Jersey Baseball Show - powered by NJ College Baseball Nation: Recent Episodes
Michael H Olshin
Interviews with and features about the issues, newsmakers, and major figures in New Jersey college baseball. Powered by the staff of NJ College Baseball Nation
Part 2 of our Garden State Baseball Coaches Clinic PREVIEW is today and we have a fantastic time talking to two of the speakers and learning about their stories. Stetson head coach Steve Trimper is ALWAYS running at game speed. The North Jersey native has built championship programs at Manhattan and Maine and taken Stetson to the brink of the College World Series and has a rather large contingent of Jersey guys on his squad. Watch for his awesome story of recruiting Astros ALCS and WS MVP Jeremy Pena to Maine. Mary Hardin-Baylor's Mike Stawski built a powerhouse at Concordia of Chicago before moving down to Texas and has a great shot to do the same at one of the top athletic programs in all of D3. COACHES - Make sure you're registered for the Clinic - Friday 12/9 at Gamers Baseball & Softball in Kenilworth.
Friends, rivals, some former teammates, now all future teammates. These "Four From The Shore" are ready to ride up to South Orange, where they hope to help Seton Hall's baseball program restore its place at the top of the Big East Conference. Today we talk with Ryan Frontera (Middletown North), Frankie Scrivanic (Red Bank Catholic), Alex D'Ambrosio (Marlboro), and Gabe Cavazzoni (Wall) as these four stars reflect on signing day, playing with friends, and the excitement about heading off to college together.
Rutgers head coach Steve Owens and Seton Hall HC Rob Sheppard are the two biggest names in NJ baseball. They join us here to talk about their programs AND discuss the Garden State Baseball Coaches Clinic which will be held Dec. 9 in Kenilworth, from 9 AM to 2:30 PM at Gamers BA. This is a must watch program for coaches of all ages and sizes, for fans of Rutgers and Seton Hall, of college baseball in general, of New Jersey baseball. These two have combined for more than 1,500 wins as college head coaches. Owens is just 15 away from 1,000, while a Sheppard has run Seton Hall for more than 50 consecutive seasons!
Today we visit with Rutgers' All-American center fielder Ryan Lasko, who enjoyed one of the best seasons in Scarlet Knights history in 2022 as he earned first-team all-Big Ten, first-team all-Region, and second team national honors for a team that set a school record with 44 wins. We talk about how important it is to him to do it will staying in New Jersey and how important it was for the Jackson Memorial grad to finish his HS career with the Last Dance during the COVID summer of 2020. Ryan gives us the vibe around practice this Fall - looking forward to a season of promise, as well as a season of newcomers, as Rutgers welcomes a huge recruiting class as well as a number of new players from the portal. He also shares how the sting of being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament added fuel to the fire for him and his teammates. Throw in Life in the Cape last summer AND Ryan's favorite beach towns, and enjoy this interview with a guy who is living his dream of taking Rutgers to the top.
2022 was a year to remember for Cherokee Baseball. The Chiefs got on a roll at the end of the season and scored a series of dramatic wins to take the South Jersey Group 4 title. Some of the key returning players from that squad drop by to dish on that run and the future of Cherokee Baseball, and all things Orange. Epic conversation with Brandon Prince, Jason Schooley, and Evan Brown as we talk everything from college commits to postgame celebrations to who looks the best in the team's signature Orange Jacket (everyone agrees on the answer). Great half hour of HS baseball talk that you won't want to miss.
It took Connor Staine two years to go from our COVID Sandlot League to the pros, as he was drafted in the 5th round this year by the Colorado Rockies. We connect with the West Morris Central grad and Central Florida standout for an always open, always interesting, always fun talk about life in pro ball, new rides, and some exciting plans for the offseason. Get some great insights on the process and playing at the next level and enjoy this great episode of JBS.
Zach Fronio and Andrew Parisi were a devastating punch for Rutgers Prep last year, with Fronio pitching to a sub-2 ERA and throwing well in big games and Parisi hitting 11 bombs and driving in a state-best 54 runs. And that was just the start - literally - as the two were just freshmen a season ago. Two of the best in the class of 2025, Fronio and Parisi figure to torment Somerset County and the rest of NJ for the next three years. Already a commit to Big Ten regular season champ University of Maryland, Fronio boasts a complete array of pitches from his 6-4 lefty frame, while Parisi is a must-watch AB every time he steps to the plate. They join us for a special episode of the Future as we profile some of the best players in New Jersey's sophomore class.
Gavin Cohen and Jake Lodgek have been through a lot of baseball together. They teamed up last year as freshmen at Holy Spirit and there are a ton of Baseball Performance Center days, but these two young stars will be friendly rivals in 2023 as Jake is now at Mainland, another team with legitimate title goals. These two Class of 2025 stars drop by for Vol 3 of our Future series. Both have some footsteps to follow. Gavin played last year with his older brother Trevor, one of the top players in the Class of 2022 and now a promising freshman at emerging national power Rutgers. Jake comes from a great baseball family himself, with his uncle and grandfather both playing ACC baseball, and his father, Scott, a star pitcher at UNC, who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 7th round and pitched professionally until injuries ended his career. Expect to see a lot of these guys over the next few years and enjoy today's edition of JBS.
One of the top players in the Shore Conference last year has moved inland a bit for 2023. Alexey Stout, a mainstay in the CBA infield the last few years, is taking the Postgraduate path to college, as he's now a part of the New Jersey prep battles at the Peddie School in Hightstown. He's traded Red Bank Catholic and Middletown South as rivals for Hun and Lawrenceville. The extra time also enabled Alexey to get his college choice in order and the hard-hitting second baseman recently committed to attend Gettysburg College, a team with designs on building a power in the always-tough Centennial Conference under new coach Cory Beddick, who has the deserved reputation as one of the bright young stars in the D3 coaching world. Great talk with Alexey as we mix past and present, talk about competing in the Shore, favorite summer hangouts, life at Peddie and much more on a great edition of JBS.
NJIT senior Ryan Fischer took the only D1 offer he had coming out of high school. He bet on himself. He bet on NJIT, a program that for years had been an afterthought in D1. And it couldn't have worked out any better. He worked. Hard. Got stronger. 82-85 and a very good career at Hunterdon Central became low 90s, two other plus pitches, and consistent strikes at the college level. Only pitcher at a New Jersey D1 to win an NCAA Tournament game since 2011. Cape Cod League champ. Draft prospect if he can take the FINAL step to his fastball. All amazing things. But he's still Fisch, still the King of Friday nights in Union. And the best part - he's done it all with catcher Luke Longo by his side, from way back to 6th grade when they first joined forces in middle school, to a state title in high school, to NCAA magic in college. We bring Fisch on for a special JBS - catch up with Fisch AND Luke at The Hynes, and talk to Ryan's pitching coach Anthony DeLeo. Don't miss it!
Two of the best young arms are stars of the 2025 class from North Jersey. Seton Hall Prep's MARCELO HARSCH drew raves over the summer, made a verbal commitment to Wake Forest and outstanding pitching coach Corey Muscara, and is poised to continue the long line of pitching excellence from the Non-Public powerhouse. Governor Livingston's MATTHEW DISKIN burst on to the scene a year ago, enjoyed a strong freshman season at the plate and on the mound, and maintained that spot over the summer. Ranked 1-2 by Perfect Game in the NJ 2025 class, these guys are locked in - and today's guests on a special episode of THE FUTURE.
Busy, hectic, exciting, incredible. Great words to describe the summer of New Jersey's top ranked 2025 star, Bergen Catholic's JAMIE ZEE. The North Jersey stud lit it up at the WWBA and then also PBR's Future Games and committed shortly thereafter to 2022 College World Series participant Notre Dame and new head coach Shawn Stiffler. No. 1 week concludes as we talk to Jamie, hear about the impact that the Wladyka program has had on his journey, talk about his love of the Yankees, leadership, Bergen Catholic, video games, and much more. Catch our interview with one of New Jersey's rising star NEXT.
No. 1 week continues on JBS with the consensus Top ranked 2024 player in New Jersey. The Pennington School's Bryce Meccage is one of our favorite interviews, because the University of Virginia commit's interests are so diverse. Today we discuss his summer - from tourney trips to Florida and Georgia to the Area Code Games in San Diego and 10 days in Montana immediately following. We also check in on the Landscaping business and his boat and the Backyard Baseball Lab, as well as some time spent with his Uncle Justin, a highly regarded coach with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Check it out - another edition of JBS starts NEXT.
We kick off No. 1 week with a look at the dude who spent most of 2022 as the top ranked player in New Jersey's Class of 2023. Ryan Jaros, the Cranford High third baseman and Georgia Tech commit, had an awesome summer on the travel circuit with the Canes National squad that dominated in major events. He spent a week at East Coast Pro down in Florida, living the life of a young minor leaguer and performing in front of numerous pro scouts. He turned in an impressive performance out in San Diego at the Area Code Games and topped it off with one of the best single moments at the event - a LOUD home run that got the attention of everyone. Ryan talks about all that and more - including his Last Dance coming up at Cranford this year. Great episode of JBS - and fantastic way to start the week.
It's been quite a 2022 for Cherry Hill West's Jon Young Jr. - starting with his verbal commitment to dream school UNC, continuing with a strong sophomore campaign for CHW, and moving forward with a strong summer on the circuit that saw Young emerge as perhaps the top hitting prospect in the Class of 2024. So what comes next for this South Jersey dude who will talk Phillies and Eagles with you all day? Find out as we sit down with the fiery middle infielder. Driven to be his best, Jon plans to work hard in the offseason to make 2023 even better! Hear those plans and more on this edition of JBS Back to School!
A recent commit to "The U," Tate DeRias takes us through his incredible summer experience, which was highlighted by his trip to the Hank Aaron Invitational and appearance in the event's All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, and shown globally via the MLB Network. DeRias pitched a scoreless inning and struck out two. See his selfie with the legendary Ken Griffey Jr, learn about his commitment to the University of Miami, and hear about his plans for 2023 and beyond. We also get a special visit from one of Tate's best friends - Allentown HS star Jack Sweeney. DeRias is one of the top players nationally in the Class of 2024 and has a bright future, so we hope you enjoy this special edition of JBS.
Back to school week kicks off with a look at one of the premier 2024s in New Jersey. Bishop Eustace's Landon Mack used the summer to further his claim as one of the best two-way players you'll see, as he put up gaudy numbers at the plate AND on the bump in a number of key Perfect Game events. He truly emerged as a pitcher and became a reliable ace in both the spring and summer and last April made a verbal commitment to emerging power Rutgers and we know Coach Owens just loves Mack's competitive spirit. Landon also discusses his diagnosis at age 3 with Type 1 diabetes and tells us about the impact a former Eustace star - Minnesota Twins lefty Devin Smeltzer - had in his development. Check out Landon's story as we go Back to School on JBS!
September means a new school year. It also means it's time for the future, as we start our profiles with some of the top 2025 stars in New Jersey. Today we kick it off with three of South Jersey's finest rising sophomores, who accomplished big things in their freshman campaigns. Cherokee's Brett Gable came on strong and earned the victory as the Chiefs won the prestigious South Jersey Group 4 title. He followed that up with an awesome summer campaign and a verbal commitment to one of the Top 10 programs in the country in Virginia Tech. Chase Kroberger is an electric two-way at Moorestown HS, who can run in the 6.6s and bring it up to the high 80s on the mound. And Nate Sofield is a budding star catcher down at Pinelands. He's the Pitcher's Best Friend and a runner's worst nightmare with quick hands and pinpoint accuracy. Check these guys out - and get ready for a lot of fun following their dreams.
We look back at the recently completed 2022 ACBL season. Historic year in the ACBL, as the league grew to 15 teams, played in two divisions. First-year Bergen Metros won the league title, with a strong roster of returning ACBL players and impressive newcomers. Ethan Young - who homered in all 3 rounds of the playoffs - comes on to share his thoughts on the Metros title. We also talk to Hitter of the Year Phil Bernstein (.473 batting average), Darrin Winston Pitcher of the year Joe Valenti (0.19 ERA), and Santy Gallone MVP/Slugger of the Year/Wolff Division Triple Crown winner Owen Petrich.
Talented cast of characters for this episode! Check them out here.
Our end of summer SPECTACULAR comes through the eyes of Perfect Game USA's Northeast Region crosschecker John McAdams. He sits down with us to talk about some of the Garden State players who really impressed him during summer vacation. (DISCLAIMER - This is NOT the Perfect Game rankings list for New Jersey - go subscribe to PG for that!) We talk about guys who stood out in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 class - as well as some of the top Uncommitted players still on the board. Who did JMac think really improved their stock? Find out here! Catch up on some of the great baseball players in NJ on an awesome edition of JBS.
NJ 2024 stars Sean Griggs (Red Bank Catholic, Alabama commit) and Luke Dickerson (Morris Knolls, Virginia commit) talk about their experience at the Underclass Area Code Games earlier this month in San Diego. Both players - ranked by Prep Baseball Report among the top 5 2024s in the state - impressed many and opened the eyes of numerous MLB scouts in attendance. Sean and Luke talk about their first-ever experience playing ball on the West Coast - AND getting to play at Fenway Park - on a great Back to School edition of JBS.
One of the best pitchers we've seen in our years of doing this is sharing his knowledge and experiences with the next generation. Three-time state champ Michael Rogers - a Steinert High Hall of Famer, NC State All-American, and 2nd round draft choice of the Oakland A's - is the new Director of Youth Baseball for Centercourt, including its facilities in Lawrence, Marlboro, Gillette, and Morristown. So we take this time to sit down with one of the best ever to play in the Garden State. Michael was a D1 Pitching Coach for a major program before the age of 30 - we talk about what brought him back home to NJ and led him to his current path of impacting younger players. Great edition of our show and we hope you enjoy it!
Ben Watson may be the best unknown player in the country, but after what the Elizabethtown College star did this summer, he shouldn't be unknown much longer. Watson - one of the top players in the ACBL for Quakertown in 2021 - went down to Morehead City, NC, and CRUSHED the Coastal Plains League this summer, one of the top prospect leagues in the nation. He set an all-time CPL record with a .427 batting average against big-time prospects from some of the top conferences in the nation. The Landmark Conference Tournament MVP does it all on the field and does it all WELL. He's certainly on the radar of MLB Scouts and could also potentially be one of the most sought after grad transfers in the country after this spring. Plus - he's a CORNHOLE LEGEND - participated in the National College championships, just missing a TV appearance on ESPN. We highlight the awesomeness of Ben Watson on today's episode of JBS.
JBS returns from some summer down time and we catch up with three of the stars from last season's Somerset County champion Ridge squad to talk about last spring and see how they've been getting ready for 2023 - catcher George Busnach, infielder Brendan Callanan, and pitcher Connor Byrne. The biggest news comes from recent grad Busnach, who committed to Top 25 Charlotte and also visited his grandparents' home in Greece for the first time in years. Callanan (Iona) and Byrne (Siena) have another year of HS together before the best friends become MAAC rivals. We talk about big games, legendary live ABs with another Nation friend Greg Bozzo, and playing for one of the most highly regarded programs in NJ. Plus a few -- special -- musical interludes thrown in. Fun interview with 3 of NJ's best - check it out.
