2026 Shore Sports Insider Pitcher of the Year: Gianna Gomez, Barnegat

Gianna Gomez, Jr., Barnegat

2026 Stats:

164 Innings Pitched, 23 Wins, 361 Strikeouts, 33 Walks, 0.51 ERA, 0.54 WHIP

A dominant pitcher can be the difference-maker in tightly contested games, giving a team a chance to win even when the offense struggles to produce runs. The presence of an elite arm can instantly elevate a program into sectional title contention and make it a formidable postseason threat. Year after year, the Shore Conference produces some of the top pitchers in New Jersey, and the 2026 season was no exception.

For the second consecutive season, Barnegat’s Gianna Gomez led the state in strikeouts. The junior improved upon her previous stellar campaign, lowering her ERA, reducing her walks, and increasing her strikeout total while leading the Bengals to the program’s first-ever sectional championship. For her outstanding performance throughout the season, Gomez has been named the Shore Sports Insider Pitcher of the Year.

Every team understands the value of having a true ace in the circle. Barnegat had the complete package this season. The Bengals combined timely hitting, solid defense, and dominant pitching to put together a historic campaign that culminated in the South Jersey Group 2 championship. Leading the way was Gomez, whose ability to consistently shut down opposing offenses made Barnegat one of the Shore Conference’s most formidable teams.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, softball is, especially at the high school level, controlled greatly by pitcher performance,” Barnegat head coach Michael Palmieri said. “These last few seasons, we’ve been in the fortunate category with Gianna the past two seasons and Jamison Hogan the previous. Our program has been on both sides of this situation, and thankfully, we have GG for another year. Our success, however, also came from an offense that scored more than we allowed. Our offense wasn’t the strongest by any means, but often two or three runs were all we needed with G in the circle.”

Gomez has the ability to rack up strikeouts. Over the past two seasons, no pitcher in New Jersey has done it better. This year, she led the state with 361 strikeouts. She reached double-digit strikeouts in all but three appearances and recorded 15 or more strikeouts in 11 games. It was not until her 14th game of the season that she failed to reach double figures.

“I would say a combination of power and spin makes her hard to hit,” Palmieri said. “I believe Gianna’s fastball is in the 62 mph area, so there’s the power, but she’s worked hard to also have off-speed pitches with movement like her screw and curveballs. Also, her reputation has grown, and incoming batters feel both pressure and, oddly maybe, overconfidence, which leads to a lack of plate discipline from our opponents. Combine all of these things with her confidence on the mound and extremely high first pitch strike rate, and you find the secret of her success.”

Many pitchers begin to wear down as the season progresses. Whether it is a loss of velocity, diminished control, or simply the workload that comes with being an ace, maintaining a high level of performance can be difficult. Gomez proved to be an exception, and her consistency was a major reason Barnegat was able to make a deep postseason run.

“Simply put, efficiency,” said Palmieri about her ability to pitch strong all season long. “Gianna dropped her pitches per inning from about 18.39 to 14.46 and threw 388 fewer pitches over 26 games as opposed to last season’s 25. Fewer pitches, more Ks, and far fewer balls also allowed her to cut her WHIP by over 50%. Over a third of the batters she faced saw no more than three pitches, and over 70% of the time she threw first-pitch strikes. I’m not sure of the overall impact in high school ball, but pitching ahead is a serious advantage.”

One area of focus for Gomez entering her junior season was limiting walks. After issuing 115 free passes in 2025, she cut that number to just 33 this season. Fewer baserunners not only helped preserve her effectiveness throughout the year, but also consistently put Barnegat in position to win. Gomez issued more than two walks in only three games all season, and the Bengals won all three.

A pitcher’s success often depends on the chemistry she shares with her catcher. At a small, public Group 2 school like Barnegat, many players have spent years competing alongside one another. That familiarity was evident in the relationship between Gomez and catcher Jadeyn Bodziak, whose connection could be seen throughout the season, whether celebrating big moments or supporting each other through adversity.

“Our chemistry is more important than winning,” Bodziak said. “What is a game without a catcher and a pitcher? Gianna and I have grown up together. Talking or not, we know each other from head to toe. Body language to thoughts, we share the same mind each game.”

One of the most memorable moments the pair shared came in the South Jersey Group 2 championship game. Barnegat faced a difficult challenge on the road against defending champion Gloucester, the No. 9-ranked team in New Jersey. The Bengals silenced any doubters with a 2-1 victory. Gomez struck out seven batters, while Bodziak drove in one of Barnegat’s two runs as the program captured its first sectional championship.

“My favorite moment was the Gloucester game,” Bodziak said. “Before we knew the outcome, we planned on how we were gonna celebrate with each other. G fought that game, and so did I. Our determination made us emotional. Grabbing her first thing after winning was my favorite memory.”

There were plenty of memorable performances from Gomez throughout the season. In the Shore Conference Tournament, she threw a no-hitter against Raritan while striking out 11 batters. She followed that up by holding Donovan Catholic to just two hits in the SCT quarterfinals. Overall, Gomez recorded eight no-hitters this season and surpassed the 20-strikeout mark twice.

“I would throw the Gloucester game out there as Gianna’s best moment,” Palmieri said. “It was a pretty rough environment if I’m honest, and G didn’t dominate them with double-digit strikeouts. They’re a great team with a formidable lineup. She used the negativity from the crowd to drive her, yet maintained her composure, had full confidence in our defense, and her seven Ks were quite timely. All this, mind you, with the weight of our program’s first-ever sectional title opportunity looming.”

While Gomez’s junior season was filled with accolades and milestones, her story at Barnegat is far from finished. With another year remaining in the circle, the Bengals will enter 2027 with aspirations of defending their sectional title and making another deep postseason run.

Barnegat will have a new catcher next season following Bodziak’s graduation. Freshman Makaila Wickham, who spent this season at third base, is expected to take over behind the plate. While replacing the connection Gomez shared with Bodziak will not happen overnight, the two will have the offseason and an entire season to develop the trust and chemistry that every successful pitcher-catcher duo relies upon.