Shore Sports Insider Preseason Baseball Top 10
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Although plenty of Shore Conference groups opened their seasons over the previous 4 days, the season begins en masse this week with divisional play getting underway on Monday. With that, the Shore Sports Insider Preseason Top 10 takes a crack at an early forecast for the top of the season. Can Brick Memorial defend its 2025 No. 1 rating by besting the personal trio from Class A North?
1. Christian Brothers Academy
Despite graduating three top-four bats from the lineup and the perfect reduction pitcher within the state, CBA can be a loaded roster once more in 2026. The Colts return three Division I arms on the prime of the rotation, led by All-Shore hurlers Danny DiTullio (Northeastern) and Dylan Iwanyk (Michigan). There are extra younger arms now within the pipeline so as to add some depth to the combination and hold the workloads of the highest guys affordable, whereas the offense ought to stay stable and the protection robust. Although the lineup can be regular from prime to backside, CBA might not boast a ton of uncooked energy, so if a workforce with a high quality pitcher can play a clear recreation within the area, there can be alternatives to beat the Colts.
CBA senior Danny DiTullio. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspimages.com)
2. Brick Memorial
Speaking of beating CBA, Brick Memorial is coming off its greatest season ever, throughout which the Mustangs gained 22 video games, their first outright Shore Conference division title since 1996, reached the sectional last spherical of the NJSIAA Tournament for the primary time in 12 years and claimed their first ever Shore Conference Tournament championship. That run to the SCT title included a win at CBA within the semifinals, adopted by a win over Red Bank Catholic in a championship recreation basic. With two prime left-handers – Brody Moore and Zach Pirnik – again on the mound and 5 impression hitters getting back from an imposing offense, Brick Memorial has all of the items to run it again in 2026.
3. Ranney
For the previous two seasons, Ranney has leaned closely on the Class of 2027 to fill spots within the lineup and in its rotation and in each seasons, the Panthers held their very own as a Top 10 workforce within the convention whereas enjoying a number of the hardest schedules they’ve ever performed. Now, that group heads into its junior season and could have an opportunity at beginning out a adorned two-year run. The Panthers don’t have the shutdown energy arms that CBA has, however the depth of the rotation is high quality and shortstop Ricky Lopez was within the dialog for greatest hitter within the convention as a sophomore.
4. Red Bank Catholic
RBC took on heavy commencement losses in its infield and on the prime of the rotation, however the Caseys could have among the best outfields within the convention together with one of many Shore’s prime catchers in Aiden Funk. They even have a observe report of manufacturing succesful pitchers, which, together with good infield protection from returning senior Drew Cannon and three new starters, would be the key to success in 2026. Glen Popes has pitched in large video games for RBC over the previous two seasons, junior Anthony Scaglione is hoping to interrupt out like Luke Meyers did as a senior final yr, whereas sophomore Sam French has the instruments to be a future ace.
5. Point Pleasant Beach
It has reached some extent you can pencil in Point Beach to play within the Central Jersey Group I last, however the Garnet Gulls are greater than only a good Group I workforce. With First Team All-Shore catcher Dan Lubach and two-way senior Tommy Conroy again for a fourth varsity season, Point Beach is among the greatest returning rosters within the convention and will give Brick Memorial a run as the perfect public-school workforce within the convention as each groups battle it out in Class A South and the Ocean County Tournament.
Point Beach senior Danny Lubach. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
6. Toms River East
While Brick Memorial is the defending Class A South and Shore Conference Tournament champion, Toms River East enters 2026 because the two-time defending Ocean County Tournament champion, which the Raiders claimed final yr by beating Brick Memorial within the OCT championship recreation. The pitching workers will look completely different with out the highest two from 2026 and 2025 Shore Sports Insider Matt Ferrara is now within the Philadelphia Phillies group, however the return of All-Shore infielder Joey DiMeo, a robust supporting solid and a stable group of newcomers ought to hold the Raiders within the championship combine once more.
