Team success leads to individual recognition. Brookdale Community College softball and baseball players reaped the rewards of their respective team’s outstanding seasons by winningAll-American honors.
The National Junior College Athletic Association named outfielder Allyson Melia, who led the Brookdale softball team to the national championship game, a First TeamAll-American.And two members of the Garden State Athletic Association champion baseball team, Ryan Smyth and Andy Vega, were cited as All-Americans- Smyth to the First Team and Vega to the Second Team.
TheNational FastpitchCoachesAssociation cited three of Brookdale’s women softball players as First Team All-Americans. Melia was joined on that team by pitcher Amy Bankos and infield Booy Erbig.
Melia, a sophomore from Toms Rover, sparked what was one of coach Bo Scannapieco’s most impressive offensive teams by leading the Blues in batting average (.450), hits (86), runs (67) and triples (eight).
Sophomore Bankos, who was the Region XIX Most Valuable Player, went 18-7 with a 2.18 earned-run average. TheMonsignor Donovan grad fanned 103.
Erbig, an infielder, batted .393 with 41 runs scored and 43 RBIs. She also had 18 doubles and smacked four home runs.
Brookdale went 35-22, winning the GSAC and Region XIX championships. They lost to Monroe Community College in the finals in Rochester, Minn. Melia was named to the All-Tournament Team there along with teammates pitcher Bankos and catcher Skye Rubel.
Melia, Bankos, Erbig and Skye Rubel were all named to the All-Region and All- GSAC First Team.
Rubel, an Ocean Township grad, batted .368 and led the Blues in RBIs with 51 and in home runs, eight. She scored 27 runs.
Outfielder Danielle Davenport (Matawan) was an All-Region and All- GSAC Second Team pick. She batted .364 for the Blues with 34 runs scored and 30 RBIs. She was second in doubles with 17.
Bo Scannapieco was the GSAC and Region XIX Coach of the Year.
Brookdale’s baseball team defended its GSAC title and ranked as high as No. 5 in the country during the season. The Blues were 33-12.
Smyth, a sophomore from River Edge, was co-leader in batting average (.422)while leading Johnny Johnson’s club in hits (62) and RBIs (38). He hit 14 doubles and four home runs. He was the designated hitter on theAll-American First Team.
Vega, a sophomore transfer from New York City, batted .396 this spring. The outfielder had 59 hits, 34 RBIs, 13 doubles and led the team in triples (four) and smacked five home runs.
Keith Weinkofsky (Ocean Township) and Jeff Frost (Freehold Borough) joined Smyth and Vega on the All-Region and All-GSAC First Team.
FreshmanWeinkofsky,who set the Shore Conference career home run record while at Ocean, continued hitting the long ball in Lincroft. He led the teamwith seven home runs while batting .373 with 15 doubles and 34 RBIs. He plays first base.
Frost, a freshman, was the ace of the Jersey Blues’ staff, going 8-1.
Rob Troy (infield), Dylan Cacciola (pitcher) and Eddie Galante (catcher) were Region and GSAC Second Team picks.
Troy (Middletown North) batted .366 with 35 RBIs. He’s a sophomore.
Galante, a sophomore fromWall Township, batted .422 (tying Smyth for the team lead) and had 29 RBIs.
Cacciola (Westwood) was the other half of BCC’s strong pitching rotation, going 7- 1 with a 1.30 ERA. Like Frost, he’s a freshman.