VOTE: Week 2 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 2 Players of the Week

SSN Monmouth County Player of the Week: R.T. Runge, Jr., RHP/DH

SSN Ocean County Player of the Week: Chris Quick, Brick

SSN Shore Conference Player of the Week: Check Back Thursday

Class A North Player of the Week

Logan Koeppel, Howell

Koeppel pitched a complete game to beat Freehold Township and went 5-for-14 with a double, six runs scored and three RBI in four games last week.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Ronan Kiely, Colts Neck; Braden Walsh, Howell; Will Fahey, CBA; Jake Petro, CBA; Tom Diffley, Colts Neck; Erik Johnson, Manalapan; Cristian Ptasienski, Manalapan; Joe Santos, Marlboro; Paul Santos, Marlboro; Lou D’Alessio, Middletown South; Danny Tsimbinos, CBA; Dylan Briggs, Middletown North; Anthony Martino; Marlboro; Mike Avino, Freehold Twp.; Lex Nelsen, Freehold Twp.

Class A Central Player of the Week

Sean Griggs, Red Bank Catholic

Opponents struggled to find an answer for Griggs last week, who reached base safely in 10 of his first 11 trips to the plate last week. For the week, the Alabama commit was 6-for-9 with three doubles, a triple, four runs and four RBI.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Luke Lonczak, Red Bank Catholic; Evan Booth, Monmouth; Alejandro Ocelotol, Monmouth; Andrew Barham, Shore; Raum Desai, Holmdel; Matt Iulo, Holmdel; Aaron Del Tin, Rumson-Fair Haven; D.J. Ylagan, Rumson-Fair Haven; Matt Brunner, Red Bank Catholic; Jon Cofone, Wall

Class A South Player of the Week

Chris Quick, Brick

Brick won a pair of games last week vs. Central and Quick was the offensive star. In three games last week, the junior went 6-for-10 with two doubles, a home run, four runs scored and five RBI.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Jackson Osmond, Jackson Memorial; Gabe Tomei, Southern; Ben McEwan, Toms River South; Rob Abatemarco, Toms River South; Nick Izzo, Jackson Memorial; Collin McCarron, Jackson Memorial; Jacob Soto, Jackson Memorial; Brayden Lowden, Central; Ray Mulhern, Southern; Nicco Maribo, Brick Memorial; Tyler McLeod, Southern; Joey DiMeo, Toms River East; James Whalen, Toms River East; Matt Ferrara, Toms River East; Ian St. Luce, Toms River North; Brannon McBride, Brick

Class B North Player of the Week

Tommy Ruth, Red Bank

Ruth had key moments last week in a win over Ranney and an 8-8 tie vs. Manasquan, but he essentially carried his team to an 8-7 win over Freehold Boro. He came on in relief to win the game on the mound (one earned run in 3 1/3 innings) and went 3-for-4 with three doubles and five RBI at the plate. Ruth also earned the save vs. Ranney and was 6-for-11 with five doubles, six runs and seven RBI in three games during the week.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Jake Mandarino, St. John Vianney; R.T. Runge, Manasquan; Dylan Vowteras, Manasquan; Connor Voelkson, Manasquan; Matt Antonucci, Manasquan; Owen Murtha, St. John Vianney; Connor Tongring, Ocean; Will Marziarz, Red Bank; Nick Russo, Freehold Boro; Brandon Falco, Matawan; Trevor Rummel, Neptune; Jack Gamba-Ellis, Neptune; J.D. Teza, Manasquan; Ryan Costello, Ranney; Andrew Parisi, Ranney; Mark Kovach, Matawan; Ryan Robinson, Red Bank; Curtis Chropuvka, Ranney; Grayson Testino, Ranney

Class B Central Player of the Week

Nestor Castillo Jr., Asbury Park

The Blue Bishops ended a 27-game losing streak dating back to 2019 when they beat Lakewood last week. Castillo Jr. helped lead the way, striking out 10 and allowing one earned run in five innings on the mound while going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI in a 17-5 Asbury Park win.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: Tommy Conroy, Point Beach; Noah Banick, Point Beach; Nate Clayton, Point Beach; Frank Soos, St. Rose; Anthony Crudo, St. Rose; Cris Rosario, Lakewood; Dan Lubach, Point Beach; Antonio Acevedo, Point Beach; Peter Nolan, St. Rose; Ryan Byrne, Keyport; Mikey Clayton, Keansburg; Quinn Cali, Point Beach; Brendan Sherman, St. Rose; Kellen Campbell, Long Branch

Class B South Player of the Week

Anthony Eckerson, Lacey

Eckerson could not be stopped last week, going 8-for-11 with a double, triple, four runs scored and two RBI, including a 4-for-4 game in Lacey’s 9-5 win over Barnegat.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Pat Mackie, Barnegat; Ryan Acquisto, Point Boro; Jake Clayton, Point Boro; Brayden Messina, Lacey; Ethan Anderson, Lacey; Quentin Torres, Barnegat; Kaden Inman, Pinelands; Dave Yorke, Donovan Catholic; Joe Maier, Donovan Catholic; John Busco, Donovan Catholic; Ryder Simpson, Donovan Catholic

Wild Cards

Jake Mandarino, St. John Vianney

Not only did Mandarino hit two home runs in a St. John Vianney win; the second of the two was a game-tying grand slam with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Lancers went on to beat Neptune, 14-13, and Mandarino finished the week 3-for-8 with two homers and six RBI.

