100 Shore Conference high school baseball Players to Watch in 2024

Another exciting season of Shore Conference scholastic baseball begins Monday.

The 2023 season saw Red Bank Catholic finished ranked No. 1 in the APP Top 10 after it won the Shore Conference Tournament for the fourth consecutive time and won its first NJSIAA sectional championship since 1997.

Last season, also saw Rumson-Fair Haven advance to the Group 2 championship game for its first appearance in a sectional final; Middletown North, the 2022 Group 3 champion, win its second straight sectional title; Point Pleasant Beach win its second consecutive sectional championship and Ranney (Monmouth County) and Donovan Catholic (Ocean County) win their respective county tournaments for the first time.

In preparation for the 2024 season, here are 100 Shore Conference baseball players to watch based on information provided by coaches.

Jake Howlett, C, Wall, Sr.

Howlett hit .427 with eight home runs, eight doubles, a triple, 31 RBI. He has signed with Monmouth University.

T.J. Legere, RHP/2B, Wall, Sr.

Legere hit .311 with 11 RBI and also had two wins and a 3.50 ERA in 28 innings.

Truir Brown, RHP/RF, Wall, Sr.

Brown hit .321 with four doubles and 11 RBI and also pitched 23 innings.

Jon Cofone, SS, Wall, Sr.

He hit .354 with a triple and seven RBI.

Sean Griggs, 3B, Red Bank Catholic, Sr.

Griggs has signed with the University of Alabama. He hit .396 with three triples and scored 26 runs as the Caseys won the Shore Conference Tournament for the fourth consecutive time and won the NJSIAA South A championship for their first sectional title since 1997.

Declan Leary, RHP, Red Bank Catholic, Sr.

Leary was 6-0 with a 1.04 earned run average 26 strikeouts and 17 walks in 33 2/3 innings. He has made a committment to the United States Naval Academy.

Dylan Passo, 1B, Red Bank Catholic, Jr.

A Notre Dame recruit, Passo had three home runs, six doubles and 21 RBI.

Matt Brunner, CF, Red Bank Catholic, Sr.

Brunner had 28 RBI from the No. 6 spot in the batting order

Max Dantoni, SS, Red Bank Catholic, Jr.

A Rutgers University-recruit, Dantoni had 14 RBI and a home run from the No. 9 spot in the batting order.

Ryan Prior, RHP, Red Bank Catholic, Jr.

The nephew of former Chicago Cubs' pitcher Mark Prior, Prior has made a commitment to the University of Virginia and his fastball has been clocked in the high 80's. He had a 0.61 ERA in 23 innings.

E.J. Stefanielli, C, Shore, Sr.

Stefanelli had five homers and 26 RBI on 26 hits. He hit .375

Cole Stefanelli, 1B, Shore, Sr.

He missed last season with an injury. Stefanelli hit .364 with 18 RBI in 2022.

Jack Riva, OF, Rumson-Fair Haven, Sr.

Riva hit .388 with two home runs, four doubles, a triple and 21 RBI as the Bulldogs advanced to the NJSIAA Group 2 championship for their first-ever appearance in a group final.

Parker Shenman, INF/OF, Rumson-Fair Haven, Jr.

Shenman had key hits throughout the season and wound up with 18 RBI, two homers, six doubles and three triples.

Owen O’Toole, RHP, Rumson-Fair Haven, Jr.

O'Toole, the quarterback for Rumson-Fair Haven's football team that has advanced to the Group 2 championship game the last two seasons, was a key man out of the bullpen in 2023. He allowed just one run, struck out 28, walked seven and had a 0.31 ERA in 22 1/3 innings.

Matt Iulo, C, Holmdel, Jr.

Iulo hit .413 with eight doubles, 15 RBI. He stole six bases and also scored 18 runs.

Nick Rakosi, OF, Holmdel, Jr.

Rakoski stole 11 bases, scored 22 runs and hit .333 with eight doubles and 15 RBI.

