Softball ballot: Vote for Central Jersey Player of the Week for Week 3

The weather’s been better and the softball action is heating up, as the season is in full swing, netting us another round of fantastic individual performances around Central Jersey last week.

Here are the nominations for this week’s Central Jersey Softball Player of the Week award. All stats through Saturday, April 20.

More: Softball Player of the Week: Sayreville’s Caydence Barton

More: Softball roundup: Daily results and links for Skyland Conference, GMC, area Union County

Voting ends Friday at noon. Nominees selected by Simeon Pincus and Josh Rosenfeld. Voting winner will be featured as the Player of the Week.

RILEY DESARNO

Somerville, Junior, Shortstop

The Pioneers continue to improve, two years removed from a two-win season, and while the Ville is getting big contributions from all over the roster, DeSarno has been a major force in the 5-2 start and last week’s 4-0 slate. DeSarno went 8-for-12 with five walks last week, including two doubles and a triple. She scored 10 runs and drove in six, stealing seven bases. She’s hitting .667 for the season with 16 runs and nine RBIs and has swiped 10 bags.

VICTORIA GABRYSZEWSKI

Franklin, Sophomore, Outfield

Franklin’s emergence as a contender in the Valley Division is a heartwarming tale for a program that hasn’t had a winning season in more than three decades, and Gabryszewski’s performance has been one of several reasons the Warriors are off to a 6-3 start and are undefeated in the conference. Franklin went 3-1 last week, with the lone blemish a loss to Raritan Division contender Ridge, with the victories including a triumph over Montgomery in the opening-round of the Somerset County Tournament. Gabryszewski went 8-for-15 for the week with two doubles, a triple, seven runs scored and four RBIs, plus five stolen bases. She’s hitting .500 for the season with five doubles, the triple, 14 runs and 10 RBIs.

JAMIE GOREL

Middlesex, Senior, Second Base

It’s not easy to stand out on a team with a .421 batting average, but the senior has managed to distinguish herself. The Blue Jays are off to a 7-3 start and she has already collected 22 hits, six fewer than her entire junior season, and is batting .564. And she has the speed to beat out bunts and slaps for hits, even when the infielders are playing up expecting it. Middlesex averaged 19 runs last week in going 3-0, as Gorel had multiple hits in each outing, going 9-for-14 and scoring eight runs while pilfering six of her 14 stolen bases.

DANIELLE MAHER

Rahway, Sophomore, Shortstop

Rahway went 3-0 last week and the sophomore shortstop delivered a double and multiple hits in each of them, going 7-for-8 with four doubles, a home run and eight RBI for the week. She’s batting .682 and slugging 1.091 with six doubles, a home run, 11 RBI and 14 runs scored in just 22 at bats this season. Eight games into her sophomore campaign she’s accumulated 47 hits, so she could reach 100 in her junior year.

MAKAYLA MARTINEZ

Mother Seton, Senior, Pitcher/Infielder

Martinez toils in relative obscurity at the tiny Clark school, but dominates the GMC Silver Division. The Setters (5-1) won three of four last week, as Martinez went 11-for-14 with a double in each game, three triples, two home runs and nine RBIs. She hit for the cycle in a five-inning divisional win over New Brunswick last Monday. She’s batting .700 and slugging 1.700 for the season, with four doubles, five triples, two home runs and 14 RBIs.

ISABELLA MARUSIAK

Bound Brook, Sophomore, Pitcher

After a solid rookie season last year, the sophomore has certainly taken a step up and it was particularly evident during the Crusaders’ 3-0 week, during which they strengthened their hold on the top spot in the Skyland Conference’s Mountain Division. Marusiak picked up the win in all three games last week, culminating the run by firing a perfect game at Rutgers Prep on Thursday, striking out 16. She allowed no earned runs on just six hits in 16 innings last week, walking just two and striking out 32, and is 5-1 with a 0.23 ERA, allowing just one earned run on 14 hits and five walks, fanning 59 in 31 innings. She’s also hitting .316 with two doubles, a triple and eight RBIs.

CAITLIN MAYCHRICH

Immaculata, Senior, Shortstop

The Spartans are loaded, entering the week with an 8-1 record, and, ironically, the one loss is the one game Maychrich missed (due to illness), a 7-1 setback to Watchung Hills that was scoreless headed to the sixth inning. But the veteran shortstop was certainly front and center last week, as Immaculata swept four games, including a big win over North Hunterdon and a sweep at Saturday’s Ricky Iacono Tournament at Governor Livingston, during which Maychrich tallied her 100th career hit. The senior went 8-for-12 last week with two doubles, a walk, three runs and four RBIs. She’s hitting .536 for the season with three doubles, a homer, seven runs and six RBIs.

ZOE MILONOPOULOS

Old Bridge, Senior, Shortstop

Milonopoulos doesn’t just have a hit in each of the Knights’ first 10 games, she’s had an extra-base hit in all of them. She’s clubbed four home runs — including bombs in three consecutive recent outings. Old Bridge (7-3) went 3-1 last week as the senior went 6-for-13 with seven RBIs, two doubles and a home run. She’s batting .452 for the season and slugging 1.097 with four doubles and two triples, and needs 10 hits to reach 100 for her career.

GENEVIEVE PROVENCE

Pingry, Freshman, Designated hitter

The Big Blue have been even better than advertised, out to a 6-3 start and the top spot in the Raritan Division in their first season since being moved up from the Valley. And while Pingry’s veteran stars have certainly enjoyed great starts, the freshman has helped the club surpass expectations. That was certainly the case last week, as Provence helped the Big Blue to a 3-0 slate. She posted two three-hit games, going 7-for-12 for the week with two doubles, two runs, a stolen base and four RBIs, and is hitting .435 for the year.

LILLY RYNEARSON

Delaware Valley, Sophomore, First base

It took the Terriers nine days from the start of the season to finally get a game in between rain drops, and after a one-run opening-day loss to Franklin, Del Val has reeled off four straight wins, including a 3-0 week where several players had a big impact. Rynearson is at the top of that list, going 6-for-9 with two walks, two doubles, four runs and two RBIs last week, and is hitting .688 for the season, leading the team in hits, extra-base hits and RBIs.

ISABELLA WARRINGTON

East Brunswick, Freshman, Second Baseman

When Bears coach Kevin Brady was mistakenly congratulated as the East Brunswick resident with the same name who hit the lottery for $1 million last week, he thought, metaphorically, that he was being congratulated for his talented crop of newcomers. One of those rookies, despite the Bears splitting four games last week, had a career week, as Warrington delivered multiple hits in all four contests while going 10-for-16 with four doubles, a triple, the first three home runs of her promising young career. She also knocked in 12 runs. She’s hitting .545 for the season and slugging .970.

VOTE NOW!! POLL CLOSES NOON FRIDAY!!

IF POLL DOESN’T SHOW, PLEASE REFRESH THE PAGE

Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997, and has been on the softball beat since 1999. He can be reached at CourierSoftball@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter/X @SimeonPincus

Follow GMC softball writer Josh Rosenfeld on Twitter/X @JoshPRosenfeld

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Softball ballot: Vote for Central Jersey Player of the Week