VOTE: Week 6 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 for Week 6 (May 6 through 12) 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 Friday for the winner. Vote once per hour until the polls close at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

SSN Monmouth County Player of the Week: Casey Gardiner, Sr., OF, Colts Neck

SSN Ocean County Player of the Week: Jackson Osmond, Jr., SS, Jackson Memorial

SSN Shore Conference Player of the Week: Check Back Friday

Class A North Player of the Week

Casey Gardiner, Colts Neck

Colts Neck surged into the top 10 and collected a share of the Class A North division championship last week with wins over CBA on back-to-back days and another win over Marlboro. In those three divisional games, Gardiner was 5-for-9 with a double, two home runs, five RBI and six runs scored. He hit two homers and drove in four at CBA to complete the sweep of the Colts on May 7.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Jared Matejicka, CBA; Mike Consolazio, Marlboro; Dennis Healy, Manalapan; Dylan Briggs, Middletown North; Danny Russo, CBA; Will Fahey, CBA; Kyle McCarthy, Colts Neck; Joe Pignatelli, Colts Neck; Ryan Todisco, Howell; Erik Johnson, Manalapan; C.J. Svoboda, Freehold Twp.; Jon Boylan, Freehold Twp.; Chris Joy, Marlboro; Paul Santos, Marlboro; Zach Hampton, Middletown North

Class A Central Player of the Week

Owen O’Toole, Rumson-Fair Haven

Rumson played just one game last week and got the win over a St. Rose squad that has been tough on opponents outside of its Class B Central division. O’Toole not only pitched the Bulldogs to victory; he also got a chance to hit and made the most of the opportunity by going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Joe Barbarino, Holmdel; Jake Frankel, Red Bank Catholic; Bobby Davidson, Monmouth; Brandon Geiger, Monmouth; Sean Burnett, Raritan; Jimmy Nichols, Raritan; Aidan Funk, Red Bank Catholic; Dylan Passo, Red Bank Catholic; Luke Lonczak, Red Bank Catholic; Gavin D’Aponte, Rumson-Fair Haven; Jake Howlett, Wall; John Catanio, Wall; Joe Santi, Shore; E.J. Stefanelli, Shore

Class A South Player of the Week

Jackson Osmond, Jackson Memorial

Osmond is as locked-in as any hitter in the Shore Conference coming out of last week, when the junior shortstop went 7-for-11 with two doubles, three home runs, six runs scored and five RBI – including a two-homer game vs. Toms River South on May 8.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Brayden Heatter, Brick; Gabe Tomei, Southern; Nicco Maribo, Brick Memorial; Brayden Nalducci, Brick Memorial; Peyton Horning, Brick; Gavin Arieno, Central; Julian Caruso, Jackson Memorial; Dane Jorgensen, Jackson Memorial; Brady Wendell, Jackson Memorial; Matt Desiderio, Southern; Brady Lesiak, Southern; Aiden Miller, Southern; Matt Ferrara, Toms River East; Mike Vaccarino, Toms River East; Luke Brush, Toms River East; Kieran Mulholland, Toms River North; Cooper Greitz, Toms River South

Class B North Player of the Week

Ryan Costello, Ranney

Play it on repeat. Costello has been hogging a spot on the nominations, with this his third straight appearance on the Player of the Week list. This past week, the LSU commit again took his home-run-hitting act on the road by launching his 13th and 14th homers of the season in a 10-5 Ranney win at Matawan in which he went 3-for-4 and drove in six. For the week, Costello was 7-for-14 with a double, three home runs and 12 RBI in four Panthers wins.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Connor Voelkson, Manasquan; Luke Ramire, Manasquan; Trevor Rummel, Neptune; Hoyt Smith, Red Bank; Nick Russo, Freehold Boro; Xander Bartuk, Freehold Boro; Noah Ochojski, Freehold Boro; Justin Kauffman, Ranney; John Luca Gallina, Ranney; Sean Hart, Matawan; Jack Sassa, Matawan; Bryan McCartin, Matawan

Class B Central Player of the Week

Antonio Acevedo, Point Beach

The sophomore shortstop posted big numbers in two wins over Asbury Park – including his first career home run – but also did work in Point Beach’s lone game outside the B Central division last week. Acevedo went 1-for-3 with a double in a 5-2 loss to Howell on Saturday and was 4-for-7 with a double, homer and three RBI during the three-game week.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: Jack Tiernan, St. Rose; Manny Ramirez, Keansburg; Phil Sears, Keansburg; Mikey Clayton, Keansburg; Jacob Pinto, Keyport; Carlos Torres, Long Branch; Jaylen Brooks, Long Branch

Class B South Player of the Week

Nick Malinowski, Barnegat

The Bengals freshman standout tormented Pinelands last week, going 4-for-5 with a double, triple and two homers at the plate in the two-game series while also pitching a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts in one of the Barnegat wins.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Dave Yorke, Donovan Catholic; Joe Maier, Donovan Catholic; Henry Rezai, Donovan Catholic; Hunter Johnson, Donovan Catholic; Jack Kanis, Jackson Liberty; Carney O’Donnell, Jackson Liberty; Mason Ciccariello, Jackson Liberty; Owen Coburn, Lacey; Colton Sitarik, Manchester; Anthony Martino, Manchester; Evan Palmer, Manchester; Logan Russo, Pinelands; Jake Clayton, Point Boro

Wild Cards

Brayden Heatter, Brick

Heatter’s last name was an appropriate description of his performance last week, when the sophomore went 7-for-10 with a double, home run and four RBI. The two extra-base hits last week both came in a 5-3 win for the Green Dragons over St. John Vianney

Dave Yorke, Donovan Catholic

It was another highly productive week at the plate for Yorke, who went 6-for-10 with two doubles, a homer, six runs scored and five RBI in his team’s 3-0 week. What made his week special is the significance of the home run he hit. Yorke blasted a two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning to beat Manchester, 9-7, and give Donovan Catholic a share of the Class B South championship – its fourth straight division title.

