Baseball – 2015 Preview: Class A North

The 2014 Shore Conference baseball season will be remembered for the championship postseason runs of four teams: St. John Vianney, Jackson Memorial and Shore Regional in their respective NJSIAA Group Tournaments, and Christian Brothers Academy in both the Shore Conference and Monmouth County Tournaments. The Colts rode lights-out ace Luca Dalatri to both titles and proved themselves a tournament-ready squad that also almost slugged their way past St. John Vianney in the South Jersey Non-Public A semifinals without much pitching left to lean on.

As great as CBA was last year, the Colts did not win 20 games and finished third in Class A North – three games behind division champion Colts Neck. Strangely enough, one of the conference’s best divisions does not have a defending division champion now that Colts Neck has moved to B North, but it does have a potential juggernaut in the Colts. With Dalatri returning to the top of the rotation and three other sluggers returning to the lineup, CBA has the foundation in place to exceed the season it put together last year.

As Colts Neck showed last year, though, it takes an entire roster to put together a steady enough 14 games to win a division like this one. CBA is the favorite, but Manalapan, Marlboro and Middletown South all return strong rosters with good pitching staffs that could give CBA a problem on the right day. Freehold Boro gives the division a new look and the Colonials return a young roster that held its own in B North last year, while Howell, Freehold Township and Middletown North remain dangerous despite some key losses. There is still a wealth of talent in A North, particularly on the mound, but one team has talent that stands above the rest.

Christian Brothers Academy

Head Coach: Marty Kenney, 42nd season
Record Last Season: 18-8 (8-6, third in A North)

Key Losses: Ryan Ramiz (CF), Pete Papcun (3B), Mark Mancuso (SS)
Key Newcomers: Trey Nelson (Sr., 3B), Matt D’Angelo (Sr., SS), James Miller (Sr., P), Shane Turk (Sr., P/OF), Brendan Shaw (Sr., 2B), Brendan Galvin (Jr., C), Cid Porter (Jr., OF), Kenny Campbell (Jr., P/INF), Luke Chece (Jr., P/OF), Joe Gargana (Jr., P), Austen Tieri (Sr., P), Mike Triandafellos (Jr., 1B), Ryan Nelson (Jr., P)

Most teams that have to replace two Division I players will look to temper expectations, but then again, most teams don’t graduate two Division I players while also returning five Division I players – including two ACC recruits. The junior battery of right-hander Luca Dalatri and catcher Brandon Martorano are both committed to the University of North Carolina after Dalatri announced his decision in the fall, while seniors Griffin Arnott and Matt D’Angelo are both committed to St. Peter’s and senior Will Morgan is headed to Old Dominion.

Dalatri is coming off of one of the best Shore Conference pitching seasons ever and has a chance to rewrite the CBA record book over the next two years after setting a number of single-season records as a sophomore. Senior Mike Garvey got some valuable mound experience before some arm discomfort crept up at the end of the season, and the right-hander is poised to slot in behind Dalatri in the rotation. Morgan was a first-team All-Shore outfielder while senior first basemen John Moschella and second basemen Andrew Buccellatto both had strong seasons in their first year as starters. D’Angelo moves into a starting job at shortstop, while Trey Nelson is the favorite to take over at third base for Papcun.

The outfield has some question marks because Arnott will miss the bulk of the season due to injury, but the rest of the Colts squad is loaded with talent. Although the Colts only finished third in Class A North behind division champ Colts Neck (now in Class B North) and Freehold Township (graduated seven starters in the field and all of the rotation), they won both the Monmouth County and Shore Conference Tournaments and will be the favorites to do so again this year while also reclaiming the Class A North crown.

Marlboro

Head Coach: Jim Ferraro, seventh season
Record Last Season: 11-12 (5-9, seventh in A North)

Key Losses: Justin Trochiano (SS), Jeff Goldrosen (C), Dustn Jensen (P/OF), Corey Goldstein (P), Matt Nelson (P)
Key Newcomers: Dylan Finn (Jr., OF), Andrew Gambardella (Jr., INF), Noah Thomas (So., OF), Chase Sandler (Jr., C), Justin Kaplan (Jr., P), Jeremy Bello (So., P), Donnie Alfano (Jr., P), Matt Dean (Jr., P), Gene Napolitano (So., C)

Based on track record, CBA appears to be the clear favorite in Class A North, but winning this division is never easy and there are a handful of teams capable of challenging CBA for the top spot. Marlboro had an up-and-down season into May, but put together a run in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV Tournament and was within four outs of beating Monroe and reaching the sectional final. The Mustangs will have to replace two key players up the middle in catcher Jeff Goldrosen and Monmouth University freshman Justin Trochiano, but they will return a load of pitching talent as well of a handful of players who proved valuable last year.

