Shore Softball Preseason team rankings. Who's in the Top 20?
With softball season getting underway this week, there's one final piece of preseason business for the APP's preseason coverage of the Shore Conference. These are the top 20 teams in the league heading into the 2024 season.
For this ranking, a primary consideration was a team's overall performance in 2023 while considering their strength of schedule. Most important are a team's key returners and losses. Below are the rankings of the top Shore teams on the diamond heading into the season.
More: Preseason All-Shore softball team for 2024. Check out the standouts on the diamond.
1. St. John Vianney
2023 record: 27-1
The reigning Non-Public A state champion is the undeniable choice for preseason number one. The Lancers were world beaters in 2023 and should be considered legitimate candidates to be ranked nationally heading into 2024. The team's lone loss came in extra innings to fellow powerhouse Donovan Catholic, which finished last season ranked 14th in the nation. SJV didn't get its shot at a postseason rematch, but I'm sure was content with a clean run to the state title.
SJV lost two key seniors in Holly Lovett and Grace Colucci, but otherwise returns almost all of the key contributors from last year's team. SJV has a strong senior class and a bright future with three underclassmen making the preseason All-Shore first team. The Lancers are the team to beat heading into the spring.
2. Donovan Catholic
2023 record: 28-2
First, the bad news: the Griffins lost Player of the Year Julia Aposolakos to graduation last season. And despite their aforementioned nationally ranking, were stunned in the playoffs by St. Thomas Aquinas in an 8-2 blowout.
The good news: there's no way this team could possibly be lower than second after it notched blowout victories against Marlboro and Red Bank Catholic en route to winning the Shore Conference title. The Griffins lost a few seniors but are ready to reload with a variety of ultra-talented underclassmen like Bella Maria, Christina Genex and Dani Rodriguez to name a few. They have the talent and motivation to reclaim the Non-Public crown.
3. Marlboro
2023 record: 24-6
The Mustangs displayed no shortage of grit last season on their way to winning the Public Group 4 championship. After starting the season 3-4, they closed it out with a record of 21-2 before finishing it off with an 1-0 victory in extra innings to beat Hillsborough and win the state title. That toughness is also exhibited in the team's play style, and they return most of their roster as they aim to retain that identity and repeat as state champs.
The major loss from that team is Skyla Campisi, who graduated and is now playing collegiately for Muhlenburg after being the team's best all-around hitter as a senior in 2023. The good news is that the Mustangs still have a strong stable of experienced and talented batters led by Amy Fitzpatrick, Addison Ditillo and Aimee Notaro. They may have another slow start to the season as their without breakout star pitcher Emily Gaudio, but the team should finish out the year strong once they're at full strength.
4. Red Bank Catholic
2023 record: 22-7
The Caseys take the fourth spot given their 5-1 victory over Jackson Memorial in the head-to-head last season. They also have a ridiculous level of talent across the roster that is somehow only going to get better after some recent additions. Another team that stumbled out of the gate last season, opening the year 4-4, but finished with a strong run. Those final three loses came against the eventual state runner-up Mount St. Dominic, Shore champ Donovan Catholic and the team that knocked off Donovan in the playoffs, St. Thomas Aquinas. But RBC surely has more ambitious goals for this season.
Their two major losses are pitcher Bella Hurta and infielder Amelia Santos, the latter of whom was arguably the team's best all-around hitter. But they return no shortage of offensive firepower with seniors Jordan Terefenko, Abigail Zebick in addition to strong underclassmen Nicole Knox, Brianna Santangelo and Sophia Lasater. That added standout infielder Lana Rudolph from Ocean. And despite the loss Hurta, they return their top pitcher (and another dangerous hitter) in Lily Hagan. The point is clear: the Caseys have talent and depth as they aim to re-establish themselves as a contender.
5. Jackson Memorial
2023 record: 23-3
It might be overzealous to characterize Jackson Memorial as the Public equivalent of Donovan Catholic, but it's hard to ignore some of the parallels. The Jaguars were the top public program on the Shore for most of last season with their first two losses coming against RBC and Donovan Catholic. But ultimately, there was never a matchup of the Shore's two Public powers as they were eliminated in a postseason upset against Northern Burlington, losing 6-0. Marlboro of course went on to win the state title.
The Jaguars lost a few key seniors from last year's group, none more important than pitcher Sophia LoPiccolo. But they have a great young talent ready to take over on the mound in Emily Hersh. They also bring back most of their offensive firepower with star juniors Dominique Lopez, Alexandra Santos and Nina Striano. This team has the talent and motivation to emerge as the top Public team in the Shore this season.
