M a y 9 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I -Issue-9

M a y 9 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I -Issue-9

www.allshoremedia.com

RBC's Slate Makes

His Own Way

Page�3�

Manalapan's

Winston is All the

Way Back

Page�4-5

Jax Liberty

Baseball Makes

School History

Page�6

Playing With Power

Page�8

Crimson Comeback

Page�9

Boys Lax SCT

Preview

Page�1 1

Jax Mem. Boys

Lax Feature

Page�12

Stumpy's Corner

Page�15

RBC's Slate Makes

His Own Way

Page�3�

Manalapan's

Winston is All the

Way Back

Page�4-5

Jax Liberty

Baseball Makes

School History

Page�6

Playing With Power

Page�8

Crimson Comeback

Page�9

Boys Lax SCT

Preview

Page�1 1

Jax Mem. Boys

Lax Feature

Page�12

Stumpy's Corner

Page�15

RBC's Slate Makes

His Own Way

Page�3�

Manalapan's

Winston is All the

Way Back

Page�4-5

Jax Liberty

Baseball Makes

School History

Page�6

Playing With Power

Page�8

Crimson Comeback

Page�9

Boys Lax SCT

Preview

Page�1 1

Jax Mem. Boys

Lax Feature

Page�12

Stumpy's Corner

Page�15

www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1 ASM / 3

An easy way to get Red Bank Catholic junior left-

hander Ryan Slate fired up is to refer to him as "the

younger brother of former Christian Brothers Academy

star pitcher Kyle Slate.''

The younger Slate is out to build his own name while

wearing a different uniform, but that comparison was

inescapable when he took the mound on May 8 at his

brother's alma mater, which Ryan Slate also attended as a

freshman before transferring to RBC. His brother, a 37th-

round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, was

even leaning on the fence and watching with everyone

else on the Caseys' side.

"I didn't like to always be referred to my brother (while

at CBA),'' Slate said. "I hate that.''

Despite knowing all the drama would be heightened

because of what team he was pitching against, Slate was

eager for the challenge. It

showed in the finest

performance of his varsity

career, as he threw a

complete-game five-hitter on

just 87 pitches, not allowing

a hit after the third inning to

help the Caseys win their

13th straight game by

knocking off the host Colts

7-3 in a Shore Conference

nondivisional game. Slate (4-

0) struck out three, walked

three and only allowed one

earned run while consistently

getting ahead in the count in

a game where there was no

shortage of emotion or

motivation for him.

"One hundred percent, I

wanted to give it to these

guys,'' said Slate, who is now

7-0 in his varsity career. "I

wanted to just get ahead,

work ahead, and get out of

here with a win.''

"It's not that he's not

capable, it's just that sometimes his focus is all over the

place,'' said RBC head coach Buddy Hausmann. "He's got

the stuff to be just as good as anyone. If he focuses, he's

capable of that every day.

"He's been eyeing this game up. He looks up to his

brother, but it's his own thing - his own school, and his

own tradition he's trying to establish.''

While Slate was around the plate all day

with his arsenal of a fastball, changeup and

splitter, three CBA pitchers combined to

issue nine walks and hit two batters. That

included six walks and a hit batter that

allowed RBC (14-2) to score five runs on

one hit in the fifth inning to take the lead

for good. In the overall win, sophomore

third baseman Mike Rescigno slugged a

solo homer and outfielder Andrew LaMura

went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored

in the win. Leadoff man Joe Kissinger drew

three walks, including one with the bases

loaded, and also scored a run for RBC.

Second baseman Jack Whaley added two

hits, a hit by pitch, a stolen base and a run

scored.

"The pitching

generally has been pretty

good, especially control,''

CBA coach Marty Kenney

said. "This is unusual, and

why I don't know. For

whatever reason, we had guys

who just all of sudden

couldn't throw strikes.''

Down 3-1, the Caseys came

back with a run in the fourth

when Rescigno blasted an 0-1

curveball by sophomore

starter Joe Dudek (3-1) over

the left field fence for a solo

homer that cut it to 3-2.

RBC then made its decisive

move in the fifth inning when

CBA's pitchers could not

throw strikes, leading to the

Caseys sending 11 men to the

plate in a five-run inning.

Kissinger drew a leadoff

walk, stole second, went to

third on a passed ball and then

scored on an infield single by

LaMura to tie the game.

Senior catcher Vinny Tranchina followed with a walk,

resulting in Dudek, who had eight strikeouts in four-plus

innings, getting pulled in favor of senior reliever Brendan

McNamara.

Senior designated hitter C.J. Lucia drew a walk off

McNamara to load the bases with no outs, and following a

strikeout by Rescigno, rightfielder Nick Liggett drew a

walk on a 3-2 count to force in a run to make it 4-3. A

wild pitch brought home

another run, and after

senior first baseman

Dylan Chayes followed

by drawing the fifth walk

of the inning, leftfielder

Trevor Brain hit an RBI

fielder's choice for a 6-3

lead. Kenney then

inserted reliever John

McCarren, who walked

Kissinger with the bases

loaded to make it 7-3

before getting out of the

inning.

Meanwhile, Slate was

settling in, as he faced

only 15 batters in the

final four innings, walking three, to stifle any comeback

attempt by the Colts.

"All my pitches just came together today,'' Slate said.

"The adjustment I made was to go first-pitch changeup, 1-

1 changeup, or 3-2 changeup just to keep them off

balance the second time through the order.''

Not only that, but Slate was efficient, as he noted that

he usually doesn't throw under 90 pitches in any outing

because of control issues, let alone 87 in a complete

game. After a summer in which his velocity dropped

noticeably, he is rounding into form.

"I think I had a dead arm (in the summer), to be

honest,'' he said. "Now I think (my arm strength) is back,

and I'll just take it from here.''

Slate said his brother, who went 11-1 with a 0.38 ERA

as a senior in 2007 and was eventually released by the

Phillies in 2009, told him the most important thing in

facing his old teammates was that "whatever they say,

don't worry about it.''

The older Slate is also certainly aware of his brother

having to face the constant comparison to him.

"We talk about that a lot,'' Ryan said before smiling.

"He likes it, though. He never misses a game.''

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An easy way to get Red Bank Catholic junior left-

hander Ryan Slate fired up is to refer to him as "the

younger brother of former Christian Brothers Academy

star pitcher Kyle Slate.''

The younger Slate is out to build his own name while

wearing a different uniform, but that comparison was

inescapable when he took the mound on May 8 at his

brother's alma mater, which Ryan Slate also attended as a

freshman before transferring to RBC. His brother, a 37th-

round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, was

even leaning on the fence and watching with everyone

else on the Caseys' side.

"I didn't like to always be referred to my brother (while

at CBA),'' Slate said. "I hate that.''

Despite knowing all the drama would be heightened

because of what team he was pitching against, Slate was

eager for the challenge. It

showed in the finest

performance of his varsity

career, as he threw a

complete-game five-hitter on

just 87 pitches, not allowing

a hit after the third inning to

help the Caseys win their

13th straight game by

knocking off the host Colts

7-3 in a Shore Conference

nondivisional game. Slate (4-

0) struck out three, walked

three and only allowed one

earned run while consistently

getting ahead in the count in

a game where there was no

shortage of emotion or

motivation for him.

"One hundred percent, I

wanted to give it to these

guys,'' said Slate, who is now

7-0 in his varsity career. "I

wanted to just get ahead,

work ahead, and get out of

here with a win.''

"It's not that he's not

capable, it's just that sometimes his focus is all over the

place,'' said RBC head coach Buddy Hausmann. "He's got

the stuff to be just as good as anyone. If he focuses, he's

capable of that every day.

"He's been eyeing this game up. He looks up to his

brother, but it's his own thing - his own school, and his

own tradition he's trying to establish.''

While Slate was around the plate all day

with his arsenal of a fastball, changeup and

splitter, three CBA pitchers combined to

issue nine walks and hit two batters. That

included six walks and a hit batter that

allowed RBC (14-2) to score five runs on

one hit in the fifth inning to take the lead

for good. In the overall win, sophomore

third baseman Mike Rescigno slugged a

solo homer and outfielder Andrew LaMura

went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored

in the win. Leadoff man Joe Kissinger drew

three walks, including one with the bases

loaded, and also scored a run for RBC.

Second baseman Jack Whaley added two

hits, a hit by pitch, a stolen base and a run

scored.

"The pitching

generally has been pretty

good, especially control,''

CBA coach Marty Kenney

said. "This is unusual, and

why I don't know. For

whatever reason, we had guys

who just all of sudden

couldn't throw strikes.''

Down 3-1, the Caseys came

back with a run in the fourth

when Rescigno blasted an 0-1

curveball by sophomore

starter Joe Dudek (3-1) over

the left field fence for a solo

homer that cut it to 3-2.

RBC then made its decisive

move in the fifth inning when

CBA's pitchers could not

throw strikes, leading to the

Caseys sending 11 men to the

plate in a five-run inning.

Kissinger drew a leadoff

walk, stole second, went to

third on a passed ball and then

scored on an infield single by

LaMura to tie the game.

Senior catcher Vinny Tranchina followed with a walk,

resulting in Dudek, who had eight strikeouts in four-plus

innings, getting pulled in favor of senior reliever Brendan

McNamara.

