Atlantic Physical Therapy Baseball 2026 Final Top 10

Shore Sports Insider 2026 Final Baseball Top 10

Sponsored by Atlantic Physical Therapy

A crowd near the top of the Shore Conference rankings is not uncommon to close out a season, so the assertion that three teams were worthy of the final No. 1 ranking in the Shore Sports Insider Baseball Top 10 is not far from the norm at the conclusion of a season. There are two county tournaments, a conference tournament and six NJSIAA Group tournaments in which teams can prove themselves, not to mention some very challenging division schedules that shine a light on the pitching depth of each team.

One would be hard-pressed, however, to find another season in which three teams could have made a strong of a case for the No. 1 spot as the top three teams to close out this year can. Only two teams in the entire conference won more than one championship (division, county, conference, state sectional title), with 11 teams winning a championship of some kind in 2026.

Not coincidentally, the two teams that won multiple championships were in the group of three to finish No. 1 and the other contender was the team that won the Shore Conference Tournament – the event most explicitly geared toward determining the best team in the Shore Conference.

All three teams had a reasonable claim to the top spot, but the final verdict falls in favor of the team that both won its very difficult division, as well as its final game of the season. A No. 1 team in the Shore Conference from Group I does not come around often, if ever, so the final 2026 Shore Sports Insider Top 10 marks a bit of local baseball history.

1. Point Pleasant Beach (20-6, 7-3) Preseason Rank: 5

The Shore’s lone state champion finishes the season No. 1, but Point Beach’s case goes deeper than simply winning its last game and the trophy that comes with it. Had Point Beach played in the Class B Central division of 2024 or even the Class B South division as the Garnet Gulls did last season, they would likely be looking up at no fewer than two other teams in the rankings. That Group I championship, however, came after Point Beach also won the Class A South division championship by sweeping regular-season series over both Brick Memorial and Wall.

The Garnet Gulls were bounced early in the Ocean County Tournament (quarterfinals) and Shore Conference Tournament (round of 16) but scored regular-season wins over Red Bank Catholic and Ranney. The path to the program’s first ever Group I champions was indeed soft, with a 9-1 win over Shore likely the toughest game, but the Garnet Gulls handled it as a powerhouse should: by outscoring their six opponents by a combined score of 69-14.

As the first Group I team in recent memory to finish No. 1 at the Shore, Point Beach has raised the bar for itself as it bids farewell to what can only be described as its best senior class in the history of the baseball program. Clearing the bar the Class of 2026 will be nearly impossible, even for a program that has routinely reloaded with varsity-ready underclassmen. Many of this year’s non-seniors (Brody Powers, Carson Pfeifer, Mason Sesny, Thomas Slobiski, Davin Marquez) will form another strong roster heading into 2027, but replacing three of four primary pitchers, a catcher, shortstop and centerfielder will be the foremost challenges. For now, Point Beach will celebrate its first ever No. 1 ranking in baseball, which comes the poll that matters most: the last one.

2. Christian Brothers Academy (18-9, 7-3) Preseason Rank: 1

Through 15 games, CBA was treading water at 7-8, but there were signs that things could turn around and did they ever. That sub-.500 start was the product of a difficult schedule, a rash of pitching injuries and CBA’s particular struggles in beating Ranney. A 0-3 record vs. Ranney is probably the only thing keeping CBA from finishing No. 1 with an otherwise impressive résumé that includes a 7-3 record in a loaded Class A North division (second place and one game behind Red Bank Catholic) and the program’s ninth Shore Conference Tournament championship.

CBA’s run to the 2026 SCT championship was emphatic, with the Colts winning their four conference tournament games by a cumulative score of 41-6. Like Point Beach in its Group I title run, CBA’s road to the final was more forgiving than drawn up thanks to upsets by Colts Neck over Point Beach and Point Pleasant Boro over Brick Memorial, but like Point Beach in Group I, CBA beat its competition convincingly.

