Baseball – VOTE: Adrenaline Week 5 Player and Pitcher of the Week
Each week during the 2021, Shore Sports Network will recognize eight players and eight pitchers who stood out during the past week from Monday to Sunday - a division player and pitcher of the week from each of the six Shore Conference divisions and two wild cards in each category.
Vote in the two polls at the bottom of the post once per hour until they close on Thursday at 10 p.m. The single player with the most votes between the two polls will receive a $25 gift card to Burger 25 in Toms River.
Class A North Player of the Week
Chris Ellison, Howell
For the first two weeks of the season, Howell ran out one effective pitcher after the other. After a five-game losing streak, the Rebels are rolling again and now, it’s all about the offense and last week, it was all about Ellison. The senior had one of the most dominant weeks at the plate of any hitter this season, going 10-for-14 (.714) with four home runs and 10 RBI in four games. Most of that damage came in two games against Monroe and Jackson Liberty, with Ellison blasting two home runs and driving in four in a loss at Monroe and driving in five with two more homers in a home rout of Jackson Liberty. Ellison also went a combined 4-for-8 with a double in two wins over CBA.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Max Graime, Manalapan; Chris Marzo, Manalapan; Gavin Kus, CBA; Thomas Strauch, Howell; Ryan Behnken, Howell; Tyler Abbot, Long Branch; Xavier Camacho, Long Branch; Joe Lomangino, Marlboro; Frank Talarico, Marlboro; Harrison Campi, CBA; Russell Halvorsen, Howell; Anthony Matteis, Manalapan; Ryan Keegan, Freehold Twp.; Nick Kolozsvary, Freehold Twp.; Matt Pontari, Middletown South
Class A Central Player of the Week
Nick Callano, Ocean
To stay in the Class A Central race for first place, Ocean had to win at least two games last week and the Spartans came through. Callano was a major factor in getting his team those two wins, including a 4-2 win at Red Bank Catholic to open the week. Callano hit a big RBI triple in the seventh inning to provide some cushion, then came in to close the game on the mound by striking out the side in the seventh. Callano then went 1-for-3 with a double in two more games that week – a 7-4 loss to RBC and a 10-0 win over St. Rose.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Shane Panzini, Red Bank Catholic; Alex Stanyek, Red Bank Catholic; Brandon Cieplensky, Holmdel; Brett Hilsheimer, Holmdel; Brett Minto, Monmouth; Alex Dekis, Raritan; Chris Gonzalez, Raritan; Ben Hutchins, Raritan; Trevor Crochet, Shore; John Bruno, Rumson-Fair Haven; Owen Kenney, Rumson-Fair Haven; Thomas Elgrim, Rumson-Fair Haven
Class A South Player of the Week
Christian Kuhl, Brick
Last week was a huge offensive stretch for Brick, which had four players (Kuhl, Matt Kunzman, Ryan Duffy and Brian Yakovchuk) post an OPS of at least 1.500 in at least 10 plate appearances. Forced to tab one Green Dragons slugger as the Player of the Week, the pick is Kuhl, who, along with Duffy, crushed a pair of home runs during his big week. In total, Kuhl went 7-for-13 (.538) with a double, two homers team-highs in RBI (seven) and OPS (1.648) for the week.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Ryan Duffy, Brick; Matt Kunzman, Brick; Cole Manfro, Brick Memorial; Nick Hoheb, Brick; Bobby Sabatino, Toms River East; Jack Tava, Toms River North; Ryan Turner, Brick Memorial; Brandon Hulsart, Brick Memorial; Evan Agrapides, Central; Shane Sajewicz, Central; Trevor Coltenback, Central; Brian Yakovchuk, Brick; Aidan Folsom, Toms River South; Eli McEwan, Toms River South
Class B North Player of the Week
Ryan Deegan, Manasquan