In the series finale of the Trenton Generals Manager Show, host Aaron Arnstein and head coach Mike Coryell discuss the Gens' playoffs run, which Gens players impressed this summer, what Coryell told the team after their series loss to Quakertown and more.
In the season finale of the South Jersey Kings Manager Show, host Aaron Arnstein sits down with head coach Myles Taylor to discuss the playoff series loss to the Metros, Jayson Hoopes' complete game shutout in game one, the memories Taylor will take away as Kings' head coach and more.
Hosted by Aaron Arnstein, Arnstein sits down with Generals head coach Mike Coryell to discuss the team's one-hitter against the Blazers, their home playoff matchup with the Matrix, their quest for back-to-back ACBL titles and much more.
Since we last spoke to him over the winter, Mainland's John Wood has - played his senior season of high school baseball, dropped a Top 25 country charting song ("Here She Comes," playing everywhere and produced by Lamon Records), graduated from Mainland Regional, searched for the perfect waves, kept a busy summer touring local establishments in South Jersey, written songs, and basically reinforced that the decision to go from D1 recruit to aspiring country music artist was indeed a passion he can't do without. A few weeks away from his arrival in Nashville (Belmont University, August 17, but who's counting?) we talk again with John on a special edition of JBS.
Hosted by Aaron Arnstein, Arnstein and Kings head coach Myles Taylor talk about last Thursday's thrilling rematch against the Blazers, what makes Jayson Hoopes so dominant, the team's mindset headed into the postseason and more.
Hosted by Aaron Arnstein, Arnstein and Gens head coach Mike Coryell discuss the key to Trenton's four-game win streak, the emergence of Matt Wright, Scotty Young's outstanding all-around performance during Tuesday's doubleheader plus much more.
In the third episode of the South Jersey Kings Manager Show, Aaron Arnstein talked to head coach Myles Taylor about his experience at last week's ACBL All-Star festivities, the dominance of right-hander Jayson Hoopes, the wild finishes to the Generals' and Blazers' doubleheader last Sunday night plus much more.
We push the border of New Jersey juuuuuuust a little bit for our final Draft Preview episode to update you on the story of our former intern RYAN MCCARTY. When we last left Ryan, he was become the second player in NCAA history (and first at the D3 level) to win a Triple Crown. Since then, he's earned Golden Spikes semifinalist status (Top 31 amateur players in the nation), been named to the Rawlings/ABCA national first team, hit a HR during a stint in the Cape Cod League, and more. We always love talking with The Intern and this edition with Ryan McCarty is one of our favorites.
In today's draft preview, we talk with Cam Leiter, the Central Regional grad who is doing a fantastic job of maintaining the Leiter family name as he charts his own path. Already the best HITTING Leiter (his all-state recognition came in part because of his record-setting season at the plate), Cam draws the attention of pro scouts due to the projectability of his athletic 6-foot-5 frame that already gets it up to the mid-90s. Did we mention, Cam went 1-0 as a guest starter for the South Jersey Kings in the ACBL? Regardless, it's been a lot of fun following Cam through the year and we know this young man has an amazing future whether the next step is the pros or UCF, one of the top college programs in the country.
Trey Dombroski's starts were like events for Monmouth this spring. Trey Day. Get out and watch the Hawks' ace and one of the best college pitchers in America, the local boy who made great and continued to dominate opponents. A second-team All-America selection, Dombroski - the 2021 Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year - performed well in front of scouts all year long. The 2019 Wall HS grad positioned himself to hear his name called early in next week's 2022 MLB Draft and as always, we love catching up with Trey and hearing his unique perspective. If he doesn't bump into Sunday's Top 2 rounds, Trey figures to hear his name called early Monday. Either way, we'll be excited to see the next step in the journey for the kid whose goal is to outwork them all.
Today's edition of MLB Draft Week Previews focuses on Moorestown High grad Max Martin, another potential 1st Day / early 2nd Day choice in next week's draft. We talk to Max about his MLB Combine experience, playing alongside his brother Samson, the future of baseball at Moorestown, his favorite shortstops to watch, and that he's getting closer to realizing a dream.
In the inaugural episode of the South Jersey Kings Manager Show, Aaron Arnstein talks with Manager Myles Taylor about Sunday's 16 run outburst, the importance of hitting to the opposite field, the Kings' trio of All-Stars ahead of Wednesday's All-Star Game and much more.
In the second installment of the Trenton Generals Manager Show, Aaron Arnstein sits down with Gens Manager Grant Neary to discuss the team's performance over the past week, the transition from metal to wood bats for college players, the club's five All-Stars and much more.
Less than a week away from the 2022 MLB Draft and we start our previews of some of New Jersey's TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS with a look at Connor Staine, the UCF star from West Morris Central who lit it up this season and established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the country. Connor is a possible first day selection who exploded onto the national scene on March 5 - the day he blanked eventual CWS champ Ole Miss over seven innings, allowing just 2 hits and a walk, striking out 10, and touching 98 on the gun. Hear from Connor as he talks about draft prep, about getting ready to realize his dreams, and about plans to start his platform for Tourette's Awareness.
Hosted by Aaron Arnstein. Arnstein and Gens Manager Grant Neary discuss the team's offensive turnaround, California newcomer and instant sensation Scotty Young, the team's top arms and much more.
Our JBS profiles return as we look at rising Paul VI senior Mike Lucarelli, one of the top New Jersey infielders in the Class of 2023, and one of the elite players in the state. Can hit for average, power, run, defend at a top level at SS, and loves to compete at a high level. Mike tells us his story, shares some leadership and mindset thoughts, and gets us excited to see what he has in store for next year. Great show - check us out!
The top spot in our season-ending rankings - and 3 more NJSIAA championships - on the line here as we look at the "big school" brackets in Group 3, Group 4, and Non-Public A. These brackets are TOUGHER than ever because the level of talent in so even and so spread out compared to other years. Group 3 is tough to pick, Group 4 is an impossibility, and NP A always seems to feature the top 2 teams in the state (or more). So who gets it done this year? We take our swings at answering that question on this extended episode.
We're back to bring you everything you need to get ready for the NJSIAA Baseball state tournament with our two-part preview. TODAY - New Jersey's resident HS baseball expert and I break down the brackets in Group 1, Group 2, and Non-Public B. Last year, the titles went to Middlesex, Voorhees, and Holy Spirit. They're all in it this year, but none of the three are favored to repeat. Who will get it done?
I don't care if it's a coach flipping front toss, or a tee with no fielders, you just don't hit .552 at ANY level in baseball. But Penn State Abington's Ryan McCarty does. And is. Today - learn from the man who is putting together the most explosive offensive season at any level in college baseball history right up the road from us. A .552 batting average. 95 hits, 27 home runs AND 26 doubles in 40 games. 85 runs scored AND 85 RBIs. A 1.209 slugging percentage. (For comparison, the next highest in all of D3 is .950) He even has 20 stolen bases AND he pitches - he's the closer and has 4 wins and 3 saves. We try to find out HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE from the 2017 Pennsbury High grad and learn a great deal from Ryan about his mental approach, which has earned raves from his head coach David Miller (last year's A-10 coach of the year at La Salle) and hitting coach Jeff Manto (the long-time major leaguer AND major league hitting instructor). This is a great episode about someone local who has beaten the odds and is bidding to become only the second player in NCAA HISTORY to win a Triple Crown (Mike Smith, Indiana, 1992). But Ryan leads all of college baseball in TEN different offensive categories, so calling it a Triple Crown almost seems limiting. Also --- is the MLB Draft a possibility? We talk that and more WITH OUR INTERN Ryan McCarty ... on a great JBS.
The ace of New Jersey's top-ranked public high school baseball team, Rumson-Fair Haven pitcher Charlie Jones is known as one of New Jersey's best big-game pitchers. He earned the reputation by being tough as nails on the mound, by standing toe-to-toe with 4th round MLB draft choice Shane Panzini and Coastal Carolina freshman standout Matt Potok among others. He's extended it this year. Now we get the chance to sit down with Charlie before he returns HOME. Born in Winston-Salem, NC, just minutes from the campus of Wake Forest University he will begin his college career with the national powerhouse ACC squad in the Fall. Charlie joins us to talk about that journey, about life at RFH, about winning a state title in basketball (and how NOT winning states in baseball last year motivates him and his teammates) and tells us the BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME - on a great edition of JBS.
A lot of people like to say they are working hard. Wall Township HS seniors Andrew Fischer and Nick Lovarco do it. 4 AM wakeup call style. Today on JBS we sit down with one of the most dangerous duos in New Jersey - Crimson Knights seniors Andrew Fischer and Nick Lovarco. Fischer is known widely as one of the best players in New Jersey and in the nation, a Duke University commit who has legitimate hopes of hearing his name called in the July draft, a powerful work ethic, unrivaled bat speed, and a seemingly unmatched supply of energy. Lovarco is the top Uncommitted 2022 remaining in New Jersey, a speedy outfielder who is a Swiss Army knife of talents on offense - he hits for average and power, with speed and aggressiveness on the bases. BONUS - we find out why Andrew goes by Sir Fischer. Catch it all on today's edition of JBS.
More than just a game. That's the tagline Baseball Warehouse founder, Teamwork Unlimited Director, and Colorado Rockies scout Mike Garlatti has used since starting NJ's Autism Awareness Challenge back in 2008. It's grown from a Middlesex event to one that spans the entire state now, includes schools from 13 of 21 counties, 70 teams in total (40 baseball, 30 softball), and covers three days at North Brunswick Community Park. This year's event runs April 22-24 at NBCP and Garlatti drops by to discuss it with us - how the Challenge started, what's involved to raise Autism Awareness in NJ during the month of April - AND BEYOND - and explains some of the special events that will be taking place in North Brunswick. Great baseball - but more importantly, great teamwork joining together for a cause bigger than ourselves. WATCH - and learn how you can contribute - and learn about the special young lady the players will be swinging for.
Millburn HS is home to one of the top baseball programs in New Jersey, and with a talented core including juniors Steven Echavarria and Robert Schneider, the Millers are going for their third state Group 3 title in seven seasons. We sit down today with Schneider, the smooth shortstop who always seems to be in the right place at the right time and has a deserved reputation as Pitcher's Best Friend, as well as Echavarria, the Pac-12 commit, headed to Oregon with a fastball that lives in the low to mid 90s. Learn about both great players on this episode of JBS - and see why both Rob and I are jealous of Steve - it has nothing to do with baseball and everything to do food. If you see us refer to Steve as "The Godfadda" after this, you'll understand.
Win the day. 1-0. It's a mindset stressed by Fairleigh Dickinson head coach Rob DiToma and it seems to be taking hold in Teaneck. The Knights enter Easter Weekend winners of 12 of their last 15 games and lead the Northeast Conference. It's early - there's a lot of season left - but for a program that hasn't finished higher than 3rd in the NEC since 1999, this is what FDU was hoping for when it hired DiToma, then a highly regarded assistant at Fordham, in 2019. Today we talk with senior Tom Ruscitti, one of the top sluggers in school history, his 29 career HRs ranking third all time. The Jersey Shore (Central Regional) product tells about the positive changes - baseball and campus - that have taken place since his arrival and the pride of knowing he will soon be leaving the program in a far better spot than when he arrived. Enjoy our special episode of JBS and learn more about one of NJ's fast rising college baeball teams!
You've seen plenty of Max Clark highlights we're sure. The Franklin, Indiana, native has blown up in recent years with the combination of power and speed at the plate to go with a fastball that maxes at 97 on the mound, a style and flair all his own, a 4.2 GPA, unstoppable energy, and compulsive desire to compete in everything he does. From his long, flowing, blond hair (it took Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin all of about 10 seconds to give him the nickname Sunshine), to his unique game, we're sure you know Max Clark. Now, get to KNOW Max Clark, as he answers our questions on this week's edition of JBS. Great stuff throughout and we hope you enjoy learning more about the potential No. 1 pick in the July 2023 MLB draft.
Taking you right up to the start of the 2022 NJ HS baseball season, we're back with state high school baseball guru John Kroeger to give you John's Top 10 teams heading into the season. It's actually the Top 10 plus one, as we let you know where the fantastic Hun School squad fits into the mix as well. Also share with you the teams we considered for the Top 10, the teams most likely to step into that lofty territory, and share some final thoughts. We hope you enjoyed our 2022 HS baseball preview. Check the links throughout the season. Now comes the fun part - prove us wrong on the field. We'll be back with more of this in late May once the tournament brackets become official. And don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT!
TWO MORE DAYS until Opening Day. Noted New Jersey baseball guru John Kroeger joins us all week. The man who sees more NJ baseball than anyone on Earth gives us his EARLY look at what he sees in the Group 1 and Group 2 as we break down the final two public school brackets. Who will join 2021 champs Middlesex (Group 1) and Voorhees (Group 2) to be immortalized as champions? These are both FIERCELY contested brackets - both were decided in incredible walkoff manner a year ago. Remember - the ultimate goal isn't who gets mentioned NOW - it's who wins it all in June.
Opening Day is getting closer. Noted New Jersey baseball guru John Kroeger joins us all week. The man who sees more NJ baseball than anyone on Earth gives us his EARLY look at what he sees in Non-Public A & B as we break down two of the most hotly contested brackets anywhere on the face of the Earth. Who will join 2021 champs Saint Joseph's Regional (Non-Public A) and Holy Spirit (Non-Public B) to be immortalized as champions? The Non-Publics include some of the best - and best known - programs you'll find anywhere. Remember - the ultimate goal isn't who gets mentioned NOW - it's who wins it all in June.
The lead in to opening day has officially started. Noted New Jersey baseball guru John Kroeger joins us all week. The man who sees more NJ baseball than anyone on Earth gives us his EARLY look at what he sees in Group 3 and Group 4, as we kick things off with the two larger public school divisions. Who will join 2021 champs Ocean City (Group 3) and Middletown South (Group 4) to be immortalized as champions? Remember - the ultimate goal isn't who gets mentioned NOW - it's who is able to win 6 straight games in June.
On the first day of 2022 scrimmages in New Jersey, we bring you the story of Saint Joseph's Regional two-sport, two-way Saint John's University commit Chad Falcon. The junior is part of a talented core of players who hope to continue the success of last year's No. 1 team in the state, a senior-dominated team led by Sean Hard, who was drafted by the Yankees and is now at Boston College. Falcon is a unique athlete, power bat with lefty funk on the mound and an incredible competitor. How do we know that? Chad had planned to give up wrestling to focus on baseball after the Saint John's commitment. When SJR's regular 190-pounder went down with injury, Falcon decided to give wrestling one more shot - stepped in - and finished 5th in Regions, narrowly missing a trip to the state tournament in Atlantic City. Get to know this high level athlete with a refuse-to-lose attitude on this edition of JBS.
Why do we love baseball? It brings people together. For life. Like Cranford's Shea Grady and Matt Chapman. They've been winning state titles together since 7U Little League. Fast forward a decade and these guys are now D1 verbal commits (Grady to Bryant, Chapman to Mount St. Mary's) and part of a Cranford team that's certainly a contender for Group 3 honors when the season going. We sit down with them for a legendary episode of TGIM. Movie-like twist to the story - Cranford's biggest competition in Group 3 in North Jersey is Millburn - which is coached by Matt's dad Brian Chapman, one of the state's best. (Unlike the movies, Brian is incredibly popular, respected, and highly regarded.) We also talk some wiffleball - as these guys went all out to create a wiffleball league with their friends to get through COVID quarantine. Most of all, this is a great conversation with two lifelong best friends and an awesome episode of TGIM!
