Local players highlight upcoming NJAC season
Ben Amon had an all-conference season in 2022 for The College of New Jersey on the mound and will be looking to make his senior season even more memorable.
The Lions, who open the 2023 season on March 2, have been selected fifth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference preseason poll.
Amon, a former Princeton High star, was the ace of the staff last season hurling 61 innings, recording a career-high 53 strikeouts with a 4-4 record and a very impressive 2.51 earned run average.
Amon was an All-NJAC second team selection, he was awarded the ABCA Rawlings Gold Glove winner and a 3rd team All-Region selection.
TCNJ was 20-18 overall and 9-9 in the NJAC last spring and knocked off regular season winner Rowan in the conference tourney.
Rowan was selected as the preseason favorite this season and will return Eli Atiya, who was the NJAC Co-Pitcher of the Year in 2022.
William Paterson, which is the defending champion, was selected third. Kean is fourth followed by Montclair State and TCNJ.
Ramapo was sixth and Stockton was selected seventh with Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers-Newark and New Jersey City round- ing out the poll.
Sophomore Mike LaGravenis, who batted .310 last year, is the Lions’ leading returner at the plate.
Junior Ryan Goodall, who was the NJAC Player of the Year in 2021, drove in 33 runs last season.
Kean has always found the Mercer County area to be a great place to recruit and find national champions success with the likes of Dan Mattonelli, Mike Moceri, Eric Ammirata, Tom Paglione, Matt Grinkevich, Elliot Burgo and Joe D’Andrea, and this season the
Cougars have added some more local talent.
Joe Giori, Noah Rivera and Evan Bresnen from Steinert and Tyler Provost from Robbinsville will be adding to Kean’s talent.
Two local players, Jordan Nitti (Steinert) and Tucker Elder (Ewing), led Stockton in batting last season. Nitti hit at .379 clip, and Elder batted .339. and was second in the conference in steals with 17.
The NJAC tournament will be held May 2-7. After the opening round, all games will be played at Kean.
Ethan Earley (Rancocas Valley), Jack Marchese (Notre Dame), Connor Wood (Bordentown). Freshman: Michael Doran (Allentown)
Auslander Making Some Jersey Lacrosse Visits
Recently, the New Jersey Athletic Conference and the CoastTo-Coast Conference formed the Coastal Lacrosse Conference. The member schools are Kean, Montclair State and Stockton from the NJAC; and Salisbury, Mary Washington and Christopher Newport.
Coby Auslander, who played his high school lacrosse at Princeton Day, is one of the key players in the success of Christopher Newport. With this merger he’ll be playing a few games close to home.
Kean, Montclair State and Stockton previously played in the Coastal States Athletic Conference.
Salisbury with former Hun player, Charlie White, was selected first in the preseason poll, CNU, which was in the Elite Eight last season and the Final Four in 2021 was selected second.
Rounding out the preseason poll are Stockton, Kean, Montclair State and Mary Washington.