The Shore Daily, 4/1/15
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Today marks the opening of the high school baseball season around New Jersey and also is a big night for Manasquan basketball star Marina Mabrey, who will play with the top players in the country in the prestigious McDonald's All-American game at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
Here are all the links you need to get ready for baseball season with divisional predictions, players to watch, breakout players to watch and plenty more:
As far as state-wide, there are three Shore Conference teams ranked in the Top 20 by the Star-Ledger, led by SSN's No. 1 team, Christian Brothers Academy, at No. 3 in New Jersey. MSG Varsity also has three Shore teams in the preseason top 15 state rankings.
The Shore Conference season starts with a pair of Top 10 match-ups right off the bat, including a big one in Class A South when No. 7 Toms River South heads to No. 2 Jackson Memorial. Seven of our preseason Top 10 teams are in action, including No. 1 CBA down in Florida tonight against Springfield (Pa.). Colts Neck travels to Middletown South in a nondivisional showdown between Top 10 squads, No. 5 Barnegat gets a solid early test against Pinelands in B South, St. Rose tests itself early outside of Class B Central with a game against No. 9 Marlboro, and Central and Jackson Liberty square off in an immediate test between Class B South contenders.
All in all, plenty to watch for on a balmy 52-degree day. At least the sun is out, which is the best you can ask for early in the season in Northeast baseball.
BASKETBALL
Consensus New Jersey Player of the Year Marina Mabrey of Manasquan will get to showcase her talents on the national stage tonight on ESPNU at the girls McDonald's All-American Game at 6:30 out at the United Center in Chicago. This week has been a chance for her to catch up with some future Notre Dame teammates, as two more Fighting Irish recruits are also playing in the game.
Mabrey and her older sister, Notre Dame junior Michaela Mabrey, are the only siblings in Shore Conference history to both play in the McDonald's game, so this is yet another piece of history for the Shore's first family of basketball.
FOOTBALL
A trio of Pinelands standouts have announced their college football commitments. Two-way lineman Dave DeFeo, an All-Class B South selection, is headed to Salisbury University, senior two-way lineman Dave Staton, another All-Class B South pick, has chosen Lock Haven University, and senior defensive end/tight end Jake Stuerze will continue his career at Delaware Valley College, where Raritan WR/DB Dylan Dewysockie recently committed.
Also, the Gridiron Showcase event, which will feature a host of college coaches from Division III to FCS programs evaluating New Jersey talent on June 13-14 at Colts Neck High School, has added a featured speaker who is well-known by the Shore. Former Marlboro star defensive lineman Dan Klecko, who was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year at Temple and won three Super Bowl rings in his career between the Colts and Patriots, is scheduled to make an appearance. The event is being run by Manasquan offensive line coach Donny Klein, who is close with Klecko and played with him at Temple.
More on Wednesday:
- Former CBA star Joe Dudek hit a bomb in North Carolina's win yesterday.
- Former Monmouth University star Miles Austin is looking to put his injury troubles behind him and start fresh with the Eagles.
- Powerful story about a mom who tracked how the organs of her infant son, who died after six days, helped others.
- A high school girl from New York enlisted members of the New York Jets to help her ask her friend with autism to the prom in a great video.
- The Phillies could have the worst team in MLB this year and will now start selling hard liquor at Citizens Bank Park. Hide the women and children, mainly because they will also probably be drinking bourbon, too. I may purchase body armor before going to a game with my Mets hat on.
- A stranger is saving a woman's life by donating his kidney after seeing her plea for help written on the window of her car.
- The world's oldest person died in Japan at 117. That's a hell of a run.
- Remembering Bobby Phills, an all-around good guy for the Hornets who made a mistake that cost him his life.
On tap for today: As mentioned above, it's Opening Day in baseball, plus lacrosse action continues.
I'll end with the three state championships that ended last season in historic fashion for the Shore Conference. Let's play ball.
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