Ben Schild

Pitching is the name of the game in the preseason Shore 16 and for the second straight year, the non-public teams of the Shore are leading the field to open the season.

CBA has a young team, but a hammer on the mound that will make the Colts the favorite in an always-loaded Class A North division.

Joe Stanzione crushed two more home runs and Ben Schild was a force on the mound and at the plate as Middletown South routed Wall to win the Monmouth County Tournament title.

Sophomore Louis D'Alessio and junior Matt Sliva provided the offense while Ben Schild and Evan Wood were in vintage form as Middletown South took down Cranford Wednesday.

Middletown South scrapped for early offense, Ben Schild battled into the fifth inning and Evan Wood closed it out -- a familiar formula for the Eagles that resulted in a win over Marlboro on Friday.

Coming off a Superb sophomore season, Middletown South right-handed pitcher Ben Schild announced his verbal commitment to UConn on Tuesday.

Ben Schild pitched a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and Middletown South beat Montclair to capture its first NJSIAA Group IV championship in 25 years.

Led by Joe Stanzione's power hitting, Middletown South made clutch play after clutch play late Monday to pull out a thrilling, 4-3 win over Clearview in the Group IV semifinal.

Matt Pontari pitched a six-hit shutout to outduel Marlboro's Mark Capell and deliver Middletown South its first sectional championship since 2011.

The talented 2020 Class did not get a chance to soar as seniors at Middletown South. Experienced or not, this year's team is carrying the torch into the Shore Conference Tournament final.

RBC's Shane Panzini, Jackson Memorial's Zach Crotchfelt and Middletown South's Ben Schild were overpowering in lopsided wins for their respective teams at the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick.

Losing 2020 was a big blow for Middletown South, but the Eagles still have the pitching to contend in a loaded Class A North division.