VOTE: Week 4 Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week

Each week, Shore Sports Network will select its Players and Pitchers of the Week in Monmouth and Ocean County, as well as an overall Shore Conference Player of the Week. We are also giving you an opportunity to choose your Player and Pitcher of the Week in the Shore Conference.

Below is the Player and Pitcher of the Week for Week 4 (April 22 through 28) in each of the six Shore Conference divisions, plus two wild cards for each. Vote for the player and pitcher you think are most deserving and keep voting and check back on Friday for the winner. Vote once per hour until the polls close at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Monmouth County Player of the Week: Jake Howlett, Sr., Catcher, Wall

Ocean County Player of the Week: Nick Izzo, Sr., 1B, Jackson Memorial

Shore Conference Player of the Week: Check Back Friday

Class A North Player of the Week

Zach Hampton, Middletown North

It’s hard to have a better week than Hampton had for Middletown North, which went 3-1. The junior went 2-0 on the mound with one run allowed in 12 innings, including a four-hit shutout against rival Middletown South. At the plate, Hampton was even better. In the four games, he was 7-for-12 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and nine RBI.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Dylan Iwanyk, CBA; Danny Tsinmbinos, CBA; Mike Avino, Freehold Twp.; Will Fahey, CBA; R.J. Conover, Colts Neck; Dan Annunziata, Colts Neck; Joe Pignatelli, Colts Neck; David Ghibesi, Manalapan; Lou D’Alessio, Middletown South; Brevin Bezick, Middletown South; Mike Frandsen, Middletown South; Jason Quardt, Middletown North; Gabe Ahlemeyer, Middletown North; Aidan Galvanek, Freehold Twp.; C.J. Svoboda, Freehold Twp.

Class A Central Player of the Week

Jake Howlett, Wall

Howlett turned in the game of the year for a Shore Conference hitter in last week’s 13-0 rout of Rumson-Fair Haven by the Crimson Knights. The senior catcher blasted two home runs in a 4-for-4 game at the plate and finished with eight RBI, including the game-ending grand slam.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Sean Griggs, Red Bank Catholic; C.J. Sears, Shore; Josh Moeller, Shore; Andrew Barham, Shore; James Vallillo, Holmdel; Jobby Dekis, Raritan; Phil Kramer, Raritan; A.J. Sciametta, Red Bank Catholic; Charlie Stumberger, Red Bank Catholic; Max Dantoni, Red Bank Catholic; Al Delia, Red Bank Catholic; Max Mazzucca, Rumson-Fair Haven; Jon Cofone, Wall; Austin Harr, Wall

Class A South Player of the Week

Nick Izzo, Jackson Memorial

Izzo has been on a home-run-hitting tear over Jackson Memorial’s last eight games, during which Izzo has homered in six of them. Last week, he went deep three times, including a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning against Brick Memorial in the Ocean County Tournament quarterfinals – a game the Jaguars rallied to win, 5-4.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Nicco Maribo, Brick Memorial; Nick Garbooshian, Brick Memorial; David Marcus, Brick; Joey DiMeo, Toms River East; Jimi Popp, Brick Memorial; Ray Mulhern, Southern; Gabe Tomei, Southern; Joe McGlynn, Brick Memorial; Gavin Arieno, Central; Dane Jorgensen, Jackson Memorial; Jackson Osmond, Jackson Memorial; Gavin Toth, Toms River East; Kieran Mulholland, Toms River North; Jaden Geremia, Toms River South; Ben McEwan, Toms River South

Class B North Player of the Week

Ryan Costello, Ranney

Costello is making a run at the single-season home run record of 15, which Joe Stanzione set two years ago as at Middletown South. Last week, Costello added two homers to his current total of 10 for the season, going deep in a win over Freehold Boro and then belting an impressive solo shot off fellow LSU commit Miguel Simes Jr., whose fastball clocks in as high as 99 miles-per-hour. Costello also returned to the mound with two perfect innings against Freehold Boro.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Nick Gandolfo, Red Bank; Andrew Gendi, Matawan; Jake Pouso, Red Bank; Connor Voelkson, Manasquan; Jordan Torres, Neptune; Will Walsh, Ocean; Matt Richter, Ocean; Tommy Ruth, Red Bank; Gavin Smith, Red Bank; Kevin DiPede, St. John Vianney; Tyler Shpiro, St. John Vianney; Mark Kovach, Matawan; Brandon Falco, Matawan; Nate Fuller, Ranney; Grayson Testino, Ranney; Andrew Parisi, Ranney

Class B Central Player of the Week

Danny Lubach, Point Beach

The Garnet Gulls not only won three games against ranked opponents last week; they dominated them. With so many players stepping up at the play, in the field and on the mound, Lubach’s bat was particularly potent, with the sophomore going 2-for-2 with three RBI in a home win over St. Rose, then going 2-for-4 with a homer in a 10-2 win at Donovan Catholic in the OCT quarterfinals.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: John Coakley, Point Beach; Brody Powers, Point Beach; Peter Nolan, St. Rose; Jack Tiernan, St. Rose; Aiden Winters, Henry Hudson; Jader Castillo, Asbury Park; Hayden Kurdes, Henry Hudson; Mikey Clayton, Keansburg; Michael Burke, Keansburg; David Jules, Long Branch; John Gilliland, Keansburg; Liam Killian, Keyport; Paxton Douglass, Keyport; Anthony Crudo, St. Rose

