The 2018 season has officially moved into tournament time and the Week Four Player and Pitcher of the Week voting includes some top-notch performances from the Monmouth County Tournament. Not to be outdone, it was also a big week for the A South and B South races and a handful of Ocean County players made their mark as well.

Read about the top players from the last week and vote for the top player and pitcher in the two polls at the bottom of the post. Vote early and often until the polls close on Thursday at 10 p.m.

 

Class A North Player of the Week

Joe Kohm, Colts Neck

Colts Neck scored a lot of runs last week and against some of the best teams in the Shore Conference. Kohm was the team’s most powerful hitter, going 6-for-12 with a double, a triple, two home runs and five walks in five games. He homered against No. 2 Wall and Neptune, tripled against No. 1 CBA and doubled in a loss to Raritan on Sunday.

Class A North Pitcher of the Week

Blaise Venancio, CBA

Venancio enjoyed a two-win week for CBA, throwing four innings to earn a lopsided win over Manalapan and then striking out 10 in six shutout innings against Middletown South Sunday in the Monmouth County quarterfinals. In 10 innings, Venancio allowed one earned run on 10 hits and five walks while striking out 14.

A North Honorable Mention: Braedin Hunt, CBA; Matt Fitzsimmons, CBA; Nick Hohenstein, CBA; Tom Rodgers, CBA; Anthony Galason, Colts Neck; Brooks Condon, Colts Neck; Adrian Jimenez, Colts Neck; Anthony Naylor, Manalapan; Dan DeBlasio, Manalapan; Mark Costanzo, Freehold Boro; Dane Della Valle, Freehold Boro; Ryan Ford, Freehold Twp.; Nick Ruszczyk, Howell; Ron Cole, Neptune

 

Class A Central Player of the Week

Jay Kalieta, Matawan

Matawan scored 55 runs during a five-game winning streak and Kalieta was the catalyst. Last week alone, he went 6-for-9 with a triple, five runs and two RBI in three games, including 6-for-7 in Matawan’s two wins during the week over Holmdel and Shore.

Class A Central Pitcher of the Week

Zack Johnston, Raritan

Johnston came up big for Raritan on the mound and at the plate in two starts last week. He struck out 11 and walked none while tossing a three-hitter against Rumson-Fair Haven on April 24 and also singled home a key insurance run in that game. On Sunday, he shook off one rough inning to pitch a complete game with four strikeouts and no walks against Colts Neck in the MCT quarterfinal and also drove in three runs at the plate to help his cause.

A Central Honorable Mention: Jake Tennant, Raritan; Ryan Kasmer, Raritan; Max Stamer, Red Bank; Richie Olsen, Matawan; Derek Jordan, Matawan; Dan Hirujo, Matawan; Spencer Margulis, St. John Vianney; Evan Perrette, St. John Vianney; Logan Marter, St. John Vianney; Bailey Crochet, Shore

 

Class A South Player of the Week

Tom Ruscitti, Central

Ruscitti just turned in his second two-homer game in the last week yesterday and his first two-homer game came Thursday against a Jackson Memorial team that has been ranked in the top 10 for most of the year and is currently No. 7. Ruscitti broke the school’s career doubles record in a loss to Toms River North earlier in the week and has since started hitting the ball over the fence – and against great competition. Central’s last three games have been against No. 4 Toms River North, No. 7 Jackson Memorial and No. 3 Jackson Liberty.

Class A North Pitcher of the Week

Nico Gonnella, Toms River South

Don’t look now, but Toms River South’s pitching is rounding into form at just the right time. The Indians got two standout pitching performances last week from Gonella and Spiwak and while one could argue Spiwak had the better statistical outing, Gonella had less margin for error in his 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against Jackson Memorial. He took a shutout into the seventh before crossing the 100-pitch threshold and went home with the win over the No. 7 Jaguars.

A South Honorable Mention: Joe Guerra, Brick; Mike Brunner, Brick; Rob Page, Brick; Marcos Matias, Southern; A.J. Mandell, Southern; Greg Hanlon, Brick Memorial; Nick Gillen, Brick Memorial; Tom Spiwak, Toms River South; Maximus Rivas, Toms River South; Christian Pellone, Jackson Memorial; Nick Sefick, Jackson Memorial; Ryan Galati, Central; Ryan Goodall, Toms River East; Craig Larsen, Toms River North; Brendan Mullins, Toms River North; Jared Bellissimo, Toms River North; Sam Angelo, Toms River North

 

Class B North Player of the Week

David Glancy, Red Bank Catholic

Glancy had enough production in one game to win Player of the Week honors when he homered three times and scored four runs in a 7-6 win over Monmouth Regional on Thursday. The Caseys junior did not stop there, though, going 7-for-11 with two doubles, four homers, eight runs scored and six RBI in RBC’s three wins to end the week.

