Shore Sports Insider 2025 Baseball Final Top 10

The 2025 baseball season at the Shore started out with a clear-cut No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Insider Top 10 and a clear-cut next four teams in the rankings. While those five teams indeed finished the season as the top five teams in the final SSI Top 10, the order of the five teams shifted quite a bit over the last two-plus months.

Heading into the sectional final round of the NJSIAA Tournament on June 5, the No. 1 ranking in the Shore Conference was still completely up for grabs between four teams: Christian Brothers Academy, Brick Memorial, Toms River East and Red Bank Catholic. CBA hammered RBC in the South Jersey Non-Public A championship game, which effectively eliminated RBC from the competition for the No. 1 ranking, while Brick Memorial’s chances took a hit when the Mustangs lost to Northern Burlington in the Central Jersey Group III final while Toms River East won the South Jersey Group III section by beating Toms River South.

Toms River East, however, had to play that same Northern Burlington team in the Group III semifinal and were no match for the Greyhounds in an 11-0 loss. That lopsided defeat put Brick Memorial back in play for the No. 1 ranking, but CBA winning the overall Non-Public A championship would make the Colts almost impossible to deny as the No. 1 team at the Shore.

As it turned out, Don Bosco beat CBA in an epic, 11-inning game that took two days to complete – leaving CBA short of the win that would clinch the Colts No. 1 in the rankings, but close enough that they were still very much in the running as a 22-5 Class A North champion and Non-Public A runner-up.

The crowded race for No. 1 will be the enduring characteristic of a Shore Conference season that ended with the conference coming up short of winning an overall group title for a second straight year. The 2025 season marked the first time no public school made it to an overall state final since 2016, when no Shore team won a sectional title.

With Toms River East and CBA bringing home sectional crowns, it was still a solid year for the Shore – particularly in Ocean County, where Toms River East, Brick Memorial and Toms River South all had their best seasons in two decades and Point Pleasant Beach reached the 20-win mark for the fourth straight year and reached a sectional final for a sixth straight season.

All that leads up to the next paragraph, where we will crown the No. 1 team in the final 2026 rankings. To be more specific: a new No. 1 team.

1. Brick Memorial (22-7, 8-2) Preseason Rank: 5

As the dust settles and the smoke clears, it is Brick Memorial that stands above the rest of the Shore in 2025. The Mustangs won their first ever Class A South division championship (and first outright division title since 1996), won their first ever Shore Conference Tournament championship and reached the final of both the Ocean County Tournament and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Playoffs. Brick Memorial was, essentially, one pitch away from winning the OCT championship and ran into the Northern Burlington buzz saw in the Central Group III final.

The Mustangs’ No. 1 résumé included wins over CBA, Red Bank Catholic, Toms River East, Brick, Middletown South, Jackson Memorial and Colts Neck – all teams in the running for a spot in the final Top 10. With four of its top five pitchers and five hitters – including the top three – in the lineup set to return in 2025, Brick Memorial will have a chance to build on its landmark season this spring.

2. Christian Brothers Academy (22-5, 10-2) Preseason Rank: 1

The difference between the No. 1 and No. 2 ranking for CBA was a matter of inches on two different occasions this season. The Colts were a bounce of the ball away from beating either Brick Memorial in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals or Don Bosco in the Non-Public A championship game. Just one of those wins would have cleared the way for CBA to end the year No. 1 for the second straight season.

CBA split the season series with Red Bank Catholic, 2-2, but won the two bigger prizes the two teams fought over: the Class A North championship and the South Jersey Non-Public A championship. CBA’s two wins over RBC were both via 10-run-rule and the Colts also own an opening-day win over Brick Memorial and a three-game sweep of Ranney. Seniors Danny Tsimbinos, Will Fahey, Dan Russo, Shane Langan and Jack Dufficy will be hard to replace, but CBA is slated to return a plethora of talent in 2026 – led by the pitching trio of Danny DiTullio, Dylan Iwanyk and Sean Loggie.