Senior designated hitter C.J. Lucia drew a walk off

McNamara to load the bases with no outs, and following a

strikeout by Rescigno, rightfielder Nick Liggett drew a

walk on a 3-2 count to force in a run to make it 4-3. A

wild pitch brought home

another run, and after

senior first baseman

Dylan Chayes followed

by drawing the fifth walk

of the inning, leftfielder

Trevor Brain hit an RBI

fielder's choice for a 6-3

lead. Kenney then

inserted reliever John

McCarren, who walked

Kissinger with the bases

loaded to make it 7-3

before getting out of the

inning.

Meanwhile, Slate was

settling in, as he faced

only 15 batters in the

final four innings, walking three, to stifle any comeback

attempt by the Colts.

"All my pitches just came together today,'' Slate said.

"The adjustment I made was to go first-pitch changeup, 1-

1 changeup, or 3-2 changeup just to keep them off

balance the second time through the order.''

Not only that, but Slate was efficient, as he noted that

he usually doesn't throw under 90 pitches in any outing

because of control issues, let alone 87 in a complete

game. After a summer in which his velocity dropped

noticeably, he is rounding into form.

"I think I had a dead arm (in the summer), to be

honest,'' he said. "Now I think (my arm strength) is back,

and I'll just take it from here.''

Slate said his brother, who went 11-1 with a 0.38 ERA

as a senior in 2007 and was eventually released by the

Phillies in 2009, told him the most important thing in

facing his old teammates was that "whatever they say,

don't worry about it.''

The older Slate is also certainly aware of his brother

having to face the constant comparison to him.

"We talk about that a lot,'' Ryan said before smiling.

"He likes it, though. He never misses a game.''

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com

CREATING HIS OWN LEGACy:RBC’s Ryan slateB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

SPONSORSHIP& ADVERTISING

OPPORTUNITIESAVAILABLE For The

2011 ALL-STAR GAMESpace is Limited Call Today!

Pitcher Ryan Slate

Photo � by :

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V ideo �H i gh l i gh ts � by :

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www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

was throwing my slider and

curveball for strikes.''

Winston outdueled

Jackson junior righty

Brandon Holup, who

pitched a complete game,

scattering seven hits,

striking out two, walking

one and only allowing one

earned run.

The Braves scored the

only run they would need

in the third inning when

junior third baseman Joe

Serrapica reached on a

fielder's choice, went to

third on a one-out double

by senior shortstop Rich

Ricciardi and then scored

on an RBI sacrifice fly by

senior Nick Kreiger for a

1-0 advantage.

The Braves then took advantage of some defensive

breakdowns to score a pair of unearned runs in the

bottom of the sixth inning to pad the lead. Senior

outfielder Alex DeCastro reached on a fielder's choice

and then senior catcher Chris Baird hit a single that was

misplayed in the outfield to allow DeCastro to score all

the way from first base. The relay throw home was out

of play, allowing Baird to trot to third base, and senior

Derek Kawa followed by ripping an RBI single down

the third base line for a 3-0 advantage. Kawa finished 2-

for-3 with a walk, and second baseman Brian Lamboy

also had two hits in the win.

Jackson had its chances,

including a first inning in

which senior outfielder

Matt Meleo, who went 2-

for-4, hit a leadoff single,

followed by a pair of two-

out walks that loaded the

bases. Winston escaped by

getting an inning-ending

groundout to third by Chris

Russo to avoid a tough

opening frame like he had

in his previous start, when

he surrendered three first-

inning runs in an eventual

5-4 comeback win over

Christian Brothers

Academy.

"That first inning, I don't

know what it is,'' Winston

said. "I'm always starting

guys out 2-0. I've just got to start getting guys 0-1 and

0-2. I didn't throw enough in the bullpen. I want to end

up throwing my first inning in the bullpen to get out

there for my second inning.''

He retired 12 of 13 batters between the second

through the fifth innings before Jackson put together

another threat in the sixth inning with Manalapan

clinging to a 1-0 lead. Lopez hit a leadoff single, went

to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a

groundout, but Winston whiffed Russo to kill the threat.

Winston started the seventh inning, but after a leadoff

walk to third baseman Spencer Young, who also had two

hits in the game, he was pulled by Boyce in favor of

Gulino with his pitch count over 100.

"My arm felt great, the adrenaline was starting to

kick in, and I felt good,'' Winston said. "I kind of had a

feeling it was going to happen, but I didn't want to

come out.''

The victory helped salve the wound a little for

Manalapan after losing to the Jaguars in a big spot last

year, but there is certainly the chance that it is only the

first of several meetings this season between two of the

state's top teams.

"Psychologically, I think it's important, too,'' Boyce

said. "I think it's almost a definite that we'll see this

team again.''

As for Winston, it was the latest step in a full

recovery from a career that was nearly derailed at

several junctures. He also has faced some adversity this

season, as he was roughed up for six runs by

Middletown South in the team's only loss, but has

continued to progress and regain the promise he once

took for granted.

"I'm just feeling better and better,'' he said. "Ever

since that loss to Midd. South, I have gotten more

confident and spotted my pitches much better, so I feel

like I'm the pitcher I always thought I would be back

when I was a freshman.''

When Jake Winston was a promising freshman

pitcher on the varsity team at Bishop Ahr in 2008, he

figured his high school career would only get better

from there.

Four years later, he feels like he is

finally recapturing what he once had as a

15-year-old prospect before life got in the

way. The brutal 1-2 punch of the death of

his father, Rutgers Hall of Famer and

former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Darrin

Winston from a ruptured spleen at 42 years

old, and mysterious arm trouble that turned

out to be a stress fracture threw him into a

tailspin. It made that freshman year seem

like a distant memory by the time he

transferred to Manalapan as a junior last

year.

After finishing 2-1 with a 6.58 ERA in

22 1/3 innings as a junior while continuing

to recover from arm trouble, Winston was

still trying to recapture the fluid form that

had him eerily resembling his father, who

also was a left-handed pitcher.

"My freshman year I knew that good

things were going to happen throughout

my high school career,'' he said. "Then my

father passed away, then I ended up hurting

my arm, and that just started a snowball

effect downward. I was getting nervous

and starting to become a headcase, but I

was able to bear down, trust God, and find

my way back.''

The Manalapan senior lefty and Elon University

recruit finally felt like his old self again when he threw

six shutout innings against a tough lineup to propel the

Braves, ranked No. 1 in the All Shore Media Top 10, to

a 3-0 Shore Conference nondivisional win over No. 2

Jackson Memorial in a highly-anticipated game on May

5. The game was a rematch of last season's NJSIAA

Central Jersey Group IV final, where the Braves lost to

the Jaguars in Manalapan's first appearance in a

sectional final in school history. Manalapan won its

12th straight game in a match-up of

division champions.

Winston, who is Manalapan's No. 2

starter behind Notre Dame recruit Kyle

Rubbinaccio, allowed four hits, struck out

seven and walked three on 106 pitches

before being pulled after walking the

leadoff man in the top of the seventh

inning. After a shaky first inning in which

he walked two batters to load the bases

before getting an inning-ending

groundout, Winston settled in. Junior

Billy Gulino then worked out of a bases-

loaded jam in the seventh by inducing a

game-ending flyout to center field by

senior second baseman Andy Lopez to

seal the shutout and help Winston

improve to 3-1.

"After the first inning today, I thought

he pitched phenomenally,'' said

Manalapan coach Brian Boyce. "I thought

this was his best outing.''

"As the game was going on, I was

hitting my spots and placing my fastball,

which helped a lot,'' Winstno said. "I also

4 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Senior pitcher Jake Winston

All the Way Back:Manalapan’s Jake Winston B y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Cont i nued �on � nex t � page

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

was throwing my slider and

curveball for strikes.''

Winston outdueled

Jackson junior righty

Brandon Holup, who

pitched a complete game,

scattering seven hits,

striking out two, walking

one and only allowing one

earned run.

The Braves scored the

only run they would need

in the third inning when

junior third baseman Joe

Serrapica reached on a

fielder's choice, went to

third on a one-out double

by senior shortstop Rich

Ricciardi and then scored

on an RBI sacrifice fly by

senior Nick Kreiger for a

1-0 advantage.

The Braves then took advantage of some defensive

breakdowns to score a pair of unearned runs in the

bottom of the sixth inning to pad the lead. Senior

outfielder Alex DeCastro reached on a fielder's choice

and then senior catcher Chris Baird hit a single that was

misplayed in the outfield to allow DeCastro to score all

the way from first base. The relay throw home was out

of play, allowing Baird to trot to third base, and senior

Derek Kawa followed by ripping an RBI single down

the third base line for a 3-0 advantage. Kawa finished 2-

for-3 with a walk, and second baseman Brian Lamboy

also had two hits in the win.

Jackson had its chances,

including a first inning in

which senior outfielder

Matt Meleo, who went 2-

for-4, hit a leadoff single,

followed by a pair of two-

out walks that loaded the

bases. Winston escaped by

getting an inning-ending

groundout to third by Chris

Russo to avoid a tough

opening frame like he had

in his previous start, when

he surrendered three first-

inning runs in an eventual

5-4 comeback win over

Christian Brothers

Academy.

"That first inning, I don't

know what it is,'' Winston

said. "I'm always starting

guys out 2-0. I've just got to start getting guys 0-1 and

0-2. I didn't throw enough in the bullpen. I want to end

up throwing my first inning in the bullpen to get out

there for my second inning.''

He retired 12 of 13 batters between the second

through the fifth innings before Jackson put together

another threat in the sixth inning with Manalapan

clinging to a 1-0 lead. Lopez hit a leadoff single, went

to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a

groundout, but Winston whiffed Russo to kill the threat.