With full team tryouts set to start tomorrow, there's a ton of anticipation over at St. Augustine, going for a South Jersey Sixpeat - and hoping to break through to a state championship. The Hermits have one of the deepest and most talented HS pitching staffs we've seen, with more than a half dozen guys throwing different looks and nasty stuff at enemy hitters. Today we talk to the guy on the field whose job is to handle all of these stud arms - St. Augustine senior catcher Austin Sofran. Awesome young man and a fun story, we get some inside info on what should be a great season, as well as learn a lot about what makes Austin a rising star. Sofran is headed off to the PSAC next year to continue his career at Shepherd University - but before he goes, there's one more memorable season about to happen!
Today we talk to New Jersey's only D1 signed identical twins currently playing high school baseball. Christian and Logan Mote are set to lead Gill St. Bernard's into action as they chase an elusive Non Public B sectional and state championship before they both head off to Iona College in the Fall. So we got the chance to find out from GSB's middle infield duo what it's like to excel in multiple sports with their closest friend (Christian is the school's all time point leader in hockey, while Logan is GSB's all-time playmaker). High level athletes rely on communication - how big of an edge is it to play with your twin? It's a fascinating story and these guys are such great representatives of GSB and the game of baseball that we really enjoyed our conversation. Check us out NOW!
A special TGIM because it's Opening Day for PIAA Pitchers and Catchers (NJSIAA coming tomorrow!). So we have a special episode featuring one Pennsylvania's best pitchers in West Chester East senior RHP Gavin Lill. The University of Pittsburgh signee has a lethal arsenal on the bump, punishing size, a great work ethic, and a ton of insight to share in this fun, wide-ranging conversation. Gavin is going to be one to follow this year and well beyond - see why Pitt is so excited for this young man and learn more about this future ACC fireballer on today's episode of TGIM!
We've heard all about what it was like to be able to THROW 102 mph in high school from Chase Petty, now a first-round draft selection of the Minnesota Twins. We've heard how tough it was for high school players to try to HIT a ball that fast. But what about trying to CATCH it? Being 17 years old and tagged with the responsibility of catching a pitcher who throws harder and with more movement than most major leaguers. That was Cole Campbell's job last year and he didn't get nearly the credit he should have for the incredible job he did with a challenge unique to any other HS catcher in the country. We sit down with Campbell and talk to the current Mainland HS senior about that and much more. The NJIT senior can swing it too - 35 hits last year - runs like the MIF he used to be (6.8 60), and tells us about the crazy food superstition he had last year. Really fun conversation with Cole - hope you enjoy this week's BONUS edition of JBS.
The Shore Conference 2022 season is going to be a BATTLE. So many good teams, so many crazy student sections, so much ... fun. Great games every day. Great players - some you know, some flying under the radar. Ocean Township is one of those programs and their star infielder Jack Zabarsky is one of those players. The dude flat out rakes. And loves to do it too. Put on about 20 pounds from last year and ready to show he's one of the best players in New Jersey. He joins us to talk some Shore baseball, some OT baseball (FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM AT OT.BASEBALL), tell us a story that he's going to tell his kids some day, and explain why Shore Conference players love Chipotle so much. Jack is going to be a great fit at Montclair State as they build to re-emerge as a D3 superpower in the loaded NJAC. Enjoy today's edition of JBS with Jack Zabarsky!
We cross state lines - but just a little bit - for today's JBS featuring Pennsbury star senior and Winthrop signee Charlie Evans. Another one of the players we first saw at January's MLK Invitational, Charlie is a complete package - lightning speed, great defense, some power, high average - and an incredible motor, attitude, and drive that has Pennsbury slated as one of the top public school teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region according to Perfect Game. Plenty to talk about with Charlie, from his unique pre-game routine to the adjustments he had to make living on his own last summer to his decision to play college baseball down in South Carolina the next four years. We also get the lowdown on his friendship with Birdman Bats and the unique Lumber Party he threw for some of the area's best talent last month. Charlie has the respect of the top players AND coaches in the area - and we find out why on this great edition of JBS.
Today on TGIM we talk with Centercourt Lawrence Director of Baseball Operations Jim Maher. We look back on one of the most impactful baseball lives in the area as well as look forward at the future of Centercourt and the massive Lawrence site, the 100,000+ square foot indoor turf facility that is the largest of its kind in New Jersey. We look back at Maher's coaching career - a state Hall of Fame career at the high school level, a state title in Little League, 4 different trips to the Babe Ruth World Series, American Legion championships, the travel ball circuit, a trip to the NCAA Tournament as an assistant coach for Barry Davis at Rider. There's the one position Maher wanted but never got (then finally had to turn down when he DID). We also talk Centercourt - the unlimited potential the place has to have a major impact on the area baseball season. There's a lot of memories, great teams, and great stories here. So we hope you enjoy today's episode and TGIM!
ROLL GRIGGS! Enjoy this episode of JBS as we talk to emerging Red Bank Catholic baseball star Sean Griggs, who recently made his verbal commitment to attend the University of Alabama. Learn about his hidden talent that will no doubt come in handy when he makes his way to the SEC football tailgates. More importantly, we look back to his amazing freshman campaign, starting immediately and playing with eventual 4th round MLB draft choice Shane Panzini. How many people get to play their first varsity HS game as a 9th grader in front of more than 30 MLB scouts? We had a great time sitting down with Sean and discussing a wide variety of topics - we hope you enjoy this profile of one of the best players in New Jersey on this edition of JBS!
Bad literary puns aside, we really enjoyed the chance to sit down with one of the best players in NJ's Class of 2024. Gill St. Bernards catcher John DiGregorio has already made an early verbal to Penn State University and can't wait to play major college baseball in the Big Ten. We talk with John about his journey, the impact of family, leadership, GSB baseball, lifting, music, ice cream flavors, and so much more. It's obvious the focus and time that John puts in to be at the top of his game - and we can't wait to see how he develops over the next couple of years before college. Hear from one of the best up-and-coming players in NJ on this edition of JBS!
It's a great day to be Eric Reardon. Rutgers opened the 2022 season with a convincing 3-game road sweep, the first time the Scarlet Knights have opened a season 3-0 since 2006. Meanwhile, his new team, Rutgers-Newark starts ITS season Friday, the day Eric becomes a full-fledged college baseball coach. Eric may not be an active pitcher any more, but one thing hasn't changed - it's all Rutgers. You see, the Reardons are perhaps the all-time great Rutgers family, or at least they should be under consideration. Eric was part of that 2006 team as a batboy. His mother, Meg, graduated from there, and works at the school. His father, John, has worked at the school, has served as equipment manager for many sports, including baseball for decades, and while not every RU fan knows his face, they most certainly know his VOICE - he's been the PA announcer at Jersey Mike's Arena (aka the RAC) for years. His parents even met for the first time when RU men's hoops played in the NCAA Tournament in 1991.
After graduation, Eric, who also starred locally at North Brunswick HS, quickly accepted the Pitching Coach role at Rutgers-Newark and who better to convey the emotions and experience of wearing the Scarlet and Black. True Rutgers fans will LOVE this edition of TGIM!
This is an incredibly important episode of JBS and we hope it's one that all senior athletes getting ready to graduate - regardless of sport - and all recent grads get a chance to watch. Five Star Hiring CEO Jim Grugan works to help athletes find jobs. Learn how he works on your behalf to find the right fit with companies and how he can prepare you for success on your interview. Best of all, his service is free to the candidate - it doesn't cost you a dime to have Grugan working on your behalf. EMPLOYERS - connect with Jim to help locate the best candidates for your company. FIND YOUR PASSION AFTER YOUR PLAYING DAYS ARE OVER - here on JBS.
Welcome to GAME WEEK! 2022 NCAA D1 opening day is FRIDAY and that takes on even more importance as who even knows when the MLB season will start. This week we bring on ESPN and d1baseball.com analyst MIKE ROONEY for a special preview on the 8 D1 programs in New Jersey. 2021 ended up being a historic one - two mid-major conference champs, two spots in the NCAA Tournament, and the state's first Tourney win in 10 years. Can 2022 go even higher? We ask Roons about all this - and since it's also Valentine's Day - and there's nobody who loves the sport more - we ask Mike to name the things that he loves most about college baseball. Great conversation with Mike Rooney AS ALWAYS - and one that makes us say TGIM!
Ethan Brown has heard it all. He literally began his career throwing with the wrong hand! True story, he started out as a righty before he realized the whole lefty thing was much more natural. It's worked out well. From there, how can a kid growing up at a small school in North Jersey make it big? How can a kid from North Jersey make it big at a top Florida junior college? Or a top D1 program? But Ethan Brown doesn't do the word "can't." Doesn't listen to it. Put up great numbers at Seminole State College and should have been drafted in 2020. But COVID wrecked that, turned the draft from 40 rounds to 5. Had free agent offers after 2021, but decided to bet on himself - AGAIN. Now he's at the University of South Florida - the underdog program that also doesn't do the word "can't" - the one that nearly made it to Omaha last year and has designs for a follow up season in 2022. Will this get them both over the top? If we've learned anything - we've learned never to bet against Ethan Brown.
Half-man, half-mountain Dan Kiritsis stands an imposing 6-foot-7, 235 pounds and throws like it - mid 90s, swing and miss stuff. We follow Dan on his journey to Bergen Community College and see if he can blossom like other BCC guys such as Joe Miceli (UVA) and Josh Cohen (Sacred Heart). Dan has worked hard this winter as he knows it's time to put up - his physical attributes make him a natural to continue his career at the big-time college level or as a dark-horse MLB draft prospect. Dan is one of the top JUCO prospects in New Jersey and we can't wait to see how he attacks hitters in 2022!
THANK YOU to A.J. Campbell for liberal use of content from his Youtube vlog - follow youtube.com/AJCampbell1 for an incredible look at the life of a D2 baseball player. The documentation of his (and Alec's) rehab from TJ surgery is a must watch - as is everything else as the channel evolves.
TGIM brings the story of two guys who are grateful for EVERY Monday and every other chance to be on the baseball field. Rider's Alec Sachais and Frostburg State's A.J. Campbell are no longer just childhood friends and former travel ball teammates - they're now Tommy John brothers forever, blowing out their elbow roughly the same time last January, having their surgeries one day apart by the same surgeon, and sharing the behind-the-scenes story of their rehabs today. They're less than 2 weeks away from a return to the field to do what they love - and we know you'll love their stories on this episode of TGIM.
Today we are catching up with Peter Serruto, who traded in his Scarlet for Crimson after transferring out to Indiana University during the summer. Serruto was one of the great New Jersey High School catchers of the 2010s - a stud for Millburn HS head coach Brian Chapman on TWO state title teams in 2015 and 2017. An early recruit to Rutgers, Serruto was a primary catcher for Rutgers since his arrival on campus. With a reputation as one of the best DEFENSIVE catchers in the country (Peter gives plenty of shoutouts for that during the interview), the question remains - can Serruto show enough offense to get drafted this summer? Early returns during the preseason look good - but we'll find out when games start in two weeks! Find out what Serruto misses most about Jersey Life and catch up with one of NJ's best on this edition of JBS.
Josh Cohen may have only been 15 but his life changed forever July 4, 2016, the moment his sister realized there was something about his face that looked different.
It turned out Cohen had a tumor in his cheek, a rare form of Ewing sarcoma. The big C. His teen years were essentially over. 14 rounds of chemo were to follow over the next 9 months and Josh went from a talented rising junior at Indian Hills HS to one that was involved in a fight, one day at a time, for his life. With some help along the way, Cohen won that battle, striking out cancer and coming back with a vengeance, fulfilling his D1 dreams. Now Josh is hitting 95 mph, he is getting ready for his season at Sacred Heart University, and he's on the board as an MLB Draft Prospect. He has a goal of getting to 98 mph on May 1 - the five-year anniversary of being declared cancer free. Are YOU going to tell him he can't do it?
WATCH the incredible story of Josh Cohen - on today's episode of TGIM!
Marist shortstop Dylan Hoy's career was at a crossroads. A 4-for-42, COVID-abbreviated freshman season was really the first time in his baseball life that Dylan had failed. It was eating at him. For the first time in his career, things weren't easy on the field. The time away helped. Physically, as far as making adjustments. And just as much mentally. The CREATE YOURSELF slogan - what Dylan tries to live by on and off the field - was born. The old, confident Dylan Hoy was back. 10th in Division 1 in hitting in 2021 and on the radar of all 30 MLB teams heading into 2022, who love his smooth, quick hands at short, his unquestioned and unparalleled passion for the game, and his potent hitting stroke. Dylan BRINGS IT every moment of the day and he certainly brings it for this episode of JBS from his "second home" at Power Arm in Ramsey.
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Welcome to the crazy story of John Wood - The D1 commit turned into Nashville recording artist in less than 8 months!
John is a senior at Mainland Regional and was a D1 commit to Mount St. Mary's but their coaching staff upheaval at the end of the 2021 season made John re-evaluate the role of music in his life and gave the country music aficionado a push to “GO FOR IT.”
Incredible times follow - first gigs - an August performance at the Barefoot Country Music Festival in Wildwood - his first trip to Nashville a month later - tickets to the CMA Awards AND a recording contract with one of the biggest indie country recording labels in the world - All a great example of turning bad news into AN INCREDIBLE STORY.
EPIC Podcast with the only NJ high school pitcher who is also a Nashville recording artist. FOLLOW JOHN ON IG - We can’t wait for the early spring release of his first single HERE SHE COMES.
Listen to John’s journey TONIGHT!
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TGIM today means we have arrived at ring week for Rider University and its 2021 MAAC Champion baseball team. Today we look at their swiss army knife and perhaps best all-around position player, Jake Barbiere as he gets set to begin his fifth and final trip through the conference. Jake is the kind of player and person - the guy who takes pride in doing EVERYTHING right - that winning teams always have but they never get a lot of publicity. He's likely moving to the outfield this year because that's what the team needs to be the best version of itself. We want Jake to get the attention he deserves - and nothing could make us happier than Barbiere going out with a bang in 2022. Enjoy our time with Jake and learn what it takes to transform a program into a winning one.
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Former Pennington School and Lehigh University (Class of 2017) baseball star Connor Donovan is still smart money - just in a slightly different form. Connor is in the Financial world as an advisor with Simon Quick and he joins us to help our young athletes with some important money advice - as well as talk some baseball. Connor was the rare two-way star at the college level - he was all-Patriot as a hitter AND a pitcher his senior year - and started on Lehigh's 2015 Patriot League championship squad that played in the NCAA Regional at LSU. Great episode for our college guys looking for a career, ANYONE looking for important advice in handling their money, and those who want to catch up with one of the area's best players from the early 2010s. Enjoy this episode of JBS with Connor!
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If you are a player - a serious pitcher or just a fan of pitching - or someone who appreciates a business success story - you MUST watch this video.