6. Colts Neck
2023 record: 19-8
The Cougars were appropriately ranked as the top seed in the Central Group 3 section, but fell to eventual state champion Steinert in the semifinals. There's certainly no shame in that type of loss to end the season, and it's sure to serve as motivation for a team that returns several key contributors as they aim to repeat as A-North Division champs.
The biggest loss from last year's group of players is Cassidy Relay, who as senior led the team in batting average with a mark of .527 in 2023. But the team has two excellent pitchers in junior Samantha Sponder and sophomore Angela Sasso, the latter of whom was also the team's best power hitter last season as she led the team in RBIs and home runs. They have the talent, experience and motivation to be a serious contender this spring.
7. Middletown North
2023 record: 20-6
Midd North performed exceptionally well in a brutal division with Marlboro and Colts Neck, beating the former twice and losing to the latter twice. Given that resume, this team could certainly be higher. Like the Cougars, the Lions lost in the semifinals of the Central Group 3 section postseason in 1-0 loss to Robbinsville. They play a gritty approach that relies on defense and pitching while implementing a small ball approach on offense.
There may not be a player in the Shore that is more important to her team than pitcher Madilynn Boyce. Four of the Lions' six losses came in games she wasn't on the mound, and she is nightmare for opposing teams. If the offense takes a step forward, this is team that can potentially contend for a state title.
8. Manasquan
2023 record: 17-9
Splitting between the eighth and ninth ranked teams in this list is truly like splitting hairs. Both teams' seasons ended in the postseason to Delran. But 'Squan did keep things a bit closer as they lost 2-1 and the major factor is that the Warriors simply return more of last season's very talented roster. Lastly, Manasquan did win the head-to-head matchup against the ninth-ranked team.
The team lost 2023 senior Maggie Martin, but returns their top two bats and top two pitchers. They're experienced and talented with a multitude of excellent juniors who produced as sophomores. And Manasquan has star senior Elena Weinseimer, who led the team with 35 RBIs and nine home runs last season.
9. Wall
2023 record: 16-8
The Crimson Knights made a terrific postseason run as an 11-seed, reaching the semifinals before falling to eventual Group 3 Central section champ, aforementioned Delran. They finished second to RBC in the brutal A-Central Division last season, and impressive feat considering the multitude of quality divisional foes.
The Knights are contending with the loss of three key senior contributors that graduated last year, so they'll need to reinforce the heart of the lineup. The good news is they return last year's top two pitchers in Brielle Coppola and Emily Gill, the latter of whom also took the team's triple crown as she led Wall in batting average (.564), RBIs (36) and home runs (7).
10. Southern
2023 record: 17-9
The Rams yet another team that could be primed to take a step forward this spring. They are coming off a solid season in a competitive division, also bring back most of the key contributors from that squad with one additional year of experience and growth. And although it would take a lot to unseat Jackson Memorial after going 0-3 against the Jaguars in 2023, Southern is capable of making that leap.
Southern returns their top pitcher in junior Emily Evans, who posted a 3.13 ERA while also doing damage as a hitter with 20 RBIs. The Rams also bring back their top offensive threat Madison Groschel-Klein, who led the team with 30 RBIs last season while batting .418. There's no doubt they've built a strong foundation and could improve in 2024.
11. Point Pleasant Boro
2023 record: 15-8
First and foremost, the Panthers deserve credit for facing a gauntlet of schedule that matched them up with the best teams in the Shore. Seven of their eight losses came against teams ranked in the top eight of this preseason ranking as they faced RBC, Marlboro, Jackson Memorial, Colts Neck, Manasquan and divisional rival Donovan Catholic twice. That experience should serve the team well.
That being said, Point Boro is losing a lot of seniors from last year's team that won't be easy to replace. The good news is they bring back the talented duo of Ashley and Dakota Palmieri, the latter of whom was the team's top pitcher and led the team with 27 RBIs. Furthermore, the Panthers return their top three RBI leaders and their top four batters by average from last season. If they can replace those quality bats in the heart of the lineup, they'll be strong once again.
12. Central Regional
2023 record: 13-9
Point Boro edges out Central Regional because of winning the head-to-head matchup last season, but the Golden Eagles are a prime candidate to take another step forward this season because of their stellar pitching. They have what every team wants on the mound: a true ace. Senior Bethanne Doderer posted 1.84 ERA last season with 144 strikeouts.
The Eagles are dealing with some significant losses in their lineup, including their RBI leader from last season. But again, they have solid group of talented seniors like Doderer and Sophia Capasso. Central could be a surprise breakthrough team.
13. Raritan
2023 record: 15-11
Raritan gets the slight edge over their divisional rival here, an appropriate spot after the Rockets edged them out in the A-Central standings. The Rockets are a perennially solid program and there's certainly no reason to think that would change this year. They return last year's leader in batting average and RBIs in senior Molly Peters.