CBA finished its season with a solid showing in the NJSIAA Tournament, coasting to wins over Camden Catholic and Union Catholic before knocking off South Jersey Non-Public A No. 1 seed Immaculata, 1-0, in an extra-inning classic. The Colts’ season ended at the hands of St. Augustine and N.J. Gatorade Player of the Year Alex Weingartner, but the finish to the season remains impressive, especially for a team that played the entire season with at least two of its four Division I arms (Sean Loggie, Dylan Iwanyk, Danny DiTullio and Dan Pardini) hurt at once.

3. Brick Memorial (25-8, 5-5) Preseason Rank: 2

No team in the Shore Conference came close to playing as many games in 2026 as Brick Memorial did, with the Mustangs playing three more games than the next closest teams (Colts Neck and Shore) and in those 33 games, Brick Memorial made a serious bid to finish No. 1 in the SSI Top 10 for a second straight year. Each of the contenders for No. 1 had pitfalls during the season and for Brick Memorial, it was any team from Point Pleasant. Two Class A South division losses to Point Beach cost the Mustangs a piece of the A South division title and a loss to Point Boro in the SCT round of 16 ended their championship defense earlier than expected.

Outside of those three losses, Brick Memorial was a force all season. The Mustangs bulldozed their way to an Ocean County Tournament title for the first time since 1996, picked up regular-season wins over Red Bank Catholic, DePaul, Howell, Point Boro, Hightstown and Shore, then knocked off defending Group III champion Northern Burlington to win the program’s first ever NJSIAA sectional championship. One round earlier, the Mustangs topped Colts Neck in the Central Group III semifinals and in the Group III semifinals, they saved their season by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Delsea ace Kyle Harrison.

Brick Memorial’s end was similar to CBA’s, only it came in a Group championship game. The Mustangs ran into Old Tappan and Columbia commit Selden Kolkebeck, who finished his senior season 12-0 with 11 complete games – the last of which came in the 5-0 win over Brick Memorial in the state final. With Class A South and Shore Conference Tournament championships in 2025 and Ocean County Tournament and Central Jersey Group III titles in 2026, the Mustangs are at the end of a brilliant two-year run that they hope to continue in 2027 despite some major losses to graduation.

4. Red Bank Catholic (18-9, 8-2) Preseason Rank: 4

At the start of the Shore Conference Tournament, Red Bank Catholic was the No. 1 team in the conference, albeit one with flaws to look past, much like the three teams ranked ahead of the Caseys. A loss to Freehold Township in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 was the start of a four-game losing streak, which RBC ended by beating St. John Vianney in the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A Playoffs. The Caseys’ season ended on a walk-off grand slam by Weingartner in a 7-4 loss at St. Augustine, making it two Shore Conference teams that Weingartner and the Hermits eliminated from the NJSIAA Tournament.

Prior to the 1-5 finish, there was good reason RBC was No. 1 in the conference. The Caseys won the Class A North division championship with an 8-2 by sweeping Ranney, Manalapan and Middletown South and hammering CBA, 13-0, in the first of the two meetings between the teams. They also won out-of-division games against Brick Memorial, Toms River East, Jackson, Bergen Catholic and South Plainfield. RBC blended a mix of seniors, juniors and sophomores into its group of contributors at the plate and on the mound, so there will be a solid nucleus returning for the Caseys – no great surprise for one of the Shore’s blue-chip programs.

5. Ranney (13-12, 5-5) Preseason Rank: 3

When Ranney won its first and only NJSIAA Non-Public B championship in 2022, the Panthers played in Class B Central and had to find the best opponents possible outside the division to prepare them for big games at the end of the season. Four years later, the Panthers are in the Shore Conference’s most unforgiving division in Class A North and yet, they are still scheduling big-time opponents outside of their 10 division games. The result is a team that barely finished over .500, but won the Monmouth County Tournament and reached the final eight of both the Shore Conference Tournament and the overall Non-Public B Playoffs.

To win its second Monmouth County Tournament title in four years, Ranney took down CBA for a third time in the quarterfinals, then topped Rumson-Fair Haven and Howell to finish off the championship. Those three wins over CBA are the obvious highlight of the résumé, but wins over Rumson (MCT), Howell (MCT) and Shore (SCT) in tournament games adds to Ranney’s profile and the Panthers’ losses were all to quality opponents. As a cherry on top, Ranney reached those heights this year with just one senior starter (pitcher Noah Hynes), so they will be an early favorite to open the 2027 No. 1 in the Shore Conference.