From very humble beginnings - a 155 pound high school freshman throwing 73 mph to a walk-on who teaches himself to throw upper 90s - Tread Athletics and the career arc of Ben Brewster represent an incredible story. The leader in online/remote training of HS, college, and pro pitchers, Tread is for the player who seriously wants to get better. Co-founder BEN BREWSTER joins us today for a great TGIM episode, as we share the story of Tread, talk about the Tread process, strength benchmarks that pitchers need to have, and discuss the common question - "I can't gain weight. How do I get bigger?" Ben couldn't either - until he went from 155 to 220 and he gained more than 20 mph on his fastball. With over 60K followers on IG, nearly 30K on Twitter, and almost 15K on TikTok - these guys put out incredible amounts of information. See why they're the best - on this episode of TGIM!
If you've ever met Northeastern University catcher Greg Bozzo - the former Ridge High and Diamondjacks star - the first question almost always is - how is someone THAT energetic LITERALLY ALL THE TIME. From wakeup until bed, Greg is ON. So that's what we ask Greg first as we sit down on today's JBS. But there's much more - we talk about catching, the dark days after his first school - La Salle - cut its program in his first month of school, positive mindset, the Diamondjacks, leadership, playing for one of the best programs in the Northeast, and catching two potential top draft picks in pitchers Sebastian Keane and Cam Schlittler. If you know Greg - you know this - you don't want to miss him unplugged here. Welcome to the Land of Bozz.
Welcome to Season 2 of the Jersey Baseball Show and the inaugural episode of TGIM. Let's get fired up for an incredible New Jersey college baseball story.
Joe Miceli was a senior at Indian Hills HS in the Spring of 2018, struggling to hit 82 mph and HOPING for a shot to continue his baseball career. Nobody was knocking down the door but he finally did get a shot with DeSales University - a great D3 program under legendary coach Tim Neiman. That's when Joe's journey becomes a movie script. A velo spike and some conversations - internal and external - put him on the #JUCORoute and one shot to see where he takes it and Joe goes to Bergen Community College. A COVID year gives him extra time to grow, the fastball spikes to the mid-90s, he generates incredible spin rates and movement (3000+ on the breakers), he plays in the MLB Draft League and crushes it with more than a strikeout per inning, and Miceli transfers to national powerhouse University of Virginia, where he should be throwing key innings for a program that's ALWAYS in the mix for the College World Series. Sitting mid 90s and up to 96, Joe is now a big time MLB Draft Prospect.
GREAT EPISODE for anyone who wants to bet on themselves, anyone who is UNCOMMITTED and fearful that they have no shot, ANYONE who appreciates an awesome journey. Let's get it going with this great feature on Joe Miceli.
We finish Generation Next 2.0 at the top - according to Perfect Game's rankings, Ranney's AJ Gracia is the top Class of 2023 baseball player in New Jersey. The best thing about AJ, is that while he knows rankings are fun and starts conversations, they aren't really what's ultimately important. The credentials are there though. The swing is magic producing a heavy artillery of nukes and bombs. The mound presence and stuff is lethal and Gracia has recovered from UCL repair surgery - considered more advanced than Tommy John in that there's no need for complete ligament reconstruction - the original ligament is healthy enough to be reattached through a bracing procedure. Add the package of skills, the positive go-getter personality, the love of the game, the great attitude - it's easy to see why Gracia was a highly sought after recruit who gave his verbal commitment to defending ACC Tournament champ Duke University. Can't imagine a better way to finish Generation Next 2.0 than this conversation with budding star AJ Gracia.
No doubt that Maryland baseball is getting one of New Jersey's genuine stars in Kyle McCoy, a towering LHP from Hunterdon Central. The young man has shown dominating stuff at every level, including up through the Area Code games last summer. He pitched to a sub-1 ERA as a junior for Hunterdon Central, gets it up into the 90s, doesn't walk guys (77-5 strikeout-walk ratio in 45 innings last year per nj.com) and gets it done in big games, like last year's CG win over Pope John for the Hunterdon/Warren title. He's pushing Auburn signee Zach Crotchfelt for the honor of state's best southpaw and certainly gotten the attention of MLB scouts in preparation for the July draft. We sit down with the affable Terps signee for a fun edition of Generation Next - his excitement for taking his talents to the Big Ten, off-season plans, and get to know Kyle off the field as well. Learn more about one of NJ's rising stars on this edition of JBS!
In this edition of Generation Next 2.0 we look at the final member of Generation Leiter 2.0 - Central Regional star pitcher (and DH, yes, Cam has hit some BOMBS!) Cam Leiter. Younger cousin of Mark Jr. and Jack, nephew of Mark Sr. and Al, son of Kurt - this Leiter not only excels on the diamond, where his fastball has grown solidly into the 90s to go along with some nasty secondary offerings, but he's truly carved out his own identity. Cam grew up as a hockey star in Western Canada and didn't even step foot in New Jersey until just before the start of his sophomore year when Cam returned to the high school that Uncle Al put on the baseball map in 1984, when he led Central Regional to a state title long before his fantastic MLB career. Central hasn't won one since - but got close last year, winning the Ocean County Tournament and taking eventual state champ Ocean City to 11 innings before losing, 3-2. Will 2022 be the year? Cam talks about the rabid Central fan base, the fun of HS baseball, growing up hockey-first, what he's learned from watching other family members succeed - and much more - in an awesome edition of Generation Next!
Zach Stichweh returns to the Jersey Baseball Show for this edition of Generation Next. The Don Bosco Prep senior joined us a month ago to share his journey with anxiety, depression, mental health issues and how he learned to handle and cope with those thoughts. It was one of our biggest shows of 2021. But it's only a small part of Zach's unique story - one that begins over 6,000 miles away from Don Bosco in an orphanage on the Russia-China border. Zach was adopted at the age of 10 months (you'll have to hear the outfit he was brought out in when he first met his mom and dad) and brought to North Jersey by an incredible set of parents who have literally provided the opportunity of a lifetime. With an unquenchable desire to learn, Zach has developed some very interesting passions along the way. Stichweh has always thrived at baseball - an early commitment to play in the Big Ten at the University of Maryland - but then dealt with an elbow injury that took away most of his junior year. Zach shares with us that journey and his great rehab team which has him feeling better than ever on the mound as he embarks on what should be a memorable 2022.
The most intriguing name from the impressive Rutgers baseball recruiting Class of 2022 - Toronto's Hugh Pinkney, the impressive catcher from the Great White North. From growing up with hockey as his primary sport to even more challenges during the pandemic -- Pinkney lost his 10th AND 11th grade HS seasons because of the way the Canadian government responded to the COVID pandemic, leading to creative recruiting video workarounds like the home street catching video you see in the opening - Hugh has a great story that ultimately leads to the Big Ten, Central Jersey, and Rutgers University. Pinkney got his first extended taste of Central Jersey over the summer, living the hotel life and playing in the elite Diamondjacks travel program to get a feel for the area, to get reps against great competition, heck - just to get reps against LIVE competition on a regular basis again. The experience made him more sure than ever that Rutgers was the right decision - and a great guest today on GENERATION NEXT.
We kick off 2022 with this look at one of New Jersey's best infielders, as Lorenzo Meola has staked his claim as one of the elite players in the Skyland Conference. He'll be joining Northern Burlington slugger Drew Wyers down at Stetson University giving the school a distinct NJ flavor to its 2022 recruiting class --- and Hatters fans no doubt are excited to have another Meola in the infield. Lorenzo's cousin Jonathan was the starting 3B on Stetson's 2018 Super Regional squad, wowing the locals with superior defense at the hot corner, and Lorenzo shows plenty of masterful glove work on his own. Learn about the latest from this athletic New Jersey family (Uncle Tony is a US Soccer Hall of Famer and three-time World Cup team goalkeeper) as we start 2022 with a flourish on JBS Generation Next.
We finish the month the same way we started it - by sitting down with a member of the Buecker family about to embark down a road of serving our great nation. Our Month of Buecker started with Robbie, a junior at West Point who is a star pitcher on Army's baseball team. We finish December (and 2021) by sitting down with Robbie's younger brother Brendan, a junior at Notre Dame High School and one of the top players in Mercer County, who is a star catcher and recently made his verbal commitment to play baseball at Virginia Military Institute. We talk about growing up with a brother who is a star athlete and how Brendan has been able to forge his own path at the school where Robbie was one of the best area players of the 2010s. We also talk about how Brendan came to the conclusion that military service was in his future as well. This is an awesome look at a well rounded young man and a great way to wrap up the year. We thank you all for watching GENERATION NEXT.
Our look at some of the top juniors and seniors in New Jersey takes us to Glen Ridge for a look at Class of 2023 RHP Griffin Seibel, a hard-throwing pitcher who recently announced his verbal commitment to play college baseball for Xavier University, one of the top programs in the Big East Conference. The Musketeers are getting a hard-working pitcher who has gotten his fastball into the low 90s and a young man who gets it done inside and outside of the classroom. Seibel immediately fell in love with everything Xavier has to offer and almost everything about the Queen City. We use the word almost because while Griffin is all in with the Blue and White - he hasn't quite come around to Cincinnati's chief "delicacy" of Skyline Chili. You'll find out about that and more as we talk to someone who will be one of the best arms in North Jersey this year - Griffin Seibel - on this episode of Generation Next.
NOTE: This is Podcast 100 of the series
It's a challenge that certainly won't get any sympathy for Saint Joseph's catcher Mark Gialluisi, but a challenge nonetheless - handling the Falcons' ridiculously talented - and comically different - styles of the team's three aces. You won't find many HS staffs stronger at the top than SJM's trio of Donovan Zsak (UVA), Andrew Goldan (Rutgers), and Jimmy Mulvaney (Fairfield). Or whose styles are more different. From the classic over-the-top lefty power of Zsak to the hard-charging, high 3/4 of Goldan to the sidewinding magical movement of Mulvaney, the Falcons' backstop has to be ready for anything. And fortunately - he is. You may not find a better catcher or leader in the state than Gialluisi, a 2023 already committed to Boston College and ACC baseball. He'll be the perfect add to a program that values culture over anything and we see him as the kind of young man who would be in consideration for BC's Sonny Nictakis Award down the road. Needless to say, we appreciate Mark's time with us on the show and know you'll enjoy this edition of GENERATION NEXT!
Donovan Zsak is grateful, which may not be the first adjective you think of when a high schooler misses a year-plus with UCL damage that requires Tommy John surgery, but it's the correct one nonetheless. He's grateful for working with an awesome medical team on his comeback, for the opportunity to work on building back better with Tom Drown and the crew at Total Arm Care, for being involved in a great HS program / culture like the one at Saint Joseph's (Metuchen). Donovan's attitude carried him through some of the tougher days in rehab and it's going to carry him to greater heights in his senior campaign. It's why he's cleared and ready to go, up to 92 and throwing harder than ever, and improved upon the form that had him as one of the top LHP in the country early in his HS career. Donovan can't wait to fulfill his signed Letter of Intent to the University of Virginia and is back on MLB Draft Charts as a must-see pitcher this spring. He's on our list too. Enjoy this awesome edition of Generation Next!
One of the top players in New Jersey's high school baseball Class of 2023, North Brunswick's Zack Konstantinovsky decided the lure of big-time college baseball right around the corner was too much to pass up. Under head coach Steve Owens, Rutgers has again become a force in recruiting the state's bounty of talented players and the Scarlet Knights were all over the talented RHP with the smooth, repeatable mechanics, and punishing stuff. It's a match made in heaven and a big part of our discussion on this episode of Generation Next. We also discuss the role of Zack's brother Victor, a half-dozen years older who was a great college catcher for St. John Fisher, as well as training at Baseball Warehouse - and much more. Watch this episode with one of GMC's best !
Now it's easy to see why Old Bridge junior Justin Herbstman is one of the top pitchers in New Jersey's Class of 2023. Pumping into the 90s, great classic lefty stuff, the traditional lean LHP frame, a body you can see filling out and becoming more dominating. Justin is as good as it gets in the junior class. But before all that - before all the calls and the love from the best baseball schools in America - there was the young boy waiting for his shot at a showcase. Waiting. And waiting. Past midnight and into the early hours of the morning. And showing why you ALWAYS have to be ready for your opportunity, wherever - and WHENEVER - it comes. Watch our profile of Justin Herbstman here on Generation Next - and learn more!
Enjoy our conversation with Jackson Memorial's ace lefty Zach Crotchfelt, the young man who has impressed at national level showcases and is pegged by many observers as one of the Top 100 high school draft prospects in the country. He recently signed his Letter of Intent to play baseball in the SEC at Auburn University - an environment and level of baseball as close to the pros as you can still have while you're in college! But you'd never get that impression just from talking to him though - Zach remains humble, hard-working, competitive, and ready to get better every day. Zach opens up on a variety of topics and talks of overcoming some struggles at a younger age, dealing with anxieties and insecurities and using them to fuel his drive for the game, his cool shoe restoration side hustle with the silly name, and his expectations for what should be an incredible next 12 months. We are thankful for this opportunity to meet and learn about Zach's story - and we know you will be too! Enjoy this special Generation Next.
A one-hitter in the state championship game is the stuff of dreams, but for Middletown South's Ben Schild, it also brings a question - what can he do the FINAL two seasons of high school baseball? Schild absolutely dominated in the Eagles biggest game in years but that's become expected of this 2023 graduate with the fastball now into the 90s and some lethal secondary pitches. Much more than just an overpowering arm, Schild has also shown an advanced feel for pitching and is an early verbal commitment to the University of Connecticut - reigning Big East champion. Younger brother of former Monmouth standout Zach Schild, Ben tells us how that relationship has helped him grow through the years. This is a great conversation with one of the best players in the Shore Conference and one of the fast-rising arms on the national 2023 charts. Enjoy our time with Ben Schild on this episode of GENERATION NEXT.
There's so much truth to the adage Tradition Never Graduates. Players come and go in high school baseball, but culture can carry over from graduating class to graduating class for generations. Ridge's Connor Byrne is a perfect example of what keeps a program like that among the elite for years and years. Hard working, great leader, emerging talent, Connor has his fastball into the 90s now and with strong secondary offerings, is poised to emerge as one of the best pitchers in a loaded junior class. He recently committed to Siena College in the MAAC - which means he'll become a New Jersey RIVAL soon of Rider, Monmouth, and Saint Peter's - but we'll always be a fan of the affable RHP with the unquenchable desire to get better. We enjoyed our sit down with Connor and know you will too!
Growing up down the Shore, Logan Duffy always seemed destined for a Division 1 athletic career. In soccer. But it turns out the Manchester Township senior was pretty good at his "second sport" too. Duffy has emerged in high school as one of the most feared hitters in New Jersey - although one with a unique story - and recently signed a Letter of Intent to play for Old Dominion, one of the top programs in the country, as the Norfolk, Va., school plucks another star from the Garden State. We talk with Duffy about that and much more on this fun edition of Generation Next. Learn why every Chipotle in the Norfolk area should be excited that Duffy is coming to town (NIL opportunities???) and why Duffy owes some of his success to Duke-bound Shore-rival and close friend Andrew Fischer. Enjoy this holiday edition of JBS Generation Next.
It was at the same time the easiest and hardest decision of Sebastian Pisacreta's life.