3. Red Bank Catholic (20-8, 7-5) Preseason Rank: 4

With CBA beating RBC in the South Non-Public A final, the decision on the No. 2 ranking became clear-cut in CBA’s favor and left a step-for-step race for No. 3 between RBC and Toms River East. The similarities between the Caseys and Toms River East are many: both teams won exactly 20 games, both finished third place in an “A” division, both won two games against the first-place teams in their respective divisions, both won their respective county tournaments and both reached the final four of their respective NJSIAA Group playoffs before losing in five innings to end their season.

So how did RBC earn the No. 3 spot over Toms River East? Quite simply, the Shore Conference Tournament. The Caseys reached the SCT final and lost an 8-7 heartbreaker to Brick Memorial – an SCT run that included a 10-1 semifinal win over a Jackson Memorial team that knocked out Toms River East in the quarterfinal round. RBC also pulled out a wild, 9-8, win over St. Augustine in the sectional semifinal to hammer home its status as a top-three team in 2025. As for 2026, RBC will have to replace its top two pitchers (Ryan Prior and Luke Meyers) and three impact hitters who play infield positions (first baseman Dylan Passo, shortstop Max Dantoni and second baseman A.J. Sciametta).

4. Toms River East (20-7, 6-4) Preseason Rank: 2

Last year, Toms River East returned to prominence by winning its first Ocean County Tournament championship in 17 years. In 2025, the Raiders planted their flag among the Shore Conference’s upper-echelon by not only repeating as OCT champions, but also winning the program’s first NJSIAA sectional title since 2006. Toms River East dropped four games within Class A South divisional play to miss out on a chance at a division title, but was 13-2 in games against teams outside Class A South this season to help carry the torch for its division.

The Raiders will bid farewell to a collection of impact contributors in shortstop Matt Ferrara, catcher Gavin Toth, ace and second baseman Dan Nafziger, No. 2 starter Mason Pentz and middle-of-the-order bat Mike Vaccarino. Despite all that production graduating, Toms River East is set up to stay in championship contention for the foreseeable future, with Joey DiMeo due back as a junior, Lucas Melton as a senior and Carson Frazier as a sophomore.

5. Ranney (12-9, 8-4) Preseason Rank: 3

Unlike the top four teams in the rankings, Ranney was not in the running for the No. 1 ranking in the final two weeks of the season, but the Panthers made a rather convincing case to grab the last top-five spot despite an uninspiring 12-9 final record. Five of Ranney’s nine losses came at the hands of CBA (three) and RBC (two) and two more were against NJSIAA Non-Public B champion Gloucester Catholic (24-3). The other two were a 1-0 loss to Poly Prep of Brooklyn with Duke commit Justice de Jong on the mound and a 4-3 loss to Manalapan in extra-innings in a game started by Braves ace Leo Vitale (1.30 ERA in 2025). Even with the loss to Manalapan, the Panthers finished alone in second place in the unforgiving Class A North division, one game ahead of RBC.

As for Ranney’s wins, the Panthers picked up some key ones along the way. They beat RBC during the regular season, swept Middletown South in divisional play and beat Point Pleasant Beach in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals. This was the hardest schedule Ranney has ever played and the Panthers held their own despite playing only two seniors in the regular lineup and one on the mound. Ranney will bring back a junior-loaded team in 2026, led by state home-run leader Ricky Lopez (11), as the Panthers hope to make a run at the Non-Public B and Shore Conference championships.

6. Point Pleasant Beach (20-8, 11-1) Preseason Rank: 7

Over the past three seasons, Point Beach has raised the standard of its program to a level at which anything short of a Central Jersey Group I championship is a disappointment. In that sense, this past season will go down as a disappointing one for the Garnet Gulls, but 2025 was also unlike any other in program history. Point Beach moved out of the Class B Central division for the first time and against a much deeper, capable Class B South division, the Garnet Gulls went 11-1 in divisional play and won their second straight outright division championship. This season also marked Point Beach’s fourth straight 20-win season and this year’s 20 wins were the hardest-earned 20 Point Beach has had in the history of its program.

After rolling through the likes of Manasquan, Central Regional and Point Pleasant Boro to win the divisional title, Point Beach lost a competitive semifinal to Toms River East in the Ocean County Tournament, fell to Ranney in a 10-6 slugfest in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 and bowed out of the Central Group I championship against Middlesex against a sophomore ace in Dominic Long who also beat Delbarton and both North 2 Group III sectional finalists (South Plainfield and Colonia) during the season. Point Beach continues to bring back major talent every year and that is set to continue next year, when the Garnett Gulls bring back catcher and Shore RBI-leader Dan Lubach (47), centerfielder and ace Tommy Conroy, three-quarters of their starting infield and three more top pitchers on the mound.