But there are a lot of graduating seniors that must be replaced like Kaylie Cortez and Alaura Depaolo, whose loss is amplified by the fact her younger sister elected not to play this season after producing solid numbers in 2023. Strong batters like junior Julia DelMasto and senior Isabella Plath mean the offense should be solid, but the Rockets need more consistent pitching to take the next step this spring.
14. Monmouth Regional
2023 record: 15-9
The name of the game is offense for Monmouth. This lineup is scary. Monmouth returns four batters who hit over .500 and six players who had 19 or more RBIs. Furthermore, five of their top six RBI leaders posted more than 20 last season and all of them have two or more years of eligibility left.
There probably isn't a more mercurial team in the Shore than the Falcons. For as good as their offense is, the pitching is still a major question mark. When the bats went cold last season, this team cratered. But the potential of a team with that much offensive firepower is tantalizing.
15. Freehold Township
2023 record: 14-11
The Patriots produced some really impressive results last season, including a season-opening win over Red Bank Catholic and two victories against Manasquan. But they were also plagued by inconsistency, and they'll be dealing with the loss of their top two leaders in batting average and RBIs last season in addition to the lost of their top pitcher.
There's reason for optimism that Freehold Township could emerge as a serious contender in the ultra-competitive A-North division. Seniors Alexa Barbera, Ashley Viesta and Sienna Smith are three leaders that can step up into bigger roles. But there's also no denying the uncertainty as the team has to replace lost production.
16. Toms River East
2023 record: 13-9
This may sound like a broken record, but Toms River East is yet another Shore team in a familiar predicament coming into the season. The Raiders had excellent offense and bring back several major contributors, but they need to have more consistent pitching and defense to take the next step in a difficult A-South division. They split the season series with Southern and Central, but lost three times in blowouts to Jackson Memorial.
The offensive strengths are compromised a bit by the graduation of Kaitlynn Colangelo, who led the team in batting average, RBIs and home runs. But aside from that, the Raiders actually bring back seven of their top eight leaders in RBIs, including the duo of Peyton and Allison Gallagher. They have experience, talent and senior leadership, but the consistency of their defense will make or break this team.
17. Howell
2023 record: 9-10
Among teams that finished last season below .500, the Rebels are the clear-cut favorite to bounce back and become a contender this spring. Last year, they won an opening-round playoff game before falling to Jackson Memorial and during the regular season beat Marlboro and blew out Monmouth by a score of 24-2.
They already have a strong contingent of returning batters in Paityn Knapp, Keira Murphy, Madisyn Zito and Francesca Cinelli and added a preseason All-Shore selection in Emily Richards. The glaring loss is last year's top pitcher Marcella Riello, and it's a big question mark as to how the Rebels will replace her. But if they can figure that out, they'll be a lot higher than 17 in the final season rankings.
18. Matawan
2023 record: 14-10
The Huskies deserve a lot of credit for finishing 14-10 against a tough schedule in 2023. Nine of those ten losses came against teams in the top eight, and the tenth loss came against Howell. That resume exemplifies the level of consistency for this team as they simply never dropped a game to an inferior opponent and were solidly in the middle of the Shore.
That being said, it would be very difficult to replicate that in 2024 given the graduation of several key batters and their top pitcher. But it's certainly not impossible. The team brings back junior Isabelle Wiemer, who took the team triple crown as she posted a .479 batting average with 26 RBIs and two home runs.
19. Pinelands
2023 record: 12-10
The Wildcats were another team that mostly took care of business in the midst of a schedule that has two inevitable losses against divisional rival Donovan Catholic. They also had the unique distinction of playing two very difficult non-Shore foes in Cinnaminson and Lenape, nearly beating the latter on the road. The remaining regular season losses were all against teams ranked ahead of them on this list.
This is a solid team that brings back their clear-cut star in junior pitcher Elianna Meola. She posted a solid 3.75 ERA and 119 strikeouts last season and was the team's top batter with an astounding .603 batting average and 21 RBIs. With her as a cornerstone, this team should once again be solid.
20. Keansburg
2023 record: 15-7
As a divisional winner last season, Keansburg gets the nod in the final spot. Frankly, there is no question that this team played the lightest schedule of any team on this list while competing in B-Central. Still, the Titans won a playoff game and ensured they didn't slip up against weaker opponents in the division.
The bad news is this time is unlikely to retain the divisional crown after losing the bulk of last year's team to graduation. Most glaring is Kiara Castera, who was the team's top pitcher with a 2.96 ERA and the best batter with .613 average, 43 RBIs and eight home runs. Junior Sarah Flynn and sophomore Gabriella Flanzbaum are two solid returning bats, but it's difficult to envision how the Titans can maintain their success after losing that much production.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ softball Preseason Top 20 team rankings 2024