Over the summer, Pisacreta - one of the state's top 2023 players - was given the opportunity to spend his last two seasons of high school baseball training at TNXL Academy in Florida. That was already the plan for 2023 anyway, a postgrad year to get ready for the rigors of University of Pittsburgh and the Atlantic Coast Conference. But going NOW would speed up the timetable and take away his senior year at his beloved Bishop Eustace. Ultimately - Sebastian decided to follow his dream to Central Florida. We talk about that decision, his future goals, his love for South Jersey and his Bishop Eustace family - all on a powerful edition of Generation Next that showcases someone we're proud to call part of NJ College Baseball Nation!
The speed stands out. Laser timed, 6.32 seconds in the 60. An 80 grade by any scout's metric system. And Kai Hutchins is just starting his junior year, so you realize that's probably only going to get better. But this Pemberton High School baseball star knows its the rest of his game that ultimately will tell the story. The hard work, leadership, developing power and average skills. The defense, hustle, and all-around hard work. Hutchins is an emerging star in South Jersey, a leader in the school, and our guest on this edition of Generation Next. He's a 2023 verbal commit to Old Dominion - a program that has done exceptionally well recruiting some of New Jersey's top players in recent years - and emerged as one of the top 25 programs in America. Up-and-coming player, up-and-coming college baseball force, talent rich state - sounds like a perfect match. We also talk Kai's OTHER favorite sport - if not baseball, Hutchins would be crushing it on the golf course. Adds up to a great edition of Generation Next!
ENJOY THIS SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION OF GEN NEXT 2.0
PLEASE NOTE: 11:00-18:30 - Jimmy Mulvaney, Ryan Jaros (Georgia Tech commit), and Mark Gialluisi (Boston College commit) talk about their special friendship with Austin Nace, who has been friends with Mulvaney since they were 8 and battles a genetic disease called Mucopolysaccharidosis, or MPS. Austin has undergone an assortment of surgeries, nearly a thousand intravenous infusions, goes to physical, speech, and occupational therapy multiple times per week. More can be found by reading Bob Behre's excellent story at https://diamondnation.com/austin-nace-and-djack-teammates-show-power-of-friendship/
This edition of Generation Next 2.0 features one of the more unique pitchers in New Jersey's 2023 class, Saint Joseph's (Metuchen) sidewinder Jimmy Mulvaney. Jimmy picked up throwing from down under pretty naturally and toyed with enemy hitters over the summer, hitting 83 with the fastball, showing the potential for more, and making batters look silly with his frisbee like movement. Jimmy shares his story and talks about being part of a special culture at Saint Joseph's, being one of the longest tenured Diamondjacks players ever, and drawing special inspiration from his friendship with Austin. DO NOT MISS this Christmas edition of JBS Generation Next.
GENERATION NEXT 2.0 starts today! Merry Christmas to all.
A consensus top player in the New Jersey high school baseball Class of 2023, Ryan Jaros is working hard to deliver on the high expectations he has for himself. A powerful, 6-4, 215-pound corner infielder, Ryan moves like a speed guy (6.6 in the 60), hits like a power guy, and throws hard across the diamond. His game projects well at the next level and he's committed to the powerhouse Atlantic Coast Conference and a great Georgia Tech program.
But the coolest thing about Ryan to us is that he seems to have it all in perspective. That it's more important to be a good person than anything else. One of the nicest people you'll ever meet, Ryan is trying to change the paradigm and show that Nice Guys can indeed finish first. The top junior baseball player in the state is a great choice to kick off Generation Next Volume 2.0!
NOW PLAYING: Happy Holidays everyone. Our final COLLEGE Jersey Baseball Show of 2021 gives you a lot to think about, as we talk with Aidan Healy, one of the stars of the 2019 West Morris Central high school team that made it to the state finals. Healy was an immediate starter in college at Furman University in February 2020 and things looked great. And then - COVID, a program elimination, a quick transfer to Top 25 Virginia Commonwealth, a one month COVID quarantine derailing things before that ever got going with the Rams, an elbow injury that led to a winter of rehab, and eventually Tommy John surgery and ANOTHER transfer to D2 Rollins College down in Florida. But Healy learned A LOT about himself on the way, and with the help of a magic summer coaching the Morris County Cubs 14U squad, rediscovered HIS OWN passion for the game. Aidan delivers an important message to us all about finding the right fit and having that lead to ultimate happiness. It's a JBS that EVERYONE can benefit from!
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It's Holiday Week and we bring you the great story of two local baseball programs actively involved in helping the Miracle League of Mercer County, which is designed to bring those with special needs access to baseball without barriers. TCNJ, under the direction of head coach Dean Glus, and Mercer County Community College, ably led by Fred Carella, have become great partners to the Miracle League in recent years. They join us and Dan Sczweck, executive director of the Mercer chapter to discuss how and why on a special Holiday JBS today. And as is often the case when you volunteer, it ends up making just as big an impact on YOUR OWN outlook/perspective. Learn more about the Miracle League, it's mission, and how you can make a difference on a special JBS!
Tommy McCarthy was almost literally born into baseball. His father, Tom, has been a Phillies announcer since 2001 (with a couple of years spent broadcasting the Mets) and when Tommy was born, his father was the do-all voice of the Trenton Thunder working his way up to the big leagues. So Tommy was literally around the field from his earliest moments. It's become quite a baseball life - Tommy worked his way into a fine baseball career - NJAC Player of the Year and two-time conference champ at TCNJ and now a professional journey that has taken him to Gary, Indiana, and the American Association. But there's much more and we hit so many great baseball topics on today's JBS - life in indy ball, life on the "inside" watching his beloved Phils (who WERE his favorites? when did he get to be batboy?), his glove restoration side hustle, love of Chic-Fil-A, handling adversity and turning out better for it, the importance of finding the right FIT with college to become the best version of yourself.
Then there's McCarthy's other gig - helping his father call NFL and major college basketball games for CBS. Needless to say, watch today's JBS for some awesome local and national baseball/sports content.
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South Jersey's Noah Clement is back on the field, back where he belongs, in the coach's box at first base, helping a talented young Widener team fulfill its vast promise for new head coach Kevin Burdick. Clement is a bright, dedicated, highly motivated young coach on a bright, dedicated, highly motivated staff that wants to build on the success of what Mike LaRosa (now at West Chester) built during his winning tenure. Clement sits down with us on JBS today to share how baseball has gotten him through tough times and alternatively broken his heart, how the game has made him stronger, and shares with us his very non-linear path to Widener. From HS in Philly at Roman Catholic to D2 superpower Millersville to JUCO to the NE-10 to summer ball kingpin of the Juice Pigs to trying to build his own facility to travel ball coach - Noah has already done many things in the game -- and with his drive and determination, he'll do much more. And if you know Noah, he's NEVER shy about sharing his opinion either! It all makes up for a fun, quick moving episode of JBS!
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We take the #JUCORoute today along with the explosive County College of Morris duo Steven Nitch and Christian Maceda, two of the best players we saw all Fall. Nitch is a catcher (and OF and P) who played in the MLB Draft League last summer, throws upper 80s from behind the plate and 90+ from the other two locations, while Maceda is an Outfielder with power (5 HR in 53 ABs as a freshman at UMBC) and speed (6.41 in the 60). They join us today to talk about their journey, how they got to CCM, JUCO life, and what their goals are for the future. College baseball is full of great stories and these two have the game to rep New Jersey for years to come!
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Two-time Gloucester Catholic high school baseball state champ Andrew Vail, one of New Jersey's most dominant HS pitchers of the 2010s, is working hard on the comeback trail. While playing for the University of Missouri, Vail felt his elbow go in a game against Tennessee and had Tommy John surgery on June 9. Vail has been right on schedule with his rehab and at the same time is working harder than ever to get into the best shape of his life. He's taking classes at Rowan to finish his degree, has a return to the mound ETA of June 2022, and still has two more years of college eligibility left if needed to pursue his pro baseball dreams. There's always a market for LHP who throw in the mid-90s, and Vail has had incredible experiences pitching against many of the best programs in the nation. He weighs in on the 2017 vs 2018 GC state champs debate, playing in some of the best college atmospheres around, and offers great insight about the game. Make sure you watch this fun edition of Jersey Baseball Show!
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The name Brooklawn means many things to different people in the American Legion World, but one thing nobody argues is that the program created almost 70 years ago by the legendary Joe Barth is the standard of excellence in New Jersey and one of the most noted programs in the amateur baseball world. With 30 state championships, 18 regional titles, and 4 American Legion World Series crowns, this program has been successful on every possible stage. Two key guys from Title 30 - shortstop Chase Conklin (2021 ACBL MVP) and pitcher Joey Rappaport join us to talk Brookers family, the Legion experience, and the road to North Carolina for the Regional tournament. These guys practice hard, play old-school baseball, and become a family every summer. They also know that at its best - American Legion baseball creates a memorable experience that really can't be duplicated. Join us for an American Legion edition of Jersey Baseball Show!
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0:00: Baseball journey, Playing at UCF, Closing in on 100, 2022 goals
21:10: Thriving with Tourette's Syndrome, diagnosed at age 9
JBS PRESENTS is excited to share the story of 2019 West Morris Central grad Connor Staine. The University of Central Florida pitcher talks about his baseball journey - nearing 100 mph (max 98), playing in the Cape Cod League, baseball in the Orlando sun, and hopes of professional baseball. He also shares openly about his journey with Tourette's Syndrome. Diagnosed at age 9, Connor quickly learned the importance of confidence and attitude. Now he hopes to help others who have been diagnosed, who feel different, or who feel like they aren't able to do what they want. Connor is a great story and we're so happy he shares with us on this episode of JBS.
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We sit down with #SandlotLegend Anthony Schooley, one of the great players to come out of Cherokee High in recent years. Anthony transferred to Rowan after a year at Villanova and is now following in the footsteps of older brother Nick, who enjoyed a fantastic career up the middle for the Profs and was one of the key players on the team's 2021 run to the D3 College World Series out in Iowa. Can Anthony help the team take the final step? Coach Mike Dickson has a super talented squad - but at that level, it's truly anyone's game. We enjoy sitting down with Anthony, talking about what makes South Jersey baseball so great, some of his big moments, and why he thinks the Profs are ready to win it all in 2022!
Anxiety, depression, feeling overwhelmed. These are issues that are important to us at NJ College Baseball Nation, and also to Don Bosco Prep senior pitcher Zach Stichweh, who just signed his NLI to play big-time college baseball at the University of Maryland. Zach is one of the best high school baseball players in New Jersey and he wanted to share his own personal journey with these demons because we both hope it can help ANYONE out there - athlete or otherwise - feeling the same things. Zach's story is incredibly relatable - whether you're in HS, college, the working world, a parent - there's something you are going to connect with here. Zach speaks with such clarity on these topics (with some help from Jocko Willink and David Goggins) and this is the most powerful 20 minutes we've ever produced on The Nation. Let's make a difference for someone this holiday season - it's so important to lift each other up - we truly are in it together. Zach and I both hope you get something out of this edition of JBS Presents - and if it impacts anyone positively to deal with these crippling issues, we are grateful.
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After a fantastic high school career, Robbie Buecker began life at West Point in the United States Military Academy on July 2, 2019. One of the top Mercer County athletes of the 2010s, the Notre Dame High graduate shares his awesome story with us on Jersey Baseball Show. Robbie explains the selection process for an Academy school, talks about campus life, time schedules, the Army-Navy game, and of course, playing high level college baseball on top of this. Buecker even accomplished the dream of a lifetime back in June as the Black Knights won the Patriot League title and Robbie got to pitch in the NCAA Tournament. We hope you enjoy this great edition of the Jersey Baseball Show!
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NJ High School baseball fans and everyone who wants great Hot Stove baseball talk - HERE is your first look at the schedule for the 2022 Thank You Classic. This is a 3-day event held from April 29 - May 1 honoring first responders in the communities of the 92 schools participating in 46 games over three days throughout New Jersey. We reveal the field, talk about the games, and highlight as much of the amazing talent we can fit in one hour. Hear interviews with co-founder/Gloucester Catholic assistant coach Bill Gore, along with state baseball guru JT Kroeger, coaches Dan Haverstick (Rancocas Valley), John Hopely (Pitman), John Marcucci (Paulsboro), and Nick Core (St. Joseph's - Hammonton), and also players Austin Sofran (St. Augustine/Shepherd U signee) and Joey Bogart (Gloucester Catholic/URI signee).
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SPECIAL HOLIDAY SPOTLIGHT - Our mission with NJ College Baseball Nation is to provide a vehicle for HS and College Baseball Players to become the BEST version of themselves. One of the biggest aspects of that is dealing with mental health, with performance anxiety, confidence issues, etc. We are major proponents of positive thinking and the power of living your passions and our two guests today are major reasons why. Eric Cartafalsa is a pitcher for national D3 powerhouse Rowan University - the Profs are one of the best programs at any level in the Northeast. Kyle Massi is a former baseball player turned bodybuilder who lives by the motto Passion Goes Places. They've both been instrumental in much of what we've done baseball wise since the start of COVID, whether through on-field (Eric was a key pitcher for the 2021 ACBL champs) or off - helping provide the motivation for this very platform. We join here for a 1-hour look at how living a life of passion and gratitude can lead to incredible fulfillment!
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Here's a great New Jersey inspiring story - we're thankful for getting to know Hamilton Township's RONNIE VOACOLO through the years, from High School to American Legion to Mercer to the Sandlot to Southeastern University in Florida. And he's thankful for the game of baseball - to provide a way to lift him up through challenging times and give him a vehicle to become his best self. From GPA struggles to becoming a regular Dean's List student, one semester away from a degree in Sports Management. From struggling with weight gain to being a rock solid 215. From yo-yo velo spikes to sitting 92-94 and hitting 95 this Fall, gaining pro interest and positioning himself to play after college. On our Thanksgiving edition of JBS, Voacolo tells an awesome story of using baseball to mature, some great role model coaches, and has messages that ALL of our audience should hear!
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Voorhees center fielder Jake Knapp sits down to talk about his bright future. A starter who batted over .300 for last year's NJ Group 2 state champs, Knapp has the frame to develop into an outstanding college player. He recently committed to JUCO power Mercer County Community College as a chance to grow and reach his full potential. We sit down with Jake and connect on a variety of topics - getting up well before the crack of dawn to hit the gym and put on some needed weight, playing for one of NJ's best young coaches in Cory Kent, his love of fruit snacks, chocolate milk, and yes, rocking out to pop music. And seeing that it's Thanksgiving week, Jake has a lot to be thankful for - as he shares with us the emotions of a brutal one-car accident from earlier this month. It's a fun, heartful JBS with JAKE KNAPP - Enjoy!
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John Rorick may stand just 5-foot-5, but for the Kingsway High middle infielder, that's just a number. And there are so many bigger numbers in his life. Like 4.0 for his GPA. Or .352 for his batting average last year with the Dragons. Or 88 mph across the diamond. So why should height matter, anyway. It sure doesn't for John. Or long-time head coach Tim Neiman, who will pass 800 wins in 2022 and can't wait for Rorick to arrive on campus next Fall. It all adds up to a great JBS with a clear message about not letting obstacles stand in the way of something you really want. And we end with the first-ever on-air backflip in Jersey Baseball Show history!
