Remember Us? The (Many) Returning All-Shore and All-Division Baseball Players in the Shore Conference
Returning 2021 All-Shore and All-Division Honorees
2021 All-Shore Players (with 2021 Stats)
First Team
Mike Damato, Sr., 1B/RHP, Manchester
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .390/.462/.683
XBH: 13 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR
Runs: 17
RBI: 23 RBI
Pitching Record: 6-2
Innings: 48.2
Strikeouts-Walks: 45-24
ERA: 2.59
Season Recap: Damato emerged as Manchester’s ace and one of its top two hitters, leading the Hawks to their first NJSIAA sectional championship since 2003. He was also Manchester’s catcher for the stetch run, but coach Dave Beauchemin hopes to give Damato more of a break between starts by playing him on an infield corner in 2022.
Alex Stanyek, Jr., OF/RHP, Red Bank Catholic
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .380/.471/.600
XBH: 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR
Runs: 26
RBI: 33
Stolen Bases: 7
Pitching Record: 0-2
Innings: 13.2
Strikeouts-Walks: 25-8
ERA: 2.05
Season Recap: Stanyek assumed the role of relief ace, closing out some of Red Bank Catholic’s biggest wins. His real breakout, though, came at the plate, where he drove in 33 runs – 16 of which came in tournament games.
Ben Schild, Jr., RHP/OF, Middletown South
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .258/.307/.366
XBH: 7 2B, 1 HR
Runs: 12
RBI: 16
Pitching Record: 8-0
Innings: 56.2 IP
Strikeouts-Walks: 83-17
ERA: 0.62
Season Recap: After missing out on a chance to be a freshman phenom, Schild settled for sophomore superstar with a perfect 8-0 season on the mound and the best ERA in the Shore Conference. The 6-foot-5 UConn commit capped his season with a two-hit shutout in the Group IV championship game, delivering Middletown South its first state title since 1996.
Zach Crotchfelt, Sr., LHP/1B, Jackson Memorial
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .242/.440/.379
XBH: 3 2B, 2 HR
Runs: 15
RBI: 16
Pitching Record: 5-1
Innings: 41.1 IP
Strikeouts-Walks: 76-23
ERA: 0.85
Season Recap: By the numbers, Crotchfelt was the hardest pitcher in the Shore Conference to get a hit off of in 2021, and that includes current Kansas City Royals farmhand Shane Panzini. His 2.77 hits-per-seven innings fed a sub-1.00 ERA to go with the Shore’s third-best strikeout rate – all factors that make the 6-5 Auburn commit a player to follow in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Colin Dowlen, Sr., RHP/3B, Middletown North
Pitching Record: 4-2
Innings: 34
Strikeouts-Walks: 57-34
ERA: 1.03
Season Recap: Dowlen is one of a handful of players to take advantage of a special rule for 2022 that allows players who were classified as 2021 graduates to take classes at a local community college in 2021-22 and play high school baseball one more season – a decision that stemmed from those players missing out on a chance to showcase themselves during the canceled 2020 season. Dowlen proved plenty last year during an All-Shore season that included a 16-strikeout no-hitter against Group IV champion Middletown South and has since committed to play at Seton Hall next season.
Second Team
Joe Stanzione, Sr., 1B, Middletown South
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .330/.425/.618
XBH: 8 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR
Runs: 23
RBI: 30
Season Recap: Stanzione is another player exercising his extra year of high-school eligibility and after the way last season went for him and his team, why wouldn’t he want to run it back? He was the best hitter on the Group IV championship team while finishing top five in the Shore Conference in home runs and RBI.
Gabe Gavazzoni, Jr., SS, Wall
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .403/.500/.597
XBH: 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR
Runs: 27
RBI: 28
Season Recap: In his first varsity season, Cavazzoni made a strong case to be considered the best shortstop in the Shore Conference and he still has two years left. He led all Shore shortstops in extra-base hits and RBI, hit good pitching and parlayed his breakout season into a verbal commitment to play at Seton Hall.
Charlie Meglio, Jr., SS/RHP, Jackson Memorial
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .378/.448/.610
XBH: 10 2B, 3 HR
Runs: 16
RBI: 36
Pitching Record: 2-2
Innings: 16.1
Strikeouts-Walks: 20-7
ERA: 3.86
Season Recap: Like Schild, Meglio was ready to make an impact as a freshman before the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, his monster debut came as a sophomore, with the Campbell University commit leading all 2022 returning players in the Shore Conference with 36 RBI.
