound and at the plate. Senior DanDisbrow returns behind the plate after playing part timebehind graduated catcher Ben Cardillo. Junior CoreyBurke is another two-way threat at the plate and on themound and he will look to build on a .280 season at theplate. The sophomores and freshmen figure to play akey part in Pinelands success this season and freshmanLuke Stambaugh - who already enjoyed a breakoutseason with the basketball team - could make animmediate impact at shortstop. There is a long way togo in the standings, but it would not take much forPinelands to get on a roll and push its way into the topfive of Class B South.

6. Rumson-Fair HavenCoach: Gary Costello, 2nd seasonRecord Last Year: 12-12 (7-5)

The Bulldogs lose six position players and two top pitchersand will look to replace those graduating starters with a groupof returning varsity players who played in part-time roles lastyear. Senior catcher Joey Spernal and senior outfielder JakeSimpson were regular starters last season and both hit over.300 as juniors. Both will look to repeat their 2012 seasons inorder to spark a lineup full of new starters.

Senior left-hander Stephen Christianson pitched well as astarter for the Bulldogs last season and will spearhead therotation. The 12-12 record last year probably was notreflective of Rumson's talent - especially at the plate - so if thepitching and defense are sharp, the Bulldogs could very wellsurprise in Class A Central, even with a lot of new starters.

7. ShoreCoach: Patrick O'Neill, 2nd seasonRecord Last Year: 7-13 (5-7)

The Blue Devils were a young team with a new coach comingoff a down season in 2011 last year and with all of that inmind, they had a solid season in 2012. The 7-13 record isnothing special, but a 5-7 mark in Class A Central and anoverall competitive team from game-to-game was definitely agood enough opening campaign for second-year coach PatO'Neill. Now that the Blue Devils have some experiencedvarsity talent coming back, they should be able to take anotherstep toward competing for a division title.

Competing for that title this year, however, will be verydifficult in an improved Class A Central. Junior left-handedslugger and pitcher Matt Cosentino will be one of the topplayers in the division, while senior first baseman ChrisVaccaro returns after a breakout season in which he hit .393with five extra-base hits. Senior shortstop T.J. Sempkowski andjunior second baseman Andrew Schultz give the Blue Devilssolid defense up the middle. Throw in an athletic outfield andanother top pitcher in senior Mike Blaney and Shore has reasonto believe in a major leap forward in 2013.

8. HolmdelCoach: Dan Mondelli, 5th seasonRecord Last Year: 10-14 (7-5)

There was neither a dominant team nor a bad team in Class ACentral last season, and while RBC has the look of a dominantteam, the division once again is solid throughout. That is howHolmdel - a team that finished second place and has a numberof top players - could conceivably finish in last place. TheHornets return four-year starter J.T. Licciardello at shortstop,as well as a three-year junior starter in Joe Sadler. Senior JoshParasar and junior Matt Schneiderman both showed promiselast season in their first season as starters, Parasar in theoutfield and Schneiderman at third base.

The question for Holmdel will be the pitching staff, led byreturnee Kyle Jones. While Jones has varsity experience on themound under his belt, most of the roster does not. Pitching wasscarce in A Central last year, which allowed a lot of teams tocompete for the division title, but with RBC, Manasquan andMonmouth joining the bunch, pitching is going to be even moreimportant this year. If Holmdel can perform on the mound,there is more than enough talent around the diamond for theHornets to finish in the top-half of the division and competefor a public title.

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

13

F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NContact : S teven Meyer 732-233 -4460 smeyer@a l l sho remed ia .com

AD V E R T I S I N G S A L E S P O S I T I O N S A V A I L A B L E

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

14

1. FreeholdCoach: Jon Block, 22nd seasonRecord Last Year: 18-13 (5-7)

Freehold went into the season with high expectationslast year and although it took a month to work out thekinks, the Colonials hit their stride in May. Freeholdadvanced to the Monmouth County Tournamentsemifinals and then advanced all the way to theNJSIAA Group III final on the strength of its top twopitchers, left-hander Jake Yanez and right-hander MikeBolton. Both Yanez and Bolton return this season andthe two senior hurlers will be the backbone of aFreehold team that looks to ride the momentum of lastseason's playoff run.

