Brookdale Community College’s softball and baseball teams both fell one game short of the national tournament this spring.
Despite their setbacks in the Region 19 Tournament finals, both clubs were rewarded for their fine seasons when it came time for postseason awards.
The softball team, which won the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and celebrated head coach Bo Scannapieco’s 1,000th career win, put eight players on the All-Region and All-GSAC teams.
Center fielder Amanda Pringle (Wall), second baseman Cassie Varvaro (Toms River East) and first baseman Bethany Evans (Raritan) were named to both the All-Region and All-Conference First Teams.
Evans, a freshman, batted .434 with 62 RBIs and nine home runs. She slugged .721.
Varvaro, a sophomore, hit .452, scored 63 runs and drove in 24. She and teammate Jacquie Coulahan (Howell) recently signed their National Letters of Intent to Georgian Court University in Lakewood, where they will continue their academic and softball careers.
Pringle, also a sophomore, batted .408 and had 27 RBIs and 56 runs scored for the Jersey Blues, who were 33-15 overall and 13-1 in the conference.
Catcher Olivia Carbone (Manalapan), outfielder Taylor Sheridan (Keyport), outfielder Taylor Mennie (Howell) and pitcher Lauren Coppinger (Toms River East) were Second Team All-Region and Conference picks. Sheridan is a sophomore, while the others are freshmen.
Pitcher Victoria Vogt (Manalapan/County Prep High School), a sophomore, was Second Team All-Conference and Third Team All-Region.
Johnny Johnson’s baseball club, which went 36-12, also placed eight players on the All-Region and Conference teams, led by Alfred Molina Jr., who was named the Region 19 Player of the Year.
Molina, who lives in Freehold Township and graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School, batted .469 with 67 RBIs and 73 runs scored in 48 games. Of his 82 hits, 17 were doubles, 10 were triples and 11 were home runs. The freshman had an .869 slugging percentage and a .551 on-base percentage.
Outfielder Mike Santaromita, also a freshman, made both the Region and Conference First Teams. The Marlboro High School graduate batted .412 and smacked 21 doubles, seven triples and four home runs. He scored 62 runs and drove in 40.
Pitcher Danny Serreino (Jackson Liberty) was First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region. The hard-throwing right-hander went 5-2 with a 3.27 ERA. He completed five of his nine starts and averaged 14.24 strikeouts per game with 87 total in 55 innings of work. He is a freshman.
Freshman outfielder Michael Russell (St. Joseph by-the Sea/Staten Island) and sophomore first baseman Joe Sadler (Holmdel) were Second Team Region and Conference selections.
Outfield Nick Martinez (Wall), catcher Nicholas Blaney (Shore Regional) and pitcher Patrick Knight (Cranford) were Third Team All-Region. Blaney and Knight made the All-Conference Second Team. Blaney is a sophomore, while Martinez and Knight are freshmen.