Marlboro’s chances to make noise in Class A North and beyond rest on the left arm of senior starter Andrew Nardi, a third-team All-Shore hurler as a junior who returns as one of the top pitchers in the Shore Conference. Senior right-hander and St. Peter’s recruit Steve Epstein will slot into the No. 2 spot in the rotation and is poised for his best varsity season. Junior Jeremy Dyzenhaus pitched his way into the picture as a sophomore, and Phil Saglietto will figure into this rotation when he is not playing right field.

Senior center fielder Mike Santaromita, senior third baseman Steve Santigate and junior first baseman Brian Reilly will lead the Mustangs lineup, which came on strong at the end of the 2014 campaign. Santaromita is a standout defender and athlete in center field as well, and Trochiano’s younger brother, Will, is a sophomore shortstop who should continue Marlboro’s run of strong defensive shortstops. With Colts Neck now in B North and Freehold Township replacing an entire lineup, the public division race is wide open and whichever team can climb to the front of that race will have a chance to challenge CBA. A better start will be crucial for Marlboro to do that, but regardless of how April goes, the Mustangs will be a dangerous tournament team with all of that pitching.

Middletown South

Head Coach: Ryan Spillane, seventh season
Record Last Season: 11-14 (6-8, tied fourth in A North)

Key Losses: Kyle Brey (SS/P), Andrew Wisialko (OF), Tom Marinello (3B), Christian Penk (C/DH), Joe Timmins (OF)
Key Newcomers: Tom Frandsen (Jr., OF), Tom Gannon (Jr., OF/INF), Zach Grant (Jr., P), Bobby Gyurindak (Jr., P), David Mangarelli (Jr., OF), Joe McLaughlin (Jr., P), Ian Schuer (Jr., P/1B), Maxx Imsho (So., OF), Jeremy Joyce (So., INF), Jeff Lewandowski (So., OF/P), Jon Martin (So., P), Ben Popora (So., 3B)

An 11-14 season is out of character for the Middletown South program that coach Ryan Spillane has run during his six-year tenure, but last year also included a run to the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals with a team heavy on sophomores. Just like most any other team, the Eagles will have some key pieces to replace – namely shortstop Kyle Brey and right fielder Andrew Wisialko – but they will now benefit from three core players maturing from sophomores to juniors this season.

Junior Johnny Zega returns with a full year under his belt as both a top pitcher in the division and two-way talent with respect to offense and defense. The Eagles struggled offensively as a team last year and a step forward from Zega, as well as seniors Nolan Pereless and Zac deRocco, would give Middletown South a more formidable hitting attack to go with a young pitching staff that will combine with an improved defense to again keep opponents to low run-scoring totals.

Junior Austin Markmann was the breakout pitcher for the Eagles last season, leading the team in innings and wins, two of which were 1-0 shutouts in back-to-back rounds of the MCT against NJSIAA Non-Public A champion St. John Vianney and rival Middletown North. DeRocco also has starting experience and junior Ian Schuer will eat up some innings as well. Junior Zach Schild will handle the staff as the team’s catcher and will look to be more of an offensive factor this season. With an older team, Middletown South should develop some more thunder at the plate to complement an already accomplished pitching staff. A more proven roster is a welcome change for any program, and the Eagles have shown that they can compete year in and year out when the talent is there.