6. Rumson-Fair Haven (20-7, 11-1) Preseason Rank: 7

The Bulldogs rolled into the Shore Conference Tournament final vs. CBA 20-5 and hoping to capture its first ever SCT championship before they turned to the state tournament as the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group II. Then, CBA pummeled Rumson, 12-0, in the SCT final and Seton-Hall-bound Holmdel ace Jack Vallillo shut down the Bulldogs in the Central Group II first round and a decorated season for Rumson came to an abrupt halt.

Before the unfortunate ending, Rumson stormed to a Class B North division title with an 11-1 record that included two wins over SCT and Central Group III semifinalist Colts Neck. The Bulldogs also beat Ocean County Tournament runner-up and Class B South co-champion Toms River South, followed by Ranney in the SCT, which put Rumson in the semifinals of both the Monmouth and Shore Conference Tournaments. Rumson doesn’t not have quite the percentage of returning players that Ranney does, but the Bulldogs were light on seniors and will return in 2027 with plenty of talent and even more motivation.

7. Toms River East (17-11, 6-4) Preseason Rank: 6

The 2026 season was a test of Toms River East’s ability to overcome the loss of an impact senior group and while the Raiders could not win a championship like they did on two counts last season (Ocean County and South Group III titles), they did take some important steps. The lineup was not quite as explosive, but junior Joey DiMeo had another strong season at the plate while moving from third base to shortstop and sophomore Jayce Cappello led the first-year position player group with a solid offensive debut at the varsity level.

The most encouraging performance came on the mound, where Toms River East settled in as a consistent rotation after giving up 16 runs to Brick Memorial on opening day. Seniors Jonathan Pallman, Liam Scallon and James Whalen were integral in that effort, but their improvement suggests the returning group can expect to take a step forward next year too. As for the résumé, wins over Point Beach (twice), Brick Memorial, Wall (twice) and Colts Neck, plus a trip to the South Group III semifinals following quarterfinal runs in both the Ocean County Tournament and Shore Conference Tournament give the Raiders a well-rounded body of work.

8. Colts Neck (20-10, 10-2) Preseason Rank: 9

A loss by Rumson-Fair Haven to Middletown North opened the door for Colts Neck to win the Class B North division outright, but the Cougars could not steal a win from Rumson in their head-to-head clash and finished a game behind the Bulldogs in the final division standings. Prior to the Shore Conference Tournament, Colts Neck’s performance against the “teams it should beat” in B North was its only really calling card, as Marlboro, Red Bank and Point Boro all knocked off the Cougars, which sank them to the No. 15 seed.

Once mid-May rolled around, however, Colts Neck looked much more like the senior-led team that entered the season expecting to make noise. The Cougars upset Point Beach in the SCT round of 16, then beat Howell in a dramatic extra-inning quarterfinal before giving CBA its only competitive game of the SCT. In the NJSIAA Tournament, Colts Neck avenged its regular-season loss to Red Bank and was within striking distance vs. Brick Memorial before falling short, 3-2. With 20 wins, a second-place finish behind the No. 6 team in the rankings during divisional play and strong showings in both the SCT and state tournaments, there was not a whole lot more to ask of Colts Neck short of winning a championship.

9. Toms River South (18-10, 9-3) Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

Performing in the biggest games of the season is what every team strives for and Toms River South won its share of big games this season. The Indians reached the Ocean County Tournament final for the first time in 10 years and won a division title for the first time in nine, although the tail-end of those pursuits could have gone better for Toms River South. Brick Memorial routed the Indians in the OCT final and a loss to Central cost Toms River South the outright Class B South title.

The Shore Conference Tournament was also a mix of spectacular and heartbreaking. Toms River South scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead at Rumson in the round of 16 and was one out away from the upset when a dropped pop-up with the bases-loaded gave Rumson the victory. In the NJSIAA Tournament, the Indians rebounded by stunning top-seeded Clearview on the road for a second straight season in South Jersey Group III – the best state-tournament win of any Shore Conference team that did not win a sectional title. Losing Jaden Geremia – its only hitter with a slugging percentage greater than .400 this season – to graduation will be a challenge for 2027, but Toms River South proved this season its 2025 turnaround was very real and there will be a handful of key players back next year to continue it.

