shore sports networks 2016 mlb draft shore fab five

June 7, 2016 Volume-VIII Issue-11

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The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want toknow after the big game is always,

Shore Sports Network Website Features

K e v i n W I L L I A M SShore Sports Network Directorkev in .wi l l i ams@townsquaremedia .com

S t e v e M E Y E RShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisionsteve.meye r@townsquaremedia .com7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

Sen ior Content Prov idersBobBadders // [email protected] // [email protected]

Shore Sports Network Journalis published by: T ow nsq u ar e M e d ia8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2016 Townsquare MediaAll rights reserved Reproduction in whole or inpart without the permission of Shore SportsNetwork is prohibited

K e v i n W I L L I A M SShore Sports Network Directorkev in .wi l l i ams@townsquaremedia .com

S t e v e M E Y E RShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisionsteve.meye r@townsquaremedia .com7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

Sen ior Content Prov idersBobBadders // [email protected] // [email protected]

Shore Sports Network Journalis published by: T ow nsq u ar e M e d ia8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2016 Townsquare MediaAll rights reserved Reproduction in whole or inpart without the permission of Shore SportsNetwork is prohibited

”Is this going to be on ”






Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholasticsports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing morevideo highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regularupdates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.




nof all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.

n Catch up on the action you might have missedn Watch video clips of everything from the

action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.

n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 18,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news

n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

nof all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.

n Catch up on the action you might have missedn Watch video clips of everything from the

action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.

n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 18,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news

n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

GET VIDEO HIGHLIGHTSGET VIDEO HIGHLIGHTSGET VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIESFOR THE 2016 LACROSSEALL-STAR GAME DAY

PROGRAM Be part of a tradition at the Jersey Shore thatreaches a large and enthusiastic Lacrosse audience from Monmouth and Ocean

counties by having your business featured in this year's 2016Shore Lacrosse Coaches Senior & Youth All-Star Game officialgame day program, JUNE 15TH AT RUMSON-FAIRHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL. The detailed game programput together by the Shore Sports Network staff not onlyrecounts the past season and highlights this year's group of All-Stars, it also serves as a keepsake for all the players, coachesand fans involved. Not only is the program a chance for yourbusiness to reach a wide and passionate audience, it is a chanceto become a permanent part of a lasting memory for manymembers of the Shore Conference Lacrosse community.

C A L L T O D A Y 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

VOLUME -V I I I / I S SUE - 11 / 6 / 7 / 1 6

3SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Some of the top senior boyslacrosse players in the

Shore Conference will get toshowcase their skills in onefinal high school game whenthe Shore Conference LacrosseCoaches Association hosts itssenior all-star game, 7:30p.m. on Wednesday June 15 atRumson-Fair Haven High Schoolbrought to by Shore Sports Network.The North all-stars will be comprised entirely of players

from Monmouth County schools and coached byRumson’s Andy Eastwood, Shore Regional’s GreggMalfa and Holmdel’s Dale Oehler. The Southsquad will consist of the Ocean County senior all-stars plus seniors from Wall and Manasquan. TheSouth team will be coached by Manasquan’s SeanCunningham and Jackson Liberty’s AnthonyDzienkiewicz.

The North all-stars feature five DivisionI recruits, including Shore Regionalmidfielder Doug Goldsmith (Albany),who tied for the Shore Conferencehigh in points with 99 (56 goals and43 assists) while also picking up 124ground balls. Ocean attackman JoeyAppio also recorded 99 points (30goals and 69 assists) this seasonand became the ShoreConference’s career leader inassists with 221. That mark is alsosecond all-time in New Jersey.Appio continue his career atDivision II Florida SouthernCollege.

Also headlining the team is theRumson group of attackmen RobbieGaravente, Henry Sillen and GriffinSchultz, defenseman Ian Clarke, face-off specialist Butch Clark and goalieKyle Knapp. Those six helped theBulldogs capture the ShoreConference Tournament title for thethird time in four seasons and sixth timeoverall. They were also key members ofRumson’s 2015 NJSIAA Group Ichampionship team, the first statechampion from the Shore.