The challenge for coach Jon Block and his staff willbe replacing all of the offensive production thatgraduated with players like Matt Holtz, AnthonyVazzana and Travis Rudic, but senior center fielder andFordham University recruit Jason Lundy and seniorcatcher Kevin Smith give the Colonials two goodposition players in the field and at the plate to helpback up the pitching. Class B North has any number ofteams who can step up and win the division, but thetwo pitchers at the top make Freehold the team to beat,especially coming off of its championship run.

2. OceanCoach: Cip Apicelli, 4th seasonRecord Last Year: 12-14 (6-6)

By its standards, Ocean had a rough season in 2012while implementing a young pitching staff around anumber of new starters around the field. The payoffshould come this season, when the entire staff returnsalong with a sprinkling of players in the field after adeceiving 12-14 season that included a lot of closelosses.

Three senior pitchers - Kevin Buell, Dan Maguire,and Taylor Yates - return after solid seasons last yearwhile junior left-hander Ryan Lillie could be the bestof the bunch following a sophomore season in whichhe won five games and struck out 35 batters. Behindthem, the Spartans return first baseman JeromeCevetello, who is coming off a 23-RBI season as ajunior. Senior shortstop Andrew Mehr and senioroutfielder Jordan Bell will both be major contributorsonce each returns from injury in late April, but in themeantime, senior outfielder Nick Price will joinCevetello as a run-producer with varsity experience.

Ocean has the pitching to overcome some injuries inthe field and once completely healthy, the Spartanswill have a great shot to win the division.

3. WallCoach: Todd Schmitt, 16th seasonRecord Last Year: 19-6 (10-0)

For most programs, the answer to the above questionis usually "a little bit of both." That will probablyapply to the Crimson Knights this season, althoughthey have shown the ability in recent years to trot out alineup of inexperienced talent and still compete. In awide-open Class B North, inexperience will not be amajor strike against Wall as long as the talentperforms, and based on the talent that has passed

through, the Knights should beexpected to compete.

Wall returns only one starter fromlast year's squad, junior first basemanJack Gifford, and even Gifford was nota starter for the entire year. He won thejob midseason and made the most ofhis chance by hitting .381 with fourdoubles. Only one of Wall's majorcontributors this season will be asenior, and that is Mater Dei transferPat Meagher, who will pitch, catch andplay the field depending on the team'sneed. Sophomore Ryan Orender willmake an impact as a third baseman andas a pitcher, while classmate DanWondrack will see time behind theplate. Juniors Chris Barcas andBrandan Biegart will play up themiddle and fellow junior Tim Willeywill play the outfield. The three juniorsand two sophomores will be keys in theeveryday lineup and if the pitchingfalls into place, the Crimson Knightscan make a run at the top spot.

4. Red BankCoach: Del Dal Pra, 2nd seasonRecord Last Year: 12-15 (4-8)

This could look like a conservative ranking in acouple of weeks because the Bucs return all but onestarter from last season and have the kind of up-and-coming talent that often makes up breakout teams. RedBank returns a catcher in Dillon Stambaugh who hit.404, a left-handed starter in Brian Wikoff who iscommitted to Navy and posted a sub-2.00 ERA, and ashortstop in Ross Gisondi who had six extra-base hitsand stole eight bases. That is the type of senior triothat can take a team a long way in a division without aclear favorite.

Senior right-hander Joe Jacques will back up Wikoffin the rotation after posting a 2.24 ERA last year andseniors Tyler Cook and Cooper Gettis are both comingoff strong offensive seasons. With that senior core andjuniors Jacob Nappi and Corey Martin poised for solidseasons, Red Bank profiles as a team that can take thedivision.