Manalapan

Head Coach: Brian Boyce, 10th season
Record Last Season: 11-14 (6-8, tied fourth in A North)

Key Losses: Matt Parke (2B), Jon Strouse (OF), Dan Russo (SS), Alex Wolf (P), Will Meany (OF), John Diana (SS)
Key Newcomers: Matt Klepper (Sr., 3B), Joe Ciaccio (Sr., OF), Jake Kupfer (Sr., OF), Nick Surhoff (Sr., 3B), Marc Benevento (Jr., OF), Tyler Stafflinger (Jr., P), Carmine Rainone (Jr., 2B), Chris Winters (Jr., 2B/C), Mike Mollica (Jr., OF), John Crockett (Jr., OF), Matt Rosenberg (Jr., OF)

The Braves were hoping that last year’s team could begin the climb back toward a Group IV championship, a feat Manalapan achieved in both 2011 and 2012. While some of Manalapan’s young talent made some strides, things never quite clicked. So while it could be problematic that Manalapan loses a lot of statistical production from 2014, the Braves also return a quartet of juniors who all showed promise as sophomores at the varsity level, as well as an experienced pitching staff that has talent despite taking some lumps last year.

Left-hander Jake Sadowitz leads the returning crop of juniors after headlining the pitching staff as a sophomore while also posting a .400 on-base percentage in the top-half of the order. Junior Chris Rodriguez is a standout athlete who played all over the diamond over the last two years and now moves to shortstop full time. Center fielder Stephen Hansen and catcher Stephen Carbonara are key pieces up the middle who also proved reliable as sophomores. Seniors Ryan McGrane and Matt Klepper will also factor into the lineup, with Klepper looking to bounce back from a 2014 season lost to injury.

The junior-heavy lineup will have a pitching staff rich with seniors behind Sadowitz. Nick Serra showed good control in his 41 innings last year and fellow senior A.J. Kawa was effective, mostly in relief. Senior Nick Marotta rounds out the rotation, which will be a key to Manalapan getting back into the A North race.

Howell

Head Coach: Eric Johnson, sixth season
Record Last Season: 9-12 (6-8, tied fourth in A North)

Key Losses: Ryan Wares (P/2B), Zach Loroesh (P/1B), Mike Levy (OF), John Monahan (P), Matt Daukshaus (P)
Key Newcomers: Connor Boyle (Sr., 2B), John Stratton (Sr., 3B/C), Austin Kroeger (Sr., P/1B), Donovan O’Malley (Jr., 2B/P), Nick Poyer (Sr., P), Matt Furlong (Jr., P), Joey Corsentino (Sr., OF), Matt Scanlon (Jr., 3B), Christian Gedell (Jr., OF)

During a season of mixed results in 2014, Howell had trouble putting pitching together beyond ace and current Rutgers freshman Ryan Wares, and now the challenge will be to replace the whole pitching staff that Wares anchored. Only junior Brian Chaballa returns with noteworthy experience, although that experience came in relief duty. In a division with three proven pitching staffs and a senior-laden one at Manalapan, Howell will have to play catch-up in the pitching department while compensating in other areas.

Fortunately for the Rebels, they return a strong group of position-player talent. Senior catcher Rob Napolitano was one of the Shore Conference’s top offensive backstops as a junior and will hold down the middle of the order. Junior Troy Miller felt the effects of a sophomore slump for parts of the 2014 season, but finished strong and put up a respectable .400 on-base percentage while continuing to come along defensively. Senior outfielder Andrew Larsen was a steady presence in the lineup and junior second baseman Justin Steel was one of the team’s top hitters during the second half of the season.

Mike Parisi and Dan Matrisciano both have experience at the two corner infield spots, while Connor Fey, James Wynne and Matt Fletcher are all slated for two-way duty. The offensive part of that duty should not be much of a concern for Howell, but the pitching will be crucial if the Rebels are to take advantage of a good hitting team and a group that should catch the ball for its inexperienced pitching staff.

Freehold

Head Coach: Jon Block, 24th season
Record Last Season: 10-13 (7-5, fourth in Class B North)

Key Losses: Alex Mulhern (2B), Zach Mulhern (OF), John Bostic (1B), Luke Tiefenthaler (OF), Connor Peppard (3B), Dean Marino (P), Paul Tashian (P)
Key Newcomers: Nick Zuppe (Jr., P/OF), James Manos (Jr., P/OF), Matt Cunha (Jr., OF), Tom Holdorf (So., P/1B), Mark Costanzo (Fr., P/SS)

Three years removed from a trip to the Group III championship game, the Colonials are slowly climbing back to that level after fielding a team full of freshmen and sophomores at key spots last season. Moving from Class B North to Class A North will present a new set of challenges, but Freehold has the kind of young core mixed with a handful of proven seniors that should make the Colonials competitive with the likes of Marlboro, Middletown South and Manalapan in the chase for the Class A North public division title.

