SSI Preseason Softball Top 10 Rankings

Preseason Top 10

 

1. St. John Vianney – The defending Shore Conference and Non-Public A champions return with the majority of their lineup intact. The Lancers return Player of the Year candidate Madison McDougall to the mound. As a sophomore she had a 0.85 ERA and struck out 300 batters. SJV also brings back one of the best hitters in Gabby Gonzalez. The slick-fielding shortstop batted .500 and hit 10 homers last year as a sophomore. Catcher Elisabeth Figliolino will be the leader on the field and had her share of clutch hits last season. 

 

2. Donovan Catholic – Donovan fell short in extra innings in what may have been the game of year in the Shore Conference Tournament final against SJV last season. The Griffins will be one of the favorites this season, bringing back all but one starter. Emily Kurth is the only starter who Donovan Catholic lost from its loaded lineup. From Auburn commit Isabella Maria, who reached 100 hits in just two seasons, to senior Christina Ginex, who was one of the Shore Conference’s best in average, home runs and RBIs, to last year’s Freshman of the Year, Isabella Cino, who finished with nine home runs, the Griffins’ lineup is one of the most dangerous in the state.

 

3. Red Bank Catholic – Last season the Caseys beat some of the best teams in the state, but fell short in the postseason. RBC won 22 games but lost to Marlboro in the second round of the SCT and Notre Dame in the semifinal round of South Jersey Non-Public A bracket. RBC brings back a stacked lineup, but will need to replace catcher Jordan Terefenko, who graduated with a .453 batting average. RBC also graduated Morgan O’Sullivan, who had a 0.94 ERA splitting time on the mound with Lily Hagan. Hagan returns with a 1.02 ERA for the Caseys, and she also batted .473 with six home runs last year. University of North Carolina commit Nicole Knox will be a Player of the Year candidate this season. Knox batted .573 last season with 10 home runs. RBC will be one of the SCT and Non-Public A contenders, and playing in Class A North will help them prepare for a deep run. 

 

4. Marlboro – Marlboro got off to a slow start last season with ace Emily Gaudio being injured. Coach Nick Scalzo did not rush her return, and it paid off at the end of the season with the Mustangs winning their second straight Central Jersey Group 4 title. Marlboro returns a strong lineup but did graduate three key players. One of the biggest players to replace is Amy Fitzpatrick, who batted .449 and patrolled centerfield. Marlboro also lost left-handed pitcher Stephanie Ciravolo, who threw teams off balance on the mound and batted .367 at the plate. Adison Ditillo and Aimee Notaro are two big bats who return for Marlboro along with Isabella Wuelfing, who had a monster freshman season with a .452 average. Marlboro will be well tested by the time the state playoffs start after playing in Class A North with five teams in the preseason rankings. 

 

5.  Middletown North – The Lions return the majority of the team that won 21 games last season. Middletown North is led by Seton Hall commit Madilynn Boyce, who is one of the best pitchers in New Jersey. In over 200 innings pitched, she struck out 372 and had a 0.93 ERA. They will need a repeat performance playing in a Class A North division that has five teams in the preseason rankings.  The Lions will look to improve in the batters box this season. Adrianna Lisotto, Brianna Soto and Boyce are the only hitters returning who batted over .300 last season. 

 

6. Point Boro – The Panthers defeated Toms River East to win the Ocean County Tournament but had early exits in both the SCT and Central Jersey Group 2 tournaments. Point Boro graduated three key players who all fielded and hit the ball extremely well last season. Point Boro brings back ace Dakota Palmieri, who is coming off a season with a 1.85 ERA and led the team with a .477 average. The Panthers need to replace catcher Georgia Tym, who helped make them one of the best defensive teams in the Shore Conference. Point Pleasant will also need to replace her .400 average along with Emily Ehrmann’s .441 average. Last year, Cassidy Supplee played a big part for the Panthers with a .443 average and solid defense at third base, and she will look to continue to improve from her sophomore season. 

 

7. Colts Neck – The Cougars had an up-and-down season last year, finishing 13-13 and losing five out of their last six games. Colts Neck returns the majority of their lineup, having only graduated two players. Pitching ace Angela Sasso returns after striking out 233 batters as a sophomore, and she batted .409 at the plate. Colts Neck will need to replace lead-off hitter and speedster Julianna Kowaleski, who batted .382 and had 11 steals. Last year’s strong sophomore class gained a lot of experience, and Colts Neck hopes to see the payoff this season with a deep postseason run. 

 

8. Jackson Memorial – The Jaguars hit a bump in the road last year when ace Emily Hersh went down with an injury that prevented her from pitching. Hersh is now back at full strength, and Jackson Memorial also returns shortstop Dominique Lopez and centerfielder Alexandra Santos. Both players are not just solid fielders but two of the Jaguars’ best hitters. If Jackson Memorial can stay healthy, it can be one of the top teams in Ocean County. 

 

9. Southern Regional – Like the majority of the teams in the preseason rankings, Southern returns almost every starter. The Rams will have to replace Kylie Roberts, who graduated with a .343 average and more than 100 hits in her career. Emily Evans returns as the ace after striking out 84 batters last year. Evans helped lead a strong offense with a .451 average with 12 doubles,  and Abigail Krill finished second on the team with a .421 average and had a team-high five triples as a freshman. Emily Zellman is a power bat for Southern, leading the team with five home runs and a .412 average. Southern has the experience and talent to challenge for the Ocean County Tournament title.

10. Middletown South – Middletown South had a strong ending to last season, winning the Monmouth County Tournament Red Division and making it to the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinal round. Led by freshman Riley Smith, who finished with a 1.72 ERA and 170 strikeouts, the Eagles won 10 out of their last 13 games. Middletown South shocked CJG3 with an upset win over top-seeded Robbinsville. The Eagles have to replace four seniors from their lineup, including Ella Mullane, who batted .400 last season.

 

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