5. MatawanCoach: Bobby Carnovsky, 1st seasonRecord Last Year: 10-12 (4-8)

Matawan had its moments last season in finishing adisappointing 4-8 in Class A Central and during thestretch run of the season, many of this year's returneesstarted to settle into starting roles. Returning a toppitcher-slash-middle-infielder in Justin Harnett gives

Jason Richard, C, Neptune - Four-year starterbehind the plate will also be a key arm on the moundfor a Scarlet Fliers team that could be a darkhorse in B North.

Dan Incle, 1B, Matawan - His .300 average ayear ago is not as good as some of the other firstbasemen in the division, but unlike most other playersin B North, he had a big sophomore year two yearsago. Expect a rebound season.Jerome Cevetello, 1B, Matawan - Yes, twofirst basemen in the lineup. Both Incle and Cevetello -who drove in 23 runs for the Spartans last year - aretoo good to leave off this list.Ross Gisondi, SS, Red Bank - Mixed powerand athleticism with a homer, five doubles and eightsteals last year and he really only scratched thesurface of his ability.Shawn Johnson, 3B, Matawan - Solid all-around player for the Huskies will be one of the team'stop hitters (.367 last year) as well as one of its toppitchers.Jason Lundy, OF, Freehold - Skipped the fallsoccer season to focus on getting a college offer andafter Fordham scooped him up, the pressure should beoff and Lundy should be primed for a big year.Ajee Patterson, OF, Neptune - A top-notchathlete who starred at quarterback on the football field,Patterson was also one of Neptune's top hitters on thediamond last season.Tom McCauslin, OF, Long Branch - Quietly hit.360 with some pop last year for the Green Wave andwill also be one of the team's top arms on the mound.Dillon Stambaugh, C, Red Bank - In aconference full of standout catchers, it's hard to standout. That's probably why Stambaugh's .404 battingaverage flew under the radar the way it did.

Jake Yanez, LHP, Freehold - Yanez's physicalstature does not resemble the traditional image of aworkhorse, but that's exactly what the left-handeris. Yanez led the Shore with 86 innings pitched lastyear, 25 more innings than the next-closest pitcheron the list.

Mike Bolton, RHP, Freehold - It's a wonderBolton lost two games last year with a 0.82 ERA. Heand Yanez were the driving force behind Freehold'sstate tournament run.

Brian Wikoff, LHP, Red Bank - He doesn'thave the innings that the Freehold pitchers have, butWikoff could be the top pitcher in the division afterposting a 1.87 ERA last year.Justin Harnett, RHP, Matawan - A top hitteras a second baseman, Harnett's most important rolewill be as No. 1 pitcher for a Huskies team that hasenough on offense to make a division-title run.Ryan Lillie, LHP, Ocean - After a solidsophomore season, Lillie has the polish and thepitches to be one of the top pitchers in the ShoreConference over the next two seasons.



Freehold's Jake Yanez

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

15


pitchers to watch

B North Continued on page 19

hristian Brothers Academyseniors Joe Dudek and MattPidich entered the CBA

baseball program one season afterthe Colts captured the NJSIAA Non-Public Group A championship for thefirst time since 1977.

The goal for the two four-year letter-winners and theirclassmates was to be the class of the state once again bythe time they were through with their high school careers.

This year not only marks the last chance for the talentedClass of 2013 to play for a state championship against aloaded Non-Public A field, but it is the last opportunityfor the group to win back control of its ownneighborhood. The 2013 season is the likely climax of therivalry between neighboring non-public powers RedBank Catholic and CBA and part one of the climaxbegins on April 13 when the two meet at the Academy inLincroft.

Since the start of the 2010 season, Red Bank Catholichas emerged as the standout non-public program inMonmouth County while CBA has gradually built backup after losing one of its best classes ever following the2009 season. During that span, the Caseys have gone 63-18 and CBA 40-30, with Red Bank Catholic winning allthree meetings between the teams. Last year, Red BankCatholic beat CBA, 6-5, in the Monmouth CountyTournament semifinals.