Winston started the seventh inning, but after a leadoff

walk to third baseman Spencer Young, who also had two

hits in the game, he was pulled by Boyce in favor of

Gulino with his pitch count over 100.

"My arm felt great, the adrenaline was starting to

kick in, and I felt good,'' Winston said. "I kind of had a

feeling it was going to happen, but I didn't want to

come out.''

The victory helped salve the wound a little for

Manalapan after losing to the Jaguars in a big spot last

year, but there is certainly the chance that it is only the

first of several meetings this season between two of the

state's top teams.

"Psychologically, I think it's important, too,'' Boyce

said. "I think it's almost a definite that we'll see this

team again.''

As for Winston, it was the latest step in a full

recovery from a career that was nearly derailed at

several junctures. He also has faced some adversity this

season, as he was roughed up for six runs by

Middletown South in the team's only loss, but has

continued to progress and regain the promise he once

took for granted.

"I'm just feeling better and better,'' he said. "Ever

since that loss to Midd. South, I have gotten more

confident and spotted my pitches much better, so I feel

like I'm the pitcher I always thought I would be back

when I was a freshman.''

Photos �& �

V i deo �H i gh l i gh ts � by :

Sco t t � S tumpwww.al lshoremedia.com

When Jake Winston was a promising freshman

pitcher on the varsity team at Bishop Ahr in 2008, he

figured his high school career would only get better

from there.

Four years later, he feels like he is

finally recapturing what he once had as a

15-year-old prospect before life got in the

way. The brutal 1-2 punch of the death of

his father, Rutgers Hall of Famer and

former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Darrin

Winston from a ruptured spleen at 42 years

old, and mysterious arm trouble that turned

out to be a stress fracture threw him into a

tailspin. It made that freshman year seem

like a distant memory by the time he

transferred to Manalapan as a junior last

year.

After finishing 2-1 with a 6.58 ERA in

22 1/3 innings as a junior while continuing

to recover from arm trouble, Winston was

still trying to recapture the fluid form that

had him eerily resembling his father, who

also was a left-handed pitcher.

"My freshman year I knew that good

things were going to happen throughout

my high school career,'' he said. "Then my

father passed away, then I ended up hurting

my arm, and that just started a snowball

effect downward. I was getting nervous

and starting to become a headcase, but I

was able to bear down, trust God, and find

my way back.''

The Manalapan senior lefty and Elon University

recruit finally felt like his old self again when he threw

six shutout innings against a tough lineup to propel the

Braves, ranked No. 1 in the All Shore Media Top 10, to

a 3-0 Shore Conference nondivisional win over No. 2

Jackson Memorial in a highly-anticipated game on May

5. The game was a rematch of last season's NJSIAA

Central Jersey Group IV final, where the Braves lost to

the Jaguars in Manalapan's first appearance in a

sectional final in school history. Manalapan won its

12th straight game in a match-up of

division champions.

Winston, who is Manalapan's No. 2

starter behind Notre Dame recruit Kyle

Rubbinaccio, allowed four hits, struck out

seven and walked three on 106 pitches

before being pulled after walking the

leadoff man in the top of the seventh

inning. After a shaky first inning in which

he walked two batters to load the bases

before getting an inning-ending

groundout, Winston settled in. Junior

Billy Gulino then worked out of a bases-

loaded jam in the seventh by inducing a

game-ending flyout to center field by

senior second baseman Andy Lopez to

seal the shutout and help Winston

improve to 3-1.

"After the first inning today, I thought

he pitched phenomenally,'' said

Manalapan coach Brian Boyce. "I thought

this was his best outing.''

"As the game was going on, I was

hitting my spots and placing my fastball,

which helped a lot,'' Winstno said. "I also

4 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

All the Way Back:Manalapan’s Jake Winston B y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Cont i nued �on � nex t � page

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 76 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Jackson Liber ty coach J im Rankin admits that

he has replayed the seventh inning of las t year 's

Shore Conference Tournament semif inal against

Jackson Memorial in his head just about every

day s ince the Jaguars beat Rankin 's Lions on a

game-winning home run in the bot tom of the

seventh inning.

On Apri l 30, his team gave him a new, more

pleasant memory to play over in his head unt i l

the next t ime the cross-

town r ivals meet .

The Lions scored three

runs in the s ixth inning

and sophomore Tyler

Pal lante erased some bad

memories of his own to

nai l down the save for

winning pi tcher John

Holland in Jackson

Liberty 's his tor ic 3-1 win

over Jackson Memorial a t

Firs tEnergy Park in

Lakewood. The win is

Jackson Liber ty 's f i rs t

over i ts Jackson

counterpar t in the four-

year his tory of the

program.

"Anytime you can beat a

qual i ty team, i t means

something, but obviously,

this one is extra special ,"

Rankin said. "Last year

was a tough way to lose

and having gone through

that , our guys real ly

wanted to play a good

game and pul l out a win.

They ' re obviously a f i rs t -c lass program over

there and beat ing them shows that we ' re capable

of playing at that level ."

Pal lante was the losing pi tcher in las t year 's

SCT semif inal , a 7-5 Jackson Memorial win that

ended when Jaguars center f ie lder Matt Meleo,

then a junior, launched a three-run home run with

two out in the bot tom of the seventh to erase a

one-run def ici t and s tun the Lions.

Up unt i l the Meleo home run, Pal lante had

pi tched more than admirably consider ing his

s ta tus as a f reshman and the s tage, but lef t the

f ie ld on a sour note .

"I def ini te ly remember las t year 's game and i t

was def ini te ly in the back of my mind," Pal lante

said. "I just knew I had to make my pi tches . I had

success las t year when I executed my pi tches , and

that ' s a l l I t r ied to think about ."

Pal lante had to face the demons of las t year

when Meleo came up in the bot tom of the seventh

as the tying run with men on f i rs t and second

base and one out . Pal lante jumped ahead with a

f i rs t -pi tch s t r ike and threw an off-speed pi tch on

his fol lowing offer ing and induced Meleo - who

led the Shore Conference with 51 hi ts las t year

and is among the leaders again this year - into a

f ly-out to lef t f ie ld for the second out of the

inning.

"I just wanted to get ahead of him," Pal lante

said. "He's a tough hi t ter, but I thought i f I could

get him in a good count , I could make him swing

at something he didn ' t want to swing at ."

Although he avoided a major speed bump in

Meleo, Pal lante was not out of the woods,

especial ly af ter glancing Andy Lopez with a

fastbal l to load the bases with two out , which

pushed the tying run into scoring posi t ion. The

Jackson Liber ty sophomore dug in and got junior

shorts top Joe Ogren to f ly out to lef t f ie ld to end

the game.

Pal lante 's work in the s ixth and seventh innings

made a winner out of Holland, a junior r ight-

hander who al lowed one run on seven hi ts in 5

1/3 innings and s t ruck out four to just one walk.

Holland was not on the vars i ty team as a

sophomore las t year, but showed the poise of a

pi tcher who had pi tched under the l ights of a big

game before.

"They have a good l in-up, so I just had to make

pi tches ," Holland said. "I t was as s imple as that .

Get ahead and f inish off the at-bat ."

"Holland was impressive," Jackson Memorial

coach Frank Malta said. "He threw the bal l wel l ,

made his pi tches and showed poise . I don ' t know

why we couldn ' t qui te f igure out how to get the

big hi t , but a lot of credi t has to go to their two

pitchers ."

Exorcising the Demons:Jackson liberty Baseball Makes HistoryBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Midfielder Jesse Phalanakorn

Sophomore pitcher Tyler Pallante

Photo � by :

B i l l � No rm i l e �w w w . b i l l n o r m i l e . z e n f o l i o . c o m

V ideo �H i gh l i gh ts � by :

Mat t �Man l eywww.al lshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 76 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Jackson Liber ty coach J im Rankin admits that

he has replayed the seventh inning of las t year 's

Shore Conference Tournament semif inal against

Jackson Memorial in his head just about every

day s ince the Jaguars beat Rankin 's Lions on a

game-winning home run in the bot tom of the

seventh inning.

On Apri l 30, his team gave him a new, more

pleasant memory to play over in his head unt i l

the next t ime the cross-

town r ivals meet .

The Lions scored three

runs in the s ixth inning

and sophomore Tyler

Pal lante erased some bad

memories of his own to

nai l down the save for

winning pi tcher John

Holland in Jackson

Liberty 's his tor ic 3-1 win

over Jackson Memorial a t

Firs tEnergy Park in

Lakewood. The win is

Jackson Liber ty 's f i rs t

over i ts Jackson

counterpar t in the four-

year his tory of the

program.

"Anytime you can beat a

qual i ty team, i t means

something, but obviously,

this one is extra special ,"

Rankin said. "Last year

was a tough way to lose

and having gone through

that , our guys real ly

wanted to play a good

game and pul l out a win.

They ' re obviously a f i rs t -c lass program over

there and beat ing them shows that we ' re capable

of playing at that level ."

Pal lante was the losing pi tcher in las t year 's

SCT semif inal , a 7-5 Jackson Memorial win that

ended when Jaguars center f ie lder Matt Meleo,

then a junior, launched a three-run home run with

two out in the bot tom of the seventh to erase a

one-run def ici t and s tun the Lions.

Up unt i l the Meleo home run, Pal lante had

pi tched more than admirably consider ing his

s ta tus as a f reshman and the s tage, but lef t the

f ie ld on a sour note .