Christian Brothers Academy’s JohnSalcedo (Bucknell), Red Bank Catholic’sBrett Habich (Siena), Red Bank’s Ryan

Gilmartin (Mount St. Mary’s) and Garavente(Lafayette) are also headed to Division I schools

in the fall.

In addition to Goldsmith and Appio, the North teamhas several of the Shore’s top offensive players. Ocean

midfielder Erik Rant finished with62 goals and 88 points andGaravente had 54 goals and 85points. Red Bank attackmanCole Smolokoff tallied 56goals and 81 points, andteammate Brian Fagan notched68 points on 49 goals and19 assists while workingthe midfield for theBucs.

Clarke and CBA’sGordon Paul lead thegroup of defensemenwhile Knapp andColts Neck’sAndrew Halmi arethe goalies forthe North team.

The Southsquad isn’t asdeep as itscounterpart, buthas several standoutplayers of its own. Southern

attackman Nick Simonelli was second in theShore in assists (48) and also scored 49 goalsfor 97 total points. Wall attackman Mike Steppefinished with 92 points on 59 goals and 23assists. Along with Jackson Liberty’s TylerKalmowitz and his 58 goals, the South squadboasts an impressive trio of attackmen.

Barnegat midfielder J.J. McKenna will playDivision I lacrosse next year as the Bengals standoutheads to Rutgers. Teammate Joe Jinks playedmidfield for the first time in his career after being

a defenseman and turned in a solid season.

Attackman Billy Porter will represent BrickMemorial after helping the Mustangs to an11-6 record and becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer with 140 points.

Joining Simonelli for Southern will bemidfielder James Manzo and defensemen GordieVonSchmidt, Evan Henken and Anthony Triola. Theyhelped the Rams go 14-2 and win the Class A South title

for the fourth straight season. They were also part of aSouthern team that captured the 2015 Shore ConferenceTournament title.

A senior-heavy Jackson Liberty team will be well-representedwith seven players. Along with Kalmowitz are midfielder WalterMatthies, defensemen Austin Doel and Gio Colandrea, long-stickmidfielder Chris Stefanowicz, face-off specialist ChristianPongracz and goalie Chris Mulholland.

Group II finalist Manasquan was a team loaded with juniors andnot many seniors, but one of the Warriors’ most important playerswill get one last game as versatile midfielder Paul Krueger willplay on the South team.

The complete rosters for both teams can be found onShoreSportsNetwork.com.

The North all-stars won last year’s game, 12-8, with Howell’sZach Ornstein selected as Most Valuable Player. Ornstein startedas the face-off specialist for Albany this past season as a truefreshman.

There will also be a youth all-star game at 5:30where fans can watch the stars of tomorrow. Lastyear’s youth all-star game featured several players

who made an impact as freshman this season,including Manasquan’s MikeLapoint, James Pendergistand Jack Fabean, CBA’sConnor Macrae, Shore’sGil Goldsmith and JackMcCrae, Wall’s ShaneMeyler, Rumson’sThomas Bavuso, JacksonMemorial’s Santo Porazzo

and Lacey’s Dylan Vitale.

Tickets are $5 at the gate.

Shore Sports Network will be onhand with stories, photos and videohighlights from the game. Therewill be a special edition of ourmagazine, the Shore SportsNetwork Journal, available free ofcharge at the gate. It will feature therosters for both teams in the highschool and youth games along withbiographies of each high schoolplayer, plus the SCLCA All-Shoreand All-Division teams and more.

2016 SHORE LACROSSE COACHES ASSOCIATIONSENIOR ALL-STAR GAME SET FOR JUNE 15TH

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

FOR INFORMATIONON H I -RES COLOR PR INTS OF ANY PAGES& IMAGES IN ANY OF OUR PUBL ICAT IONSCONTACT: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 s [email protected]


When Manasquan fell toChatham in a thrillingNJSIAA Group IIchampionship game on June1 it officially marked the endof a 2016 Shore Conferenceboy lacrosse season whichproduced several marqueegames and milestones.The Shore Conference continues to grow and raise its

statewide profile, and this year it was Manasquan that made aname for itself by becoming just the third area program to playin a state title game, joining Rumson-Fair Haven and Southern.The Warriors exacted revenge onRumson in the South Group IIsectional final with an 8-4victory to capture theprogram’s first state sectionalcrown. From there Manasquantangled with Chatham in theGroup II final and went toe-to-toe with the heavily-favoredCougars before falling, 4-2.Manasquan also reached the ShoreConference Tournamentchampionship game and won theClass B South division title for thesecond year in a row.

