Baseball: Returning 2023 SSN All-Shore Players in 2024

Returning 2023 Shore Sports Network Baseball All-Shore Players

First Team

Jake Howlett, Sr., Catcher, Wall

AB	H	BB	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG
89	38	11	8	1	8	16	31	.427	.490	.809

By the numbers, Howlett was the Shore’s premier hitting catcher as a junior, leading all Shore Conference catchers in batting average, hits, home runs, extra-base hits and slugging percentage while finishing second in RBI and third in doubles. Only five other players in the Shore Conference recorded a slugging percentage of .800 or better and he is one of two back this season (Point Pleasant Beach sophomore Danny Lubach is the other).

Brady Lesiak, Sr., 3B/RHP, Southern

AB	H	BB	HBP	2B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG
81	33	7	7	5	3	16	26	.407	.485	.580

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
6	0	50.2	35	14	18	62	1.93	1.05

Southern won its first Class A South championship share in 37 years and made serious bids for the Ocean County Tournament and South Jersey Group IV titles and Lesiak was in the middle of it all as both a staff ace on the mound and middle-of-the-order run-producer. The Binghamton commit was one of the Shore’s workhorses, finishing fifth in the conference in innings pitched and he was one of two pitchers at the Shore (Declan Leary of Red Bank Catholic) with six wins and no losses on his record. Two of Lesiak’s three home runs last season came in a South Group IV win at second-seeded Vineland – a game he finished 4-for-4 with four RBI at the plate.

Chris Levonas, Sr., RHP, Christian Brothers Academy

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
5	1	42.2	20	7	12	73	1.15	0.75

Lauded by scouts for his ability to spin the ball, Levonas heads into his final season before he heads to Wake Forest, that is, unless, a Major League club does not make him an offer too good to pass up in July’s MLB Draft. Future Stars Series ranks Levonas – who has touched 98 miles-per-hour with his fastball while sitting closer to 93 – as the No. 149 prospect in the country for the upcoming MLB Draft, making him the only current high-schooler at the Jersey Shore currently on the board. He finished fifth at the Shore in both ERA and strikeouts (minimum 40 innings) as a junior and his WHIP was the best of any pitcher with at least 20 innings.

2023 SSN All-Shore First Team

Second Team

E.J. Stefanelli, Sr., Catcher, Shore – In a breakout junior season, Stefanelli finished tied for second among Shore Conference catchers in home runs, sixth in batting average, fifth in RBI and fourth in slugging percentage.

AB	H	BB	HBP	2B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG	SB
70	26	10	7	4	5	24	26	.371	.478	.643	4

Sean Griggs, Sr., Third Base, Red Bank Catholic – The Alabama commit was an on-base machine for the No. 1 team at the Shore in 2023 and helped the Caseys get to the top with a standout performance (2-for-3 with a long double) in RBC’s Shore Conference Tournament championship win over Ranney.

AB	H	BB	HBP	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG
58	23	16	4	4	3	1	26	14	.396	.551	.621

Dylan Briggs, Sr., Outfield, Middletown North – Briggs took a significant leap forward in production as a junior, finishing among the top 10 in the Shore Conference in batting average to go with excellent defense in centerfield, some extra-base pop, and clutch-hitting during another successful postseason for the Lions.

AB	H	BB	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG	SB
78	36	7	7	1	1	21	17	.461	.511	.615	11

Dylan Passo, Jr., Outfield, Red Bank Catholic – The Notre Dame commit was at his best in big games for RBC, going 13-for-22 with three doubles, three home runs and 13 in eight games across the Monmouth County and Shore Conference Tournaments.

AB	H	BB	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG	SB
82	27	20	6	1	3	21	21	.329	.476	.537	5

Brandon Falco, Sr., RHP/INF, Matawan – The hard-throwing NJIT commit has been the ultimate competitor during his varsity career and last season, he led the Shore Conference in innings pitched while coming in second in strikeouts.

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
5	5	58.2	42	13	21	83	1.55	1.07

Jake Marciano, Sr., LHP, Donovan Catholic – The Virginia Tech commit can reach the mid-90’s with his fastball from the left side and he showed what he can do when dialed-in during last year’s Ocean County Tournament final vs. Southern, in which Marciano struck out 16 in a four-hit complete game.

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
3	2	35.1	26	18	11	62	3.57	1.05

2023 SSN All-Shore Second Team

Third Team

Cristian Soto, Sr., Catcher, Central – The Lafayette commit is heading into his fourth year as a starter for the Golden Eagles and continued to flash an excellent glove behind the plate while hitting quality pitching in clutch moments as a junior in 2023.

AB	H	BB	HBP	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG
57	21	12	7	4	1	1	9	15	.368	.500	.526

Mike McCormack, Jr., 3B/1B/RHP, St. John Vianney – McCormack was the only underclassman in the Shore Conference last year to drive in at least 30 runs, nine of which came in a single 4-for-4 performance against Neptune.

AB	H	BB	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG	SB
64	24	5	4	2	5	18	31	.375	.432	.703	6

Nicco Maribo, Sr., Centerfield, Brick Memorial – Maribo finished sixth in the Shore Conference in hits, fifth in doubles and 13^th in both runs scored and stolen bases for a Brick Memorial team that won a share of its first division championship since 1995.

AB	H	BB	2B	3B	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG	SB
87	37	10	11	1	29	11	.425	.500	.575	17

Bryson Kirby, Sr., CF/RHP, Point Pleasant Boro – Kirby is a true two-way threat as a centerfielder and ace on the mound for the Panthers. He homered off three All-Shore pitchers a season ago and his 13.52 strikeouts-per-seven-innings was second in the Shore Conference.

AB	H	BB	2B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG	SB
63	25	10	2	3	14	16	.397	.480	.571	11

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
4	2	38.1	30	15	26	72	2.74	1.46

Zach Hampton, Jr., 3B/RHP, Middletown North – Hampton is already a leader on a championship contender after his first two years of high school and as a sophomore, he was one of only three pitchers in the Shore Conference to hit at least .400 while also pitching at least 40 innings on the mound.

AB	H	BB	HBP	2B	HR	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLUG
75	31	10	10	4	1	23	19	.413	.510	.507

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
5	3	45	49	23	15	21	3.58	1.42

Declan Leary, Sr., RHP, Red Bank Catholic – Leary appeared in seven games as a junior, winning six of them and earning the save vs. Gloucester Catholic in the other. The Navy commit beat CBA twice in tournament games and also fired a 10-strikeout gem in a win over Rumson-Fair Haven.

W	L	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
6	0	33.2	20	5	17	26	1.04	1.10

Steve Svenson, Sr., RHP, Red Bank Catholic – Svenson will miss the 2024 season after undergoing knee surgery, but his contributions to RBC over the past two seasons have been considerable: last year alone, the Seton Hall commit went 5-2 with a 1.68 ERA as a starter.