Manalapan was the flagship program for the district last year, qualifying for both the Central Jersey Group IV and Shore Conference tournaments.
Marlboro experienced one of the great turnarounds of last season, progressing from a three-win team to a contender in the playoffs.
Graduation hit the Freehold District hard with most of the All-District players graduating. However, there is enough returning talent to make the season, which begins this week, interesting.
John Verderosa’s Braves (13-10) lost some key personnel to graduation, but he has a quality pitching staff to build the 2002 team around and that always helps. He also has four-year starter Mike DeJesus back.
DeJesus can concentrate solely on the scholastic season as the senior shortstop has already made his college decision, choosing East Carolina University.
A fixture at shortstop since his freshman year, DeJesus has a career .412 average. Last year he batted .443 with 31 hits, 23 RBI and 21 runs scored.
Tim George was a pleasant surprise for the Braves, coming up with an unexpectedly strong season as a sophomore. The second baseman batted .348 with 23 hits and 16 runs scored and four home runs. He and DeJesus make the Braves solid up the middle defensively.
Infielder Chris Ruggiero, who batted .363 with a pair of home runs, will provide power to the middle of the lineup
Outfielders Mike Gaeta (.311) and Steve Graziano (.306) are coming off a very solid season as well and provide additional punch to the offense.
Also returning are Evan Sliwoski (catcher) and Brian Glanzburg (first base).
The Braves, though, will be built around starters Rich Allen, John Lacugna and Evan Levine. The graduated Chris Legiadre was the ace of the Braves staff last year, but Allen, Lacugna and Levine all pitched enough innings to show that they are solid varsity starters. One of this trio will emerge as this year’s ace, but most important to Verderosa is the depth he has.
Three newcomers, Justin Cocliff, Pete Sanchez and Mike Santoro, provided even more arms for Verderosa.
Other newcomers include outfielders Chris Trzcienski and Anthony Turano.
Manalapan has the makings of a contender with his experience, depth on the mound and ability to score runs.
Marlboro had one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the Shore in 2001, going from a three-win team in 2000 to a 12-win, state playoff team. The prospects for continued improvement by Robert Anderson’s Mustangs are good with seven starters/letter-winners returning, and six of them seniors.
Outfield/pitcher Peder Von Harten, third baseman/pitcher George Picon, and shortstop Craig Rodwogin head the returners. Von Harten, who will be playing baseball and football at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, next year, batted .370 last year. Picon was the team’s leading run producer with 16 RBI. He batted .290 and had two home runs. Rodwogin, a junior and the only non-senior of the returners, led the Mustangs with 16 runs scored.
Tom Brand (outfield), Matt Lidofsky (pitcher), Marc Goddard (pitcher/outfield) and Brad Chalupski (catcher) round out the letter-winners from last year.
Goddard and Logan Kaminsky, who both showed promise in their starts last year, are Marlboro’s top two starters. After that, Anderson said it is pitching by committee with Von Harten, Picon, Lidofsky and newcomers Jared Cohen, Ryan Brand, Ryan Glasberg and Chris Lopresti vying for innings. The pitching staff lacks experience but has depth.
Other newcomers are Tom Broderick (infield) and Andrew Castellucci (outfield). Kaminsky, Cohen and Lopresti can all play infield positions when not pitching, while Brand can catch and Glasberg can contribute to the outfield.
Defense was a drawback for Marlboro last year, but in preseason scrimmages the Mustangs appear to have solved that. With the momentum of last year’s state playoff and SCT bids still fresh in their minds, the Mustangs bear watching.
A late season run by Howell fell just short of the postseason last spring, and new head coach Bill Gallagher and the rest of the Rebels will be out to complete the job this year. Gallagher replaces longtime head man Todd Kliment, who stepped down to spend more time with his family. During Kliment’s 18-year tenure, the Rebels won the Central Jersey Group IV title in 1994 and played for the state title that year. They also won an A North Division crown in 1990.
Howell will be building the 2002 team around pitcher Mike Sales, a lanky 6-3 righthander who was 4-1 last year with a fine 2.94 ERA. He is a control pitcher who makes hitters hit his pitch. His emergence as a No. 1 starter last year gives his team a good chance to win every time he’s on the mound.
Matt Duffy adds to Howell’s pitching strength. He was 3-2 last year. He gives new coach Gallagher a good one-two punch on the mound.
Also back for Howell are outfielder Nick Aldiero (.313), outfielder Matt Maniscalco (.320), catcher Mark Tunney (.280) and pitcher/infielder Joe Acconzo. They provide a good foundation.