Theyve obviously been a great team for the last fewyears and theyve accomplished a lot, Dudek said ofRBC. I would expect them to have another goodyear with the players they have, and Im surethey are going to be confident playing usbecause we havent beaten them duringour first three years. But we feel like wehave a very good team too andwe have very high expectationsfor our season. RBCs one ofthe best teams weregoing to play thisyear, and wemeasureourselvesagainst teams likethat.

Prior to 2010, the Red BankCatholic-CBA rivalry existed mostlythrough the close proximity of thetwo schools to one another. On thefield, the Caseys had their moments,but they were not in the running forstate championships like CBA and onthe rare occasion that the two playedone another, CBA was the superiorteam.

Not only did RBC reverse thattrend, but the Caseys did itseemingly overnight. BuddyHausmann - the left-handedace of the last Red BankCatholic statechampionship team in1997 - took over theprogram in 2008 afterthree years as anassistant and since then,the Caseys have madethe leap from a goodprogram with a handfulof talented players toone that wins divisionchampionships, turns

out 18-win seasons and is among the few seriouscompetitors for postseason championships. Although theprogram had turned out Major League Baseball draftpicks among them Hausmann (Mets), Ryan Kalish (RedSox) and J.C. Menna (Athletics) it took an influx oftalent and new culture of winning to push the team intothe class of the Shore Conferences elite.

CBA is a team that you get up for, especially for usbecause so many of the kids know each other and arefriends off the field, Hausmann said. Our guys alwayslook forward to playing them, and Im sure its the sameway with them (CBA). Rightnow, we have a group ofseniors that has never lost toCBA, which is prettyimpressive. They have a chanceto make it through their careersbeating that team every year,and I know thats somethingthat would mean a lot.

It was also convenient forRBC that when the Caseyswere hitting their stride, CBAwas saying goodbye to a seniorclass that included current RedSox farmhand Pat Light, whocapped one of the best ShoreConference pitching careers ofall time by winning the Non-Public A championship gamefor his 20th career win withoutany losses. To RBCs credit,CBAs rebuilding project of thelast four years was supposedto make the rivalry a

compelling one, butinstead, it has only

reversed the pecking order Red Bank Catholic has been

the top non-public program in the Shore Conferencewith CBA trying to play catch-up.

Although it has a lot to prove, CBA also hasthe talent to measure up with any team in theconference. The Colts have four seniors who are

already committed to Division I programs, threeof whom are committed to schools in the highly-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).Dudek (North Carolina), Pidich (Pittsburgh) andright-hander John McCarren (Wake Forest) makeup CBAs deep, dangerous pitching staff, withPidich and McCarren preparing to pitch at the nextlevel while Dudek is just moonlighting as a left-handed hurler while remaining one of the morefeared left-handed-hitting first basemen in the

state. The Colts also boast Holy Cross recruitAnthony Critelli at shortstop and four-year

starter Chris Cordova in center field.

This game is a lot morethan just a regular-season game, Pidichsaid.

People think weve given up thetitle of best non-public school

in the area and this season is achance to take it back. The

guys who graduatedbefore us left a legacy

here, and we want tokeep that legacy

alive for them. Wewant to leave our

mark and do

our part tokeep upthe CBAtraditionand it has tostart on(April 13).

RBC has itsown stable ofprominenttalent, led byMaryland

recruitMikeRescigno,who is theteams toppitcher and itstop runproducer. Juniorshortstop AlMolina enjoyed a

breakouts season asa sophomore and is off

to a strong start thisseason after committing to

Coastal Carolina over theoffseason. While CBAs seniors

are determined to take back themantle as the Shore Conferences bestteam, Red Bank Catholics seniors arelooking to finish off an unprecedentedfeat by going unbeaten against their rivalsto the west over their four years.