James Vallillo, OF, Holmdel, Sr.

He had 12 RBI and hit .319 with three doubles, two triples, 12 RBI and scored 13 runs.

Joe Barbarino, RHP, Holmdel, Sr.

Barbarino had 39 strikeouts and a 3.44 ETA in 38 2/3 innings.

Evan Booth, RF, Monmouth, Sr.

Booth is coming off a season in which he hit .355 with two home runs and 14 RBI. He also scored 16 runs. He will play collegiately at Ocean County College.

Mike Milevoi, 1B/RHP, Monmouth, Sr.

Milevoi hit .327 with two home runs and five doubles. He also struck 14 in 11 innings. He will play collegiately at Holy Family University.

Collin Denton, P/SS, Monmouth, Jr.

Denton struck out 39 and had a 3.19 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. He also had nine RBI. Denton pitched a complete-game one-hitter against Central Group 3 champion Middletown North in a Monmouth County Tournament first-round game.

Phil Kramer, LHP/LF, Raritan, Sr.

Kramer went 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA in 45 1/3 innings.

Travis Evernham, SS, Raritan, Jr.

Evernham batted .326 with 14 RBI.

John Molnar, RHP/3B, Raritan, Sr.

Molnar missed last season due to an injury. He hit .300 and had 40 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings in 2022.

Chris Levonas, RHP, Christian Brothers Academy, Sr.

Levonas, who has signed with Wake Forest University, went 5-1with a 1.14 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings.

Danny Tsimbinos, C, Christian Brothers Academy, Jr.

Tsimbinos hit .307 with two home runs, four doubles and 21 RBI.

Will Fahey, CF, Christian Brothers Academy, Jr.

Fahey hit .324 and scored 11 runs as the Colts won the Shore Conference Class A North championship.

Mason Christopher, LHP, Middletown South, Sr.

A Seton Hall-recruit, Christopher was 4-4 with 51 strikeouts and 23 walks as he became one of the Eagles' key pitchers due to ace Ben Schild, now at the University of Connecticut, not being able to pitch for a significant part of the season.

Lou D'Alessio, OF, Middletown South, Sr.

D'Alession belted 10 doubles and became one of the better hitters in the Eagles' lineup.

Brevin Bezick, P/OF/1B, Middletown South, Sr.

With the graduation of Schild, Bezick will likely become one of the Eagles' main pitchers.

Braden Walsh, C, Howell, Sr.

Walsh hit .367 with four home runs and 19 RBI.

Rohan Shah, RHP, Howell, Sr.

Shah had a 2.81 ERA in 32 1/3 innings.

Tommy Diffley, 1B/LHP, Colts Neck, Sr.

Diffley will be the Cougars' ace after he went 2-1 with 43 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA in 43 1/3 innings. He also hit .354 with 13 RBI.

Casey Gardiner, RF, Colts Neck, Sr.

Gardiner had 18 RBI, a 552 slugging percentage and hit .200.

Mike Avino, SS, Freehold Township, Sr.

Avino, a three-year starter, had 20 RBI.

Jackson Redmond, RHP, Freehold Township, Soph.

Redmond is receiving interest from Division 1 schools. He struck out 43 and walked 10 in 44 innings.

Lex Nelson, P/RF, Freehold Township, Sr.

Nelson will be the Patriots' No. 2 pitcher. He struck out 39 and walked 21 in 2023.

C.J. Svoboda, 2B/P, Freehold Township, Sr.

Svobody will be part of Freehold Township's rotation and is also in his his third year as a starter in the field.

Dylan Briggs, OF, Middletown North, Sr.

Briggs hit .461 with a home run and 17 RBI as Middletown North won the NJSIAA Central Group 3 championship for the second consecutive season.

Zach Hampton, P/1B, Middletown North, Jr.

Hampton hit .413 with 19 RBI and scored 23 runs.

