Who made the 2023 All-Shore team?
The 2023 Shore Conference baseball season had plenty of drama and intrigue.
Red Bank Catholic and Rumson-Fair Haven advanced to NJSIAA Group championships. Those two teams, Middletown North and Point Pleasant Beach won sectional championships with Rumson-Fair Haven, Middletown North and Point Beach repeating as sectional champions.
Red Bank Catholic and Ranney - the top two teams in the Shore all season - also staged memorable championship games in both the Monmouth County Tournament and Shore Conference Tournament championship games. Red Bank Catholic won the SCT for a record fourth consecutive time and Ranney won the Monmouth County Tournament title for the first time with a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Donovan Catholic, which had one of the best seasons it has ever had, won the Ocean County Tournament championship in its first appearance in the final.
Here is a look at the best of the best as the Asbury Park Press unveils its All-Shore teams, first, second and third teams, followed by selections as Player, Pitcher and Coach of the Year, the final top 10 team rankings and final divisional standings.
FIRST TEAM CAPSULES
Ranney’s A.J. Gracia, shown sliding in safely at home plate during the Panthers’ 2-1 win over Rumson-Fair Haven, is the Asbury Park Press Player of the Year.
Highlights: Howlett had a sensational season. He hit .427 (38-for-80) with eight home runs, eight doubles, a triple and 31 RBI. Howlett also scored 16 runs. He had the game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in Wall’s 3-1 win over Freehold Township in a Monmouth County Tournament round of 16 game. Howlett was also 3-for-4 with a home run in Wall’s come-from-behind 5-4 win over A.L. Johnson in a NJSIAA Central Group 2 first-round game.
INFIELD
the Year.
BRETT PATTEN
School: Manasquan
Year: Senior.
Highlights: Manasquan’s starting quarterback in football the last four seasons, Patten has also excelled on the baseball field. A St. John’s University-recruit, Patten stole 28 bases, scored 25 runs and hit .427 with six home runs, four doubles, two triple and 19 RBI. He hit for the cycle against Freehold in a win that clinched a berth in the Shore Conference Tournament for Manasquan.
DESIGNATED HITTER
JACK TALLENT
School: Ranney
Year: Senior.
Highlights: Tallent was one of the most productive hitters in Ranney’s lineup out of the cleanup spot. He hit .400 (34-for-85) with five home runs, 10 doubles and 30 RBI. Tallent had 10 games where he had two RBI or more and three games with three RBI or more, including a four RBI game in the season-opener against Red Bank.
UTILITY PLAYERS
ALEX STANYEK
School: Red Bank Catholic.
Year: Senior.
Highlights: Stanyek, a George Washington University-recruit, is a repeat First Team All-Shore selection. He was dominant on the mound and is the Asbury Park Press Pitcher of the Year. Stanyek was also valuable at the plate. He went 3-0 with 46 strikeouts, 10 walks, 12 hits allowed and a 0.47 ERA in 30 innings and five starts. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball with 11 strikeouts in the Caseys’ 2-0 win over Ranney in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game. He also pitched 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball with nine strikeouts in Red Bank Catholic’s 4-1 win over St. Joseph (Metuchen) in the NJSIAA Nonpublic South A championship game. Stanyek also pitched five innings of three-hit ball with eight strikeouts in Red Bank Catholic’s 5-2 win over NJSIAA Nonpublic B champion Gloucester Catholic, struck out 13 in six scoreless, one-hit innings in the season-opener against NJSIAA Group 2 finalist Rumson-Fair Haven and pitched to a no-decision in six innings against Ranney in the Monmouth County Tournament championship game. He also hit .311 with four home runs, 11 doubles and 16 RBI.
BRADY LESIAK
School: Southern
Year: Junior.
Highlights: Lesiak was a key player in Southern’s drive to a share of the Shore Conference Class A South championship with Jackson Memorial and Brick Memorial. It was Southern’s first divisional championship since 1986. A pitcher and third baseman, Lesiak went 6-0 with a 1.93 ERA. He had 62 strikeouts and allowed 35 hits in 50 2/3 innings. He hit .407 with three home runs, five doubles and 26 RBI. He also scored 16 runs. In Southern’s 5-2 win over Vineland in a NJSIAA South Group 4 quarterfinal, Lesiak went 4for-4 with two two-run homers and pitched five innings of three-hit, two-run ball. He was named the Shore Baseball Coaches Association Class A South Pitcher of the Year.