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Joey DeMucci isn't a Jersey guy -- yet! The star Philadelphia Catholic League catcher is about to become one though, as he recently signed his Letter of Intent to play college baseball in the MAAC for Monmouth University. DeMucci has been a star catcher at Bonner-Predergast HS for a couple of years and is developing into one of the area's best players. He can't wait to take his game to one of America's most improved mid-major conferences, to play in a league that's always ultra competitive from top to bottom. Monmouth is getting a gritty competitor just like his older brother John, who is now at West Chester after La Salle folded its program. You'll enjoy learning more about DeMucci on this episode of JBS Signing Week!
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It's not the "traditional" D1 story. West Milford's Christian Aiello doesn't throw hard and he didn't sign in his sophomore year. He's a late blooming, crafty left-hander taking a bridge year who might hit 85 on his best day. But Aiello is a great example of everyone having THEIR OWN journey to maximize their ability and that working hard will help you get there. Aiello is using that extra year wiped away by COVID to build his repertoire, improve his awesome secondary pitches, and be the kind of LHP that NOBODY likes to face. Rider pitching coach Mike Petrowski has always seemed to get the most out of pitchers like Aiello and it's going to be fascinating to see how he does when he starts at Rider in the fall. We enjoyed talking about Aiello's story and know you'll enjoy this episode of JBS Signing Week.
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Notre Dame's Dylan Palmer will be the first to tell you he doesn't "look like" the prototype D1 recruit - he's 5-foot-8, 145 (or so) pounds. He's also smart enough to know that here, anyway, size doesn't matter. Game does. And Palmer has plenty of it. He also has plenty of energy. And plenty of defense. And plenty of speed and line drives. And work ethic. Those are all things that attracted the staff of new Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto, the former 14-year major leaguer hired by Hofstra in July to remake the program. Coach has been successful at every stop in his baseball journey and it will be fascinating to follow Palmer's journey out on Long Island. All adds up to a great episode of JBS Signing Week.
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We stretch the boundaries of New Jersey to catch up with this star backstop from our neighboring state, imposing Souderton High School catcher Carter Jagiela. Carter is one of the prized recruits from the Class of 2022 for Saint Joseph's University and we appreciate guys heading to Philadelphia to keep college baseball alive there. You'll enjoy this conversation with Carter as we learn more about his unique background, get his thoughts on some random questions, and hear about one of the best baseball programs in Southeastern PA. All on a special episode of JBS Signing Week!
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Ewing High's Ryan Leary joins us to talk about how his game has grown through the years, in particular because of some of the amazing people he's gotten to learn from - former JBS guest Dave Gallagher chief among them. We talk about many other topics in this wide-ranging interview with one of Mercer County's best. Ryan's hard work has allowed his hitting to catch up to his fielding in recent years - you won't find anyone out there working harder or more coachable - and he's turned into someone Wagner coach Craig Noto was happy to sign as he continues to build a roster with impressive NJ flavor. We know you'll enjoy this edition of JBS - Signing Week!
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Monroe Township High School senior CJ Wisniewski will tell you that visualization plays an important role in his success. And so for us, it's easy to see the right-handed slugger having a big impact in college for 2021 America East Conference champ NJIT. Wisniewski sits down with us for this special Signing Week edition of JBS Generation Next. He talks about joining the special Brick City Gritball culture the program has created and special sense of family that's obvious among the players. We hope you catch this special edition of the Jersey Baseball Show.
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On a team loaded with high end talent, Josiah Ragsdale is a key to St. Augustine's powerful offensive attack. The senior is one of the fastest players in the state, covers a ton of ground in the outfield, and is headed to Iona College with good reason. Josiah sits down with us for a great conversation, talks about heading off to college with one of his high school teammates (pitcher Andrew Gaines), and we wonder if people would pay to see a race between Ragsdale and teammate Ryan Taylor for the title of NJ Baseball's fastest man. It's a great edition of JBS Signing Week.
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Kyle Neri isn't the flashiest player. But who really cares about flash when you hit the ball the way he does, with power to all parts of the park. He's a huge reason why St. Augustine has been a consistent South Jersey Non-Public superpower over the past few years. Can 2022 be the year the Hermits take the final step and win the state title in New Jersey's toughest bracket? If Neri has his say, absolutely. We also talk about Kyle signing with Northeast Conference power Bryant University, going to college with lifelong friend Caden Dulin. Adds up to a powerful edition of JBS Generation Next Signing Week.
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The bigger the situation, the more you need players like Williamstown's Chris Montone, who always seems to find a way to get it done under pressure on the mound or at the plate. He outdueled Zach Crotchfelt, one of the best players in the state, in last year's state tournament, and stroked a key double to help Williamstown win in that game. It's his mound skills - and ability to rise to the occasion - that caught the eye of Rider University, and earlier this month Montone signed his letter of intent to play for the 2021 MAAC champions. We sit down with Chris for this edition of JBS Generation Next Signing week and we're excited to see him continue to develop.
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One of South Jersey's best all-around players kicks off today's Signing Week package. Caden Dulin gets it done up the middle for Williamstown HS, hits for average and power - and ran his fastball up to 92 in the Fall - so expect this talented senior to get some time closing out games this spring. Put all that together and combine with a fantastic work ethic and its easy to see why Northeast Conference power Bryant University was very interested in Caden. We sit down with Caden - and learn his favorite Halloween costume ever - on this edition of JBS.
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It will be an interesting 2022 for Max D'Alessandro as he recently signed his letter of intent to play college baseball for Fairleigh Dickinson in the Northeast Conference, with his close friends and Scanzano/Combat travel partners Jeremy Cheeseman and Shane Sax. It will be especially interesting during the high school season, as D'Alessandro (Lenape High) will face both Cheeseman and Sax (archrival Cherokee) in big games. That might put some serious bragging rights on the line, but there's no stopping the tight friendship the three of them have formed, or the unique nature of them all staying in-state to play together at FDU. We catch up with Max - at his favorite location - while he's working on his game - and learn what makes him one of the top workers around. We hope you enjoy this fun edition of JBS Signing Week as much as we did.
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Radar guns don't matter when Shane Sax is on the mound. He'll hit 84-85 max, but in an era of velo, it doesn't matter. The kid is pitcher first, second, and third. He gets outs. He wins. He carves with a lethal three-pitch mix. He shows that when you put the ball where you want, when you pitch with confidence and poise - that's what matters. The reward - a shot to play at the next level - for Fairleigh Dickinson in the Northeast Conference - with his close friends and Scanzano/Combat travel buddies, high school teammate Jeremy Cheeseman (Cherokee) and high school rival Max D'Alessandro (Lenape). We connect with Shane and learn what makes him so unique on this edition of JBS Signing Week.
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Jeremy Cheeseman knows all about how there aren't many two-way players in Division 1 college baseball. He knows the odds are against him. But one of the best all-around players in New Jersey doesn't really care about the odds all that much. He's going to give it his best shot regardless. Cheeseman is a great hitter, fielder, and pitcher for Cherokee High School and signed his letter of intent to stay in-state and play for Fairleigh Dickinson in the Northeast Conference. He'll be going with two of his best friends and Scanzano/Combat travel baseball teammates in pitcher Shane Sax (Cherokee) and outfielder Max D'Alessandro (Lenape). We talk about realizing D1 dreams and the unique situation of going to play college ball with two of your best friends on this fun edition of JBS Signing Week!
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Signing Day was a big one for Dom Patrizi, continuing the tradition of excellent baseball at Cherokee. The multi-talented shortstop signed on to join a Lehigh program that always seems to be churning out high MLB draft picks. One of the top infielders in New Jersey, Dom sits down for us to explain how he got to this point, why he's looking forward to playing for the Mountain Hawks, and how to be at your best on this great Signing Week edition of the Jersey Baseball Show.
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One of the big surprises nationwide on signing day came when New Jersey's consensus No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2023 signed his letter of intent to play at the University of Virginia a year early, starting in the Fall of 2022. We talk with Teel about the decision - the timeline behind it, the reasoning for the decision, all that went into the move, the support he's getting back home in Mahwah, and why he basically kept it a secret outside of his inner circle for the last 3 months! This was a well thought out process from Aidan and his family and the reasoning is a great look "behind the curtain" about all that's involved that you don't normally get to see.
One of the great side benefits of all this - Aidan will finally get the chance to play with his older brother Kyle, who hit the Grand Slam Heard around Charlottesville last spring to propel the Cavs to the College World Series! Aidan was a freshman when Kyle was a senior - and the two missed their opportunity in HS when COVID wiped out the 2020 campaign. Aidan is going to a special place for college ball and we wish him the best of luck!
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From New York City to New Haven, with a lengthy stop in Utah in between - it's not the most linear geography, but it's been a long, strange, wonderful trip for Taft School's Beck Milner, one of America's top catchers, who last week signed his letter of intent to play Ivy League baseball at Yale. Learn about Milner, his intensity and commitment in the weight room, his unique second sport, the sport he couldn't play, and his quest to challenge himself on and off the field on this edition of JBS Signing Week.
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Pitchers love to throw to Middletown North's Andrew Lombardi when he's behind the plate. Not so much when he's in the batter's box. We talk with one of the state's best catchers and find out why he crossed state lines to sign with national D2 powerhouse Millersville (PA). Marauders head coach Jon Shehan has built an amazing program, and Lombardi is a talent and culture fit for what Millersville has built. He answers our questions on a fun edition of JBS Signing Week.
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You know Jack Leiter, of course. And Al and Mark and Mark Jr. But do you know Cam Leiter? Son of Al and Mark's older brother, former Oklahoma State star and minor leaguer Kurt Leiter, Cam is the latest Leiter to work his way through the high school ranks, and it's easy to understand why you might not know Cam as well. Maybe it's the fact that he didn't even step foot in New Jersey until his sophomore year of high school. Or the 10 years he spent growing up in British Columbia? Yes, for awhile it seemed like we might have the first Leiter HOCKEY star. But eventually, Leiter found his way home, back to Bayville, back to Central Regional where his father started the tradition and Al made it Jersey famous by leading Central to a 1984 state title. And now Cam has grown to 6-foot-5, his fastball has reached 93 with more to come, and last week he signed his Letter of Intent to play for one of the nation's top programs in UCF. Not to mention, he gets to play his home games on a field named for his Uncle, and that in itself is pretty awesome. It all adds up to a memorable Signing Week episode as we get to know Cam Leiter.
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Make no mistake, Rutgers head coach Steve Owens really made New Jersey a priority with his 2022 recruiting class. And why not? The state has so many talented players, including Shawnee's Bowen, a talented pitcher with a lethal right arm. We get to know one of the newest Scarlet Knights as Ethan signed on the dotted line last week. How does Bowen feel about staying local and playing in P5 college baseball? Find out as Signing Week beings.
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We conclude our series with a look at one of the top 2023 high school baseball pitchers in the state - and the country - in Bishop Eustace's Matt Augustin. Matt pushed his fastball up to 95 this summer and has some great secondary offerings and committed to the University of Virginia's incredible program at the start of the summer that also saw him achieve significant success at the Area Code games out in California. Matt talks about both of those experiences during our sit down, as well as the challenges he faced to put on the weight needed to push his career forward. Matt is a focused, dedicated, humble young man and you'll be a big fan of his after watching today's episode of Generation Next!
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If you met Andrew Gaines and someone told you he was among the state's top high school players in a sport, you'd probably guess football first. And while Gaines WAS a good football player growing up, you'd be wrong. At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Andrew may look more like a star lineman, but the St. Augustine senior is one of the best PITCHERS in New Jersey. Gaines is one of the keys to a LOADED Hermits squad and recently committed to Iona College to be part of new head coach Conor Burke's first full recruiting class. The MAAC has always been a pitching-first league, and Andrew's arsenal should fit nicely in that regard. Great conversation as we learn about Andrew's unique journey to get to the next level. You'll enjoy getting to know the big righty on this edition of JBS Generation Next!
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When Alexia Jorge was 3 years old, her father needed an extra player for her older brother's T-ball team .... and a love affair with baseball was born. Alexia has broken gender barriers along the way, and along the way she's never thought of herself as a pioneer, but rather ... a baseball player. First female player on storied Lyndhurst baseball team and now the first to play NCAA college baseball in the tri-state area. Alexia Jorge is a freshman catcher at St. Elizabeth's University in Morristown. We'll talk about her amazing journey to get there, spending her 16th birthday winning a gold medal on the US women's national team, how she's won over her teammates and put up with noise from the bleachers --- and how she - like any other freshman - has made the adjustment to her first year in a college program. Plus, we talk about career aspirations, meeting Marlins GM Kim Ng, and what advice she'd give to any "young Alexias" out there who may have been told that baseball is just for boys. It all adds up to a memorable edition of the Jersey Baseball Show!
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If you thought Saint Joseph's (Metuchen) High School pitcher Andrew Goldan was tough to hit LAST year, you haven't seen what he has in store for hitters in 2022. And hint - he was VERY tough to hit last year. As in 0.54 ERA and a dominating run through the GMC Tournament that led the Falcons to the 2021 title. Goldan gained another few ticks to the already-fast fastball, sharpened his secondary offerings, and committed to play Big Ten baseball at Rutgers, part of a huge recruiting class for head coach Steve Owens. As he keeps shooting up the charts, it's easy to see Goldan playing a huge role in Rutgers' resurgence and winning games for the Scarlet Knights for years to come. We sit down with Andrew for a great JBS episode and learn that while he has lights-out stuff, there's so much more that makes Andrew Goldan a special teammate and young man.
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JBS Generation Next moves into its final week with someone who truly is generation NEXT - Eastern HS Sam Winsett won't enter college for another three years, but he's already making moves as one of New Jersey's most talented, young baseball players. Winsett has shown his stuff on the national travel scene and already given his verbal commitment to attend Coastal Carolina. Sam tells us why Coastal stood out before playing in college was more than just a far-off dream and also talks about the benefits of having an older brother also a star athlete (Jack, five years older, and an accomplished player for MAAC Champion Rider). Great conversation with Sam to start your week. Talk about playing up - this is a kid who spent the summer of 2020 as a 14-year old playing in a men's league against current and former pro players! No wonder Coastal - the 2016 CWS champs - was so impressed.
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ACC Tournament MVP leading Duke to its first conference title in 60 years. 7th Round draft choice of the Houston Astros. Three different starting positions on three NCAA Tournament teams in three seasons of college baseball. Big time MLB prospect. Former South Jersey star. We can describe Haddonfield's Joey Loperfido in many ways. And we try to circle the bases by touching on as many as we can during our time with Joey Loperfido, one of college baseball's star names in 2021 and now getting ready for his first full professional season in the Houston organization. We talk about all that - and learn about THE RIG - on this packed edition of the Jersey Baseball Show. It was especially awesome to talk with Loperfido in the middle of our GENERATION NEXT SERIES - while we're talking with a bunch of guys ready to make an impact in college baseball, we also talk with someone who just made a VERY significant one. Enjoy this weekend's special JBS!
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Ocean City's Tommy Finnegan quite literally came up big for the Red Raiders last spring. The 6-foot-7 RHP won three games in the postseason as Ocean City - always a perennial powerhouse - won its first ever baseball state title, capturing the Group 3 crown with an epic 14-inning win over Pascack Valley in June. Now the big righty focuses on a repeat and gets ready to play his college baseball at St. John's for one of the great programs here in the Northeast. Finnegan has a future as big as his frame and works hard to be one of the best in New Jersey. We sit down with Tommy here for another great episode of JBS GENERATION NEXT!