With a large standout junior classthat features the top goal scorer inthe Shore this season, attackmanJarrett Birch, and arguably the topdefenseman in Kyle LeBlanc, plusa group of outstanding freshman,Manasquan should be a force to bereckoned with in 2017.

To get to where they finished theWarriors had to get through thestandard-bearer in the Shore

Conference, and it took two tries.Rumson, coming off the NJSIAA GroupI title in 2015, started the season rankedNo. 1 in the Shore Sports Network Top10 and held that spot all the way until thesectional final. A phenomenal seniorclass led by senior attackman RobbieGaravente steered the Bulldogs to theClass B North division title and theprogram’s sixth SCT title with an 8-5win over Manasquan in a stellarchampionship game.

Rumson and Manasquan were the toptwo teams in the Shore

Conference all season,and the fact theyplayed twice withchampionships onthe line was a treat

for Shore Conference fans.Rumson was tested byCBA in a phenomenalsemifinal game wherethe Bulldogsprevailed, 6-4.Southern held a 6-5 lead onManasquan in theSCT semifinals

before the Warriors - a second-half team all season - pulledaway in the final two quarters.

After sharing the title in 2015,CBA won the Class A Northdivision crown outright and onlylost to Rumson and Manasquan inthe Shore Conference. The Coltscaught fire at the right time,

finding their offensive groove overthe final three weeks of the season to

surge into the SCT semifinals.

Southern turned in a very important seasonfor the program by going 14-2 and winning theClass A South division title for the fourth consecutive year.Southern graduated a program-defining senior class

following the 2015 season,including 421-point scorer DylanJinks, who starred as a freshmanat Hartford this season. The Ramsbecame the first Ocean Countyteam to win the SCT last season,but with so much talentgraduating many felt the Ramswould fall back to earth. Instead,Southern showed how deep itsprogram goes. The Rams were12-0 before falling to Manasquanin the SCT semifinals. Seniorattackman Nick Simonelli had abanner season with 97 points.

With large group of seniors,Jackson Liberty set a programrecord for wins in a season bygoing 13-6 and reaching the

semifinals of the South Group IIIplayoffs.

Ocean tied the program record forwins in a season by going 14-3 for thesecond straight year.

Shore rebounded from a sub-.500season to have one of the program'sbest campaigns in going 12-6 andwinning their first SCT game, a 12-11overtime thriller against JacksonLiberty.

Middletown South, under first-yearhead coach Rob Grella, won a program-record nine games. The Eagles are ateam to watch over the next few yearsunder Grella, who coached AdelphiUniversity’s women’s lacrosse team tothe 2014 NCAA Division II NationalChampionship before resigning topursue opportunities closer to hishome.

Neptune experienced a huge

Lacrosse Season In ReviewBy Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

See LAX Review page 6Manasquan’s Jarrett Birch

Manasquan’s Canyon Birch

Rumson’s Robbie Garavente

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM 5


wins in a season by going14-3 for the secondstraight year.

S h o r er e b o u n d e dfrom a sub-.500season to have one ofthe program's best campaignsin going 12-6 and winning theirfirst SCT game, a 12-11 overtimethriller against Jackson Liberty.

Middletown South, under first-year headcoach Rob Grella, won a program-recordnine games. The Eagles are a team to watchover the next few years under Grella, whocoached Adelphi University’s women’slacrosse team to the 2014 NCAA Division IINational Championship before resigning topursue opportunities closer to his home.

Neptune experienced a huge turnaroundunder third-year head coach Rob Schulte,going from 1-14 last year to finishing aprogram-best 10-10 this season. TheScarlet Fliers had an eight-game winningstreak late in the season and will lookto build on that success heading into2017.

In its second year as a varsityprogram, Point Boro went 7-11and qualified for the ShoreConference Tournament and theSouth Group I state playoffs.