7. Brick (16-9, 11-1) Preseason Rank: Not ranked

It has been 14 years since the Green Dragons had a team competing for division championships, tournament trophies and top-10 rankings and finally, Old Brick is back in that conversation. The Green Dragons brought back an experienced team this spring and delivered on what promised to be a resurgent season while competing in the newly-formed Class C Central division. Brick marched to an 11-1 record in divisional play to claim its first Shore Conference division title since 2011, which included finishing ahead of South Jersey Group III runner-up Toms River South.

Speaking of the NJSIAA Tournament, the Green Dragons were the closest team to knocking off Northern Burlington during the Greyhounds’ run to the Group III championship. Brick jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Northern Burlington’s relentless lineup hit its way back into the game before ultimately winning, 9-8. The Greyhounds went on to outscore their next four opponents by a cumulative score of 33-7. Brick will say goodbye to a memorable senior class that did the heavy lifting this season, but are due to return four experienced up-the-middle players in shortstop Brayden Heatter, second baseman Zach Martin, catcher James Donoghue and centerfielder Matt Goodfellow.

8. Middletown South (15-11, 7-5) Preseason Rank: Not ranked

Despite heading into the season with a pitching staff that was both unproven and injured, the Eagles overcame those questions, as well as a loaded Class A North division slate, to post a 15-win campaign and reach the sectional semifinals of the NJSIAA Playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Middletown South finished tied with Red Bank Catholic for third place in the Class A North standings with wins over both RBC and CBA.

Middletown South started the season 5-1, dropped to 6-8, then closed the year by winning nine out of 12 behind a revamped pitching staff that relied on multiple arms to get the Eagles through games. The only losses during those final 12 games were a loss to Brick in the Shore Conference Tournament, a 3-1 loss to Monmouth ace Collin Denton in the Ted Jarmusz Bracket final in the Monmouth County Tournament and the 8-6 loss to No. 1 Brick Memorial in the Central Group III semifinals. The Eagles will miss shortstop Brendan Sliva after the senior turned in a huge comeback campaign after losing his junior year to a torn ACL, but will bring back innings leader Peter DeNicola on the mound and talented centerfielder Jack Concordia to lead the lineup.

9. Jackson Memorial (13-9, 7-3) Preseason Rank: 8

In the final season for Jackson Memorial Baseball before the two Jackson Township high schools merge into one, the Jaguars had their moments before their disappointing ending in the form of a loss to Hamilton West in the first round of the Central Group III Tournament. Jackson Memorial finished second in a hyper-competitive Class A South division, splitting regular-season series with both Brick Memorial and Toms River East and finishing ahead of the latter in the standings.

The Jaguars got picked off by Southern in the first round of the Ocean County Tournament, but rebounded with a run to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals that included another win at Toms River East in the quarterfinal round. Although Jackson Memorial was not as consistently good this season as it has typically been, finishing second in A South ad reaching the SCT semifinals is enough to land a top 10 spot in the Jaguars’ final season prior to the merger. With Jackson Liberty’s returning roster joining together with Memorial’s key returnees – ace Matt Colaneri and outfielder Charlie Buchinsky – Jackson Township’s first season will be an intriguing one.

10. Raritan (20-8, 10-2) Preseason Rank: Not ranked

Six Shore Conference teams reached the 20-win plateau in 2025 and with Raritan finishing the season at No. 10, all six of those teams close out the year with a Shore Sports Insider ranking. The Rockets returned a roster that would have made a run at a championship had they been in the Class B North division, but with the move to Class C North, Raritan was the class of its new set of peers. Holmdel knocked off Raritan in its season-opener and the Rockets proceeded to rattle off 11 divisional wins in a row to capture a share of its first division title since 2018. Raritan beat Wall in the Monmouth County Tournament and scored a regular-season shutout win over Toms River South with Indians ace Aiden Lynch on the mound.

