Baseball – Shore Sports Network Players of the Week, April 14 – 20
**Player of the Week selections are made by Shore Sports Network staff writer Matt Manley based on stats and information reported to Shore Sports Network during the week.
Shore Sports Netwotk Player of the Week
Julius Saporito, Sr., Freehold Township
Saporito entered this past week just 1-for-14 at the plate with a double, but showed off both his power and flair for the dramatic this past week for the Patriots. The senior left-handed slugger belted a home run in each of Freehold Township’s three games this week, capped by a 15th-inning, tie-breaking solo home run on Saturday against Wall. Saporito finished 3-for-6 at the plate as Freehold Township hung on to hand Wall its first loss, which wrapped up a 2-1 week for the Patriots. Saporito also hit a solo home run in a 4-3 win over Marlboro and added a 2-run home run in an 11-9 loss to Middletown South to start the week.
Pitcher of the Week
Dan Serreino, Sr., Jackson Liberty
Other pitchers had better individual games this week, but Serreino won two games this week – one with three dominant innings in a rout of Monsignor Donovan and another with six strong innings in an upset of No. 3 Jackson Memorial. Serreino was Jackson Liberty’s go-to starter down the stretch last season, racking up wins over both Red Bank Catholic and Christian Brothers Academy during the Shore Conference Tournament. The senior right-hander and Seton Hall University recruit showed similar big-game aptitude Saturday by giving up three runs on five hits over six innings while walking two and striking out eight in an 8-3 win over Jackson Memorial. Serreino also allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out seven in three innings of an 18-0 Jackson Liberty win over Monsignor Donovan on Monday. In all, Serreino allowed three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out 15 in nine innings this week.
Class A North
Player of the Week
Julius Saporito, Sr., Freehold Twp. (See Above)
Runners Up: Joe Silvestrone, Freehold Twp.; Ryan Byrd, Middletown North; Ryan Wares, Howell; Joe Varile, Colts Neck; Will Morgan, CBA
Pitcher of the Week
Gianni Magliaro, Sr., Colts Neck
The Cougars right-hander avoided contact at all costs against Middletown North on Thursday and the result was a complete-game one-hitter in a 2-1 Colts Neck win over the Lions. Magliaro overcame nine walks and got within one out of a no-hitter before allowing a single to Ryan Byrd. Magliaro countered the high walk total with 16 strikeouts, the highest single-game total in the Shore Conference this season.
Runners Up: Kenny Carrier, Freehold Twp.; Mike Garvey, CBA; Nick Serra, Manalapan; Luca Dalatri, CBA
Class A Central
Player of the Week
Anthony Santoro, Sr., St. John Vianney
Santoro said coming into the week, the goal of he and his teammates was to be more selectively aggressive at the plate: lay off the offspeed stuff that opposing pitchers were showing the Lancers' middle-of-the-order hitters and attack when they gave in with fastballs. The strategy worked for Santoro and St. John Vianney, which scored 24 runs in three games this week, losing only to South Jersey power Washington Township on Saturday, 6-4. Santoro started his week by working two walks and driving in a run during a 15-5 win over Holmdel, then stepped up against Vianney’s top competition later in the week. He went 2-for-4 Saturday with a double off Rumson junior and Old Dominion recruit Morgan Maguire and hit a two-run homer off senior Seton Hall recruit Shane McCarthy. Later that night, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the loss to the Minutemen.
Runners Up: Dan Valerio, Monmouth; Tommy Toole, Manasquan; Mike Alescio, Red Bank Catholic; Chris Morris, St. John Vianney; Andrew Campi, Shore; Morgan Maguire, Rumson-Fair Haven
Pitcher of the Week
Jack Kissinger, Sr., Red Bank Catholic
The Caseys had to sort through their pitching during the early part of the season, but it appears as though they might have found something this week with Kissinger and Al Molina. Kissinger continued his strong start to the season by throwing a four-hit shutout in a win over Holmdel, walking only two and striking out 11.