Logan Duffy, Sr., OF/RHP, Manchester
AVG/OBP/SLUG:
XBH: .380/.468/.709
Runs: 23
RBI: 19
Pitching Record: 1-2
Innings: 24
Strikeouts-Walks: 29-23
ERA: 4.37
Season Recap: Duffy lit up Class B South pitching all season long and later used his big bat at the top of the Manchester lineup to hit the Hawks toward their first sectional championship in 18 years, with Duffy’s two-homer game powering Manchester to a South Jersey Group II semifinal win over top-seeded West Deptford.
Charlie Chropuvka, Sr., OF, Ranney
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .508/.600/1.033
XBH: 8 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR
Runs: 24
RBI: 32
Stolen Bases: 22
Season Recap: Chropuvka and Ranney overwhelmed the rest of the Class B Central division, but both the senior leader and his team performed admirably outside it as well. The Delaware commit batted .272 (6-for-22) with two triples and two home runs in Ranney’s six tournament games.
Cam Leiter, Sr., RHP/DH, Central
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .308/.388/.440
XBH: 6 2B, 2 HR
Runs: 23
RBI: 15
Pitching Record: 4-1
Innings: 41.2
Strikeouts-Walks: 68-17
ERA: 2.02
Season Recap: Leiter started his first full high school season at the Shore hot at the plate and hot-and-cold on the mound, but by the end of the season, he was a force on the rubber. The Central Florida signee found his groove as Central’s ace, highlighted by a one-hitter vs. Jackson Memorial and culminating in a brilliant seven-plus innings (12 strikeouts, no walks) in the Ocean County Tournament final.
Charlie Jones, Sr., RHP, Rumson-Fair Haven
Pitching Record: 6-0
Innings: 46
Strikeouts-Walks: 58-22
ERA: 2.93
Season Recap: Few players at the Shore last season were better in big games than Jones, a 6-6 Wake Forest commit who battled Shane Panzini to a stalemate over seven innings before Rumson beat Red Bank Catholic in extra innings, and also picked up a Shore Conference Tournament win over current Coastal Carolina freshman Matt Potok and top-seeded Jackson Memorial.
Third Team
Joe Cilea, Sr., C, Colts Neck
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .351/.505/.486
XBH: 4 2B, 3 3B
Runs: 3
RBI: 29
Season Recap: Cilea was tops among all catchers in the Shore Conference with 29 RBI and also showed some power-athleticism combination with his three triples. Cilea is also one of the Shore’s better defensive backstops, as he demonstrated by guiding the Cougars’ balanced pitching staff all the way to a Central Jersey Group III championship.
Brad Salamone, Sr., OF, Colts Neck
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .369/.495/.560
XBH: 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR
Runs: 32
RBI: 19
Season Recap: Colts Neck’s run to its first sectional championship in baseball was a total team effort, but Salamone pulled more than his fair share of weight as Colts Neck’s hottest hitter during its postseason run. He hit .393 in tournament play and also led the Shore Conference in runs scored for the full season.
Andrew Fischer, Sr., 3B, Wall
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .409/.600/.788
XBH: 7 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR
Runs: 26
RBI: 21
Season Recap: Fischer spent most of his junior season playing designated hitter and he lived up to the “hitter” portion of the position. He finished sixth in the Shore Conference in on-base-plus slugging percentage, drew 10 more walks (32) than the next closest player in the conference and worked more than twice as many walks as times he struck out (15).
Tyler Spencer, Jr., RHP/3B, Colts Neck
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .244/.337/.302
XBH: 3 2B, 1 3B
Runs: 16
RBI: 20
Pitching Record: 6-1
Innings: 56.1
Strikeouts-Walks: 50-10
ERA: 1.61
Season Recap: Despite only being a sophomore and with no prior varsity experience, Spencer emerged as the workhorse starter on the first sectional championship team in Colts Neck history. His 56 1/3 innings were the fifth-most in the entire conference, he had a top-20 ERA at the Shore among starting pitchers and even contributed 20 RBI at the plate.
Tyler Kane, Sr., RHP, Manalapan
Pitching Record: 4-0
Innings: 40.1
Strikeouts-Walks: 75-34
ERA: 2.08
Season Recap: Despite a rocky finish to his season, Kane authored a dominant junior campaign while pitching against a rugged schedule that is the norm at Manalapan. The hard-throwing, 5-10 right-hander finished second in the entire Shore Conference in strikeouts-per-seven-innings (13.02), trailing only Red Bank Catholic ace and Royals draft pick Shane Panzini.
Anthony Gubitosi, Sr., LHP, Colts Neck
Pitching Record: 6-2
Innings: 46.1
Strikeouts-Walks: 73-34
ERA: 2.87
Season Recap: Gubitosi paired with Spencer to form a lockdown one-two punch for Colts Neck on its run to a first ever Central Jersey Group III title. The Delaware-bound left-hander finished tied for fifth in the Shore Conference in total strikeouts and fourth among pitchers returning in 2022.
