VOTE: Week 1 Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week
Each week, Shore Sports Network will select its Players and Pitchers of the Week in Monmouth and Ocean County, as well as an overall Shore Conference Player of the Week. We are also giving you an opportunity to choose your Player and Pitcher of the Week in the Shore Conference.
Below is the Player and Pitcher of the Week in each of the six Shore Conference divisions, plus two wild cards for each. Vote for the player and pitcher you think are most deserving and keep voting and check back on Thursday for the winner. Vote once per hour until the polls close at 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
Week 1 Players of the Week
SSN Monmouth County Player of the Week: Bryan McCartin, Jr., 1B, Matawan
SSN Ocean County Player of the Week: Jake Clayton, Fr., SS, Point Boro
SSN Shore Conference Player of the Week: Check Back Thursday
Class A North Player of the Week
Erik Johnson, Manalapan
After he drove in the lone Manalapan run in a 2-1 loss to Old Bridge on opening day, Johnson drove in half of Manalapan’s run in a 6-3 win over Howell on Saturday. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBI in Manalapan’s first win of the season.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Nick Scaff, Marlboro; Chris Silva, Manalapan; Dan Annunziata, Colts Neck; Casey Gardiner, Colts Neck
Class A Central Player of the Week
Aaron Del Tin, Rumson-Fair Haven
Rumson rode the roller-coaster last week, losing to Declan Leary and Red Bank Catholic on opening day, then beating the Caseys in a come-from-behind win in 10 innings for its first win of the season before a 12-6 loss to Holmdel closed the week. Del Tin is one of the few seniors on Rumson and he played like a senior leader last week; he homered off Leary on opening day, doubled and drove in two while also pitching 4 1/3 innings in the 9-8 extra-inning win, then went 1-for-3 in the loss to Holmdel.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Charlie Stumberger, Red Bank Catholic; Gavin D’Aponte, Rumson-Fair Haven; Jon Cofone, Wall; Joe Barbarino, Holmdel; D.J. Ylegan, Rumson-Fair Haven; Beckett Langdon, Monmouth; Triur Brown, Wall
Class A South Player of the Week
Tyler McLeod, Southern
McLeod dominated a double-header sweep by Southern over Central on Friday. On the mound, he fired five scoreless, two-hit innings with five strikeouts and no walks in the official season-opener. At the plate, we went a combined 5-for-7 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI, including 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the season-opener.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Nick Garbooshian, Brick Memorial; Gabe Tomei, Southern; Matt Desiderio, Southern; Gavin Toth, Toms River East; Matt Ferrara, Toms River East; Tyler Garbooshian, Brick Memorial; Joe McGlynn, Brick Memorial; Jaden Geremia, Toms River South; Julian Caruso, Jackson Memorial; Brady Wendell, Jackson Memorial; Logan Mulholland, Toms River North
Class B North Player of the Week
Bryan McCartin, Matawan
Matawan is rolling out of the gate and McCartin has highlighted a lineup that has put up 35 runs in three games. The first Monmouth County Player of the Week in 2024 went 6-for-10 with a double, triple and seven RBI in the three wins combined.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Justin Kaufmann, Ranney; Brody Mauro, Ranney; Mark Kovach, Matawan; Brandon Falco, Matawan; Jack Sassa, Matawan; Mike McCormack, St. John Vianney; Hunter Morgan, Neptune; Connor Tongring, Ocean; Dylan Vowteras, Manasquan; Andrew Parisi, Ranney
Class B Central Player of the Week
Hayden Kurdes, Henry Hudson
Kurdes sparked the Henry Hudson offense from the top of the order in a 9-5 Admirals win over Keyport on Saturday. The senior went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases in the win over the Red Raiders.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Jack Burton, Henry Hudson
Class B South Player of the Week
Jack Clayton, Point Boro
In his first high school game, Clayton batted leadoff, played shortstop and stood in the batter’s box against Donovan Catholic ace and Virginia Tech commit Jake Marciano. He went hitless in the 6-1 Panthers loss, but he was anything but hitless in game two of the double-header vs. Donovan Catholic. The Week 1 Ocean County Player of the Week went 4-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI to key a 17-6 rout by Point Boro over the Griffins.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Matt Galayda, Jackson Liberty; Jack Kanis, Jackson Liberty; Nate Sofield, Pinelands; Dan Maher, Pinelands; Tyler Dean, Pinelands; Anthony Carino, Manchester; Jaihan Dominguez, Barnegat; Dave Yorke, Donovan Catholic; Jayson Bennett, Point Boro; Matt Lokerson, Point Boro; Bryson Kirby, Point Boro; Ryder Simpson, Donovan Catholic
Wild Cards
Justin Kaufmann, Ranney
One of five freshmen to start for Ranney in its season-opener Saturday vs. Red Bank, Kaufmann debuted by going 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate and also picked up the win in relief as the fourth of five Ranney pitchers in the 8-5 victory over the Bucs.
