CBA Named Week 8 Joe Leone’s Baseball Team of the Week | Shore Sports Insider
Week 8 Joe Leone’s Team of the Week:
Christian Brothers Academy Baseball
Shore Sports Insider is proud to partner with Joe Leone’s this spring to present our weekly Joe Leone’s Baseball Team of the Week Award, recognizing standout Shore Conference programs for their accomplishments on the field.
We are also thrilled to welcome Joe Leone’s Italian Specialties as our title sponsor, providing a generous $250 gift card each week to celebrate the winning team.
The Week 8 recipient of the 2026 Joe Leone’s Baseball Team of the Week is Christian Brothers Academy after the Colts captured their ninth Shore Conference Tournament championship by handling Rumson-Fair Haven, 12-0, in the first every SCT final to end prior to seven complete innings via the 10-run rule.
CBA barreled its way to the semifinals of the Shore Conference Tournament by outscoring Lacey and Point Pleasant Boro by a combined scored of 24-4, with a 10-3 win over 14th-seeded Point Boro kicking off the week. Senior left-hander Dan Pardini pitched four-plus scoreless innings and the offense built up an 8-0 lead thanks to two two-run singles by senior centerfielder Jayden Matejicka and another two-run single by junior Ryan Wetmore during a six-run sixth inning. Senior Jared Matejicka later added a fourth two-run single in the fifth inning to round out the Colts scoring in the quarterfinal round.
The Colts scored at least 10 runs in all but one round of the SCT and the lone exception was the semifinals Friday vs. No. 15 seed Colts Neck, which threw its top three pitchers — Ryan Rude, Jack Dugo and Ryan Spencer — at the Colts. The Cougars struck for two runs in the top of the first inning against senior left-hander Danny DiTullio, but the Colts countered with three in the bottom of the first on two critical errors by Colts Neck with two out, which led to the three runs crossing the plate.
CBA scored with the assist of another error in the bottom of the second and the fifth Colts run cross the plate on an RBI single by junior catcher Griffin Kilcullen. That volume of offense was short of the recent standard CBA has set, but it was more than enough for DiTullio, who allowed one baserunner after the first inning, which Kilcullen erased when he caught Ronan Kiely attempting to steal second base to end the top of the third inning. DiTullio finished with two runs allowed on three hits and two walks while striking out nine over six innings in a 5-2 CBA win.
After grinding their way past Colts Neck, the Colts steamrolled Rumson in the championship game, aided by eight errors by the Bulldogs in the field. CBA earned plenty on its own as well, with Jayden Matejicka capping a huge tournament with a 3-for-3 day at the plate, including a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Junior Alex Fiore also collected three hits and an RBI while Wetmore was 2-for-4 with a two-run double to go with a third RBI on a sixth-inning sacrifice fly.
On the mound, Pardini took the ball for the second time during the tournament and delivered his best start of the season and, perhaps, his CBA career. The Penn State commit fired a two-hit shutout with one walk and eight strikeouts over six innings to improve to 4-0 on the season and extend his streak to 21 scoreless innings to start the season.
Pardini and DiTullio covered most of the 25 innings CBA played during the SCT, with DiTullio allowing three runs on six hits over 10 innings and Pardini tossing 10 shutout frames with just three hits allowed. DiTullio also ran a 14-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio during the tournament.
Matejicka, meanwhile, was the hitting star for CBA after hitting .667 (8-for-12) in the SCT with two doubles, a triple, three walks, eight runs scored, six RBI and seven stolen bases in four Colts wins. Wetmore was the Colts’ top RBI man during the SCT with seven, which he produced while hitting .471 (7-for-15) with a pair of doubles.
Matejicka and Wetmore were two of five Colts starters to hit .400 or better during the SCT, with junior second baseman Dylan Reynholds (.538), Jared Matejicka (.462) and senior shortstop Colin Hoverter (.417) all accomplishing the feat.
After adding to its record total of Shore Conference Tournament titles with its second SCT trophy in three years, CBA opened the new week with an 8-1 win over Camden Catholic in the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A Playoffs. The Colts will look to continue their season Thursday at fourth-seeded Union Catholic in the sectional semifinals.
On Tuesday, Shore Sports Insider visited practice to present Freehold Twp. Head Coach Marty Kenney Jr. and the team with a $250 Joe Leone’s Italian Specialties Gift Card, courtesy of our partners at Joe Leone’s, for a well-earned team meal.
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