Former Jackson Memorial star catcher Matt Thaiss has achieved a rare feat for a Shore Conference grad, as he can now say he is a College World Series champion.

Pitcher Nathan Kirby (R) and catcher Matt Thaiss (L) of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrate after the final out to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores 4-2 to win the National Championship
Pitcher Nathan Kirby (R) and catcher Matt Thaiss (L) of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrate after the final out to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores 4-2 to win the National Championship (Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
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Thaiss, a sophomore starting catcher for the Cavaliers, was a middle-of-the-order hitter who starred for a team that knocked off Vanderbilt on Wednesday night to become the first ACC team to win the College World Series since 1955. It also marked the first national title for Virginia's baseball program.

Thaiss becomes the first Shore alum to win a College World Series title since former St. Rose ace Anthony Ranaudo, who was a star on the 2009 LSU team that won it all. Ranaudo is now with the Texas Rangers. Those two are believed to be the only Shore grads to be part of a CWS champion since possibly the 1980s. After leading the team in multiple batting categories, Thaiss also was named a third-team All-American this season by multiple outlets and looks to potentially be a high draft pick when he becomes draft-eligible in 2016.

Matt Thaiss starred for Jackson Memorial before moving on to Virginia. (Photo by Cliff Lavelle).
Matt Thaiss starred for Jackson Memorial before moving on to Virginia. (Photo by Cliff Lavelle).
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This is the second CWS Thaiss has played in, as Virginia lost to Vanderbilt in last year's championship series. He will be joined this fall by another Shore Conference product, Toms River East shortstop Jon Meola, who is an incoming freshman recruit for the Cavaliers. Meola's father, Tony, is a former soccer goalie for the U.S. Men's National Team who played soccer and baseball at Virginia.

More Shore Conference news: 

  • Red Bank Catholic senior QB/DB Eddie Hahn verbally committed to UConn on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see what position he ultimately plays, as they recruited him as a general athlete. I think he can be a legitimate FBS quarterback, but it remains to be seen whether he will get that chance.
  • Matawan senior Dejohn Rogers, one of the Shore's top returning cornerbacks, picked up his first offer from Monmouth University on Wednesday.
  • Former Henry Hudson star left-handed pitcher Jerry Vasto pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in Tuesday night's low Class A South Atlantic League All-Star Game as a member of the Asheville Tourists, a Colorado Rockies affiliate.
  • Mark Lax, who has been the only boys basketball coach in Jackson Liberty's history since its inception in 2006, has been Board-approved as the school's new athletic coordinator, meaning the Lions are now looking for a new coach in the basketball program.
  • Former Christian Brothers Academy and Monmouth University star Pat Light is now one step from the big leagues. He has taken off as a closer since being moved to that role and is now in Triple-A Pawtucket for the Red Sox.
  • Former Wall and Rutgers standout Tim Wright, now a tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is holding a one-day football camp in Wall on Friday.

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