"I def ini te ly remember las t year 's game and i t

was def ini te ly in the back of my mind," Pal lante

said. "I just knew I had to make my pi tches . I had

success las t year when I executed my pi tches , and

that ' s a l l I t r ied to think about ."

Pal lante had to face the demons of las t year

when Meleo came up in the bot tom of the seventh

as the tying run with men on f i rs t and second

base and one out . Pal lante jumped ahead with a

f i rs t -pi tch s t r ike and threw an off-speed pi tch on

his fol lowing offer ing and induced Meleo - who

led the Shore Conference with 51 hi ts las t year

and is among the leaders again this year - into a

f ly-out to lef t f ie ld for the second out of the

inning.

"I just wanted to get ahead of him," Pal lante

said. "He's a tough hi t ter, but I thought i f I could

get him in a good count , I could make him swing

at something he didn ' t want to swing at ."

Although he avoided a major speed bump in

Meleo, Pal lante was not out of the woods,

especial ly af ter glancing Andy Lopez with a

fastbal l to load the bases with two out , which

pushed the tying run into scoring posi t ion. The

Jackson Liber ty sophomore dug in and got junior

shorts top Joe Ogren to f ly out to lef t f ie ld to end

the game.

Pal lante 's work in the s ixth and seventh innings

made a winner out of Holland, a junior r ight-

hander who al lowed one run on seven hi ts in 5

1/3 innings and s t ruck out four to just one walk.

Holland was not on the vars i ty team as a

sophomore las t year, but showed the poise of a

pi tcher who had pi tched under the l ights of a big

game before.

"They have a good l in-up, so I just had to make

pi tches ," Holland said. "I t was as s imple as that .

Get ahead and f inish off the at-bat ."

"Holland was impressive," Jackson Memorial

coach Frank Malta said. "He threw the bal l wel l ,

made his pi tches and showed poise . I don ' t know

why we couldn ' t qui te f igure out how to get the

big hi t , but a lot of credi t has to go to their two

pitchers ."

Exorcising the Demons:Jackson liberty Baseball Makes HistoryBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Photo � by :

B i l l � No rm i l e �w w w . b i l l n o r m i l e . z e n f o l i o . c o m

V ideo �H i gh l i gh ts � by :

Mat t �Man l eywww.al lshoremedia.com

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8 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

or much of the season, they

have seen a s teady diet of

pi tches in the dir t , breaking bal ls

off the plate and opposing coaches

simply point ing to f irs t base for an

intent ional walk.

That’s life when you are among the most fearedhome run hitters in the Shore Conference, whichRed Bank Catholic senior designated hitter C.J.Lucia and Christian Brothers Academy sophomorefirst baseman/pitcher Joe Dudek have become.They have put their names up there with otherwell-known sluggers like West Virginia recruit JonRoszel of Manchester and Manasquan junior firstbaseman Tyler Saito.

It’s one of those good news-bad news scenariosin that the home runs lead to wins and excite thefans, but they also make headlines and getopposing coaches talking about how they aregoing to pitch around you.

Through May 6, Lucia had a Shore Conference-leading six home runs and Dudek was right behindhim with five. Lucia is part of a power-packedlineup, as his teammate, sophomore third basemanMike Rescigno, has four home runs after a soloshot off Dudek in a 7-3 win over CBA on May 7.

Lucia’s power surge, which included two homeruns in a win over Freehold on May 5, has comeafter a slow start in which he was often puttingtoo much pressure on himself to come up with thebig hit. Early last season, current Seton Hallfreshman Chris Selden was the one coming upwith clutch hits to carry the Caseys, and Lucia andsenior catcher VinnyTranchina, who batsone spot ahead ofLucia in the No. 3hole, were tryinghard to assume thatrole.

An early loss toOcean that droppedRBC to 1-2illustrated howmuch the Caseyswere pressing at theplate. Since then,they have rattled off13 straight winsthrough May 8 thanksto a more relaxedapproach.

“We talked for about45 minutes after theOcean game about howtheir approach was off, ' 'said RBC coach BuddyHausmann. "Thefeedback I was gettingfrom Vinny (Tranchina) andCJ is that they were putting alot of pressure on themselves.They felt like they had to getthe big hit every time withoutSelden, who carried us early onlast year. ' '

Lucia, who was once an offensive lineman inRBC’s football program before deciding tofocus on baseball, has been among the mostproductive hitters in the Shore. In additionto his six homers through RBC’s first 16games, he also was among the ShoreConference leaders with 28 RBIs whilebatting over .400.

He has 14home runs in hiscareer, includingeight last year torank among theShore Conferenceleaders as ajunior. Lucia hasalso hit some ofthe mostprodigious blastsin recent memory,including a 500-foot home run atCount Basie Fieldthat went to thetrain tracks nextto Maple Avenue.

Lucia has alsolearned patience and a more levelswing after trying to lifteverything out of the parkin the early going ofthis season. In therecent win overCBA, he walkedtwice in five at-bats and scored arun.

"Early on he was lifting it up and swinging atbad pitches,' ' Hausmann said. "I think he and therest of the guys are letting the game come to thema little more now and backing off things a bit. ' '

Dudek is another one who has had some issueswith pressing at the plate while serving as theanchor of CBA’s lineup in the cleanup spot.

The sophomore, who bats left-handed, still hasopened some eyes among even veteran coaches

with some of his longball feats. He golfed aball in the dirt for a home run early

in the

season against FreeholdTownship, resulting in

the Patriotsintentionallywalking him withno one on baselate in a tie gamerather than riskhim beltinganother one overthe fence.

In a 1-0 winover Holmdel ina MonmouthCountyTournamentRound-of-16game, he tookanother ball inthe dirt and liftedit over thescoreboard for

the only run of the gameto help the Colts advance

to the quarterfinals. Ina 5-4 loss to top-ranked Manalapan, hegave CBA a 4-3 leadby slamming ahanging breakingball from a DivisionI pitcher, ElonUniversity recruitJake Winston, for asolo shot.

“I just try to stay focusedand see the ball,’’ Dudek said.“I’m seeing a lot moreoffspeed this year, so I’mjust trying to see the ballbetter out of their hands.’’

After becoming just thefifth freshman to start onvarsity in the 37-year tenureof head coach Marty Kenney,Dudek has become a

centerpiece of the team asa sophomore. Through

May 5, he led theteam in hits (16)

and runsscored

(13),but

only had 10 RBIs despite his five home runs alongwith a batting average under .350.

“To be honest, I think he's pressing a bit at theplate,’’ Kenney said. “I probably expected a littlebit more. He's hit well in situations where nobodyis on base, but with runners in scoring positionhe's really pressed and hasn't been as productiveas he should be. He's only got 10 RBIs, and I can'ttotally say it 's because of the lack of hitting infront of him. Sometimes it 's him pressing and nothaving good at-bats, and his strikeouts are a little

higher than what I expected.’’

He has had to learn to dealwith teams not giving him muchto hit, and patience can be one of

the tougher things to learn for ayoung hitter who wants to help his team bycoming up with the big hit. When opposingcoaches see things like Dudek taking what lookslike a wasted pitch in the dirt and somehowputting it over the fence, it only makes them avoidhim more. However, other coaches have had theirpitchers challenge him, so he sees differentapproaches from game to game and has to adjust.

If he can get it rolling on a regular basis toignite the lineup, it may be the spark CBA needsto get over the hump and start taking down Top 10opponents to return to its usual place among theShore’s elite.

“I feel l ike we're turning thecorner,’’ Dudek said. “We just needto execute bet ter. ’’

w

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

UB

One Pitch Away

Ph ot o b y:

B i l l No r m i l e w w w . b i l l n o r m i l e . z e n f o l i o . c o m

CRIMSON COMEBACK

Senior C.J. Lucia

Sophomore Joe Dudek

FFPlayingWith PowerPlayingWith Power

l t rasounds , b iopsies ,seemingly endless b loodtes ts - wi th every tr ip t o ahospi ta l or a doc tor ’s o f f i ce

las t year, Wal l ’s Br ian Perr inowondered i f he was watching h isouts tanding lacrosse career come to anend wi th each pr ick o f a needle or humof a machine .

As a junior, the Crimson

Knights’ a t tackman had

played the season opener, a

loss to r ival Manasquan,

before coming down with a

103.5 degree fever. That put

him in the hospi ta l , where a

ser ies of tes ts were performed

to determine the cause of his

i l lness , including a lymph

node biopsy to see i f he had

cancer.

At that point, the fact that

Wall’s all-time scoring record for

its young lacrosse program was

in reach for Perrino as a junior

was not even a consideration.

That’s why it made it so

satisfying when the now-senior

eventually reached that milestone

with his 124th career goal in a

win over Marlboro on May 7.

“Every week they were

taking a pint of blood and tes t ing me for every

virus that they could possibly think of , but

nothing came back posi t ive,’’ he said. “Get t ing

the lymph node biopsy was a crazy experience.

Just the thought that (cancer) could be a

possibi l i ty was scary.’’

Perr ino was diagnosed with an enlarged spleen,

but he said the cause of i t has never t ruly been

determined. He said he was born with a condi t ion

in which his red blood cel ls are smaller than

normal that may have contr ibuted to i t , but he

“never got a def ini t ive answer ’’ on what caused

the enlarged spleen.