Matt Galayda, Jackson Liberty
In a 16-2 rout over Manchester, Galayda went 2-for-3 with two doubles and five RBI at the plate and also held the Hawks to one run over four innings on the mound in a two-way performance that helped the Lions complete a two-game sweep over their division rival.
Week 1 Pitchers of the Week
SSN Monmouth County Pitcher of the Week: Dylan Shaffer, Sr., RHP, Manalapan
SSN Ocean County Pitcher of the Week: Jake Marciano, Sr., LHP, Donovan Catholic
SSN Shore Conference Pitcher of the Week: Check Back Thursday
Class A North Pitcher of the Week
Dylan Shaffer, Manalapan
Taking on the No. 20 team in the state, according to NJ Advance Media, Shaffer pitched a three-hitter with one walk and 10 strikeouts, but the two earned runs Old Bridge scored against him were enough to edge Manalapan, 2-1 – spoiling an impressive season debut for the senior right-hander and Monmouth County Pitcher of the Week.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Tom Diffley, Colts Neck; Danny Trentacosta, Marlboro
Class A Central Pitcher of the Week
Collin Denton, Monmouth
In his first start of the season, Denton took a perfect game into the fifth inning against Wall and stuck out the first two batters of the frame. He went on to give up a run in the inning, but his Monmouth teammates tied the game in the bottom of the inning and then won it in the bottom of the seventh to make a winner out of Denton. The junior struck out 17, walked only one and allowed two hits in the 2-1 Falcons victory over the Crimson Knights.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Declan Leary, Red Bank Catholic; Christian Suarez, Wall; John Catanio, Wall
Class A South Pitcher of the Week
Nick Garbooshian, Brick Memorial
The Mustangs senior ace fired six strong innings to earn the win over Toms River South on opening day, allowing one run on four hits while striking out four. He followed that Friday performance up with a four-RBI game at the plate the following day, which including a home run in Brick Memorial’s 8-7 win.
Class A South Honorable Mention: Tyler McLeod, Southern; Zach Pirnik, Brick Memorial; Jack Mika, Toms River East; Joe Nascimento, Southern; Vincent Berardi, Central; Mason Pentz, Toms River East; Aiden Lynch, Toms River South
Class B North Pitcher of the Week
Austin Griffith, Manasquan
St. John Vianney struck for an unearned run in the top of the first against Griffth and Manasquan and from that point on, the senior right-hander locked in and shut down the Lancers. Griffith finished with 10 strikeouts and a walk in his six innings of work while allowing only three hits in the opening-day victory.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Jayce Thoroughman, Matawan; Tommy Kowaliwskyj, Ocean; Scott Germaine, Matawan
Class B Central Pitcher of the Week
Chris Parmigiani, Henry Hudson
Making his first start since his sophomore season in 2022, Parmigiani allowed three unearned runs on two hits and five walks while striking out nine over six innings in a 9-5 Henry Hudson win over Keyport in the season-opener for both teams.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Erik Schmidt, Keyport
Class B South Pitcher of the Week
Jake Marciano, Donovan Catholic
After giving up an unearned run on one hit in the first inning at Point Boro Saturday, Marciano did not allow a hit the rest of his outing. The Virginia Tech commit struck out 12 while walking one, hitting a batter and picking up the win in 5 2/3 innings of work in a 6-1 Griffins win, earning him the Week 1 Ocean County Pitcher of the Week Award.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Dylan Zech, Lacey; Anthony Woods, Jackson Liberty
Wild Cards
Declan Leary, Red Bank Catholic
Leary continued his career mastery over Rumson-Fair Haven by improving to 4-0 vs. the Bulldogs with his opening-day win. The senior right-hander allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in RBC’s 7-2 win.
Christian Suarez, Wall
Suarez only pitched three innings of relief last week, but those innings were crucial in helping Wall pull off what might have been Week 1’s biggest upset. The sophomore took over in the bottom of the fifth after Wall took a 7-5 lead in the top of the inning and spun three scoreless innings to earn the save. Suarez allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two vs. the Shore’s No. 1 team to open the season.