After his team was no-hit on Tuesday of last week, Deegan jumpstarted the offense to lead Manasquan to two big wins. In those two games, Deegan hit a combined 3-for-6 with two triples, a home run and seven RBI, including a five-RBI outburst as Manasquan took down Freehold Township – currently the first-place team in a loaded Class A North division.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Andrew Glauber, Red Bank; Nate Ruth, Red Bank; Andrew Fischer, Wall; Max Kaplan, Wall; Brady Oswick, St. John Vianney; Dan Afflito, St. John Vianney; Collin Kratzer, Colts Neck; Brad Salamone, Colts Neck; Mike Caldon, Matawan; Tim Egan, Matawan; Tyler Persico, Neptune
Class B Central Player of the Week
Anthony Longo, Keyport
Longo carried Keyport during a 3-0 week for the Red Raiders, putting in standout work both in the batter’s box and on the mound. At the plate, Longo was 6-for-8 with two triples, a home run, three walks, eight runs scored and four RBI and was particularly unkind in two wins over Mater Dei Prep (5-for-5, two triples, one homer, seven runs and four RBI). On the mound, he started his week by closing out a 4-2 win over Henry Hudson with a perfect seventh inning, then pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and no walks against Mater Dei two days later.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Colin Matuschat, Point Beach; Jake Mitchell, Keyport; Jack DiPaolo, Keyport; D.J. Thomson, Keyport; Andrew Banick, Point Beach; Connor DeLorenzo, Point Beach; Rian Rivera, Keansburg
Class B South Player of the Week
Anthony Mursko, Donovan Catholic
Donovan Catholic dropped a humbling loss to Manchester in the Shore Conference Tournament opening round but got right back to work by going 5-0 last week. The Griffins lineup was effective up-and-down the order and Mursko was as locked-in as anyone. The junior started the week with a clutch RBI single to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning against Lacey, then later belted a home run in a 3-for-4, three-RBI performance against Pinelands. Mursko also went 2-for-4 with an RBI in an 11-1 win over previously-surging Holmdel.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Gavin Degnan, Donovan Catholic; Justin Bye, Barnegat; Logan Duffy, Manchester; Garrett Drew, Jackson Liberty; Chris Sasso, Jackson Liberty; Dan Keenan, Jackson Liberty; Sam Gates, Donovan Catholic; Connor Cilento, Point Boro; Brandon DeAngelo, Lacey; Matt Kaliske, Lacey
Wild Cards
Max Graime, Manalapan
It was another noteworthy week for Manalapan, which inched closer to a share of the Class A North championship and also qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals. Graime (.545, two doubles, six RBI) and senior Chris Marzo (.563, one double, one triple, three RBI) were the big performers during the week, posting very similar numbers during the three-game stretch. Graime wins the tie-breaking for clinching a 7-6 win over Manchester on Saturday with a game-winning, walk-off, two-run double that sent the Braves to the SCT semifinals.
Andrew Glauber, Red Bank
Red Bank had a strong showing last week and Glauber’s fingerprints were all over it. In three games, the senior went 7-for-12 (.583) at the plate with a double, triple, home run and three RBI to help the Bucs go 2-1. The one loss they suffered last week was a three-hitter by Neptune ace Brian Young and Glauber still managed to check in with a hit. He also pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts to help Red Bank take the first of two games against Neptune – a game in which he also went 3-for-5 with a double and a home run.
Class A North Pitcher of the Week
Colin Dowlen, Middletown North
With so many impressive arms in the area, there have been dominant pitching performances in the Shore Conference this year, but Dowlen’s is at the top of the list so far in 2021. The Lions flame-thrower was at his best last week in the first of three games his team played against rival Middletown South, which had no answer in the batter’s box. Dowlen took a perfect game into the seventh inning and after finally issuing a pair of walks, finished off a 15-strikeout no-hitter by striking out the side.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Ben Schild, Middletown South; Nick DiMaggio, Manalapan; Zach Gorman, Freehold Twp.