He was cleared by his doctors to re turn to the

l ineup and played f ive more games as a junior

before he went for another blood tes t and an

ul t rasound on his spleen. The ul t rasound

indicated that his spleen had enlarged to

16.6 cent imeters long. A normal spleen is

12 cent imeters long.

That meant the end of Perr ino’s junior season.

As frustrated as he was by having to s i t on the

sidel ines and watch his teammates play, he also

knew the f l ipside of what could happen i f he was

out there .

“One big hi t to my lef t s ideand that was i t for me,’’ hesaid. “I was real ly scared Iwould never play a contact

sport again.’’

Perrino’s condition

improved enough in the

offseason that even though his

spleen is still slightly enlarged,

he was cleared to play as a senior.

He wears a special rib pad to protect that

area from a big hit and has been able to

overcome the fear of what could happen

if an opponent got a good shot on his

midsection.

“Of course it's in the back of my

mind, but the adrenaline pretty

much takes it away,’’ he said. “I

forget about it as much as

possible. I haven't been more

timid than I have been in the past

years.’’

Making up for lost time,

Perrino has been one of the

Shore Conference’s top scorers

all season long with 60 goals,

and he entered the game on

May 7 against Marlboro

needing two goals to pass 2009 graduate Tom

Gavaghan as the Crimson Knights’ all-time

leading scorer in the five-year history of their

varsity program. By the end of the first

quarter, he had scored twice to get the

record with his 124th goal on his way to a

four-goal afternoon in a win over Marlboro that cemented

Wall as Class A North’s top public school program this

season.

“(Perrino) has a nice shot that is very accurate with nice

speed that changes planes,’’ Wall coach Chris Knight said. “I

remember watching him as a freshman coming through and

thinking, this kid just knows how to score.’’

It was another memorable accomplishment in a season in

which Wall has also defeated Manasquan, its rival and one of

the oldest boys lacrosse programs in the Shore, for the first

time in program history. That was in addition to wins over

established programs like Howell, Freehold

Township and Colts Neck in Class A North that

allowed Wall to be the

top public school

finisher in the

division

behind

parochial powers

Christian Brothers

Academy and Red Bank

Catholic.

The next

accomplishment Wall is

seeking is its first Shore

Conference Tournament

win in school history. To

do so, the sixth-seeded

Crimson Knights will

once again have to go

through Manasquan,

which is the 11th seed. It

will be up to Perrino and

fellow offensive standouts

Tim Gill, Kyle Warnick,

Tyler Becht and Freehold

Township transfer Raul

Pola as well as a defense

anchored by senior Will

Avon to help the Crimson

Knights add some more history

this season.

“We can be the shocker

hopefully,’’ Knight said. “We

got a pretty good seed, so if we

could get into the semifinals

that would be great. It’s going

to take a team effort, but you

never know. We’re

definitely the underdog,

and the kids are believing

in themselves, so it

wouldn't surprise me if we

shock someone.’’

As for Parrino, he is glad to be

back on the field, fighting alongside his teammates to bring

Wall’s program to the next level. He is heading off to

Moravian College, where his older brother plays on the club

team with Gavaghan, and said he is not sure if he is going to

play at Moravian or not. These could be the final few games

of his lacrosse career.

“The season we have had as a team and that I have had as

an individual has been unbelievably satisfying so far,’’

Perrino said. “We just want to get that win in the first round

for the first time and see where it goes from there. I’m just

happy to be back and be a part of it again.’’

8 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1 www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 9

UBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Photos � by :

Scot t � S tump

CRIMSON COMEBACK

Ph o to s b y :

C l i f f l ave l l ew ww . c le a r e d ge . z en fo l i o . c om

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 1110 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Wi t h t h e S h o r e

C o n f e r e n c e To u r n a m e n t

g e t t i n g u n d e r w a y , i t ’s t i m e

t o t a k e a l o o k a t t h e t e a m s

t h a t w i l l b e f i g h t i n g t o h o i s t

t h a t c h a m p i o n s h i p p l a q u e i n

t h e f i n a l o n M a y 1 8 o n t h e

a r t i f i c i a l t u r f a t S t . J o h n

Vi a n n e y .

The Heavy Favorite –Rumson-Fair Haven

The top-seeded Bulldogs have taken a good amount of

suspense out of the tournament before it has even begun

considering they already boast regular-season victories over

No. 2 Jackson Memorial, No. 3 Christian Brothers Academy,

No. 4 Holmdel and No. 5 Red Bank Catholic.

Led by a talented, deep and experienced offense that

includes Beau Bennardo, P.J. Maher, Jack Curran and Mike

Huttner and a tough defense anchored by senior Matt

Gilbertson and junior goalie Artie Tildesley, Rumson is

dangerous for multiple reasons. It can win a high-scoring

shootout because of its offense, and it can also win a low-

scoring game because of its defense and Tildesley, who has

done a great job in replacing the graduated Trevor James, one

of the Shore’s top goalies last season.

This team has seen it all and also has played a

tough nonconference schedule in which it has

faced some of the state’s top teams, so it is

clearly battle-tested and out to finish the job by

winning its first SCT title since 2007 and its

second in program history.

The Contenders –Jackson Memorial, CBA,Holmdel, Red Bank Catholic

Out of this group, Jackson Memorial and CBA

look like the main threats to reach the final and

face off against Rumson. That’s not exactly a

shock considering Jackson is the No. 2 seed and

CBA is No. 3, but things have gone fairly true to

form this season among the upper echelon in the Shore.

Jackson is looking to become the first Ocean County team

to ever reach the SCT final since the tournament’s inception

in 2005, so it is not only carrying the torch for its own

program but for an entire county that has lived in Monmouth

County’s shadow in the infancy of boys lacrosse in the Shore.

With a potent offense led by junior attackmen Nick Wolf

and Connor Cunningham along with senior midfielder Bryan

Specht, and a defense that features seniors Brad Maier, Ryan

Totin and Max Sunder, the Jaguars are poised to make

history. The biggest question is whether they are battle-tested

enough, as they ran roughshod over Class A South and did

not have many nondivisional games other than the loss toRumson in which they were tested.

As for CBA, the Colts are one of the most well-established

programs in the Shore, having won four of the first six SCT

titles, with the last one coming in 2009. With an offense led

by junior attack Donny Finn and a top goalie in senior Matt

Deiner, they are certainly dangerous. They came up short in a

regular-season loss to Rumson, but are definitely a threat to

come back stronger the second time around, especially while

playing in the rare role of the underdog.

Holmdel is only in its third varsity season as a program but

has a loaded senior class that is built to win now. The Hornets

also lost to Rumson during the regular season and recently

were stunned by Manasquan, but they have the ability to

make run to the final after having only won their first SCT

game just last year.

Senior Mike Cantelli

is one of the top

midfielders in the Shore

and is joined by his

brother, Rob, a

sophomore, and seniors

Christian Isola and

Chris Scherzer on one of

the top midfield units in

the Shore. Senior Steve

McGrory anchors the

defense. The main

question may be how

well senior goalie Matt

Micali, a first-year

varsity player, responds in the heat of tournament action

given his inexperience.

Finally, Red Bank Catholic is the defending SCT champion,

but may have lost too much offensive firepower to graduation

to mount a run back to the final, especially if it has to face

Rumson in the semifinals. Junior midfielders Dave Stickle

and Doug Whitlock and senior midfielder Hunter Adams will

lead a team that must play outstanding defensively and find a

way to score some timely goals after struggling in that

department against top teams during the regular season.

Best of the Rest

Entering the tournament, sixth-seeded Wall has never won

an SCT game in its first-year existence but was the top public

school program in the tough A North this season, defeating

perennially solid teams like Howell, Freehold Township and

Colts Neck to claim that honor. With scoring machine Brian

Perrino leading the way, the Crimson Knights hope to open

some eyes.

Seventh-seeded Colts Neck is a sleeper team to watch and

will look to try and stun Jackson Memorial in the

quarterfinals if that scenario unfolds. Another dangerous team

is 11th-seeded Manasquan, which showed its potential when

it stunned Holmdel during the regular season. However, the

Warriors have to face rival Wall in the first round after losing

to the Crimson Knights for the first time ever during the

regular season.

No. 10 Howell is also one to watch with high-scoring

sophomore Alec Dambach and his older brother, Ryan, a

standout midfielder.

Boys Lacrosse: a look at theshore Conference tournamentB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 1110 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Wi t h t h e S h o r e

C o n f e r e n c e To u r n a m e n t

g e t t i n g u n d e r w a y , i t ’s t i m e

t o t a k e a l o o k a t t h e t e a m s

t h a t w i l l b e f i g h t i n g t o h o i s t

t h a t c h a m p i o n s h i p p l a q u e i n

t h e f i n a l o n M a y 1 8 o n t h e

a r t i f i c i a l t u r f a t S t . J o h n

Vi a n n e y .

The Heavy Favorite –Rumson-Fair Haven

The top-seeded Bulldogs have taken a good amount of

suspense out of the tournament before it has even begun

considering they already boast regular-season victories over

No. 2 Jackson Memorial, No. 3 Christian Brothers Academy,

No. 4 Holmdel and No. 5 Red Bank Catholic.

Led by a talented, deep and experienced offense that

includes Beau Bennardo, P.J. Maher, Jack Curran and Mike

Huttner and a tough defense anchored by senior Matt

Gilbertson and junior goalie Artie Tildesley, Rumson is

dangerous for multiple reasons. It can win a high-scoring

shootout because of its offense, and it can also win a low-

scoring game because of its defense and Tildesley, who has

done a great job in replacing the graduated Trevor James, one

of the Shore’s top goalies last season.