A lot of us know eachother and were friends off

the field, Rescigno said. On thefield, theres no love. When you knowthe guy on the other team, it makesyou want to beat him even more andthats how it is with us. Nobody wantsto lose that game.

While the head-to-head rivalry with CBA has gone itsway for the last three years, RBC does have some demonsof its own to exorcise. The Caseys hit a rough patch toend the season last season, when for the second straightyear, they lost at home in the NJSIAA Tournament by awide margin. The RBC players are hoping to get back towhere they were two seasons ago when they finished 26-4 and won the programs only Shore ConferenceTournament championship.

I dont know what happened last year and honestly, itsin the past, Rescigno said. I stopped thinking about it awhile ago. Its all about this team this year.

The Shore Conference boasts a number of traditionalpowers like two-time defending Group IV championManalapan, defending SCT champion Jackson Memorial,Toms River South and North, as well as defending ClassA North champion Middletown South. Those teams willall be factors again this season, but with so much high-level college talent on each roster and a rivalry that canbe both friendly and fierce, the CBA vs. RBC arms race isthe story to watch as the baseball season takes shape.

Losing to them in the Monmouth CountyTournament at (First Energy Park in Lakewood) left areally bad taste in our mouth, Pidich said. We dontwant to feel that again, especially in a rivalry game. Itsbeen a rivalry for the last three years and its going be awar again this year.

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

16

RBC's Mike Rescigno

CBA's Joe Dudek

CBA's Matt Pidich

By Matt Manley Staff Writer

ll a person has to do is take alook at what Southernslacrosse team accomplished

last season and check its roster to seewho returns to realize the Ramsshould field one of the ShoreConferences best teams in 2013.Southern as a contender will surpriseno one. Just how good the Rams canbecome is the question.

We expect to compete and win every game, no matterwho its against and where it is, said senior defenseman

Nick Jinks. We want to showthat Southern is for real this

year.

Theexpectations arehuge and werenot shying awayfrom them, saidSouthern headcoach JohnPampalone.

Heading into lastseason, even withjust three seniorson the roster,

Southern believedit had theingredients tomake achampionshiprun. The 17wins from a

season ago speak forthemselves, but a signature winwas still lacking as thepostseason began. The Rams hada chance to take the Class ASouth division title but fell toJackson Memorial in early May.Then came the Shore Conference

Tournament where Southern tookout powerful Red Bank Catholic, the

2010 SCT champion, in the quarterfinals.

That was huge, Jinks said. It finallyshowed we have the lacrosse IQ andlacrosse players, not just athletesrunning around the field trying to

make plays. We took that steplast year.

Since Ivebeen here thats the first bigupset weve really had,said senior attackmanTyler Lipositz.

The Rams went on tolose to eventual champRumson in thesemifinals, but the beliefthey had in their abilityto play with the areasbest teams finally had atangible result to attach toit. One year later Southernis looking to build upon itsbudding success and wade

into unchartedwaters. While JacksonMemorial has advanced to thefinal in each of the last two seasons,no team from Ocean County has ever wonthe Shore Conference Tournament.

I think our team is ready to give Rumsonand Jackson a challenge, Jinks said.

Rumson is the king ofthe mountain untilsomeone beats them andtheyre a great team, but Ithink we have closed thegap and theresopportunities out there,Pampalone said.

Through the first week of the season theRams were nearly perfect. They outscored theiropponents 43-6 in three games with a balancedscoring attack and a stingy defense. Barring ahuge upset they will be undefeated heading intoan April 13 clash with Jackson Memorial.

The entirety of Southerns starting attack linereturns and has so far picked up right where it leftoff. Lipositz scored 31 goals and assisted on 41others last season while junior Brendan Mullenscored 38 goals with 19 assists. Plenty of eyeballs willbe focused on sophomore Dylan Jinks as he enters hissecond season with tremendous expectations. As afreshman Jinks scored 52 goals and added 30assists in being selected to the All-Shore secondteam and being named the Star-Ledgers FreshmanPlayer of the Year.