7. Rumson-Fair Haven
The prime rating amongst Monmouth County public faculties belongs to the Bulldogs, who improved over the course of final season with a younger lineup and pitching workers. With 4 beginning pitchers again and All-Shore third baseman D.J. Ylagan main a deep pool of returning place gamers, Rumson has the expertise to problem the likes of CBA, RBC and Ranney in Monmouth County, the Ocean County trio within the Shore Conference Tournament and Governor Livingston in Group II.
8. Wall
After enduring an insurmountable variety of pitching accidents and lacking out on the NJSIAA Tournament because of the overwhelming issue of qualifying for the Central Group II Tournament, Wall is out for redemption this season with a senior-heavy workforce that additionally has a super-talented sophomore group that may increase the ceiling of this yr’s workforce whereas additionally making Wall a harmful workforce over these subsequent three years.
John Catanio will get congratulations from Wall head coach Jim Rochford after belting a house run vs. Southern in the course of the 2025 common season. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
9. Colts Neck
A robust begin to 2025 helped Colts Neck seize the Class B North division championship, however a 3-7 end to the marketing campaign has a senior-heavy group of returnees keen to complete robust in 2026. The Cougars convey again all by one starter within the batter order and whereas the pitching workers will look completely different from final yr, Colts Neck has a gaggle of place gamers behind ace Ryan Spencer able to contribute on the mound. Colts Neck hammered Rumson in two conferences final season, so whilst Rumson enters the season two spots forward within the rankings, the Cougars enter the season with the psychological edge on the Bulldogs.
10. Point Pleasant Boro
After barely beating out Wall and Monmouth Regional for the final playoff spot within the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II bracket final yr, Point Boro practically pulled off the upset of the season when the Panthers took a 5-1 lead on 28-0 Governor Livingston within the fifth inning of the opening spherical within the NJSIAA Central Group II Playoffs. The Panthers got here up quick vs. the state’s No. 1 workforce of their last 2025 recreation, however convey again the double-play mixture of second baseman Nick Carmino and Jake Clayton, plus an skilled pitching workers to assist make a run at a Class B South title and event glory.
The Next 10
Jackson – The fusion of Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty will assist each groups overcome some important losses as the brand new super-team in Jackson seems to be to make noise in its first official yr as a college.
Toms River South – In its first season below the path of coach Jim Rankin, Toms River South made it again to the South Group III last for the primary time in 22 years and brings again a powerful nucleus that helped make that occur.
Manasquan – With Chase Kaplan on the mound, Manasquan can be exhausting to beat and if junior right-hander Logan Cleveland may escape as a co-ace, the Warriors can be a terrifying event matchup.
Middletown South – The Eagles used a committee strategy to pitching final yr and can possible attempt some model of that once more this season, with Peter DeNicola main the workers and Jack Concordia in centerfield.
Raritan – Boston College commit and ace Will Meehan will give Raritan an opportunity to repeat as a division champion in a brand new division and if the younger newcomers make sufficient of a splash, the Rockets can as soon as once more give Governor Livingston and the Group II area a problem.
Barnegat – Nick Malinowski is one other ace that would separate Barnegat, which can be extra more likely to occur this yr as a result of the Bengals’ many sophomores and juniors from a yr in the past are actually mature sufficient to hold some actual expectations into the yr.
Lacey – The Lions are already 2-0 with wins over Class C North favourite Holmdel, plus rival Central. Dalton Johnson’s 12 strikeouts in 5 one-hit innings marked an eye-opening efficiency for the Class C South division title hopefuls.
Holmdel – The Hornets have a pair of Division I arms atop their rotation in Dylan Zammit (NJIT) and Jack Vallillo (Seton Hall), which supplies Holmdel an edge within the Class B North division.
Shore – Outside of a few nook outfielders, Shore brings again each starter from a workforce that completed higher than .500 in a troublesome Class B North division. Now in C North, Shore will eye a division title earlier than making one other run in Central Jersey Group I.
Toms River North – Four gamers who didn’t play baseball final yr for one cause or one other returned to this yr’s Mariners workforce, which additionally has a longtime group of seniors again and making an attempt to push Toms River North again into the upper-tier of Ocean County.