This team has seen it all and also has played a

tough nonconference schedule in which it has

faced some of the state’s top teams, so it is

clearly battle-tested and out to finish the job by

winning its first SCT title since 2007 and its

second in program history.

The Contenders –Jackson Memorial, CBA,Holmdel, Red Bank Catholic

Out of this group, Jackson Memorial and CBA

look like the main threats to reach the final and

face off against Rumson. That’s not exactly a

shock considering Jackson is the No. 2 seed and

CBA is No. 3, but things have gone fairly true to

form this season among the upper echelon in the Shore.

Jackson is looking to become the first Ocean County team

to ever reach the SCT final since the tournament’s inception

in 2005, so it is not only carrying the torch for its own

program but for an entire county that has lived in Monmouth

County’s shadow in the infancy of boys lacrosse in the Shore.

With a potent offense led by junior attackmen Nick Wolf

and Connor Cunningham along with senior midfielder Bryan

Specht, and a defense that features seniors Brad Maier, Ryan

Totin and Max Sunder, the Jaguars are poised to make

history. The biggest question is whether they are battle-tested

enough, as they ran roughshod over Class A South and did

not have many nondivisional games other than the loss toRumson in which they were tested.

As for CBA, the Colts are one of the most well-established

programs in the Shore, having won four of the first six SCT

titles, with the last one coming in 2009. With an offense led

by junior attack Donny Finn and a top goalie in senior Matt

Deiner, they are certainly dangerous. They came up short in a

regular-season loss to Rumson, but are definitely a threat to

come back stronger the second time around, especially while

playing in the rare role of the underdog.

Holmdel is only in its third varsity season as a program but

has a loaded senior class that is built to win now. The Hornets

also lost to Rumson during the regular season and recently

were stunned by Manasquan, but they have the ability to

make run to the final after having only won their first SCT

game just last year.

Senior Mike Cantelli

is one of the top

midfielders in the Shore

and is joined by his

brother, Rob, a

sophomore, and seniors

Christian Isola and

Chris Scherzer on one of

the top midfield units in

the Shore. Senior Steve

McGrory anchors the

defense. The main

question may be how

well senior goalie Matt

Micali, a first-year

varsity player, responds in the heat of tournament action

given his inexperience.

Finally, Red Bank Catholic is the defending SCT champion,

but may have lost too much offensive firepower to graduation

to mount a run back to the final, especially if it has to face

Rumson in the semifinals. Junior midfielders Dave Stickle

and Doug Whitlock and senior midfielder Hunter Adams will

lead a team that must play outstanding defensively and find a

way to score some timely goals after struggling in that

department against top teams during the regular season.

Best of the Rest

Entering the tournament, sixth-seeded Wall has never won

an SCT game in its first-year existence but was the top public

school program in the tough A North this season, defeating

perennially solid teams like Howell, Freehold Township and

Colts Neck to claim that honor. With scoring machine Brian

Perrino leading the way, the Crimson Knights hope to open

some eyes.

Seventh-seeded Colts Neck is a sleeper team to watch and

will look to try and stun Jackson Memorial in the

quarterfinals if that scenario unfolds. Another dangerous team

is 11th-seeded Manasquan, which showed its potential when

it stunned Holmdel during the regular season. However, the

Warriors have to face rival Wall in the first round after losing

to the Crimson Knights for the first time ever during the

regular season.

No. 10 Howell is also one to watch with high-scoring

sophomore Alec Dambach and his older brother, Ryan, a

standout midfielder.

CBA �Photo � by :

w w w . sp or ts hot sw lb . co m

Rumson�Photo�by

David�Thornewww.davethorne.smugmug.com

Jackson�Mem.�Photo�by

E l len�Cunningham

Jackson Mem.'s Connor Cunningham

Rumson goalie Artie Tildesley

CBA attack Donny Finn

Boys Lacrosse: a look at theshore Conference tournamentB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com

Before he even took the mound for his start in the OceanCounty Tournament first round against No. 3 seed PointPleasant Beach on May 7, Lacey senior pitcher Pat Jensenmade his mark on the game with a home run to open thescoring.

Once he took the mound, he paid tribute to a man Jensensaid made his mark on the LaceyHigh School community.

Jensen took a no-hitter into thefifth and final inning and finishedwith a complete-game one-hitter togo with a 2-for-3, two-homer,four-RBI game at the plate in histeam's 10-0 win over the GarnetGulls in five innings, aperformance he said he dedicatedto the late Matt Blum, a securityofficer at Lacey High School whodied this past March.

After playing a recreationalice hockey league game atWinding River Park on Feb. 27,Blum, 32, collapsed in theparking lot in died of naturalcauses, according to his father,retired Lacey history teacher andcurrent girls track coach CharlesBlum. Blum’s widow, Melissa, is expecting the couple’sfirst child in the fall.

"It happened very suddenly and Blum was the kind ofguy that everyone liked, and I think everyone wasaffected when he passed away," Jensen said. "As soon asthe season started, I wanted to dedicate it to his memory. Ieven said before the game to one of my coaches that I wasgoing to pitch a good game for him today. He said, 'Whynot throw a no-hitter?' It turns out I almost did."

Blum was a beloved figure at Lacey, which has

struggled on the diamond this season after losing Rutgersrecruit Vinny Zarrillo, a senior outfielder, to season-ending shoulder surgery.

Jensen has been searching for the same comfort levelthat allowed him to break out at the beginning of last yearas one of the Shore's toughest pitchers. Despite battling

some short bouts with his controlon Saturday, he began to find it.Jensen walked three and hit abatter through the first threeinnings, but found the strike zonein his final two innings.

"Everything with me ismechanics," Jensen said. "When Isettle down and finish mydelivery, I'm comfortable. I had acouple of walks today, but when Ineeded to make pitches I wasable to."

Outside of the third-inningtrouble and the lead-off walk tostart the game, Jensen was oncruise control, allowing only onehit. He recorded the first out ofthe fifth inning on a fly out toright field and then jumped aheadof catcher Sean Driskill with a 1-

2 count. Driskill battled back to a 3-2 count and pokedJensen's 3-2 fastball through the middle to end the no-hitbid.

"I was just throwing fastballs in the last couple of innings,"Jensen said. "That's what was working for me and if theywere going to beat me, they were going to beat me with mybest pitch. I don't know if (Driskill) was trying to hit it like hedid, but you have to give him credit or battling until he gotsomething to hit."

The Lacey right-hander retired the last two batters on

flyouts to right.Jensen finishedwith a 67-pitchouting in whichhe threw 40 forstrikes andstruck out fourGulls hitters.

"I knew Ihad the no-hitter in about the third inning and I was kind of thinking thatI wanted to make sure the game went seven innings so Icould try for the seven-inning no-hitter," Jensen said. "But atthat point, it was still early and this is a tournament game, sowe just needed to win anyway we could."

As solid as Jensen's effort on the mound was, he was justas good at the plate. He opened the scoring with a long driveoff Point Beach starter Joe Sherbo that cleared the temporaryfence in right-centerfield in the first inning. He later scoredafter he was intentionally walked in Lacey's three-run thirdinning that made the score 4-0.

He then belted a two-run shot in the fourth inning thatwent over the temporary fence and cleared the fence behindit, bouncing onto Chicago Avenue to make the score 6-0.Jensen now has four home runs this season.

"I thought they were going to walk me (in the firstinning)," Jensen said. "I was a little surprised that they wereeven pitching to me, let alone giving me something good tohit. I've been feeling good at the plate, so when I got thosepitches, I knew I was going to do something with them."

12 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Jackson Memorial’s boys lacrosse team has never

advanced past the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference

Tournament since the tournament’s inception in 2005.

This season, as the No. 2 seed entering the

tournament, the Jaguars are expected to do that and

more. No Ocean County team has ever reached the SCT

final, yet just by virtue of its seed, Jackson is expected

to be the one most likely facing top-seeded Rumson-

Fair Haven on May 18 at St. John Vianney in the

championship game.

The Jaguars’ response to all that

pressure? Bring it on.

“This year we’ve

played with a target on

our back all year, and

our kids love it,’’ said

Jaguars head coach

Nick Caruso.

They also have

handled it well, as

their only loss heading

into the SCT was a 10-

5 setback to Rumson, a

team that has beaten

every Shore

Conference squad it

has faced this season

and enters the SCT as

the heavy favorite.

A big reason is a

relentless offense in

which five players

have scored 20 or more goals. Through 12 games,

senior midfielder Bryan Specht leads the Jaguars with

42 points on 25 goals and 17 assists, junior attackmen

Connor Cunningham and Nick Wolf each had a team-

high 27 goals, and Evan Farrar had 23 goals for a team

averaging 14 goals per game.

That multi-faceted attack allowed the Jaguars to run

roughshod over the rest of Class A South on their way

to a division title. They beat every team in the division

by at least nine goals, making them far and away the

best team in Ocean County.

“We really haven’t been challenged too much,’’

Caruso said.

The defense also has been outstanding, only allowing

just over four goals

per game. Seniors

Brad Maier, Max

Sunder and Ryan Totin

have led a stout back

line along with senior

goalie Nick Adams.

Jackson’s

dominance over a

mediocre schedule is

the one question mark

for the Jaguars as they

try to make school and

county history. They

played a tough Barron

Collier team from

Naples, Fla., in a 9-5

win over holidays

down at Disney

World, but as for local

competition, the loss to Rumson was the only stern test

in the midst of a string of blowouts.