Paul Santos, CF, Marlboro, Sr.

Santos hit .373 with 25 hits. He also scored 20 runs.

Mike Consolazio, C, Marlboro, Sr.

Consolazio, who was an All-Shore selection in football on defense last fall, had two home runs and 18 RBI.

Joe Dionisio, P/DH, Manalapan, Sr.

Dionisio had 35 strikeouts, a 1.19 ERA and a 1-2 record. He also had three homers.

Kevin Rusinak, P, Manalapan, Jr.

Rusinak had 49 strikeouts and a 2.83 ERA in 25 2/3 innings.

Brady Lesiak, RHP/3B, Southern, Sr.

Lesiak hit .407 with three home runs, five doubles and 26 RBI and went 6-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings as the Rams shared the Shore Conference Class A South championship with Jackson Memorial and Brick Memorial for its first divisional title since 1986.

Roger Dreher, RHP, Southern, Sr.

Dreher had 57 strikeouts and went 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 35 2/3 innings

Ray Mulhern, OF, Southern, Sr.

Mulhern hit close to .300 with four doubles and 11 RBI.

Gabe Tomei, C, Southern, Sr.

Tomei had 12 RBI with five doubles, five triples, two home runs.

Cristian Soto, C, Central, Sr.

A starter since he was a freshman, Soto has signed with Lafayette. Last season, he hit .368 with a home run, four doubles, a triple and 15 RBI.

Nicco Maribo, OF, Brick Memorial, Sr.

Maribo hit .425 with 37 hits, 11 doubles, 11 RBI last season. He also walked 10 times, stole 17 bases and scored 29 runs.

Nick Garbooshian, RHP/1B/C, Brick Memorial, Sr.

Garbooshian was 6-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings and he also hit. 270 with five doubles and 18 RBI as Brick Memorial shared the Class A South championship with Southern and Jackson Memorial for its first divisional title since 1995. Garbooshian has made a commitment to Drew University.

Tyler Garbooshian, RHP/SS, Brick Memorial, Soph.

Garbooshian hit .340 with five doubles and 14 RBI last season. He has made a non-binding oral commitment to Rutgers University.

Jimi Popp, OF/RHP, Brick Memorial, Jr.

Popp had 17 RBI, doubles a home run, walked 13 times, stole 10 bases, scored 19 runs and hit .310.

Tyler Huzzy, C, Jackson Memorial, Jr.

Huzzy hit .303 with seven RBI and scored 11 runs as the Jaguars shared the Class A South championship with Southern and Brick Memorial.

Nick Izzo, 1B, Jackson Memorial, Sr.

Izzo had three homers, five doubles, 13 RBI, scored 11 runs and hit .298.

Julian Caruso, CF, Jackson Memorial, Sr.

Caruso will be the Jaguars' leadoff hitter, head coach Pat George said. Caruso hit .284 with six doubles, a triple and scored 25 runs.

Aiden Lynch, RHP/OF, Toms River South, Jr.

Lynch had a 2.20 ERA in 11 appearances, seven of which were starts. He struck out 23 in 35 innings.

Matthew Ferrara, SS, Toms River East, Jr.

Ferrara hit .397 with eight doubles and 29 hits in 73 at-bats.

Kieran Mulholland, LHP/1B, Toms River North, Sr.

Mulholland struck out 38 and walked 20 in 32 innings.

Chris Quick, P/1B, Brick, Jr.

Quick hit .360 with four homers, 13 RBI and scored 11 runs.

Ryan Costello, 1B/OF, Ranney, Sr.

An LSU-recruit, Costello hit ..358 with four home runs and 18 RBI in about half a season He missed the first part of the season due to NJSIAA transfer rules. He had transferred from Freehold Township before the 2023 season. Costello had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh in the Panthers' come-from-behind 6-5 win over Red Bank Catholic in the Monmouth County Tournament championship game. It was Ranney's first MCT title.