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Jesse Specter may not be the prototype tall RHP, but that's never meant much to this Moorestown HS senior, who has given his verbal commitment to Seton Hall and is one of New Jersey's best pitchers - and fiercest competitors. Closing in on 90 with his fastball, Jesse has a filthy changeup and some other great secondary offerings and that ability to throw it by batters AND keep them off balance AND thrive in pressure situations makes him someone to watch carefully headed into his senior year and beyond as he prepares for future BIG EAST battles. We had a lot of fun sitting down with Jesse and hope you enjoy this edition of the Jersey Baseball Show GENERATION NEXT series.
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Arms Week continues on Generation Next with a look at rapidly rising Lenape HS senior Chase Topolski. The big RHP consistently sat in the low 90s over the summer and fall and is working hard to achieve bigger goals. Chase is a verbal commit to the University of Richmond, comes from an athletic family, and shares his story with us today. In addition, Chase shares some from the heart advice for younger players and provides insight into his own experience as one of Burlington County's premier players. Topolski wants to push himself into the mid 90s before finishing high school and he's certainly building himself into a pitcher who can get there. We can't wait to follow Chase this year and beyond! Hope you enjoy this edition of JBS Generation Next!
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TCNJ graduate student Chris Cote has been one of our favorites for quite some time. From playing JV as a junior at Steinert, to waiting until the very last second to get the opportunity to play college baseball at Mercer to a Summer and Fall 2020 Sandlot Legend to becoming a two-year captain at TCNJ, Chris has handled it all by working hard, being incredibly coachable and versatile, and being one of the ultimate team players. He got an incredible opportunity at the end of the summer - the opportunity to spend the last two weeks of the season with the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League - sharing the same clubhouse once used by guys like Derek Jeter, Aaron Judge, and many more Yankees greats. Best of all, Chris is using the extra COVID year to graduate with a Master's in Marketing from one of the top schools in the state! Chris joins us for a great JBS - gives us the scoop on some awesome Draft League experiences and offers AMAZING advice for our Uncommitted guys who are starting to question their worth - you have to see this!
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One of the top players nationwide in the Class of 2024, Pennington School's Bryce Meccage has a great skillset and even better story. As a pitcher, the University of Virginia commit has the following arsenal - a fastball up to 91.6 mph with 2650 spin rate and 24 inches of vertical movement, a slider at 79-80 with up to 2900 spin, a two-seamer at 90 with 2200 of spin, a 12-6 with 2700 spin, and a changeup at 82-85 with over 15 inches of horizontal movement. Did I mention he doesn't turn 16 until March? Or that at the plate his max EV is 109.4. His father, Jeremy, was a star pitcher at the University of Iowa and longtime pitching coach at Princeton, while uncle Justin is a coach with the Pittsburgh Pirates. But there's MUCH more to Bryce's story - the business he started at age 9, his entrepreneurial streak - bottom line is that in reaching for the stars, Bryce always seems to be pushing his horizons higher! It all adds up to an awesome edition of JBS GENERATION NEXT!
SUBSCRIBE - youtube.com/NJCollegeBaseballNation FOLLOW - twitter @NJCollegeBSBNat; instagram @nj_collegebaseballnation FOLLOW - scarletknights.com/sports/baseball Part 4 of our 12-part series of high school baseball podcasts with New Jersey's top players,
Moorestown's Max Martin pushed himself into national prominence with an amazing summer of performances at major events. He is an integral part of Rutgers head coach Steve Owens' 2022 recruiting class, as the Scarlet Knights are keeping the state's elite players home for the first time in recent memory. Learn more about Max and his story on this edition of JBS GENERATION NEXT!
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Holy Spirit outfielder Trevor Cohen is used to winning in New Jersey. He just wants to do it in college as well. Cohen has a pair of state titles in football as a highly regarded quarterback and another in baseball, where he's widely considered the top high school outfielder in New Jersey. Cohen has made a verbal commitment to Rutgers and according to Prep Baseball Report, he is the highest ranked NJ player to stay in state for college baseball since at least 2014, likely longer.
Our guest on today's GENERATION NEXT episode, Trevor talks about the awesome 2022 recruiting class for RU head coach Steve Owens filled with so many great local players, as well as his journey and the lessons he's learned from such a key leadership role in football. We're excited to be able to watch Trevor for years to come - so make sure to learn more by watching this episode of JBS GENERATION NEXT!!!
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In part 2 of our 12-part Generation Next series, we look at New Jersey's top returning HS power hitter, Drew Wyers of Northern Burlington, who hit 8 HR and drove in 40 during a COVID-shortened 2021 junior season. We talk recruiting, US Elite, Photoshoots, goals, and much more with one of the state's best high school players. It's a great edition of Jersey Baseball Show's GENERATION NEXT!
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You'd understand if Trenton Thunder GM Jeff Hurley needed a breather. But he won't take one. In a crazy 11-month span the Trenton Thunder - Lost the AA Yankees affiliated team to Somerset, began preparations to be part of the inaugural MLB Draft League, found out the AAA Toronto Blue Jays needed a home for most of 2021 for COVID-related reasons, put together an entirely new plan to host the Blue Jays squad, ran both the minor-league and Draft League teams simultaneously (the Draft League played at Rider), saw the AAA team move back to Buffalo at the start of August, and brought the draft leaguers back to Trenton to finish the season. I'm tired just from typing all that. But Hurley continued - as the Thunder GM does his part to keep baseball alive in the county where he grew up and starred (Steinert HS state champ, Hamilton Post 31 Legion World Series). We talk to Hurley (one of only 2 Mercer County Pitchers to win a Legion World Series game since 1948) about all that and more on this edition of CLEAN LEATHER! And yes, we talk about bat dogs as well!
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Our series featuring 13 of the top HS players in New Jersey begins with a pair of all-state, best friends from South Jersey who will be taking their talents across the Delaware to Philadelphia and the Ivy League next Fall. Jarrett Pokrovsky hit over .600 for Schalick HS as a junior and is considered by many the best pure hitter in South Jersey, while Ryan Taylor flashes laser-timed 6.3 speed in the 60, flashes some power at the plate, and excels anywhere you put him on defense. He's a mainstay in a powerful St. Augustine lineup. We're excited to get this started with a unique two-man interview as Jarrett and Ryan truly are part of ... GENERATION NEXT.
The 2022 ACBL season will be an exciting one for college fans! This edition of the Jersey Baseball Show provides a look at the biggest story of the offseason - the MERGER with a group of 7 college summer teams from Long Island, giving the league a full presence in New York for the first time since 2012. The NY Phenoms have repped the state well the last few years, but now they will join a complete Kaiser division of 8 teams that will play exclusively in New York, while the NJ/PA league returns perennial power Allentown, welcomes newcomer South Jersey Kings, and sees the Trenton Generals try to defend their league title. Here we look at the benefits of the merger, explain it for everyone - and key being no interdivision travel except for the all-star game and the World Series at the end of the year! Great day for the ACBL and a great year ahead!
For more: elifishman.com, www.pinstripedprospects.com, prospects1500.com, jerseysportingnews.com Awesome JBS episode with our resident Yankees minor league beat reporter Eli Fishman. Eli is an 18-year-old freshman journalism major at Ithaca College. He started living out his journalism dreams at 11 years old as the Maplewood resident would go down the street to cover Seton Hall baseball for his own website! This has developed into thousands of interviews and games over the years, so many fun stories, and if you ask me - someone who could make the leap to covering MLB tomorrow! Eli shares some stories about Yankee minor leaguers, makes some predictions on guys who are about to make the leap in 2022, and talks about doing what he loves on this episode of JBS!
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MORE INFO - thesavannahbananas.com, bananasforbusiness.com
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Our most exciting interview yet with Jesse Cole, the mastermind behind the Savanah Bananas and Fans First Entertainment, and the Yellow Tux Guy whose summer college baseball team is making news all over the world. Or should I say the PT Barnum of baseball because the Bananas don't just play games in the Coastal Plains League - they put on SHOWS, they put on performances every night. Once a promising college baseball player himself, Cole has become a master performer by "being comfortable being uncomfortable" and pushes you to do the same to become the best version of yourself. Inspiring others by understanding his 'why,' Jesse teaches us through example the importance of living without fear of failure. We get some great stories and some great "mirror moments" on the way.
If you watch this interview, you'll never look at things the same way again!
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The baseball card market has been booming like never before. Now a multi BILLION dollar industry, it's not the simple collector's hobby of our youth. It's truly a baseball stock market - futures, commodities, analytics, etc. It's become an area where knowledge of the game, its players, and some business sense can become quite profitable. Our friend Tyler Holzhammer - Director of Operations at Sports Card Investor - takes us inside the explosive growth of the sports card industry and gives us an overview of baseball's next big business. It's a great Jersey Baseball Show with a true Jersey guy - turn your hobby into much more!
There are a lot of college baseball pitchers in New Jersey with great credentials this year - but one name who somehow doesn't get more attention is NJIT junior Ryan Fischer. After all, he's the only pitcher at an NJ school to win an NCAA Tournament game in 10 years - going seven strong innings to shut down a talented Northeastern squad during NJIT's magical run last year. Ryan joins us this week for a great JBS where he talks about his growth as a pitcher, how playing American Legion baseball helped him get to where he is, why NJIT is such a great place to play and a great family, and tells us where the name Gritball came from - but more importantly what it has meant to embody the NJIT program. Hope you enjoy today's episode as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Fish is ready for a big 2022 - and you should be too!
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There isn't much in baseball that Dave Gallagher hasn't done. Starting with a New Jersey HS State title at Steinert back in 1978. First-round MLB draft choice (twice!), 9-year MLB career (18 overall in the pros), Mets, Phillies, 25 years supporting amateurs, minor leaguers, and pros, HS head coach, World Series college head coach, champion ACBL General Manager, minor league coach, mentor to thousands of baseball players, baseball dad, active member of all 3 MLB-MLBPA joint ventures. The man has impeccable credentials in the game and it's really due to his integrity. We are fortunate to have Dave sit down with us for a JBS we are most proud of. The near hour FLIES by as we listen to Gally tell stories about his playing days, talk about his new venture with Centercourt Academy where he'll still make an impact in youth baseball, why he still is passionate about sharing the incredible knowledge he's gained over a half-century in the game. And coaches - MAKE SURE YOU GRASP THE ONE TAKEAWAY HE HAS FOR YOU AS WELL. Change someone's live. Dave's advice, like everything, comes straight from the heart.
This is a special edition of the Jersey Baseball Show. Please enjoy and SUBSCRIBE at youtube.com/NJCollegeBaseballNation so we can share more of these stories with you.
If you are a college baseball fan, this is a half hour you won't want to miss! It's hard to imagine that college baseball has a better advocate than Mike Rooney. The Delco native was a game away from Omaha as a super utility man at Notre Dame, a long time assistant for mentor Pat Murphy in the Pac-12 (Arizona State), a JUCO head coach, and now the game's premier analyst, both at ESPN and in his commentary and Podcasts for d1baseball.com. He's a walking encyclopedia for the sport and one of it's great connectors. And the passion and clarity in his voice when he talks about issues like recruiting, scheduling, premier players, growing the game is simply awesome to hear. Our guest on this week's Clean Leather, Mike talks about the state of the sport heading into 2022, gives us some national things to look forward to, talks some NJ College Baseball, offers some solutions into the recruiting mess, and hits on his memories of South Jersey High School baseball. Yes, Mike was also the high school head coach of Phillies announcer Ben Davis, then one of the premier amateur players in the sport.
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Eric Cressey - now with the New York Yankees organization - is one of the giants in the sports performance, especially when it comes to the sport of baseball. So to get your nickname directly from him - well, that's a pretty big deal. Meet Connor Abreu whose TNL Performance in Hamilton has already transformed the careers of so many area college baseball players. Connor was Cressey's "movement ninja" and our guest on today's JBS episode. This North Jersey native is a true up-and-coming star in the industry and he talks about the most important part of what he does, answers some FAQs, and tells us what makes his job special every day. If you want to get your body right for peak athletic performance, check out our interview with Connor and connect with him moving forward.
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The only person in the illustrious baseball history of Rider University to participate in the NCAA Tournament as a player AND coach, Mike Petrowski has never been one to settle for anything less than first. So it's safe to assume the young pitching coach wasn't satisfied with just making the NCAA Tournament as MAAC champion back in June. Petrowski spent his summer as part of the inaugural MLB Draft League and shares with us what he learned from the experience and how it can help Rider push the bar forward in 2022. It was a busy summer for Petrowski, whose first child, Caden, was born in August. We'll find out if Caden is a lefty (good parenting), whether he's an Eagles fan like mom (let's hope) or a Cowboys fan like dad (please no), and learn more about Rider's preparation going into 2022 as the hunted, rather than the hunters. Great Sunday edition of the Jersey Baseball Show with the most anticipated season in MAAC history looming!
Subscribe to youtube.com/NJCollegeBaseballNation for more interviews including the Generation Next series with more than a dozen of Jersey's best high school players, starting in late October. Likes/comments ALWAYS welcome.
Every time we listen to Wake Forest pitching coach Corey Muscara we learn something and we get better. You can too, with this awesome college baseball podcast featuring one of the top coaches in America. Coach Moose lays it on the line in a variety of topics - mainly focused on keeping it real and getting better and being a person of substance. Focus on winning. Focus on what's important. Focus on getting better. And you'll do that if you join Kevin Schneider, Mike Olshin, and Wake Forest pitching coach Corey Muscara on THIS edition of the Clean Leather Baseball Podcast.
Listen on the way to work, in the car, on the go, right here, as every Podcast edition can be found by Subscribing. ALSO - catch the video version online at youtube.com/NJCollegeBaseballNation, join us on Twitter at @NJCollegeBasNat, Instagram at nj_collegebaseballnation, or on the web at njcollegebaseballnation.ghost.io
Created as a way to honor first responders and other front line heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thank You Classic instantly became a major event in New Jersey high school sports, particularly high school baseball. The brainchild of Gloucester Catholic assistant Bill Gore - himself one of the most selfless people we've ever encountered on the face of the Earth - the baseball weekend will bring together close to 100 HS teams in 2022 with a sense of community that shows the best of what scholastic sports has to offer. Gore joins us on this awesome edition of the Jersey Baseball Show, to share with us what goes into such an incredible event and discuss his hopes for the future - and OF COURSE talk some South Jersey baseball. This is a special episode with a person whose idea deserves our full support moving forward!
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This week on the Jersey Baseball Show, we speak with Caldwell University senior catcher Kyle Richards. We got to know Kyle as a rival member of the Jersey Pilots in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, and also as a friend and roommate of beloved 2019 Gens catcher Jack Zosulis. The Gens and Pilots had a great rivalry in Summer 2021 with the Gens winning the decisive 11th game of a crazy series to advance to the ACBL Championship. Not only is Kyle a great hitter (key triple in the ACBL All-Star game), but we learned very quickly that Kyle is one of those guys who is a non-stop talker behind the plate with a hilarious running dialogue during the game. Enjoyed catching up with Kyle and we hope Caldwell can continue to move forward in the CACC this year.