Individually, Red Banksenior goalie Jon Pierceled the state in saveswith 306 and also set thestate’s career record

f o r

saves with 1,003. He broke the state record when he made 18saves in a win over Middletown South on May 11 to passGlen Ridge’s Jack Davis with 958 saves. He became the firstNew Jersey goalie to reach 1,000 career saves when hestopped 14 shots in his final high school game, a loss by theBucs to Hopewell Valley in the first round of the stateplayoffs.

Ocean senior attackman Joey Appio finished his careerwith 221 assists to end up as the Shore Conference’s all-timeleader and second all-time in New Jersey. Appio finished

tied for the scoring title in the Shore Conferencewith 99 points on 30 goals and a conference-best69 assists.

Healthy for the first time in his lacrosse career,Shore senior midfielder Doug Goldsmith shinedwith 53 goals and 46 assists to tie for theconference lead with 99 points, showing whyhe’ll be playing his college lacrosse at theUniversity of Albany.

Manasquan’s Jarrett Birch led the Shore ingoals with 70.

Ocean’s Joey Appio RBR’s Jon Pierce

Southern’sNick Simonelli

P h o t o s B y :Mark Brown

www.b51photography.com

Rob Samualswww.boofacephotography.com

Ray R ichardsonrayrichphotography.smugmug.com

Shore’s Doug Goldsmith

LAX Review Continued from page 4

N JUNE OF 2009, MAJORLEAGUE BASEBALL STAGEDITS FIRST-YEAR PLAYERDRAFT FROM THE STUDIOOF THE NEWLY-LAUNCHEDMLB NETWORK FOR THEFIRST TIME EVER IN HOPESTHAT ITS EVENT WOULDBUILD TOWARD BECOMINGWHAT THE NFL AND NBAHAD DEVELOPED IN THEIRRESPECTIVE VERSIONS OFTHE DRAFT.In order to create a similar spectacle, MLB invited a host of potential draft

picks to attend. Only one showed up.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had two consecutive selections in the 2009draft, the first of which was the 24th pick overall. As that one, single, solitarypotential draft pick waited with his family and friends for his name to be called, then-commissioner Bud Selig called out the name of the Angels’ pick at 24: Randal Grichuk.

The Angels are widely hailed as the team with enough sense to draft the best playerin the game today that night, but even the Angels passed on the kid sitting in the studio.One pick later, however, Selig finally ended the wait and called the young man’s name.

“With the 25th selection of the first round in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft,” theCommissioner decreed that night, “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selectMichael Trout.”

Before Selig could recite Trout’s position and origin, a large cheer erupted in thestudio. His family, friends, coaches and teammates had made the two-hour trip fromMillville, NJ in the southern-most part of the state to Secaucus for that moment andthey all made the most of it by letting Trout – and everyone else in the studio – knowthey were there.

While not even the Angels could have predicted that night that they had justselected a player who would win an American League Most Valuable Player Awardin his third Big League season and finish second in the other three of his first fourfull years – and done so with their second pick, no less – it doesn’tprevent all 30 Major League clubs spending vast

scouting resources in the hopes of finding their Mike Trout.

Trout was not only proof that elite talent is available after the first 10teams have made their selection, but it can also be available in “coldweather” states like New Jersey.

This season’s crop of New Jersey talent available in the draft is amongthe best in the state has ever produced in a single draft, according to severalarea scouts, and the Jersey Shore is a significant source of that. At least

four current high school seniors from schools in the ShoreConference are expected to be taken in the first 15 rounds of the

draft and another college player from the Shore is widelyprojected to hear his name called in the first round.

Conservatively speaking, all five Jersey Shorenatives are likely to be selected in those first15 rounds, but there are factors thatcould land each in the top fiverounds as well as other factorsthat could land them laterin what is a volatileprocess. Below is a

look at five prospectsfrom the Jersey Shore that

are expected to go off the boardeither in the first 77 picksThursday night on MLBNetwork or either of the next twodays of selections.