Class B North Pitcher of the Week

Trey Dombroski, Wall

Dombroski has been a machine this season, allowing a total of nine hits in his five starts this season. Four of his starts have been complete-game two-hitters and last week’s was a one-hitter against the highest-scoring team at the Shore in Middletown South. The junior left-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh and lost it on a single to Robby Zega before wrapping up the one-hitter with four strikeouts and three walks.

B North Honorable Mention: Vincent Bianchi, Red Bank Catholic; Blaise Panzini, Red Bank Catholic; Nick Merlo, Red Bank Catholic; Charlie Kelly, Monmouth; Ricky Voss, Monmouth; Eli Rife, Monmouth; Aurelio Licata, Middletown South; Joe Sprake, Middletown South; Trevor Brey, Middletown South; Chris O’Connor, Middletown South; Danny Minze, Middletown South; T.J. Brewer, Long Branch; Matt Mincieli, Long Branch; Jordan Pellot, Long Branch; Ivan Navarro, Long Branch; Denny Maher, Manasquan; Alex Galvan, Manasquan; James Harmstead, Manasquan; Max Winters, Ocean; Jack D’Auria, Ocean; Ryan Toomey, Ocean; Doug Wetzel, Wall; Tanner Powers, Wall

 

Class B Central Player of the Week

Riley Maypother, St. Rose

Maypother has been a force in the Monmouth County Tournament so far and while his 4-for-4 game on Monday against Monmouth was not part of the calendar week in question, it was supposed to be before the game was postponed on Sunday. In three MCT games – which are also Maypother’s first three games as a leadoff hitter this year – he is 7-for-10 with a double, two home runs, eight runs scored and five RBI, including home runs to lead off the game against both Manalapan and Monmouth. Maypother also struck out 10 in five innings to earn the win over Red Bank on Saturday.

Class B Central Pitcher of the Week

John Nista, Point Beach

Point Beach knocked off St. Rose on April 23 thanks to eight Purple Roses errors, but Nista did not need much help to hold up his end on the mound. The senior right-hander turned in a four-hitter with two walks and 11 strikeouts to carry the Garnet Gulls to victory over the first-place team in the division. Nista’s start is even more impressive in light of St. Rose scoring 23 runs in three MCT games to finish the week.

B Central Honorable Mention: Will Gannon, St. Rose; Sam Sestito, St. Rose; Brody Maypother, St. Rose; Evan Peeke, St. Rose; Kenny MacPherson, Point Beach; Tim Farrell, Henry Hudson; Mike Mohr, Henry Hudson; Liam Hagan, Henry Hudson; Charlie Chropuvka, Ranney; Sean Turner, Mater Dei; Joe Profaci, Mater Dei; Patrick Mastro, Mater Dei; Mike Dunne, Mater Dei; Gabe Torres, Keansburg; Liam Riecks, Keansburg; Rian Rivera, Keansburg; Luis Rodriquez, Asbury Park; Deris Martinez-Urbina, Asbury Park

 

Class B South Player of the Week

Lukas Torres, Barnegat

Torres got it done at the plate and on the mound last week for Barnegat, which capped the week by sweeping a double-header Saturday against Donovan Catholic and Pinelands. Torres went 5-for-11 with two doubles, four runs and two RBI for the week and also threw six strong innings against Pinelands on Saturday. Torres allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out nine over six innings to pick up the win.

Class B South Pitcher of the Week

Nick Guzzi, Point Boro

The sophomore right-hander has been a breakout pitcher on one of the Shore’s breakout teams over the last week. Guzzi kept what is now a seven-game winning streak rolling on April 23 by hurling a four-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and one walk in a 3-0 Panthers win over Lacey.

B South Honorable Mention: Matt Scott, Barnegat; Anthony Diaz, Pinelands; Peter Hammond, Pinelands; Angel Mendez, Lakewood; Jacob Bowles, Lacey; Matt Morro, Donovan Catholic; Eian Gilroy, Donovan Catholic; Connor Keenan, Jackson Liberty; Rich Dordas, Jackson Liberty; Matt Pickus, Jackson Liberty; Evan Scala, Manchester; John Simonini, Manchester; Jagger Karaska, Manchester; Nick Zbikowski, Point Boro; Paul Franceschini, Point Boro; Trent Livolsi, Point Boro

 

 

 

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