Subscribe to youtube.com/NJCollegeBaseballNation for more coverage throughout the year - New Jersey College Baseball Nation reaches all over. Next month, we will extend into our Generation Next series featuring top 2022 HS grads who will be looking to make their mark soon.
It's finally here! The Baseball Podcast America never knew it always needed, the Clean Leather Baseball Podcast debuts today, starring Emery Glove Co owner Kevin Schneider and summer baseball guru / ACBL GM of the Year Mike Olshin. Honest baseball talk on a variety of pro, college, and scholastic topics, special guests, Emery Glove reveals and stories, and much more. Today - Circling the bases - 4 topics across the baseball world, the unique story of Syracuse Mets (AAA) pitcher Tom Hackimer, the true "King of Queens", and our first talk of many about the mess of college baseball recruiting.
Weekly baseball talk from the heart of Schneider, one of baseball's most creative young minds, and Olshin, former Phillies writer for the Trenton Times, currently head of NJ College Baseball Nation. SUBSCRIBE NOW to youtube.com/NJCollegeBaseballNation and like/comment here as we continue to grow.
NJIT's first-team, all-Region closer Jake Rappaport joins us to discuss the incredible 2021 college baseball season and talk about how the Highlanders' group of fifth-year seniors hope to run it back in 2022. Jake set school D1 records for wins (8) and saves (11) and became the first player from a New Jersey school to earn ABCA/Rawlings first-team all-Region honors since 2014! He is part of a six-person core of fifth-year seniors who made the decision to stick together rather than join the transfer portal so they could play together one more season. And why not? They joined a program that was 9-40 their senior year of high school and won the America East title last spring, hitting the national stage for the first time with an amazing NCAA Tournament weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. Rappaport earned a save as NJIT picked up the first tourney win for an NJ school in 10 years! He talks about that save here and about helping to build a culture of #GritBall, his love for his teammates, the program, and South Jersey baseball. You'll LOVE this edition of the Jersey Baseball Show. Like, comment, subscribe to our page at youtube.com/NJ CollegeBaseballNation for more coverage this year!
Once one of baseball's fastest rising young coaches - Kevin Schneider has left the world of running a college baseball program and is now running a business. He followed his heart and is building his own custom glove company from the ground up. Launched little more than five months ago, Emery Glove Co already has a number of high profile clients and Kevin hit the jackpot when he designed a custom model based off an iconic photo for Vladimir Guerrero Jr at the 2021 MLB All-Star game. As Emery becomes nationally (and internationally) known, Kevin gives us the story on the transition from coach to glove maven and tells us what's next for Emery. ALSO - a preview of what to expect on the CLEAN LEATHER podcast starring the always opinionated Kevin and Mike Olshin starting next Tuesday 9/14 at Noon.
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Ryan Shinn's career has taken another awesome turn, the latest since he graduated from Northern Burlington in 2015 as the best baseball player in the area. Shinn had a great college career - stud JUCO at Harford (MD) CC, all-SEC at Kentucky - and played professionally in the Mets organization. He retired this year to follow his passion for teaching and helping others improve their games. Suddenly SHINN'S SWINGS was born. He quickly grasped the power of the online world - his TikToks have 500,000 views and he does online hitting analysis for clients around the United States. He also has a great local presence, training HS and college guys to become the best versions of themselves. Ryan sits down with us to talk about a number of topics and gives amazing, insightful answers.
He also BREAKS SOME IMPORTANT NEWS - He and some of the area's all-timers will be hosting a November camp for high school baseball players in the area. No ordinary camp, this will be an event where the entire staff will be former pros speaking from the heart and sharing valuable information about their experiences with some of the best around. Listen all the way through for this key information! It's a fantastic JBS. PLEASE LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE!
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It was the biggest single hit for Rider's baseball team in decades. Broncs IF Johnny Volpe, fighting off an ankle injury, comes off the bench in the winner's bracket final of the 2021 MAAC baseball tournament to deliver a dramatic two-strike, two-run, pinch-hit, ninth-inning single that turned a gut-wrenching 3-2 loss into a 4-3 win for the ages and left Rider in the driver's seat to win the MAAC and advance to the tourney for the first time since 2010. With another great team effort, the Broncs did that the next day.
Volpe, a true #SandlotLegend, goes deep into that run, talks about what he did over the summer, all the excitement surrounding Rider, MAAC, and NJ baseball for 2021, and we even get into cooking - where the rising junior is also a star.
Johnny has always thrived with the heat turned up, as you'll learn on this week's Jersey Baseball Show. SUBSCRIBE at youtube.com/GeneralsBaseballLLC NOW and join NJ College Baseball Nation for the fall. We have so much in store - and get ready for the first episode of the CLEAN LEATHER podcast with Emery Gloves founder Kevin Schneider and Mike Olshin coming September 14!
Rider University ace Frank Doelling is back after shoving against Alabama at the NCAA Tournament in June. This college baseball star joins us to talk about his summer, his time in the Cape Cod League, the excitement around Rider Baseball, his relationship with pitching coach Mike Petrowski, and of course, his time with the Trenton Generals! Great interview and it has been awesome watching Frank grow into the MLB Draft hopeful he is today. Going to be a lot of scouts in Lawrenceville this spring, every day Frank is on the mound.
Join us and subscribe to our podcast platforms - youtube.com/GeneralsBaseballLLC and here at rss.com/podcasts/GeneralsBaseball for incredible interview content this year. We'll also have highlights, features, and much more with newsmakers on the NJ College Baseball scene. Going to be an amazing year!
We are so excited to tell the best New Jersey baseball story of 2021 - Mike Adams - the South Jersey pitcher who accidentally taught himself to throw 100 mph! The great story of Adams is this - retired from Indy baseball in 2016 to pursue the business of helping others on the journey to the majors. Mike and childhood friend Ed Charlton opened BPC in South Jersey out of his father's oil business warehouse and watched it grow to one of the best baseball facilities of its kind in America! Mike helped Chase Petty grow into a first-round draft pick throwing 102 mph IN HIGH SCHOOL. In the meantime, through studying the movements of elite athletes who throw hard - Mike's OWN velocity spiked, he threw 98 mph in an open tryout in January, and was signed by his beloved Phillies THAT NIGHT. Now he stands one step from the majors and is pitching awesome for the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. He even hit his ultimate goal of 100 mph this year!
Mike's journey is amazing and he was kind enough to share it with us. Even though he STILL doesn't know who should play him in the movie (there HAS to be a movie after all this), this is a fantastic story - half "The Rookie" and half "Rocky" and 100 percent BELIEVE in your dreams and BELIEVE in your journey.
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Here's a great college summer baseball story - hard to imagine a more amazing summer than that of South Jersey native and current Richmond assistant coach Nate Mulberg. Nate had the opportunity to be an assistant coach for the Israeli National Team in the baseball competition at the Tokyo Olympics! He tells his story here, why it was so important to him, some WOW moments and what he learned on this amazing episode of the JERSEY BASEBALL SHOW.
Subscribe to youtube.com/GeneralsBaseballLLC for immediate notification of all amazing stories, highlight videos, prospect videos coming this Fall, and incredible coverage of COLLEGE BASEBALL in 2021 and 2022 in the Garden State. Lots of fun ahead this fall - make sure you don't miss a moment!
Chase Conklin takes us inside the 2021 season for the ACBL Champ Trenton Generals, talks about leadership, refusing to lose, and his excitement for the 2022 Richmond Spiders season. And the 2022 debut of the South Jersey Kings. Always great talking baseball with Chase, and hard cutting it short at a half hour. He's one of the most heads-up guys we've been around on a ball field.
Monmouth University's Trey Dombroski is a fantastic New Jersey baseball story. One of the best pitchers in NJ throughout his HS career, Dombroski took a chance by going up to the vaunted Cape Cod League on a temporary contract -- and won the league's Pitcher of the Year Award, going 3-0 during the season with a 0.85 ERA and 45-2 K/W ratio. He elevated his draft status into the Top 10 rounds and can go even higher with a big fall back on campus. Now up to 94 with his fastball, the LHP with the advanced feel for pitching is still the same kid he was growing up at the Shore and talks to us about his incredible Cape experience, draft goals, how he keeps it all in perspective, and the potential for a 2022 to remember at Monmouth. Great stuff from one of NJ's finest!1
Two of the great baseball players to come from Mercer County in recent years, brothers Paul and Luke Franzoni are together on the field for one last summer with the Valley Blue Sox in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The Robbinsville natives have had great success in college baseball, Luke with Xavier where he's one of the school's best sluggers in the BBCOR-bat era, and Paul with NJIT, where he joined a program that was 9-40 his final year in high school and turned it into one of the feel-good stories of the national D1 season. "Fayetteville's favorite out-of-state baseball player" tells us how Pauly Biceps started and the two brothers talk about growing up Mercer. We even touch on hockey as their childhood friend and neighbor Ross Colton (Tampa Bay Lightning) just scored the Stanley Cup winning goal. A lot of fun with the Franzonis who are 2 great examples of what's right with college baseball! Enjoy this week's Jersey Baseball Show!
We got to spend a few minutes on the phone hotline with Anthony Solometo, the Bishop Eustace lefty drafted No. 37 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Anthony talks about his excitement since living the childhood dream, his love for the Steelers, and the message he wants to deliver to Pirates fans.
July 1 marked a new era in College Athletics - the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) period. For the first time ever, NCAA athletes can be paid for use of their name, image, and likeness to endorse products, make appearances, profit from lessons / camps etc. What does that really mean? And what does it mean for college baseball players? Find out from NOCAP Sports CEO Nick Lord - the man hasn't slept in two weeks! Also learn about the NOCAP platform, helping athletes line up potential deals -- and more importantly -- handle the compliance issues that result. All this and more on a Special BRAND AWARENESS edition of the Jersey Baseball Show
He throws 97-98, hits the ball 400+ feet, has a scholarship waiting from a program that just played in the College World Series, figures to be drafted somewhere in the first 100 picks in next week's MLB draft, and sits down with us today. He's Shane Panzini, the Red Bank Catholic grad who just returned from the MLB Draft Combine, volunteers as a counselor for his school's summer baseball camp, and is about to face a life-changing decision in just a few days. Join us for a very special episode of the Jersey Baseball Show - Draft style!
We preview next month's MLB draft here in Episode 11 with potential first round pick Anthony Solometo, a 6-foot-4 lefty pitcher from South Jersey's Bishop Eustace High School. Anthony shot up the charts to become one of the top HS pitchers in America with a mid-90s fastball, deadly two-seamer, back foot slider, and devastating changeup. Add in his unique motion that has people thinking of 3x World Series champion Madison Bumgarner and it's easy to see why Solometo will have a tough choice in a few weeks - pro ball or full ride to UNC. Then there's the video game numbers - 5 hits allowed in 32 2/3 innings, with a 64-5 K/W ratio and 1 earned run allowed all year. Also - we were fortunate enough to be joined on this call by current Gens SS Chase Conklin (Richmond), Eustace's all-time hit leader and someone who brings a unique perspective into what makes Anthony so special!
This is a MUST LISTEN for fans of New Jersey College Baseball, for ANYONE in the recruiting process, and especially for PARENTS whose kids are involved in the recruiting process. Not only do we discuss NJIT's success, not only do we discuss Papaccio's zero degrees of separation to the last NJ school to win in the NCAA Tourney (Seton Hall, 2011, he was a starter), but we dive deep into the recruiting process, what coaches are looking for, etc. If you are serious about college baseball - YOU WILL LISTEN to this episode of the Jersey Baseball Show!
While 16 teams advanced to the NCAA Division 1 Super Regionals last weekend, the BEST storyline evolved in the Fayetteville Regional - where NJIT won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game AND the Highlanders and their fans became honorary Razorbacks in the process. Hear about the incredible story of the team without a home field - until the fans of the nation's No. 1 team adopted them as their own. Featuring NJIT pitcher Jared Kacso, who finished his career throwing in front of 11,000 fans. It's all on this week's VERY SPECIAL episode of the Jersey Baseball Show! Wooooooooooo Pig! Sooie!
For the first time in 11 years, Rider is back in the NCAA Tournament after a 5-0 run through the MAAC. The Broncs are in Ruston, La., for Regional play and we go inside with #SandlotLegends Johnny Volpe, Brendan O'Donnell, and Sebastian Williamson! Get ready for tonight's game by listening here first!
NJIT freshman and #SandlotLegend Cole Fleming takes us inside the remarkable season for the Highlanders, which culminated in the America East Conference title and first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Fleming is on the ground in Fayetteville, Ark, where NJIT faces national No. 1 Arkansas in front of a rabid crowd later today!
Rowan assistant coach (and Trenton Capitals manager) Brett Young takes us behind the scenes as Rowan gets ready for the D3 World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Hear about the Profs' amazing season AND their trip to the Field of Dreams! The Profs begin WS action today at 5:30 PM - #RollProfs
For our money it's the single best product out there for pitchers to maximize their throwing efficiency. See / learn about the "love child of a hockey puck and a baseball" - the flying saucer that's revolutionizing how pitchers learn about spin efficiency and spin direction at all levels. We love it because it makes hard to understand data SIMPLE - and we love it because pitchers from Little League to MLB use it to great success. Simple, cheap, durable, easy-to-use - and an AWESOME story to boot - Throw Clean. Throw Fuego. Throw CLEAN FUEGO. This week on the Jersey Baseball Show.
Hopewell's A.J. Cassavell has forged his own path to the majors. A three-sport athlete for the Bulldogs in the mid-2000s, A.J. turned his love of baseball into a dream job - he's been a writer with MLB.com since 2011. He's in his 7th year covering the San Diego Padres - now baseball's most exciting team! AJ spent some time with us talking about life in the bigs, talking about reading the great writers in the Trenton Times during high school (gratiutious ego boost) and how he's become one of the top young writers in the majors - all on THIS WEEK'S EDITION of the Jersey Baseball Show!
One of the most well known and respected baseball speakers in America, Steve Springer has had an amazing 40-year run in professional baseball. Springer tells of his incredible story, gets into the origins of his Quality At Bats philosophy, and teaches us what it means to COMPETE WITH CONFIDENCE. Each player, Steve insists, is actually two people - a confident athlete and a non-confident athlete. He'll help you bring the confident player to the field each day and perform to your absolute best.
Anyone who has ever experienced feelings of anxiety or negative self-talk on the field (OK, so all of us) can relate to this episode featuring Byler, whose Major League University helps athletes deal with feelings of anxiety and self-defeating thoughts. A former big-time prospect himself, Byler is in the unique position of helping players be at their best and deal with the obstacles they face during their baseball careers. A MUST-LISTEN Episode!
LaSalle baseball is the middle of the winningest season in school history. Three straight Top recruiting classes. Talent depth the program hasn't seen before in its history.
But instead of a time of joy as the Atlantic 10 North leading Explorers prepare for the postseason, it is a time of uncertainty.
On Sept 29, 2020, the school and athletic department announced it was eliminating 7 programs at the end of the 2021 campaign. Baseball was one of them.
Since then, a group of alums, led by James Santore, a 2016 grad, have been hard at work trying to figure a way to save the program. Now they're down to their final at bat. And there might be some new hope. Tune in to find out how we can save a Philly college baseball institution, one with so many South Jersey connections.