JASON GROOME, LHP, BARNEGAT(Committed to Vanderbilt)2016 Stats: 39 2/3 innings, 15 hits, 14 walks, 90 strikeouts, 0.88 ERA, 2-3 record (Includes

starts made while ineligible)

Career Stats: 170 1/3 innings, 88 hits, 50 walks, 307 strikeouts, 0.99 ERA, 16-6 record

By the end of his junior season at IMG Academy in Florida, Groome ascended to the topof this year’s draft class according to multiple prospect-ranking publications and, for themost part, has done little on the field to diminish that standing. Although few scouts,sportswriters and draft experts are expecting the Philadelphia Phillies to make Groome theNo. 1 pick on Thursday night, that is mainly due to conditions outside of Groome’s control.The list of high school pitchers selected with the No. 1 pick is short (there have been three)and the list of high school pitchers selected No. 1 who have had established, successful BigLeague careers is non-existent.

For that reason, both the Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds – who have the second pick– are rumored to be interested in either a college player or a high school

B y M a t t M a n l e y – S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r


9

position player. There are also financial factors that play into the top ofthe draft and those could be holding back a player like Groome, who is

regarded as one of the three-to-five best players available by mostpublications and whose representation is reportedly seeking to gethim paid to reflect that. In recent years, since the draft hasimplemented overall spending limits for the entire draft rather than

slot recommendations, many clubs have sought to draft players at thetop of the draft who will sign a contract at a lower value than the slot

expectation in order to spend more money late in the draft on players who areexpected to be more expensive.

While some have mentioned Groome’s ineligibility ruling in April as a possiblered flag for teams, that hardly seems to be the case given that the decision stemmedfrom a failure to interpret the rules by the Barnegat athletic department. On the field,his stuff played up to expectation. His fastball did not reach the 97-mile-per-hour highpoint that he reached in the summer of 2015, but he hit 96 a handful of times and wasconsistently 92-to-94 throughout the year while continuing to flash a curveball thatmost scouts consider his best pitch. He also showcased a changeup that scouts findpromising.

By the numbers, if there was one facet of Groome’s game that might have leftevaluators wanting more, it was the walk totals. They were not especially disconcerting,but for a prospect considered to have advanced feel and command, 14 walks in 39 2/3innings was more solid than spectacular. While the 90 strikeouts mitigates that to somedegree, it also helped to drive up Groome’s pitch counts during his starts.

With the intense spotlight on him during his senior year, Groome has acquittedhimself admirably, both in his demeanor and performance. Anyone carrying theexpectations that Groome did into this season is bound to face scrutiny and after beingpicked apart for the last two months, he is still expected to be a high pick on Thursday,even if it is not No. 1. He could go as early as No. 3 to Atlanta, Oakland has reportedlybeen interested at No. 6, and he is unlikely to get past Boston at No. 12. With all thatbeing said, don’t count the Phillies out if the price is right.

MATT THAISS, CATCHER University of Virginia(Jackson Memorial)

2016 Stats: .375 avg., 13 doubles, 2 triples, 10 home runs,55 runs, 59 RBI, .473 on-base pct., .578 slugging pct.

College Career: .344 avg., 26 doubles, two triples, 20home runs, 115 runs, 130 RBI, .432 on-base pct., .509slugging pct.

HS Career: .343 avg., 22 doubles, 17 home runs, 50runs, 70 RBI, .483 on-base pct., .673 slugging pct.

Thaiss has already experienced the thrill of beingdrafted when he was selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd

round of the 2013 draft out of the JacksonMemorial High School. The experience is sure tobe completely different this time around becauseof the work Thaiss put in during his time in college– a career that includes a College World Series titlein 2015 and 20 homers over the past two seasons.

Heading into the season, the buzz surroundingThaiss as a potential draft pick was relativelymum, but his red-hot start sent him flying up draftboards. Heading into the week, Thaiss isconsidered a strong bet to be selected in the firstround and at the very least, he should hear hisname called on Thursday night in prime time.

At this stage, Thaiss’s best quality is his bat,which is no surprise to those who watched himplay at Jackson Memorial. This past season, notonly did Thaiss lead the Cavaliers in average,home runs and RBI, but he also struck out 16 timeswhile drawing 39 walks. He was also a constant inthe lineup, starting all 60 of the team’s games and

doing so as a catcher, no less. He emerged as a leader at one of thenation’s top programs and although Virginia was eliminated from thisyear’s NCAA Tournament this past weekend, he still ends his collegecareer with a ring.