Class A Central Pitcher of the Week
Charlie Jones, Rumson-Fair Haven
No pitcher in the Shore Conference has embraced the big game more than Jones, who has been the starting pitcher in two of the biggest wins of the season by any team in the Shore Conference. Back on May 8, he went toe-to-toe with Shane Panzini for seven innings, which gave Rumson a chance to pull out a 3-1 win over Red Bank Catholic in 10 innings. This past Saturday, the Bulldogs junior squared off against Jackson Memorial and Matt Potok and, with the help of a lineup that caught fire in the fifth inning, Jones handed Potok his first career loss as a high-school pitcher in a 5-2 Rumson win. It was not the cleanest game for Jones (five walks, six strikeouts) but he kept in check a dangerous Jackson Memorial lineup by limiting the Jaguars to only three hits and no extra-base hits.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Lucky Perrotto, Ocean; Shane Garrett, Ocean; Max Woodward, Holmdel; Dom Malamacci, Red Bank Catholic
Class A South Pitcher of the Week
Zach Crotchfelt, Jackson Memorial
Before Jackson Memorial lost its first two games of the season against Shore Conference competition to close the week, the Jaguars got a big lift from their big lefty. Crotchfelt surrendered a run on a walk and a hit in the first inning of Wednesday home game against Central, then proceeded to dominate the rest of the way. The junior Auburn commit finished up a three-hitter with 15 strikeouts and just the one first-inning walk to carry the Jaguars to a 3-1 win that has them in position to wrap up the Class A South championship this week.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Cam Leiter, Central; Cole Manfro, Brick Memorial; Nick Desiderio, Southern; Aidan Folsom, Toms River South; Matt Kunzman, Brick; Jesse Evensen, Brick; Brandon Hulsart, Brick Memorial
Class B North Pitcher of the Week
Nick Terefenko, Freehold Boro
Dowlen was not the only no-hitter in the Shore Conference last week and he wasn’t even the only pitcher to throw one on that particular day. Terefenko provided Freehold Boro with the highlight of its season when he pitched a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Manasquan, which snapped a six-game losing streak for the Colonials. Terefenko struck out seven while walking two in the win and also pitched in at the plate as well by going 2-for-4.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Brian Young, Neptune; Andrew Glauber, Red Bank; Sean McWalters, Manasquan; Jimmy Bertrand, Wall; Ryan Sekman, St. John Vianney; Tim Egan, Matawan
Class B Central Pitcher of the Week
James Larsen, Point Beach
To make the list of Pitcher’s of the Week for Week 5, a no-hitter is almost a requirement. Larsen pitched a no-hitter to open Point Beach’s week, spinning five hitless innings in his team’s rout of Mater Dei Prep. Larsen allowed one unearned run and walked only one while punching out nine in the best outing of his young career. While his second start last week did not go as well for him, he did become a part of history: Larsen was the losing pitcher in the 900th career victory of Toms River South coach Ken Frank.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Anthony Longo, Keyport; Jack DiPaolo, Keyport; Waylon Manoes, Keansburg; Gavin Sansone, Mater Dei Prep
Class B South Pitcher of the Week
Chris Sasso, Jackson Liberty
After allowing eight runs in his first four innings of work in 2021, Sasso had it all working last week in a start against Point Pleasant Boro. The junior left-hander pitched five dominant innings during which he allowed only three hits, struck out 11 and walked none in picking up his first win of the season. Sasso also had a big week at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run in three games.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Bryson Kirby, Point Boro; Mike Todaro, Lacey
Wild Cards
Ben Schild, Middletown South
Dowlen’s no-hitter for Middletown North was a loud way for Middletown North two start rivalry week against Middletown South, but Schild gave the Eagles the last laugh on Saturday. The sophomore right-hander pitched a three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and three walks to pitch Middletown South past Middletown North and into the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals. The win also gave Middletown South the coveted Veth-Woods trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the rivalry game between the two crosstown foes.
Cam Leiter, Central
Before Jones beat Jackson Memorial in Saturday’s Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinal round, Leiter and Central softened them up. The junior right-hander pitched his third straight dominant outing, this time shutting down one of the state’s best teams. Leiter threw a one-hitter with three walks and six strikeouts in a 3-1 Central win, setting down 12 of the final 13 batters he faced in the game. Hea also singled home one of his team’s three runs to continue his standout year at the plate as well.
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