Class B South Player of the Week

Colton Sitarik, Manchester

Manchester started the season 0-5 and has since rattled off a 6-1 record in its last seven games, with the only loss coming to Jackson Memorial. Last week, the Hawks went 2-0 with wins over Pinelands and Ocean, with Sitarik leading the way at the plate. The junior went 4-for-6 with a double and six RBI in the two Manchester wins.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Dave Yorke, Donovan Catholic; Tyler Levine, Donovan Catholic; Joe Maier, Donovan Catholic; Julian Marfino, Barnegat; Hunter Johnson, Donovan Catholic; Jack Kanis, Jackson Liberty; Carney O’Donnell, Jackson Liberty; Colin Menafra, Jackson Liberty; Anthony Eckerson, Lacey; Dylan Zech, Lacey; Joe Bentivegna, Manchester; Evan Palmer, Manchester; Kaden Inman, Pinelands; Nate Sofield, Pinelands

Wild Cards

Andrew Barham, Shore

Shore had a lot of heroes in its 14-13 walk-off upset of Red Bank Catholic, but when you earn the win on the mound and get the walk-off hit, you get the headlines. That’s exactly when Barham did, pitching the final two innings of the game and delivering the two-out, walk-off knock that sunk the Caseys – the third straight time Shore has beaten RBC at home.

Dave Yorke, Donovan Catholic

The Griffins put up big numbers at the plate last week and Yorke led the power surge. The senior third baseman went 5-for-11 with two home runs and four RBI in four games, with Donovan Catholic going 3-1.

Pitchers of the Week

Monmouth County Pitcher of the Week: Hunter Morgan, So., RHP, Neptune

Ocean County Pitcher of the Week: Justin Uriarte, Jr., RHP, Manchester

Shore Conference Pitcher of the Week: Check Back Friday

Class A North Pitcher of the Week

Chris Levonas, CBA

Levonas was overpowering in his five innings at Howell, particularly during the four. He struck out 10 of 13 batters through four innings, allowing just one base-runner on a walk. The Wake Forest commit finished with 13 strikeouts and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Zach Hampton, Middletown North; Danny DiTullio, CBA; Dylan Shaffer, Manalapan; Aiden Cruz, Manalapan

Class A Central Pitcher of the Week

Luke Buda, Holmdel

The Hornets senior left-hander took the ball last week against a Monmouth Regional team that entered on a five-game winning streak and proceeded to shut out the Falcons. Buda pitched a three-hitter with three walks and eight strikeouts in a 3-0 Holmdel win.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Hunter Beattie, Red Bank Catholic; Ryan Prior, Red Bank Catholic; Collin Denton, Monmouth; Mike Millevoi, Monmouth; Cooper Jones, Rumson-Fair Haven

Class A South Pitcher of the Week

Brady Lesiak, Southern

After giving up an unearned run in the top of the first inning of his team’s showdown with a high-powered Jackson Memorial squad last week, Lesiak dominated the Jaguars on the way to no-hitter in a 6-1 Rams win.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Nick Garbooshian, Brick Memorial; Aiden Lynch, Toms River South; Jayden Espana, Brick; Roger Dreher, Southern; Tyler McLeod, Southern; Mason Pentz, Toms River East; Dan Nafziger, Toms River East

Class B North Pitcher of the Week 

Hunter Morgan, Neptune 

Neptune has only one win this season and it came last week in a 1-0 shutout win over a solid Lacey club. Morgan was the man behind the shutout, pitching all seven innings of a six-hitter while walking three and striking out seven.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Brandon Falco, Matawan; Andrew Gendi, Matawan; R.T. Runge, Manasquan; Tommy Kowaliwskyj, Ocean; Nick Gandolfo, Red Bank; Nick Mirto, St. John Vianney

Class B Central Pitcher of the Week

Carter Williams, Keyport

Williams was one hit batter away from pitching a five-inning perfect game last week vs. Asbury Park. Instead, he settled for a five-inning no-hitter with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a 14-0 Red Raiders win.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: Liam Dolan, Point Beach; Ryan Doyle, Point Beach; Tommy Conroy, Point Beach; Kellen Campbell, Long Branch; Jake Whitehead, St. Rose

Class B South  Pitcher of the Week

Justin Uriarte, Manchester 

Manchester was 2-0 last week and because the games were played five days apart, Uriarte could pitch in both of them. The junior right-hander pitched a two-hitter over five innings in a 10-0 win over Pinelands, then pitched six innings to earn a win over Ocean on Friday.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Jake Marciano, Donovan Catholic; Bryson Kirby, Point Boro; Nick Kowalewski, Point Boro

Wild Cards

Brandon Falco, Matawan

Let’s hope this is not the last week to consider Falco for a Pitcher of the Week award after the senior standout was shut down with a shoulder injury that has yet to be diagnosed. You wouldn’t have known anything was wrong in his last outing, when he pitched five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts and one walk in a 7-1 win over Manasquan.

Nick Garbooshian, Brick Memorial

Garbooshian pitched a two-hit complete game with one walk and 11 strikeouts in a 12-1 win over Central last week and gets bonus points for his work at the plate in four games: 6-for-15 (.400) a double, home run and seven RBI.