Senior Dante Cuzzolino will once again lead the pitching staff as its senior and will also see more action at second base this season with the graduation of all-division infielder Alex Mulhern. Fellow seniors Nick Belka and outfielder Tommy Colon are the other two returning seniors, with Belka coming back with experience at third and first. Nick LaMorte started behind the plate as a sophomore last year and Ryan Yee is in line for more playing time in the outfield heading into his junior season. Sophomore Chris Cassandra started at shortstop as a freshman and is more advanced than most sophomores, particularly at the most important position on the infield.

Sophomore left-hander Dan Chiusano exhibited polish on the mound as a freshman and is a player to watch after the Colonials carefully managed his workload last year. Junior Steve Rullo will round out the first three of the rotation after a solid sophomore season, and if the trio of Cuzzolino, Chiusano and Rullo continues to progress, Freehold should make a nice transition into A North and be a factor in the public title race during the second turn through the division schedule.

Middletown North

Head Coach: Justin Nathanson, first season
Record Last Season: 7-14 (4-10, eighth in A North)

Key Losses: Ryan Bird (CF), Mike Bartels (3B), Ryan Goscinski (C), Mike Zibrin (P/1B), Matt Reilly (OF), Frank Dente (P/DH), Jake Bailey (2B)
Key Newcomers: Walter Shopf (Jr., C), T.J. Vivian (Sr., P), Tyler Ras (Fr., INF/OF/P), Josh Brucato (Sr., P), Marc Cerbo (So., 2B/SS), Seth Ziegler (Jr., 1B/2B), Anthony Vetrano (Jr., C/1B/OF), Cole Fluta (Jr., 2B/SS), Hunter Rinn (Jr., P), Vince Pianoforte (Sr., 1B/C), Chuck Estelle (Sr., P/OF), Mike Cavallino (Sr., P)

Like their rivals to the south, the Lions lacked enough offensive punch to get over the hump in a Class A North division loaded with pitching, which included Middletown North’s own ace, Mike Zibrin. Not only will the Lions have to replace Zibrin at the top of the staff, but current senior Conor Youncofski will not be able to pitch due to a torn UCL in his pitching elbow that will require Tommy John surgery. The silver lining for the Lions is that Youncofski will be able to put off surgery until the end of the season so he can serve as the designated hitter during his senior season. Along with returning junior third baseman Kyle Capo, Youncofski will look to anchor a lineup that looks to do some more damage in a division that is still unforgiving in the pitching department.

With plenty of innings to fill in the rotation, junior right-hander Phil Pecherski will be called upon to build on his solid work as a junior. Senior T.J. Vivian and freshman Tyler Ras will also pick up some of those innings, and Ras is likely to find his way into the lineup on a game-to-game basis during his first high school season. Senior Ed Sena is one of the better defensive shortstops in the division and he and Capo give the Lions a defensive left side that could give them a much-needed edge in division of talented, experienced clubs.

Freehold Township

Head Coach: Todd Smith, sixth season
Record Last Season: 17-7 (10-4, second in A North)

Key Losses: Chris Talbott (3B/P), Nick Cardace (1B), Joe Ellerman (P/2B), Steve Derby (OF), Mike Alexander (SS), Julius Saporito (OF), Kenny Carrier (OF/P), Chris Rose (DH), Joe Decelie (P)
Key Newcomers:  Kevin Gordon (Sr., C), Brandon Roth (Sr., OF), Austin Ramos (Sr., OF), Jason Spieler (Sr., OF), Tom Benedict (Sr., P), Jimmy Feingold (Sr., P), Pete Nielsen (Jr., P), Brian Oliver (Jr., INF), Lane Shapiro Jr., (INF/OF), John Carroll Jr., (1B/P), Matt Gorman (Jr., OF), Andrew Ventura (Jr., P), Jake Russo (Jr., 3B), Rob Nitti (Jr., C), Pete Gambino (Jr., P), Ralph Gambino (So., SS/P), Mike Pirrotta (So., P/1B)

The Patriots made a strong run at a division title last year with a senior-heavy team and came up just short of both Class A North and Monmouth County Tournament titles. Freehold Township will now have to deal with the fallout of graduating seven position players and an entire pitching staff from that squad, and doing so in a division with so many capable teams will only make the task even taller for the Pats. Senior catcher Joe Silvestrone is the lone returning starter, albeit a very good lone returnee. Silvestrone put up an on-base percentage better than .400 to go with a .500 slugging percentage and will have to anchor the batting order after hitting in the middle of a deep lineup last year.