Newcomers include Ed Carragher (pitcher), Wes Goldsmith, Craig Martin (pitcher/infield), Steve O’Loughlin (pitcher/outfield), Tom Papaa (first base/pitcher), Chriss Rizzo (designated hitter/outfield), Dan Todd (utility), Kyle Walkiewicz (infield) and Greg Senna (infield).
Gallagher has a number of arms to provide depth, and some proven veterans who can get Howell (9-11) over the hump this year.
Freehold Township is looking to get back to the postseason and Frank Gualtieri has a veteran team whose experience could make the difference.
Outfielder Nick Papa (.316, three home runs, 15 RBI) should put up bigger numbers this year if he stays healthy. Other returners include Evan Piscitelli (first base), Paul Lepore (pitcher/first base), Bob Cook (catcher), Tom Campagnolo (catcher), Jeff Courteau (pitcher), Bryant Perez (third base/pitcher), Dean Delligatti (second base), Chris Murphy (designated hitter), Todd Tumelty (shortstop/second base) and Dave Lorber (pitcher/infield).
Newcomers include John Raisley (outfield), Adam Brusotti (outfield), Matt DiMaggio (outfield), Matt Miller (catcher), Len Don Diego (pitcher), Tom Reman (outfield), Greg Corcoran (outfield), Brad Brach (pitcher/third base), Jim Ascolese (pitcher/shortstop) and Bill Smith (pitcher/third base).
The Pats have a very promising sophomore class led by Ascolese and Brach and they should add quality depth and energize the Pats.
If Freehold Township can get increased scoring production this year, it has enough quality arms and defense to compete with anyone on their schedule.
Freehold Borough will be relying on veteran arms. Matt Coulson, a three-year starter, Dan Cocco and Pat Brown, two-year starters, are the core of a solid rotation that has plenty of potential. Greg Franklin is set to be the closer. The foursome has balance as Coulson and Franklin are lefties, and Cocco and Brown, righties. Brown is the only senior in the rotation.
Freshman Steve Moreale and sophomore Brian Bresnahan could pitch their way into the rotation.
The Colonial starters will provide innings and keep the team in games. Last year the team’s problems were a leaky defense and lack of run production. The Colonials should be improved in those areas, making them a better team.
Don Bielak has moved from the outfield to catcher. His back-up is Jim Breese.
Brett Elo returns at first with Damian Walcott at second, Morreale at the hot corner and Chris Coulson at shortstop.
Matt Coulson will start in center field when he isn’t pitching, and he will be flanked by Jesse Rudman (left) and Eric DeJesus (right).
Andrew Little can alternate between shortstop and the outfield, and Brian Porth is the all-important utility player who can play a number of positions for the Colonials.
Elo, Little, Porth, Brown, DeJesus and Bielak are the only seniors on the club.
Freehold has team speed for the first time in a couple of years and will use it to steal bases, hit-and-run and bunt. It will be a very aggressive team.
Elo (.412, 28 hits and 28 RBI), Matt Coulson (10 RBI) and Bielak (14 RBI) are looking to be the run producers.
Colts Neck just missed the state playoffs last spring and the Cougars’ mission this year is to take the next step. Mike Yorke’s Cougars have four starters and five letter-winners back.
Catcher Mike Sarapochillo and pitcher Matt Webber are the catalysts. Sarapochillo is a power-hitting backstop who is excellent on defense. Webber is a legitimate ace. He was 5-3 last year and also blasted five home runs. Webber is a two-year starter and is just a junior.
Joe Marakovich (first base) and Matt Murphy (shortstop/pitcher) are the other returning starters, and John DeTulio (centerfield/pitcher) saw significant time and was a letter-winner.
Newcomers include Mike Quinn (outfield), Ryan Lamirand (infield/pitcher), Mike DeCorso (outfield/first base), Mike Webber (outfield), Rob Webber (outfield), Bobby Lazar (infield), Joe Rossotto (infield), Joe Pagnini (pitcher), Mike Liguori (outfield), Todd Hampton (outfield) and Nicke Tucker (outfield).
The Cougars lost a lot of experience to graduation last year and hope to make up for it with defense and pitching.
Webber, a righty, is the top starter. The Cougars have depth behind him with Mike Webber, Lamirand, Murphy and DeTulio vying for the starting spots in the rotation.
The Cougars run well and will look to take advantage of that. In addition to making things happen, Sarapochillo, Matt Webber and Marakovich are the team’s power base with the ability to go downtown.
Colts Neck is beginning its season in sunny Florida with scrimmages and real games this week before starting conference play on Friday.