Final Vote Winners
Cristian Soto, So., C, Central
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .302/.392/.365
XBH: 4 2B
Runs: 8
RBI: 14
Season Recap: Even as a freshman, Soto was one of the most impressive defensive catchers in the Shore Conference and he also held his own at the plate and then some. His season highlight was a game-winning, walk-off, RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning to win the Ocean County Tournament championship for Central over Brick Memorial – capping a 5-for-6 game at the plate.
Dan Furlong, Sr., RHP/2B, Howell
AVG/OBP/SLUG: .412/.487/.456
XBH: 3 2B
Runs: 18
RBI: 13
Pitching Record: 5-2
Innings: 44.2
Strikeouts-Walks: 39-7
ERA: 2.82
Season Recap: Furlong was the definition of a big-game pitcher for Howell, picking up wins over three top-10 teams (Colts Neck, Manalapan and Freehold Township) and another against one of the Shore’s best offenses in Wall. Furlong also closed out the season hitting .488 in Howell’s last 14 games.
2021 Shore Baseball Coaches All-Division Players
Class A North
Joe Stanzione, Sr., 1B, Middletown South
Jack Frankovic, Sr., OF/RHP, CBA
Ben Schild, Jr., RHP/OF, Middletown South – Pitcher of the Year
Colin Dowlen, Sr., RHP/3B, Middletown North
Tyler Kane, Sr., RHP, Manalapan
Dan Furlong, Sr., RHP/2B, Howell
Evan Wood, Sr., 3B/RHP, Middletown South
Class A Central
Frank Scrivanic, Jr., 1B, Red Bank Catholic
Rob Scarola, Sr., 1B, Raritan
Charlie Tallman, Sr., 2B/SS, Rumson-Fair Haven
Matt Scrivanic, Sr., SS, Red Bank Catholic
Alex Dekis, Sr., OF, Raritan
Christian Zito, Sr., OF/RHP, Monmouth
Alex Stanyek, Jr., OF/RHP, Red Bank Catholic
Rylan Fegan, Sr., OF/LHP, Shore
Ben Hutchins, Sr., RHP/OF, Raritan
Charlie Jones, Sr., RHP, Rumson-Fair Haven
Class A South
Charlie Meglio, Jr., 3B/RHP, Jackson Memorial
Ryan Turner, Sr., OF, Brick Memorial
Anthony Musso, Sr., OF/RHP, Central
Bobby Sabatino, Jr., SS, Toms River East
Cam Leiter, Sr., RHP/DH, Central
Zach Crotchfelt, Sr., LHP/1B, Jackson Memorial – Pitcher of the Year
Aidan Folsom, Sr., RHP/3B, Toms River South
Class B North
Joe Cilea, Sr., C, Colts Neck
Gus Dal Pra, Sr., 3B, Red Bank
Brady Oswick, Sr., SS, St. John Vianney
Ryan Cole, Sr., SS/RHP, Neptune
Gabe Cavazzoni, Jr., SS, Wall
Brett Patten, Jr., OF, Manasquan
Nick Lovarco, Sr., OF, Wall
Brad Salamone, Sr., OF, Colts Neck
Andrew Fischer, Sr., 3B, Wall
Anthony Gubitosi, Sr., LHP, Colts Neck
Tyler Spencer, Jr., RHP/3B, Colts Neck
Class B Central
Lou Spadafora, Jr., C, Ranney
Brett Wehringer, Jr., SS, Ranney
Phil Trebour, Sr., SS/RHP, Point Beach
Diego Tavarez, Jr., 2B/RHP, Ranney
Jack Tallent, Jr., 3B, Ranney
Charlie Chropuvka, Sr., OF, Ranney – Hitter of the Year
Ricky Nagy, Jr., OF, Ranney
A.J. Gracia, Jr., OF/LHP, Ranney
Colin Matuschat, Sr., 1B, Point Beach
Andrew Banick, Sr., OF/RHP, Point Beach
Glen Cantalupo, Jr., 1B, Ranney
Nick Coniglio, Jr., RHP, Ranney
Jack Renaud, Jr., RHP, Ranney
Anthony Longo, Sr., RHP/2B/SS, Keyport
Marcello Mastroianni, Jr., LHP, Ranney
Jack DiPaolo, Sr., RHP/OF, Keyport
Class B South
Rian O’Rourke, Sr., SS/RHP, Pinelands
Gavin Degnan, Jr., OF, Donovan Catholic
Logan Duffy, Sr., OF/RHP, Manchester
Jared Schworn, Sr., OF/RHP, Barnegat
Anthony Mursko, Sr., 3B, Donovan Catholic
Mike Damato, Sr., 1B/RHP, Manchester
Bryson Kirby, So., OF/RHP, Point Boro