We knew he was going to be good but I didnt know hewas going to be 53-goals-good, Nick Jinks said. Hes atalented player who still has a lot to learn. Hes only goingto grow from here.

Fifty-three goals is a surprise, thats an outstandingseason for anyone, Pampalone said. Hes mature beyondhis age and hes going to do great things.

Lipositz brings balance and a point-guard mentality to theattack line and is arguably the offenses most importantplayer. His pass-first nature and good vision make himtough to double-team, but he can also drive to the net andscore from the outside if left alone.

Tyler is one of the few kids who cares more about gettingassists than goals, Pampalone said.

Hes a former pointguard and he likes topass the ball. To havethose guys on yourteam helps glueeverything together.

Newcomers AdamEastburn(junior)and

Garrett Mandrona (senior) will also see time at attack.

Pampalone speaks with great confidence about hisdefensemen and goaltender, whom he expects to anchor

the team throughout the season. Jinks was afirst-team All-Shore selection last year and isjoined by fellow senior Frank Thissen. TheRams also have three-year varsity player TimIvancich along with sophomore Mike

Adragna, who saw significant time as afreshman. Senior Andrew Smith

should see plenty of minutes, aswell.

Our defense will alwayscarry us, Pampalone said.

Theyve been togetherfor basically threeyears now with theinclusion of ourgoalie.

Sophomoregoalie

BrendanLeFanto gothis chanceat a startingvarsity spotas afreshmanand did not

disappoint, making224 saves with a

.76 save percentage.

The one question mark is inthe midfield and the teamstransition defense. SeniorAl Manzo scored 17 goalslast season and heads the

unit with sophomoreShawn McManus(11g, 14a), seniorTim Godfrey (12goals) andsophomore Chris

Smith (10 goals) alsoreturning. Senior long-stick midfielder Nick Hemprovides stability while seniors Kevin Behr and JohnStarner reprise their roles as defensive middies. SeniorTyler Goldsmith will also be a defensive midfielder thisseason. Junior Brian Dunphey and seniors Austin Henkenand Sean Stewart round out the midfield lines. The face-off specialist is junior Bill Dowd, who won 82 percent ofhis draws last year.

It really comes down to the midfield line, Pampalonesaid. When we faced Rumson and some of the better teamsthey took advantage of our lack of experience in themidfield, and when you give teams like that multipleopportunities to score it always leads to disaster. Weveworked really hard in that area to give ourselves moreoffensive possessions.

All the players mentioned above came through Southernsyouth program, which has obviously played a big role in thehigh school programs success. Without a good feederprogram - in basically any sport at public schools - itsnearly impossible to build a winner. Southern has had aseventh and eighth grade program for eight years and hashad second-third, and fifth-sixth grade teams for five years.The junior varsity team is filled with freshmen waiting fortheir chance in the coming seasons.

Our area has really taken a liking to lacrosse and itsbecome a big thing down at Southern, Pampalone said.

The program is building on itself now.

The Rams know they have a bit of atarget on their backs this season. It comeswith the territory. On paper, their goalsthis season might not be very differentform years past. But the reality ofwinning at a high level is much moreattainable now.

We know were going to come outand see the best effort from every teamwe see, Lipositz said. I want to winevery game, I dont want to lose at all.Ive personally always had that mentality,but its different to know you canactually do it.

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

17

Sophomore goalie Brendan LeFanto

Senior defenseman Nick Jinks

By Bob Badders Staff Writer

1. St. RoseCoach: Mike Condon, 2nd seasonRecord Last Year: 19-7 (11-1)

The Purple Roses started a new winning streak lastyear, winning a second consecutive division title afterfinally dropping a division title to Point Beach in 2010.St. Rose split the season series with the Garnet Gulls lastyear and the Roses should expect a stiff challenge fromPoint Beach again this year. Mater Dei also returns adeep pitching staff with a number of quality positionplayers after a competitive 2012.