The major question surrounding Thaiss, and perhaps theonly question, is what defensive position he will play at thenext level. With the exception of his freshman year at Virginia, duringwhich he played sparingly as a designated hitter and first baseman,Thaiss has been a catcher since his junior year at Jackson Memorial.Over the summer, one scout said he thought Thaiss was goodenough to catch as a pro, but that opinion put him in theminority based on the opinion of scouts this spring.

Thaiss has experience in the outfield in high school andat first base at Virginia, so he has a foundation for anyposition change if his new employer wants to move himfrom behind the plate right away. Mock drafts have himbeing selected as high as No. 18 overall and teamslooking for an impact bat for their system willstrongly consider the former Jaguar.

LUCA DALATRI, RHP,CHRISTIAN BROTHERSACADEMY (Committedto NorthCarolina)2016 Stats (Through

Tuesday): 60 innings, 28hits, 4 walks, 108strikeouts, 0.46 ERA, 9-0record

Career Stats: 242 2/3innings, 135 hits, 36 walks,360 strikeouts, 0.69 ERA,34-2 record

Those who follow baseballat the Shore know all aboutDalatri, who is on the cuspof breaking the ShoreConference career winsrecord if he can winWednesday’s ShoreConference Tournament final.MLB scouting departmentshave become familiar withhim as well and he presentsan interesting case to thepeople making decisions.On performance andresults, it’s hard to

imagine a more effectiveplayer.

Dalatri is a two-time Gatorade N.J. Player of the Year and is in themidst of one of the most dominant seasons in Shore Conferencehistory, even coming off of his least effective start of the season lastWednesday. He has struck out 108 batters in 60 innings while issuingonly four walks. Before allowing three earned runs in his last outing,Dalatri had allowed only one in his previous 53 innings. He pitched 38consecutive scoreless innings at one point and that sort of performancehas become expected of him during his high school career.

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

See FAB 5 page 10

Matt Thaiss (L) of the Virginia Cavaliers celebratewinningthe National Championship (Peter Aiken/Getty Images

So if Dalatri has been a dominant performer for three years and is committed to a program likeNorth Carolina, why aren’t teams targeting him in the first round? As one scout said, “(Scouts)have been showing up every game thinking this will be the day he throws 94 (miles per hour) andit hasn’t happened.”

Dalatri has consistently pitched with a fastball in the 88-to-91 miles-per-hour range this seasonand in one start, he was up to 93. While that has not catapulted him into the first round, it hasbeen enough to pique the interest of a number of teams as a potential top-fiveround selection. Scouts are impressed by his Dalatri’s size, control andcommand of four pitches, as well as the results he has produced.

While all of the physical attributes are the basis for anyevaluation, his likelihood to sign a team-friendly signingbonus will be what determines his draft position. A sourcesaid he will be drafted within the top five rounds, but inyear’s past, similar guarantees involving players like Dalatrihave not always played out. If teams determine it will bedifficult to convince a player to break his college commitment, theytypically pass. With that in mind and considering he is ranked No. 174 onBaseball America’s Top 500 list, Dalatri could go anywhere between round threeand the early teens.

BRANDON MARTORANO, CATCHERCHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY (Committed to North Carolina)2016 Stats: .402 avg., 8 doubles, 5 home runs, 24 runs, 25 RBI, 8 stolen bases, .467 on-

base pct., .667 slugging pct.

Career Stats: .391 avg., 23 2B, 7 3B, 18 HR, 79 runs, 79 RBI, 16 SB, .449 on-basepct., .696 slugging pct.

The same rules that apply to Dalatri’ssignability also apply to his CBA teammateand fellow UNC commit. Martorano is ratedNo. 208 on that same Baseball America Top500 list and has held steady around No.200 since the list was released.Without regard to Martoranosigning, he has beenconsidered by some as apotential second-or-third-round talentwhich could landh i mcomfortably onday two ofthe draft,even ifteams

consider him to be a tough sign.While some scouts have indicated that Martorano could move off of catcher as a professional, plenty of

evaluators see him as a catcher. One scout said his arm does not stand out, but his receivingskills and understanding of the position more than make up for the arm.