Seniors Rob Erikson and Kyle Fenton are the lone returnees from the regular roster, but neither logged more than 12 at-bats as juniors. Erikson will slot in at second base, while Fenton will serve as a utility role. The Patriots have some quality arms in camp and could eventually put together a strong staff – a requirement to compete in this division – and two of those are sophomores Ralph Gambino and Mike Pirrotta. Gambino will also play shortstop and Pirotta will man first base as the Patriots look to build their team back up and compete in a deep division.

Division Lineup

Brandon Martorano, Catcher, CBA – The North Carolina commit showed off his wheels with five triples last year, matching a CBA single-season record.

John Moschella, First Baseman, CBA – On a team with some good hitters in the lineup, Moschella might have been the one opponents were most afraid to pitch to by the end of the year.

Andrew Buccellatto, Second Baseman, CBA – Overlooked a bit on a talented team, but Buccellatto had good at-bats when CBA needed them and played a solid second base as well.

Johnny Zega, Shortstop, Middletown South – The offense has not been there yet, but the defense and performance on the mound has college scouts checking in on the Eagles junior.

Chris Rodriguez, Shortstop, Manalapan – One of the best athletes on the Shore Conference diamond, Rodriguez will man shortstop full time for Manalapan after playing more of a utility role last year as a sophomore.

Will Morgan, Outfielder, CBA – One of two Shore Conference players headed to Old Dominion, Morgan will look to follow up a big statistical junior season by anchoring a lineup the Colts hope can contend for consecutive Monmouth County and Shore Conference tournaments, as well as a state title.

Mike Santaromita, Center Fielder, Marlboro – Athletic, rangy center fielder with some pop in his left-handed bat to go with the good glove.

Stephen Hansen, Center Fielder, Manalapan – Another of Manalapan’s talented juniors up the middle of the field, Hansen came up with a number of big hits as a junior and put up solid numbers in a pitching-rich division.

Rob Napolitano, Catcher, Howell – An improved defensive catcher from his early high school years, Napolitano still makes his mark with the bat, as displayed by a junior-year slugging percentage approaching .700.

Division Rotation

Luca Dalatri, RHP, CBA – The North Carolina commit is coming off one of the great pitching seasons in CBA and Shore Conference history and he is still only a junior.

Andrew Nardi, LHP, Marlboro – Broke out as a sophomore in 2013 and did not miss a beat as a junior. One of the best aces in the Shore.

Austin Markmann, RHP, Middletown South – As a sophomore, Markmann threw a pair of 1-0 shutouts in the Monmouth County Tournament, including one against Non-Public A champion St. John Vianney.

Jake Sadowitz, LHP, Manalapan – Pitched to an ERA a tick above 2.00 and also put up a .400 on-base percentage at the plate as a sophomore. He is already committed to the University of Pennsylvania.

Dante Cuzzolino, RHP, Freehold – The Colonials have a good staff coming back, led by their right-handed senior.

Breakout Players to Watch

Kyle Capo, Third Baseman, Middletown North – The numbers don’t jump out, but this is a difficult division in which to put up numbers and the tools are there on both sides of the ball.

Brian Reilly, First Baseman, Marlboro – Emerged as a sophomore starter for the Mustangs and will be a big part of this year’s lineup.

Troy Miller, Shortstop, Howell – Faced some bad luck on balls in play while also showing patience. With another year to develop, big numbers should be on the way.

Dan Chiusano, LHP, Freehold – A strong freshman year has to have people around the Colonials program thinking about another version of Jake Yanez, the lefty who helped lead Freehold to a Group III final in 2012.

Matt D’Angelo, Shortstop, CBA – St. Peter’s commit will have his turn playing shortstop for a team with its eyes on every big prize out there.