Pitchers of the Week

SSN Monmouth County Pitcher of the Week: Danny Trentacosta, Sr., RHP, Marlboro

SSN Ocean County Pitcher of the Week: Nick Lovacco, Jr., RHP, Donovan Catholic

SSN Shore Conference Pitcher of the Week: Check Back Friday

Class A North Pitcher of the Week

Danny Trentacosta, Marlboro

Trentacosta made three appearances for Marlboro last week and although he did not earn a win in any of them, he was impressive in all three and helped the Mustangs win two huge games. He struck out the side to close out a 7-5 Mustangs win over Red Bank Catholic at the Tip Your Cap Classic on May 7, threw another 1 2/3 scoreless frames in a 1-0 loss to Manalapan and pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings for a no-decision in Marlboro’s 2-1 Shore Conference Tournament win over Monmouth in 11 innings.

Class A North Honorable Mention: Chris Levonas, CBA; Jake Wenzel, Middletown South; Tosh Mancini, Colts Neck; Jake Jensen, Howell; Phil Christopher, Howell; Kevin Rusinak, Manalapan; Dylan Shaffer, Manalapan; Jackson Redmond, Freehold Twp.

Class A Central Pitcher of the Week

Collin Denton, Monmouth

While Trentacosta went 7 2/3 innings in the 11-inning SCT marathon between Marlboro and Monmouth, Denton went well past that mark. The junior right-hander finished seven innings in under 80 pitches, then threw three more, giving him 10 innings with one unearned run allowed on just four hits and 114 pitches.

Class A Central Honorable Mention: Ryan Prior, Red Bank Catholic; Luke Buda, Holmdel; Joe Barbarino, Holmdel; Mike Milevoi, Monmouth; Phil Kramer, Raritan; Alan Warren, Raritan; Justin Spitzfaden, Red Bank Catholic; Joe Santi, Shore; Rob Stock, Shore

Class A South Pitcher of the Week

Nick Garbooshian, Brick Memorial

Garbooshian continues to turn in quality starts for Brick Memorial, which the senior right-hander did again last week in a three-hit shutout in the Mustangs’ 4-0 win over Manasquan in the Shore Conference Tournament opening round.

Class A South Honorable Mention: Zach Pirnik, Brick Memorial; Peyton Horning, Brick; Vinny Berardi, Central; Matt Colaneri, Jackson Memorial; Brady Lesiak, Southern; Tyler McLeod, Southern; Ryan Rivera, Toms River North; Matt Petrocelli, Toms River North

Class B North Pitcher of the Week

Mark Kovach, Matawan

Andrew Gendi and Brandon Falco have been the headliners in Matawan’s pitching rotation over the last two years but the Huskies would not have won their first outright division championship since 1972 without. Last week, the senior right-hander was dominant in five scoreless innings vs. Red Bank, punching out 11 as Matawan clinched the division title with a win over the Bucs.

Class B North Honorable Mention: Jack Kelly, Ocean; P.J. Whitehead, Red Bank; James Hare, Ranney; Zach Messina, Ranney; John Luca Gallina, Ranney; Andrew Gendi, Matawan

Class B Central Pitcher of the Week

Jack Tiernan, St. Rose

Tiernan keeps showing up in big games for St. Rose and his performance Saturday was his best yet as a high-school player. Tiernan pitched a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Ocean in the Shore Conference Tournament opening round, striking out 12 while walking five. The senior also went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in the win.

Class B Central Honorable Mention: Nick Dowd, Henry Hudson; Paxton Douglass, Keyport

Class B South Pitcher of the Week

Nick Lovacco, Donovan Catholic

Lovacco made two relief appearances last week – both against Manchester – and picked up wins in each. In total, the junior right-hander threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks to help the Griffins clinch the Class B South championship.

Class B South Honorable Mention: Nick Malinowski, Barnegat; Brenden Spaziano, Manchester; Wyatt Dewysocki, Point Boro

Wild Cards

Chris Levonas, CBA

Levonas absorbed Middletown South’s best shot last week, when the Eagles scored a run on three hits in the first inning of the Monmouth County Tournament semifinal before Levonas held them to one hit over five scoreless frames the rest of the way while finishing with 12 strikeouts. The start marked the first time Levonas completed six innings this season and was also his first start of the season without a walk.

Jake Wenzel, Middletown South

To win the Class A South championship, the Eagles needed a pitching outside of their two dominant left-handers – Mason Christopher and Brevin Bezick – to step up and deliver a quality outing. Over five innings of relief vs. Freehold Township, Wenzel allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out five to earn the win in Middletown South’s 5-2, extra-inning victory.