Martorano’s bat turned heads at the end of his junior high school season and hishot streak continued into the summer, when he cracked Baseball America’s top100 prep players list. He began his high school career as a lanky athlete with

surprising power and as a junior, that power went to a different level asMartorano cracked 11 home runs in 108 at-bats. He came back as a seniorwith 20 added pounds of muscle and hitting the ball with even greater

authority, although it did not show in the home run totals. The window in which Martorano will be drafted seems to be more stable thanthat of Dalatri and that means he will likely be a day-two pick with a chance to

hear his name called in top five rounds.

JOEY ROSE, 3RD BASE, TOMS RIVER NORTH 2016 Stats: .437 avg., 6 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs, 33 runs,

38 RBI, 2 SB, .615 on-base pct., 1.015 slugging pct.

Career Stats: .417 avg., 23 doubles, 3 triples, 18 home runs, 78 runs,73 RBI, 12 stolen bases, .561 on-base pct., .798 slugging pct.

Rose was not as firmly on the draft radar entering the season asMartorano was and did not have the out-of-this-world performance thatDalatri had, but he had some mix of the two. His high schoolperformance during his three varsity seasons is borderline eye-poppingand his bat speed and arm are both tools that have caught the eye ofscouts.

Of all the Shore Conference players likely to be drafted, Rose has thewidest range of possibilities. He could be selected on the second day ofthe draft as a talented player who is motivated to sign with a team,but could also end up a middle-round pick if teams feel they canafford to wait on him.

JUNIOR COLLEGE PROSPECTS

ANDREW DIPIAZZA, RHP, MercerCounty College (Central Regional)

DiPiazza and Molina both had standout seasons back in N.J. thisseason after beginning their college careers for bigger, out-of-stateprograms. DiPiazza was considered a potential top-10 round pickat one point heading into his senior season at Central, but a late-season elbow ailment took him off the board. He spent a seasonat the University of Alabama before transferring to Mercer forthe 2016 season.

AL MOLINA, SHORTSTOP,Brookdale College (RBC)

Molina was a 29th round pick of the Phillies in 2014 andopted to attend Coastal Carolina University. After a soliddebut as a freshman, Molina opted to return to MonmouthCounty and suit up for the Jersey Blues. This past season,he was named Region XIX Player of the Year.

Both players could hear their names called at somepoint on either Friday or Saturday with the possibilityof returning to the college ranks still on the table foreach.

10 VOLUME -V I I I / I S SUE - 11 / 6 / 7 / 1 6

F AB 5 Continued from page 9

P h o t o s B y :Mark Brown

www.b51photography.comRay Richardson

rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

FOR INFORMATIONON H I -RES COLOR PR INTS OF ANY PAGES& IMAGES IN ANY OF OUR PUBL ICAT IONSCONTACT: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 s [email protected]

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM 1 1

12 VOLUME -V I I I / I S SUE - 11 / 6 / 7 / 1 6

Manasquan waited twoweeks to get another chanceat Rumson-Fair Haven, andwith that opportunity theWarriors made history.A complete team effort did it for Manasquan in an 8-4

victory over Rumson in the NJSIAA South Group II statesectional final on Saturday morning at the Sea Girt ArmyCamp. Freshman attackman Canyon Birch scored threetimes, junior attackman Jarrett Birch had one goal and twoassists and junior midfielder Pat Felstedt sank a pair of goalsagainst a Rumson defense that had allowed just three goalsin three postseason games entering the final.

Manasquan’s defense, led by junior Kyle LeBlanc, stifleda dynamic Rumson offense, while the face-off unit of juniorFOGO Matt Thermann and wings Paul Krueger and PeteDegnan kept possession even throughout the game. It alladded up to the Warriors exacting revenge for a loss toRumson in the Shore Conference Tournament final andwinning the program’s first state title.

“It’s a huge step for this program,” Felstedt said. “Beatinga team like that and almost shutting them out in the firsthalf; the defense did an amazing job, Tommy (junior goalie

Tom Pollock) was phenomenal and we just capitalized onoffense.”

“It’s amazing,” LeBlanc said. “Especially beating Rumsonafter we lost to them in the Shore Conference Tournament.It means a lot.”