St. Rose returns its top player from last year, seniorleft-hander Brad Currao. The Wagner College recruit hit.431 with eight doubles and four triples last year andsported a 2.09 ERA on the mound. Senior Joey Delacruzwill follow Currao in the rotation and play third base onother days. With seniors Brendan Lynch and ConorGammond back in the middle of the infield, St. Rose willhave starting experience at all four infield spots whenCurrao and Delacruz are not pitching. Senior AndrewAikins and juniors Jimmy Gowen and Parker Haggertyall figure to get innings on the mound and senior ShayneSmith will return after an elbow injury kept him out forall of last year. With a deep stable of pitchers and anexperienced infield, the Purple Roses are again the teamto beat in B Central.

2. Point BeachCoach: Ty Hawkins, 3rd seasonRecord Last Year: 15-7 (10-2)

Point Beach was one slip-up short of sharing the division titlelast year and the margin for error will once again be thin in2013 for the Gulls to win the division. Another reason thatmargin for error could be thin is because junior shortstop NoahYates is dealing with injury trouble - which includes a brokenfinger suffered during basketball season - that could affect hisavailability this season, according to Gulls assistant AngeloFiore.

There is still a lot of offense to go around, led by senioroutfielders Alan Nieto and Nick Fiore. Nieto missed some timedue to injury last year, but still hit .375 and won three games on

the mound. He gives the Gulls a tough arm fromthe left side to follow senior right-hander ZachYates, who went 5-1 last year and will also playthe field on days he does not pitch. Infielder PaulFiorentino and catcher Dan Pfefferkorn givePoint Beach some versatility in the lineup whilesenior Shane Regan and freshman John VanSchoick also look like contributors in the fieldand on the mound. Point Beach can still becompete for the division without Noah Yates, buthaving a .436 hitter with extra-base power atshortstop would be make it a lot easier.

3. Mater DeiCoach: Pat Riddell, 9th seasonRecord Last Year: 12-10 (8-4)

The division has come down to PointBeach and St. Rose in two of the last threeseasons, but the Seraphs have reason tobelieve they are the top challengers to thePurple Roses this season. With threepitchers - left-hander Bobby Klatt, right-hander Ryan Branagan and left-hander JohnStanziale - back from a solid rotation lastyear, the Seraphs will be in every gamethey play this season.

Offensively, Mater Dei returns All-Division middle infielder Tom Delehanty,who hit .403 as a junior in 2012. JuniorMatt Eckert will play shortstop and pitchafter a sophomore season in which he hit

.357 with a home run and 13 RBI. Senior catcher JoeGalante took over the catching duties last season anddrove in 14 runs and will handle the deep pitching staff,which also welcomes in athletic junior right-hander SamMiles. St. Rose is still the favorite in B Central but theSeraphs have enough to hang with St. Rose as long asthey don't slip up against the rest of the division.

4. KeyportCoach: Kyle Keelen, 2nd seasonRecord Last Year: 7-11 (6-6)

The Red Raiders made significant strides last season,finishing fourth in the division with a .500 record. Thenext step for Keyport will be stepping up andchallenging Point Beach as the top public school in thedivision. If the Red Raiders can get to that level, thenthe attention turns to trying to beat St. Rose.

So how close is Keyport to all of that? Replacingsenior ace Ryan Chandler is the toughest challenge thisseason, but Keyport does return most of its startinglineup from a solid team. Senior first baseman ConnorThomson is back after earning an all-division selectionfrom the coaches last year, while senior Nick Smutz willplay across the diamond and see some innings on themound. Senior Nick Armstrong had a breakout seasonbehind the plate in 2012 and is part of a strong core upthe middle with the double-play combination ofshortstop Corey Romanetz and second baseman NickGunslaus. Senior outfielder Johnny Olsen is also backafter a productive season, giving the Red Raiders a hostof senior talent that is ready to make a move toward thetop of the division.