Runners Up: Mike Kelleher, Raritan; Justin Chin, St. John Vianney; Al Molina, Red Bank Catholic; James Kelly, Shore; Andrew Schulz, Shore
Class A South
Player of the Week
Matt Cathey, Jr., Brick Memorial
The Mustangs came into the week averaging only two runs per game over their first seven, but broke out in a big way. Cathey led the charge by going 6-for-7 with two doubles, four RBI and two stolen bases in wins over Toms River North and Toms River South. He was a perfect 4-4 with two doubles and three RBI in an 8-1 win over the Indians to cap the week.
Runners Up: C.J. Hirschy, Toms River East; Matt Guarino, Jackson Memorial; Matt Olsen, Brick; Ty Hobbs, Brick Memorial, Nick Liantonio, Southern
Pitcher of the Week
Evan Lobato, Sr., Brick
This week was a big one for long relievers, as four Shore Conference pitchers – Lobato, Chris Barcas of Wall, Kenny Carrier of Freehold Township and Jared Lubanski of Southern – pitched at least four scoreless innings of relief for their respective teams. Lobato pitched the final 6 1/3 innings of a 4-3 Brick win over Toms River North in 13 innings, allowing no runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 11 before Matt Olsen won the game in the bottom of the 13th inning with a walk-off single.
Runners Up: Stephan Cole, Brick; Jeff Connova, Toms River East; Chris Hawryluk, Jackson Memorial; Anthony Assante, Brick Memorial
Class B North
Player of the Week
Nick Belka, Jr., Freehold
The Colonials have begun to round into form this season while trying to replace some key losses in their pitching staff from last year, and the offense has done a great deal to carry the load. Belka had a solid week for Freehold, going 3-for-3 with two RBI in a 7-4 win over Chesterfield, Pa., in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and also went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in a 10-6 win over Point Boro back in N.J.
Runners Up: Latrell Jones, Neptune; Nick Conklin, Long Branch; Tim Willey, Wall; Branden Biegert Wall; Adam Elliot, Matawan
Pitcher of the Week
Chris Barcas, Sr., Wall
The Crimson Knights were not planning to use their slick-fielding senior shortstop on the mound, but in a 15-inning game Saturday against Freehold Township, Barcas pitched the equivalent of a six-hit shutout after coming on in the eighth inning. Barcas left the game after pitching a scoreless 14th inning and Freehold Township promptly scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 15th.
Runners Up: Dan Verderese, Ocean; Christian Sanchez, Long Branch; Anthony Bartolomei, Ocean
Class B Central
Player of the Week
Matt Eckert, Sr., Mater Dei Prep
The Seraphs stayed in the Class B Central division race this week with a 3-0 division record and came up just short in a 3-1 loss to Freehold in the Monmouth County Tournament opening round. Eckert delievered a key RBI single in a crucial 5-4 win over Keansburg and later homered and drove in four runs in a 10-0 win over Ranney.
Pitcher of the Week
Josh Heck, Sr., Keansburg
The senior right-hander turned in his best outing Friday to help give Keansburg its biggest win of the year, a 7-0 victory over Point Beach. Heck pitched a four-hit shutout with no walks and eight strikeouts, silencing the Garnet Gulls' bats as the Titans offense gave him plenty of run support.
Runners Up: Sam Miles, Mater Dei Prep; Kevin Donnelly, Point Beach
Class B South
Player of the Week
Howard Taylor, Jr., Jackson Liberty
The unofficial first runner up for overall player of the week, Taylor’s breakout stretch over the last seven days is a big reason why Jackson Liberty has turned its season around. After going 4-for-4 with two RBI in a win over Monsignor Donovan and pitching three perfect innings to pick up a win in an 11-0 decision over Lakewood, Taylor connected on one of the biggest swings of the Shore Conference season to date. The junior belted a sixth-inning grand slam to extend his team’s lead over rival Jackson Memorial to 8-3 and the Lions went on to beat the third-ranked Jaguars for their fourth straight win.
Pitcher of the Week
Dan Serreino, Sr., Jackson Liberty (See Above)
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