Manasquan will play North Group II champion Chathamfor the NJSIAA Group II championship at 7:30 p.m. onWednesday at Livingston High School. Chatham defeatedRamapo, 6-5 in double overtime, to win its sectional title onSaturday. The winner of that game advances to the NJSIAATournament of Champions.

Manasquan led from start to finish, taking a 1-0 lead 2:19into the game and leading 5-1 at halftime. The Warriorsenjoyed a four-goal lead for much of the final three quarters,but it wasn’t until half a minute remained that head coachSean Cunningham allowed himself to relax.

“I think at the 30-second mark I finally let myself breatha sigh of relief and say ‘wow, we just did it’,” Cunninghamsaid. “The fourth quarter was the longest 12 minutes of mylife.”

“This is one of the greatest feelings,” Krueger said.“You’re on the field and seeing the clock counting down andthere’s no way they’re coming back. You’re statechampions.”

The first meeting was an 8-5 win for Rumson on May 16to win the SCT title. Manasquan was crushed after the loss,but vowed to rebound and put itself in position to potentiallysee the Bulldogs again with another title on the line. Theyfelt some minor adjustments would pay big dividends.

“We felt pretty good about the first game even though theyscored a good amount of goals because they had a lot ofpossessions where we forced a turnover but they picked itright back up,” LeBlanc said. “Today we focused on pickingup those ground balls when they were on the floor.”

“We put together a good team effort on ground balls and itworked out.”

Another stark change for Manasquan was on draws.Rumson senior Butch Clark won 11 of 17 face-offs in theSCT final, but on Saturday Thermann and Clark wereessentially even with Clark unofficially going 8-for-14.

“The biggest turnaround from last game to this game wasthe Worm at face-off X,” Cunningham said. “Matt – not toundermine what Butch did last game – was nursing a littlebit of a wrist injury and Butch absolutely took it to him. Thisgame we saw that 50/50 even split I more anticipated withthose two because they’re both such good face-off guys.Matt was rested and he came after it, and the wing play withPetey Degnan and Paulie Krueger and the two poles betweenTommy Meyer and Chip Sarnasi was fantastic.”

Manasquan Takes Rematch with Rumson towin South Group II Sectional TitleBy Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer


The bottom line for Manasquan was that in the areas itknew it could improve, the Warriors executed to nearperfection.

“They dominated face-offs last time we played them andwe scrapped for ground balls this time, and that made a bigdifference,” Felstedt said. “Clearing the ball, we made someadjustments this time and got it done. On the offensive sidewe needed longer possessions. Last time our defense wasgassed because we were playing too much. Our offensereally settled it down.”

Jarrett Birch’s unassisted goal 2:19 into the game gaveManasquan (19-4) the early lead, and that quick advantagecould not be underestimated. The Warriors’ defense put theclamps on and kept the one-goal edge heading to the secondquarter. Felstedt pushed the lead to 2-0 early in the secondquarter and Canyon Birch and James Pendergist tallied 34seconds apart to open up a 4-0 lead with eight minutes leftin the first half.

“The first goal is always huge,” Cunningham said. “Theystruck first last game and it was almost immediate, and thenwe had to play catch-up. We went up 2-1 and theyimmediately tied it, so we never had that sense of being ableto relax and take a deep breath. Scoring the first goal andthe way the defense was playing allowed us to be in controland have a little bit of wiggle room. We got that second goal,third goal, fourth goal and we were able to keep thatcushion.”

“We knew we could score and (the first goal) reallysparked our momentum,” Canyon Birch said. “Once we getgoing we’re hard to stop.”

Henry Sillen got Rumson on the board with an unassistedgoal at 5:18, but Felstedt got it right back with 2:33 left inthe half.

Manasquan extended its lead to 6-1 when Canyon Birchscored unassisted 1:24 into the third quarter, and the teamstraded goals for the rest of the quarter, culminating with asteal by Jarrett Birch to set up Canyon Birch for an 8-3 leadgoing to the fourth quarter.

Griffin Schultz scored 54 seconds into the fourth quarter,but that was all the offense Rumson could muster against alocked-in Manasquan defense. P h o t o B y :

Rob Samualswww.boofacephotography.com

by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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