5. KeansburgCoach: Brian Kmak, 16th seasonRecord Last Year: 7-12 (5-7)

Before thinking about division titles and beating thetop teams in B Central, the focus for both Keansburg andKeyport is beating their next-door neighbors. Adding tothe intrigue of the rivalry is second-year Keyport coachKyle Keelen is a former Titan and played for Keansburgcoach Brian Kmak. It is a friendly rivalry between coachand player, but the players always get up to play oneanother.

Keansburg has a good shot to jump back into the top

Angelo Miragliotta, C, Henry Hudson -One of three Henry Hudson returning starters whohit .400 or better last season, with Miragliottafinishing at .442.

Connor Thomson, 1B, Keyport - An all-division selection by the coaches, Thomson will hitin the middle of a senior-heavy Red Raiderslineup.

Conor Gammond, 2B, St. Rose -Gammond's breakout season in 2012 included a.360 average with five doubles and two triples.

Tom Delahanty, 2B/SS, Mater Dei -Another returning all-division selection by thecoaches, Delahanty posted a .403 average with 12RBI and 10 stolen bases that reflect a well-rounded offensive skillset.

Noah Yates, SS, Point Beach - Whenhealthy, Yates is the best position player in thedivision. He hit .426 as a sophomore with 13doubles and 23 RBI.

Alan Nieto, OF, Point Beach - Is fullyhealthy after an injury-plagued junior season andfigures to be one of the division's top hitters afterhitting .375 last year and .476 as a sophomore.

Ben Thompson, OF, Henry Hudson - TheAdmirals probably won't challenge for the divisiontitle, but Thompson is one of the top talents in BCentral after hitting .467 as a sophomore last year.

Nick Fiore, OF, Point Beach - In his lasttwo seasons, Fiore has a combined 20 doublesand 42 RBI, hitting .452 as a sophomore and .392last season.

Dan Markulin, SS, Keansburg - Markulincan do everything on the field and if he doeseverything on the field this year, Keansburg couldbe a sleeper to win the public division title.

Brad Currao, LHP, St. Rose - Wagnerrecruit went 4-4 with a 2.09 ERA last year whilefacing St. Rose's toughest opponents andreceiving little run support.

Noah Yates, RHP, Point Beach - TheGarnet Gulls' big-game pitcher finished 5-1 lastseason, including a win over St. Rose in thesecond meeting between the teams.

Bobby Klatt, LHP, Mater Dei - LikeCurrao, Klatt's record (3-5) suffered as a result ofpitching against his team's toughest competition.The 47 strikeouts and 3.18 ERA are a betterreflection of how he pitched.

Joey Delacruz, RHP, St. Rose - Thesenior right-hander will pitch at Dominican Collegein New York next year and follow Currao in a deepSt. Rose rotation.

John Stanziale, LHP, Mater Dei - Anotherlefty in Mater Dei's rotation, Stanziale was abulldog for the Seraphs. He went 3-3 with 27strikeouts as a junior.



St. Rose's Brad Currao


pitchers to watch

VO

LU

ME

-V

/

IS

SU

E-7

/

4/8

/13

18

B NORTH Continued from page 15Matawan a leg up on a lot of teams in the division and surrounding a versatile acewith talented hitters like Dan Incle and Shawn Johnson can only make theHuskies even more formidable.

Winning the division is well within the realm of possibility for Matawan, butfor that to happen, the Huskies will need Johnson, Robbie Marshall, and MikeCreamer (also the shortstop) to give them quality innings on the mound. Creamerand Mike Denino will also add to a solid offense, but those three senior pitchersand junior newcomer Nick Santuccio are the keys to the season for Matawan. Ifone or two of those pitchers have a breakout season, expect Matawan to be in thehunt for Class B North from wire to wire.

6. NeptuneCoac

All Shore Media High School Sports 4-8-13 Issue - 7 - Volume V

Documents

Transcript of All Shore Media High School Sports 4-8-13 Issue - 7 - Volume V