Speaking of 2018, that was not only the last season Raritan won a division, but it was also the last season the Rockets reached 20 wins and won an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II title. While Raritan checked off 20 wins, it fell short of winning another sectional title and the Rockets’ season-ending loss was one that will go down infamy. Raritan was one strike away from shocking undefeated Governor Livingston before the Highlanders rallied for three runs with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun the Rockets, 3-2. Governor Livingston then beat its next three opponents by a combined score of 26-9 to finish off a perfect 28-0 season. Raritan will look to recover from that loss, as well as the graduation of six starters as the Rockets look to talented pitchers Will Meehan and Bear Evernham to lead the way in 2026.

 

The Next 10

Toms River South (18-10, 9-3) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – In Jim Rankin’s first season as head coach, the Indians went from 5-18 in 2024 to 18-9 overall and the program’s first NJSIAA sectional final appearance since 2003. They graduate ace Aiden Lynch and middle-infielder Ruben Febres, but will return the rest of its starting group.

Colts Neck (12-10, 8-4) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The Cougars faded down the stretch after clinching the Class B North title, but will look forward to a 2026 season in which they will bring back a talented collection of seniors in the lineup.

Ocean (16-8-2, 5-5-2) Preseason Rank: 6 – Ocean technically finished sixth in the Class B North standings, but the Spartans scored tournament wins over Middletown South (MCT) and Manasquan (SCT) before losing to RBC and CBA in those respective tournaments. With shortstop Ben Robinson, catcher Connor Tongring and most of the pitching staff graduating, the Spartans will have some early questions to answer in 2026.

Manasquan (14-8, 8-4) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – Manasquan went down to the wire with Point Beach in the Class B South race and were eliminated by 3-2 scores in both the SCT (by Ocean) and Central Group II (by Robbinsville). Left-hander Chase Kaplan and right-hander Logan Cleveland have a chance to form one of the Shore’s best one-two punches on the mound next season and if the Warriors can replace a lot of graduating at-bats, better days could be ahead in 2026.

Rumson-Fair Haven (15-10-1, 7-4-1) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The Bulldogs faced some inconsistencies with a young roster in 2025, but reached some high points along the way, including a win over No. 4 Toms River East. Replacing proven seniors Owen O’Toole on the mound and Parker Shenman at the plate will be a challenge, but Rumson will be loaded with proven talent on the mound and at the plate in 2026.

Howell (14-12-1, 6-5-1) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – The 2025 season marked the end of an era for Howell baseball with Eric Johnson stepping down as head coach at the end of the year after running the program since 2010. The new coach will have lots of innings to replace, as well as key at-bats in the lineup, but will have a nice mix of hitters returning as well.

Monmouth (12-10, 6-6) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – With senior Collin Denton on the mound, Monmouth went 7-2, with its senior ace allowing just four earned runs all season. Those wins including victories over Rumson and Colts Neck during the regular season, plus a win over Middletown South to give the Falcons the championship trophy in the Ted Jarmusz Bracket of the Monmouth County Tournament.

Wall (9-11, 5-5) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – Wall’s pitching was paper thin by the end of the season, with John Catanio and Dane Rue having to carry the load for a team that still had some high points with wins over Toms River East, Jackson Memorial and Toms River South. Rue was one of the few seniors on the roster, so if the Crimson Knights can patch up their pitching, there is a strong foundation for a bounce-back season in 2026.

Central (16-9, 6-6) Preseason Rank: Not ranked – Led by left-handed ace Vinny Berardi and big offensive seasons by shortstop Tommy Truzzolino and catcher Jack Tietjen, the Golden Eagles improved by 12 wins this year and were one of three Ocean County teams (Toms River East and Jackson Memorial) to beat No. 1 Brick Memorial in 2025.

Middletown North (13-12, 4-8) Preseason Rank: 9 – Middletown North’s group of seniors were a very small part of the 2022 Group III championship season and a fairly significant portion of the core that repeated as Central Group III sectional champs in 2023. That winning pedigree never quite broke through in 2025, although the Lions did score wins over RBC and Middletown South before Colonia ace and Monmouth University commit Cory Pascarella ended their season by no-hitting them in the North 2 Group III quarterfinals.