Caruso said that budget constraints limited the

Jaguars’ ability to travel far around the state when

searching for quality opponents to get them ready for

the SCT and NJSIAA Tournament. The question

remains as to whether they are as battle-tested as some

of the Monmouth County squads that played stiffer

schedules and faced tougher divisional play.

“Unfortunately that's a sign of the times that we were

not at liberty to play games out of Shore Conference

because of budget constraints,’’ Caruso said. “W would

love to do that, but we’re not allowed to do that. We're

pretty deep, and in practice our offense is going to see

Boys Lacrosse: Jackson Memoriallooking to Make HistoryBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

S e e

Jacksonp a g e 1 4

Junior Connor Cunningham

Senior Nick Adams

Winning One for a FriendBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 13

Before he even took the mound for his start in the OceanCounty Tournament first round against No. 3 seed PointPleasant Beach on May 7, Lacey senior pitcher Pat Jensenmade his mark on the game with a home run to open thescoring.

Once he took the mound, he paid tribute to a man Jensensaid made his mark on the LaceyHigh School community.

Jensen took a no-hitter into thefifth and final inning and finishedwith a complete-game one-hitter togo with a 2-for-3, two-homer,four-RBI game at the plate in histeam's 10-0 win over the GarnetGulls in five innings, aperformance he said he dedicatedto the late Matt Blum, a securityofficer at Lacey High School whodied this past March.

After playing a recreationalice hockey league game atWinding River Park on Feb. 27,Blum, 32, collapsed in theparking lot in died of naturalcauses, according to his father,retired Lacey history teacher andcurrent girls track coach CharlesBlum. Blum’s widow, Melissa, is expecting the couple’sfirst child in the fall.

"It happened very suddenly and Blum was the kind ofguy that everyone liked, and I think everyone wasaffected when he passed away," Jensen said. "As soon asthe season started, I wanted to dedicate it to his memory. Ieven said before the game to one of my coaches that I wasgoing to pitch a good game for him today. He said, 'Whynot throw a no-hitter?' It turns out I almost did."

Blum was a beloved figure at Lacey, which has

struggled on the diamond this season after losing Rutgersrecruit Vinny Zarrillo, a senior outfielder, to season-ending shoulder surgery.

Jensen has been searching for the same comfort levelthat allowed him to break out at the beginning of last yearas one of the Shore's toughest pitchers. Despite battling

some short bouts with his controlon Saturday, he began to find it.Jensen walked three and hit abatter through the first threeinnings, but found the strike zonein his final two innings.

"Everything with me ismechanics," Jensen said. "When Isettle down and finish mydelivery, I'm comfortable. I had acouple of walks today, but when Ineeded to make pitches I wasable to."

Outside of the third-inningtrouble and the lead-off walk tostart the game, Jensen was oncruise control, allowing only onehit. He recorded the first out ofthe fifth inning on a fly out toright field and then jumped aheadof catcher Sean Driskill with a 1-

2 count. Driskill battled back to a 3-2 count and pokedJensen's 3-2 fastball through the middle to end the no-hitbid.

"I was just throwing fastballs in the last couple of innings,"Jensen said. "That's what was working for me and if theywere going to beat me, they were going to beat me with mybest pitch. I don't know if (Driskill) was trying to hit it like hedid, but you have to give him credit or battling until he gotsomething to hit."

The Lacey right-hander retired the last two batters on

flyouts to right.Jensen finishedwith a 67-pitchouting in whichhe threw 40 forstrikes andstruck out fourGulls hitters.

"I knew Ihad the no-hitter in about the third inning and I was kind of thinking thatI wanted to make sure the game went seven innings so Icould try for the seven-inning no-hitter," Jensen said. "But atthat point, it was still early and this is a tournament game, sowe just needed to win anyway we could."

As solid as Jensen's effort on the mound was, he was justas good at the plate. He opened the scoring with a long driveoff Point Beach starter Joe Sherbo that cleared the temporaryfence in right-centerfield in the first inning. He later scoredafter he was intentionally walked in Lacey's three-run thirdinning that made the score 4-0.

He then belted a two-run shot in the fourth inning thatwent over the temporary fence and cleared the fence behindit, bouncing onto Chicago Avenue to make the score 6-0.Jensen now has four home runs this season.

"I thought they were going to walk me (in the firstinning)," Jensen said. "I was a little surprised that they wereeven pitching to me, let alone giving me something good tohit. I've been feeling good at the plate, so when I got thosepitches, I knew I was going to do something with them."

12 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Jackson Memorial’s boys lacrosse team has never

advanced past the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference

Tournament since the tournament’s inception in 2005.

This season, as the No. 2 seed entering the

tournament, the Jaguars are expected to do that and

more. No Ocean County team has ever reached the SCT

final, yet just by virtue of its seed, Jackson is expected

to be the one most likely facing top-seeded Rumson-

Fair Haven on May 18 at St. John Vianney in the

championship game.

The Jaguars’ response to all that

pressure? Bring it on.

“This year we’ve

played with a target on

our back all year, and

our kids love it,’’ said

Jaguars head coach

Nick Caruso.

They also have

handled it well, as

their only loss heading

into the SCT was a 10-

5 setback to Rumson, a

team that has beaten

every Shore

Conference squad it

has faced this season

and enters the SCT as

the heavy favorite.

A big reason is a

relentless offense in

which five players

have scored 20 or more goals. Through 12 games,

senior midfielder Bryan Specht leads the Jaguars with

42 points on 25 goals and 17 assists, junior attackmen

Connor Cunningham and Nick Wolf each had a team-

high 27 goals, and Evan Farrar had 23 goals for a team

averaging 14 goals per game.

That multi-faceted attack allowed the Jaguars to run

roughshod over the rest of Class A South on their way

to a division title. They beat every team in the division

by at least nine goals, making them far and away the

best team in Ocean County.

“We really haven’t been challenged too much,’’

Caruso said.

The defense also has been outstanding, only allowing

just over four goals

per game. Seniors

Brad Maier, Max

Sunder and Ryan Totin

have led a stout back

line along with senior

goalie Nick Adams.

Jackson’s

dominance over a

mediocre schedule is

the one question mark

for the Jaguars as they

try to make school and

county history. They

played a tough Barron

Collier team from

Naples, Fla., in a 9-5

win over holidays

down at Disney

World, but as for local

competition, the loss to Rumson was the only stern test

in the midst of a string of blowouts.

Caruso said that budget constraints limited the

Jaguars’ ability to travel far around the state when

searching for quality opponents to get them ready for

the SCT and NJSIAA Tournament. The question

remains as to whether they are as battle-tested as some

of the Monmouth County squads that played stiffer

schedules and faced tougher divisional play.

“Unfortunately that's a sign of the times that we were

not at liberty to play games out of Shore Conference

because of budget constraints,’’ Caruso said. “W would

love to do that, but we’re not allowed to do that. We're

pretty deep, and in practice our offense is going to see

Boys Lacrosse: Jackson Memoriallooking to Make HistoryBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

S e e

Jacksonp a g e 1 4

Senior Pat Jensen

Winning One for a FriendBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 13

V ideo �& �Photos

H igh l i gh ts � by :

Mat t �Man l eywww.al lshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 15

For many

athletes of this current high school

generat ion, get t ing cut from a team is

a devastat ing event .

This is the age of entitlement, where everyone gets amedal, and everyone is supposed to be part of a teambecause it’s a right, not a privilege. That’s why being toldyou’re not good enough can often send the averageplayer into a tailspin and have his parents sprinting to thephone to lay into whatever coach had the nerve to telltheir son or daughter that they don’t measure up.

Either that, or the ink will barely be dry on the transferpapers by the time the irate parents are off the phone withthe coach.

That is what makes a player like Christian BrothersAcademy senior outfielder Ben Sawyer and his familysuch a rarity.

Three times he was cut from theteam at CBA. Three times.Freshman, sophomore, and junioryears. Not just cut from the varsityteam. Cut from any team, freshmanand JV included. That can be amassive blow to your ego at anyschool, let alone a place like CBA,where many of the incoming playerswere stars at the youth levels.

Most players either find anothersport or blame someone else if theyare cut once. Others can’t handle thestigma and potential ridicule offailure and what their classmatesmight think of them.

Three times, and they might needprofessional counseling. That goesdouble at a program like CBA,where new waves of talent arecoming in every year. Fall behindone year and soon players who aretwo or three years younger than youmight take your spot.

Three times, Sawyer tried out for the Colts, and threetimes he was told that there was not a spot for him in theprogram. Yet he didn’t sulk. He didn’t complain. His

parents didn’t go nuts and pull him out of the school.

He just worked harder, because just being able to putthat blue-and-white uniform on would mean so much tohim. He could have transferred toa public school where he would

have gotten an automaticspot on a varsity roster,

but that never crossed hismind.

It wasn’t a right to him.It was a privilege.

“I just never wantedto give up,’’ Sawyer

said. “I just love thegame so much. Sometimes I

did question why I keptcoming back, but I always

stayed true to it. All I wanted wasto just make the team.’’

Sawyer took the criticism from37-year head coach Marty Kenneyto heart and did his best toimprove despite each successivedisappointment. His junior yearwas his best tryout yet, but it wasnot enough. That’s where themajority of most athletes wouldhave simply thrown in the towel.

“I just kept thinking that maybeif I just work that much harder,maybe I’ll make the team,’’Sawyer said.