10. Howell (14-13, 4-6) Preseason Rank: Not Ranked

Five spots after Ranney occupies the No. 5 spot as a Class A North team one game above .500, another A North team one game over .500 rounds out the Top 10. Howell finished a game behind Manalapan in the Class A North standings, won six fewer games than Wall and lost to Shore Regional, but still take the spot over those three teams because, at the end of the day, Howell won more big games against good teams. The Rebels beat Wall in the Monmouth County Tournament quarterfinals, then dominated Red Bank Catholic, 10-1, in the semifinals to reach the championship game for the first time since the school was re-named Howell High School in the 1970’s. Ranney beat Howell in the championship game, but the Rebels also picked off the No. 5 Panthers in Class A North play earlier in the year.

Even the loss to Shore was a feather in the cap for Howell, which scored three earned runs of ace Ryan Barham, who allowed eight earned runs all season long. Howell then reached the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals by beating Manalapan and lost a gut-punch game to Colts Neck in extra innings. With wins over RBC, Ranney and Wall woven into deep runs in the MCT and SCT, Howell has enough substance in its 14-13 record to snag the final spot in the Top 10 as it looks ahead to year two under coach Miguel Arroyo in 2027, when the Rebels will return a group led by breakout sophomore catcher Jake Liotti and junior right-hander John Bertan.

 

The Next 10

Wall (20-8, 6-4) Preseason Rank: 8 – The Crimson Knights tied for second in Class A South with a win each over Brick Memorial and Toms River East and reached the 20-win mark, but could have used one more big win to kick down the door to the Top 10.

Manalapan (15-13, 5-5) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – Like Wall, Manalapan had several close losses that, had they been wins, could have pushed the Braves into the Top 10: two to CBA, one to RBC in the MCT, one to Howell in the SCT and one to Hunterdon Central in the Central Group IV quarterfinals.

Jackson (12-16, 4-6) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The record is deceiving thanks to a brutal schedule and Jackson proved at the end of the year with wins over Rumson, Toms River South and Shore before reaching the Central Jersey Group IV semifinals that the constant challenges paid off.

Shore (21-9, 10-2) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – A 14-game winning streak powered Shore to a Class C North championship that marked its first division title since 2009. The Blue Devils also reached the Central Group I final by knocking off Middlesex, which was their highest-profile win of the season by a wide margin.

Point Pleasant Boro (17-11, 8-4) Preseason Rank: 10 – The Panthers salvaged what was a frustrating season in the Shore Conference Tournament by stunning Brick Memorial in the round of 16 and went on to have a solid campaign overall, headlined by that win over the Mustangs.

Freehold Township (14-13, 6-6) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – Much of Freehold Township’s success was tied to ace Jackson Redmond, but the Patriots will always have their 13-10 upset of top-seeded Red Bank Catholic in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 with Redmond watching from the dugout.

Middletown North (15-11, 5-7) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The Lions boasted one of the Shore’s deepest, most productive lineups and got enough pitching to knock off Rumson-Fair Haven during the regular season.

Southern (9-15-1, 2-8) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The record is unsightly and the Rams have some head-scratching losses for a team in the conversation for a ranking, but they also own some top-notch wins: Point Beach and Jackson in the OCT, and Brick Memorial and Toms River East during the regular season.

St. John Vianney (16-10, 9-3) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The Lancers got off to a hot start and remained fairly consistent throughout the year: they had a bad slip-up vs. Matawan, but made up for it by knocking off North Jersey Section 2 Group III champion Cranford.

Manasquan (13-10, 9-3) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The Warriors relied on Chase Kaplan as their top pitcher and one of their top hitters, so once he sustained a hamstring injury in early May, Manasquan’s chances to advance deep into the postseason took a major hit. Still, the Warriors did not leave 2026 empty-handed, as they rallied to capture a share of the Class B South division title.