James Hare, RHP, Ranney, Sr.

Hare, a Rutgers University-recruit, Hare had a 1.94 ERA with 34 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 2/3 innings. He will have increased role due to the graduation of the bulk of the pitching staff from last season.

Curtis Chropuvka, OF, Ranney, Jr.

Chropuvka hit .378 with a home run and 15 RBI. He has made a commitment to Lafayette. He and Costello will be asked to provide much of the offense with the graduation of much of last season's lineup.

Andrew Parisi, C, Ranney, Jr.

A transfer from Rutgers Prep, Parisi hit .492 with two home runs, nine doubles, two triple and 16 RBI. He also walked 25 times.

Ben Robinson, SS, Ocean, Jr.

Robinson hit .322 with two homers, six doubles and 20 RBI as the Spartans won the Shore Conference Class B North public school divisional title and advanced to the NJSIAA Central Group 2 semifinal. Robinson has made a commitment to NJIT.

Connor Tongring, C, Ocean, Jr.

Tongring had 26 RBI on 21 hits and hit .262 with six doubles.

Tommy Kowaliwskyj, RHP, Ocean, Jr.

Kowaliwskyj went 5-0 with a 1.03 ERA and 42 strikeouts and 29 walks in 34 innings. He will likely be the Spartans' ace this season.

Matt Richter, 1B/LHP, Ocean, Junior

Richter had 12 RBI, four doubles and walked 14 times.

Brandon Falco, RHP/1B, Matawan, Sr.

Falco, who has signed with NJIT, went 5-4 with 83 strikeouts, 21 walks and a 1.79 ERA in 58 2/3 innings as the Huskies advanced to the NJSIAA Central Group 3 semifinal and the MCT quarterfinal.

Sean Hart, LF, Matawan, Sr.

Hart had seven doubles, two triples, 15 RBI, stole 12 bases and hit .368 last season.

Andrew Gendi, RHP/3B, Matawan, Sr.

Gendi struck out 60, walked 24, went 3-2 with a save and had a 2.41 ERA in 49 1/3 innings. He also hit .240 with seven doubles, a triple, 12 RBI and stole 10 bases. He has made a commitment to Felician.

Mark Kovach, RHP/RF, Matawan, Sr.

Kovach went 2-3 and struck out 34 and walked 16 in 28 2/3 innings. He also had a home run and 10 RBI. He has made commitment to Hamilton.

Michael McCormack, INF, St. John Vianney, Jr.

McCormack had 31 RBI and five homers on 24 hits while hitting .375.

Austin Griffith, RHP, Manasquan, Sr.

Griffith struck out 38 and had a 2.45 ERA in 28 2/3 innings.

Connor Voelkson, C, Manasquan, Jr.

He had 17 RBI on 15 hits.

Jack Tiernan, 3B/SS/RHP, St. Rose, Sr.

Tiernan hit .451 with 25 RBI, a homer and seven doubles as St. Rose shared the Shore Conference Class B Central champion with Central Group 1 champion Point Pleasant Beach.

Brendan Brophy, LF/2B/OF, St. Rose, Jr.

Brophy had 12 RBI, two doubles, stole seven bases and hit .346.

Peter Nolan, SS, St. Rose, Soph.

Nolan hit .290 with 10 RBI and two doubles.

Anthony Crudo, LF/1B/RHP, St. Rose, Sr.

He hit .381 with 18 RBI, a home run and six doubles.

Nate Clayton, C, Point Pleasant Beach, Sr.

Clayton is in his fourth season as a starter. He hit .368 with two home runs, five doubles and 28 RBI as the Garnet Gulls won their second straight Central Group 1 championship.

Tommy Conroy, P/OF, Point Pleasant Beach, Soph.

Conroy had 35 hits. hit .500, walked 20 times, stole 20 bases, scored 36 runs and had five doubles and 19 RBI.