R.T. Runge, Manasquan

Runge started out the week by saving Manasquan on the mound with four strong innings of relief to earn a win vs. St. John Vianney. He followed that up by going 3-for-4 at Red Bank, including a game-tying solo home run in the top of the seventh inning in what would end up an 8-8 tie between the Class B North rivals.

Week 2 Pitchers of the Week

Monmouth County Pitcher of the Week: Brevin Bezick, Sr., LHP, Middletown South

Ocean County Pitcher of the Week: Roger Dreher, Sr., RHP, Southern

Shore Conference Pitcher of the Week: Check back Thursday

Class A North Pitcher of the Week

Matt Padalec, Marlboro

Marlboro is pacing the field in Class A North so far and its pitching has been at the heart of the hot start. Padalec shut down a capable Middletown North lineup last week, striking out eight while allowing four hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Kevin Rusinak, Manalapan; Brevin Bezick, Middletown South; Mason Christopher, Middletown South; Zach Hampton, Middletown North; Jackson Redmond, Freehold Twp.; Chris Levonas, CBA; Dylan Shaffer, Manalapan; Danny Trentacosta, Marlboro

Class A Central Pitcher of the Week

Phil Kramer, Raritan

There have been a wave of no-hitters at the Shore this season and Kramer was the first pitcher to claim one for himself. Holmdel scored 19 runs in two games vs. Rumson-Fair Haven to open the season, but had no answer for Kramer, who struck out five and walked one in finishing off his no-hitter.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Declan Leary, Red Bank Catholic; Luke Buda, Holmdel; Jimmy Nichols, Raritan; Joe Barbarino, Holmdel; Triur Brown, Wall; John Catanio, Wall

Class A South Pitcher of the Week

Roger Dreher, Southern

Walks were the one flaw in Dreher’s game last season and in his two appearances last week, he showed he can pound the zone and still miss bats. The senior right-hander struck out 14 while issuing just one walk over 5 1/3 innings at Toms River South, then another win Saturday at Brick Memorial with 2 2/3 innings of relief and three strikeouts with zero walks.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Matt Colaneri, Jackson Memorial; Dan Nafziger, Toms River East; Mason Pentz, Toms River East; Jack Cahill, Southern; Mike Gioia, Brick Memorial

Class B North Pitcher of the Week

Brevin Bezick, Middletown South

Bezick battled his own control problems last season but has had no such trouble in two appearances so far this season, both of them coming last week. He struck out seven in three shutout innings in picking up a save vs. Middletown South, then fanned four in three more hitless innings vs. Howell. Bezick has yet to allow a hit or a walk this season.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Andrew Gendi, Matawan; Tommy Kowaliwskyj, Ocean; Brandon Falco, Matawan; Justin Kauffman, Ranney

Class B Central Pitcher of the Week

Jack Tiernan, St. Rose

Tiernan kicked off a combined no-hitter by St. Rose in its season-opening win over Henry Hudson to start the week, then pitched a five-inning no-hitter for himself vs. Neptune to cap the Purple Roses’ first full week of the 2024 season.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: Bennett Moberg, Point Beach; Peter Nolan, St. Rose; Chris Zahlman, St. Rose; Cris Rosario, Lakewood; Paxton Douglass, Keyport

Class B South Pitcher of the Week

Jaihan Dominguez, Barnegat

In his first start of the season, Dominguez pitched into the seventh inning, limiting Lacey to one earned run on five hits while striking out five in a 5-3 Barnegat win.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Dylan Zech, Lacey; Hudson Griffin, Point Boro; Chase Connelly, Point Boro; Wyatt Dewysockie, Point Boro

Wild Cards

Danny Opramolla, Freehold Boro

The Colonials workhorse went the distance to beat Neptune, which meant going beyond seven innings. Freehold Boro needed three additional outs from Opramolla to secure a 6-3 win over the Scarlet Fliers in eight innings and the senior delivered, finishing with 10 strikeouts, seven hits allowed and three walks on 110 pitches in eight complete innings.

Mason Pentz, Toms River East

Not only did Pentz spin a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts and two walks vs. rival Toms River North; he also went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the 4-0 Raiders win.