BASEBALL - PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, 4/29/08

DIGITALSPORTS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Casey Cannon, Sr., RHP, St. Rose
Cannon, who will continue his career at Delaware, struck out nine and walked none in an 80-pitch, complete-game shutout in a 3-0 win over Manasquan at FirstEnergy Park on April 21. Cannon apparently likes the home of the Lakewood BlueClaws, because in his next start he threw a complete-game three-hitter with eight strikeouts in a 4-1 win over Governor Livingston in the Shore Challenge at FirstEnergy Park. Cannon had a one-hitter going into the seventh, and improved to 4-0 for the undefeated Purple Roses.

He is no slouch with the bat, either, as he doubled and scored in the win over Manasquan, went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in a 7-0 win over Keyport, went 2-for-2 with two RBIs in a 10-0 win over Henry Hudson, and scored a run in the win over Governor Livingston.

HONORABLE MENTION
Wes Waterman, Sr., RHP, Point Boro
Waterman tossed a complete-game four-hitter with six strikeouts and one walk to hand Barnegat its first loss to a Shore Conference team this season with a 3-1 win over the Bengals on Saturday.

Ryan Harvey, Jr., RHP, Manalapan
Harvey threw his first career no-hitter, striking out five, walking one and hitting a batter in a six-inning, 15-0 win over Middletown South.

POSITION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nick Turano, Sr., C, Manalapan
In a 15-0 win over Middletown South on April 22, Turano went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs, then hit a grand slam in a 13-4 win over Howell, and on Saturday went 4-for-4 with five RBIs and his third homer of the week in an 18-4 win over Pinelands.

Honorable mention
Kevin Needham, Jr., 1B/P, Jackson
Last week's DigitalSports Position Player of the Week, Needham could have easily won it again, but let's spread it around. He went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in an 11-7 win over Brick Memorial on April 21, followed by a 2-for-3 showing with two doubles and an RBI as well as a complete-game victory on the mound in a 5-2 win over previously unbeaten Tom River North on Wednesday. He then went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk in a 9-3 win over Southern on Friday, followed by a 2-for-4 showing with two doubles and two RBIs in a win over Middletown South on Saturday.

Matt Wassel, Sr., INF, Rumson-FH
Wassel helped the Bulldogs clinch their second straight Class A Central title this week, as he went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in an 11-1 win over Red Bank, followed by a 2-for-3 performance with two RBIs in a 7-1 win over Raritan and then had three hits and an RBI in a 9-4 win over Holmdel.

DIVISIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Class A North (besides Turano)
Jeremy Paster, Sr., INF, Marlboro
Paster went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in an 8-3 win over Middletown North, followed by a 3-for-4 performance with two RBIs in a 10-5 win over Manalapan.

Honorable mention
Ryan Drew, So., SS, Howell
Drew went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and hit a pair of two-out RBI singles, including the game-winner, in a 6-5 win over Colts Neck. He also made a diving stop at shortstop to save a run in the eighth.

Pat Light, Jr., P, Christian Brothers Academy
Light continues to dominate as he fired his third straight complete-game shutout, striking out a career-high 12 in a five-hitter in a 2-0 win over Freehold Township to improve to 5-0.

Class A Central (besides Wassel)
Kyle O'Neill, Sr., 3B, Red Bank Catholic
O'Neill helped pull the Caseys from the brink of a lost season and helped start a three-game winning streak as he homered and doubled in an 8-6 win over Red Bank on Thursday, went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 5-1 win over Raritan on Saturday and then hit a two-run single in an upset of state-ranked Old Tappan in the Shore Challenge.

Class A South (besides Needham)
Steve Nyisztor, Jr., 2B, Toms River North
Nyisztor homered to lead off the 13th inning for what proved to be the winning run in a 4-1 win over Brick Memorial on Friday, and then he went 4-for-5 with three RBIs in a 10-3 win over Toms River East on Saturday night.

Honorable mention
Jose Ramos, Jr., 1B, Brick Memorial
He went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base in a 13-2 win over Lacey, and then went 3-for-6 with a double, a triple and an RBI in a 13-inning, 4-1 loss to No. 1 Toms River North.

Class B North
Mark Pellecchia, Sr., P, Wall
Pellechia pitched the Crimson Knights to victory in a 4-2 win over Middletown South in the Monmouth County Tournament on Monday, then went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in a key 9-3 win over Monmouth last Tuesday. On Thursday, he pitched a complete-game six-hitter to improve to 4-1 after another pivotal divisional win, a 6-2 triumph over Matawan.

Honorable mention
Fran Santimauro, Sr., OF, Matawan
The Huskies' leadoff man hit an RBI single in a 6-2 loss to Wall on Thursday, then had three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored in a wild, 20-19 win over Neptune on Friday and then capped his week by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in a 14-4 win over Long Branch on Saturday.

Class B Central (besides Cannon)
Rob Corsi, Jr., P/OF, Shore
Corsi struck out a career-high 14 in a 5-3 win over Keansburg, and then had an RBI double in an 11-5 win over Henry Hudson.

Honorable mention
Anthony Valle, Sr., SS, Keansburg
Valle hit an RBI double in a 5-3 loss to Shore, and went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer in an 8-5 win over Keyport.

Class B South (besides Waterman)
Ken Ouimet, Sr., OF, Monsignor Donovan
He had a pair of homers in a win over Jackson Liberty, went 4-for-4 with a double in a 10-7 loss to Barnegat and had an RBI double in an extra-inning loss to Southern. His five homers lead the Shore.

Honorable mention
John Roszel, Fr., P/INF, Manchester
Roszel picked up the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in a 5-3 win over Point Boro on April 21, then improved to 3-0 with a win in relief in a 7-6 victory over Monsignor Donovan on Wednesday. He then combined for a shutout and had two RBIs in a 4-0 win over Lakewood on Friday.

E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com