Dan Lubach, 3B, Point Pleasant Beach, Soph.

He belted six homers, drove in 31 runs, had five doubles a triple and hit .462.

Noah Banick, 1B/LHP, Point Pleasant Beach, Jr.

Banick had 16 RBI, scored 20 runs and hit .429. He also had 22 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA.

Ryan Doyle, RHP, Point Pleasant Beach, Sr.

A Felician University-recruit, Doyle had 32 strikeouts in 14 innings as a closer.

Aiden Winters, P/SS, Henry Hudson, Sr.

Winters went 5-1, struck out 67 and had a 2.62 ERA in 34 1/3 innings. He also hit .350 with 18 RBI.

Hayden Kurdes, CF, Henry Hudson, Sr.

Kurdes hit .451 with 18 RBI on 23 hits.

Erik Schmidt, P, Keyport, Sr.

Schmidt struck out 48, walked 15 and had a 2.13 ERA in 26 1/3 innings.

Tristian Knoblauch, CF, Keyport, Soph.

Knoblauch stole 28 bases. hit .388 and scored 16 runs

Jake Marciano, LHP, Donovan Catholic, Sr.

Marciano, a Virginia Tech-recruit, struck out 16 in the Griffins win over Southern in the Ocean County Tournament championship game. It was Donovan Catholic's first OCT title. He went 3-2 with a 3.57 ERA and struck out 62 in 35 1/3 innings.

Joe Maier, SS, Donovan Catholic, Sr.

Maier hit .358 with three homers and seven doubles. He also scored 26 runs. Maier has commited to Felician University.

Tyler Levine, 2B, Donovan Catholic, Jr.

Levine had 22 RBI, two homers, scored 27 runs and hit .403.

Hunter Johnson, 1B, Donovan Catholic, Sr.

Johnson had three homers in 2023

Dave Yorke, 3B, Donovan Catholic, Sr.

York had 20 RBI in 2023. York has committed to Sacred Heart.

Hunter Leftkus, RHP, Donovan Catholic, Sr.

The St. Peter's-recruit returns to the Griffins' rotation after missing last season due to an injury

Bryson Kirby, P/DH, Point Pleasant Borough, Sr.

Kirby went 4-2 with 72 strikeouts, 26 walks and a 2.73 ERA in 38 1/3 innings. He also hit .397 with three homers and 16 RBI.

Ryan Acquisto, 1B/P, Point Pleasant Borough, Sr.

Acquisto, who was a Region 6 champion at 165 pounds in wrestling this past season, hit .371 with five doubles, a triple and 12 RBI.

Michael Kisseberth, 2B/SS, Jackson Liberty, Jr.

Kisseberth hit. 460 with 23 hits in 50 at-bats.

Brett Benecke, 1B/C, Jackson Liberty, Sr.

Benecke had three home runs, seven doubles and hit .469 with 23 hits in 49 at-bats.

David Golini, RHP/CF, Lacey, Sr.

With the graduation of Lacey's best pitchers from last season Golini is expected to become one of the mainstays of the Lions' rotation.

Anthony Eckerson, C, Lacey, Sr.

Eckerson, who has made a commitment to Holy Family University, will be one of the key hitters in what Lions' head coach Adam Taha feels could be an improved offense this season.

Sidelined with injuries

Steve Svenson, RHP, Red Bank Catholic, Sr.

A Seton Hall-recruit, Svenson, who started the NJSIAA Non Public A championship game against Don Bosco Prep, is out for the season with a knee injury, Caseys' head coach Buddy Hausmann said. He struck out 43, walked 12 and had a 2.87 ERA in 46 1/3 innings.

Bryan Matuschat, INF/RHP, Point Pleasant Beach, Sr.

Matuschat had a Shore Conference-leading 15 doubles and batted .396 with two triples and 24 RBI. He has made a commitment to Sacred Heart University.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore baseball 100 Players to Watch in 2024