“I thought it was great of him to try out again, and Itold him I was going to give him an honest tryout,’’Kenney said. “What happened in the three years prior,

that was in the past. He earned aspot.’’

Sawyer worked on his speed in theoutfield along with his defense, andhe knew his main asset was hishitting ability. Before he knew it, hewas wearing No. 34 and standing inright field when the first pitch of hissenior year was thrown.

“He had to take the hitting to thenext level because he doesn't havegood footspeed so he's going to be avery average outfielder,’’ Kenneysaid. “He's gotten a whole lotstronger, and he hits the ball as hardas anyone on the team.’’

That’s perhaps the most amazingpart of Sawyer’s story. Not only didhis persistence and his hard work landhim that coveted jersey as a senior, heis a starting rightfielder who batscleanup. Through May 5, the big leftyled the team with five doubles and 13RBIs, was second with a .369average, and third with 14 hits.

Seeing what he has gone through and what he has nowaccomplished has given Sawyer instant credibility amonghis teammates.

“We love Sawyer, and we respect how he came out forthe team again,’’ said sophomore star Joe Dudek, whobats third ahead of Sawyer. “He's been a big part of this

lineup so far andhopefully hecontinues to hit.’’

Sawyer’s refusalto give up onhimself or sulk inthe face ofadversity has beenrewarded with hismoment in the sun.He has almost doneso well that it begsthe question of whyhe was cut in thefirst place.

“It’s not that he’sbeen a totalsurprise, but I thinkhitting is where heneeded to excel tofind a place in thelineup,’’ Kenneysaid. “He has donethat, and he’s hitthe ball fairlywell.’’

Sawyer is ahumble and soft-spoken player,quick to emphasizethat he just wants to

help the team and do his part to get the Colts some wins.He also has had to deal with the pressure of hittingbehind Dudek, a top slugger whom many opponents pitcharound rather than risking the ball flying over the fence.

“I don’t feel pressure because I know (Dudek) will getthe job done and then pitchers will be facing me and therest of the guys if they don’t pitch to him,’’ Sawyer said.

Even though he incredibly is one of the top offensiveplayers on the team despite this being his first and onlyseason of varsity baseball, whatever happens the rest ofthe way, Sawyer can always look back and think onething: I did it. Just his presence is a reminder to histeammates that a starting spot on a varsity team is notsomething to be taken for granted.

“It just feels good contributing to the team,’’ Sawyersaid. “It’s my only season, so I just want to make the bestof it.’’

Whatever life may throw at Ben Sawyer after his oneseason with the Colts is done, two things will be clear.He won’t give up, and he will make the best of it.

Those are called coping skills, and they are notalways taught in a classroom or some guidancecounselor’s office.

Join The

All Shore MediaTeam Today!

Interested in joining our team

and think you have what it takes

to be covering sports in the

Shore Conference for All Shore

Media? We are looking for local

writers interested in covering

sports like Lacrosse, Basketball,

Wrestling, Track, Soccer, and

more as part of our Bi-weekly

newspaper and our website

(www.allshoremedia.com). Grab

your chance to appear regularly

in The All Shore Media Bi-

weekly issues and on

www.allshoremedia.com while

helping us recognize more

athletes and bring more stories

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business on the cutting edge of

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FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com

four of the best poles in the

conference, so that gets us prepared

for that next game. I'm confident our

guys will make those adjustments

and be fine with it.’’

The good news is that Jackson has

already seen the team everyone is

chasing, Rumson, and played the

Bulldogs to a standstill for a half.

The game was tied at two at halftime

before Rumson blew it open in the

third quarter. Jackson was up 2-1

before the Bulldogs scored with only

seconds remaining in the half and

rode that momentum to a big third quarter that put the

game away.

“We feel if we play well, we can beat them,’’ Caruso

said. “That's our ultimate goal - to see them again. They

are really talented and really deep, but in the end, we

want to beat them.’’

While the Jaguars

know a whole county will

be rooting for them, they

will not just be content to

be on the field if they are

staring acrosss at Rumson

on May 18 on the turf at

St. John Vianney. They

are out for more than

moral and symbolic

victories.

“I'm happy everybody

is rooting for us, but

we're in it to win it,’’

Caruso said. “We're not

playing for respect, we're playing for wins. We want to

win this tournament. It’s not enough for this team to

just be happy to there.’’

Senior Bryan Specht

JacksonC o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 2

14 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-9 5 /9 / 1 1

Photo�by

Ellen�Cunningham

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 15

For many

athletes of this current high school

generat ion, get t ing cut from a team is

a devastat ing event .

This is the age of entitlement, where everyone gets amedal, and everyone is supposed to be part of a teambecause it’s a right, not a privilege. That’s why being toldyou’re not good enough can often send the averageplayer into a tailspin and have his parents sprinting to thephone to lay into whatever coach had the nerve to telltheir son or daughter that they don’t measure up.

Either that, or the ink will barely be dry on the transferpapers by the time the irate parents are off the phone withthe coach.

That is what makes a player like Christian BrothersAcademy senior outfielder Ben Sawyer and his familysuch a rarity.

Three times he was cut from theteam at CBA. Three times.Freshman, sophomore, and junioryears. Not just cut from the varsityteam. Cut from any team, freshmanand JV included. That can be amassive blow to your ego at anyschool, let alone a place like CBA,where many of the incoming playerswere stars at the youth levels.

Most players either find anothersport or blame someone else if theyare cut once. Others can’t handle thestigma and potential ridicule offailure and what their classmatesmight think of them.

Three times, and they might needprofessional counseling. That goesdouble at a program like CBA,where new waves of talent arecoming in every year. Fall behindone year and soon players who aretwo or three years younger than youmight take your spot.

Three times, Sawyer tried out for the Colts, and threetimes he was told that there was not a spot for him in theprogram. Yet he didn’t sulk. He didn’t complain. His

parents didn’t go nuts and pull him out of the school.

He just worked harder, because just being able to putthat blue-and-white uniform on would mean so much tohim. He could have transferred toa public school where he would

have gotten an automaticspot on a varsity roster,

but that never crossed hismind.

It wasn’t a right to him.It was a privilege.

“I just never wantedto give up,’’ Sawyer

said. “I just love thegame so much. Sometimes I

did question why I keptcoming back, but I always

stayed true to it. All I wanted wasto just make the team.’’

Sawyer took the criticism from37-year head coach Marty Kenneyto heart and did his best toimprove despite each successivedisappointment. His junior yearwas his best tryout yet, but it wasnot enough. That’s where themajority of most athletes wouldhave simply thrown in the towel.

“I just kept thinking that maybeif I just work that much harder,maybe I’ll make the team,’’Sawyer said.

“I thought it was great of him to try out again, and Itold him I was going to give him an honest tryout,’’Kenney said. “What happened in the three years prior,

that was in the past. He earned aspot.’’

Sawyer worked on his speed in theoutfield along with his defense, andhe knew his main asset was hishitting ability. Before he knew it, hewas wearing No. 34 and standing inright field when the first pitch of hissenior year was thrown.

“He had to take the hitting to thenext level because he doesn't havegood footspeed so he's going to be avery average outfielder,’’ Kenneysaid. “He's gotten a whole lotstronger, and he hits the ball as hardas anyone on the team.’’

That’s perhaps the most amazingpart of Sawyer’s story. Not only didhis persistence and his hard work landhim that coveted jersey as a senior, heis a starting rightfielder who batscleanup. Through May 5, the big leftyled the team with five doubles and 13RBIs, was second with a .369average, and third with 14 hits.

Seeing what he has gone through and what he has nowaccomplished has given Sawyer instant credibility amonghis teammates.

“We love Sawyer, and we respect how he came out forthe team again,’’ said sophomore star Joe Dudek, whobats third ahead of Sawyer. “He's been a big part of this

lineup so far andhopefully hecontinues to hit.’’

Sawyer’s refusalto give up onhimself or sulk inthe face ofadversity has beenrewarded with hismoment in the sun.He has almost doneso well that it begsthe question of whyhe was cut in thefirst place.

“It’s not that he’sbeen a totalsurprise, but I thinkhitting is where heneeded to excel tofind a place in thelineup,’’ Kenneysaid. “He has donethat, and he’s hitthe ball fairlywell.’’

Sawyer is ahumble and soft-spoken player,quick to emphasizethat he just wants to

help the team and do his part to get the Colts some wins.He also has had to deal with the pressure of hittingbehind Dudek, a top slugger whom many opponents pitcharound rather than risking the ball flying over the fence.

“I don’t feel pressure because I know (Dudek) will getthe job done and then pitchers will be facing me and therest of the guys if they don’t pitch to him,’’ Sawyer said.

Even though he incredibly is one of the top offensiveplayers on the team despite this being his first and onlyseason of varsity baseball, whatever happens the rest ofthe way, Sawyer can always look back and think onething: I did it. Just his presence is a reminder to histeammates that a starting spot on a varsity team is notsomething to be taken for granted.

“It just feels good contributing to the team,’’ Sawyersaid. “It’s my only season, so I just want to make the bestof it.’’

Whatever life may throw at Ben Sawyer after his oneseason with the Colts is done, two things will be clear.He won’t give up, and he will make the best of it.

Those are called coping skills, and they are notalways taught in a classroom or some guidancecounselor’s office.

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B i l l � No rm i l ewww.billnormile.zenfolio.com

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CBA senior RF Ben Sawyer

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