By Scott Stump - Senior Editor
E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com
One of the Shore's top all-around players,
Jackson senior first baseman/pitcher
Kevin Needham, has verbally committed to a scholarship at
St. John's University.
Needham said his choice came down to St. John's and Monmouth University, both of which told him he would be able to pitch and play first base at the collegiate level.
"They have a real good coaching staff and a winning program that develops players,'' Needham said about his decision to commit to coach
Ed Blankmeyer and the Red Storm.
Needham also wanted to get the decision made before he embarked on his senior year.
"I was going to commit before school started,'' Needham said. "It happened about a week or so before my senior year, so I was happy about that. I'm starting to lift this week, and I just want to get that college mentality of hard work.''
Needham was a first-team DigitalSports All-Shore Conference player in the spring after hitting .514 with 28 RBIs and also went 6-2 with a 1.35 ERA on the mound for the Jaguars. He also was a Carpenter Cup selection.
While he will be able to be a position player and a pitcher at the next level, the right-hander leans more toward the mound.
"I'm trying to do both, but pitching is a little higher, so I would like to pitch before I would play first base,'' Needham said.
Needham is the latest Division I commitment among this year's senior class in the Shore Conference, as
Toms River North's
Steve Nyisztor and
Toms River South's
Tyler Gebler have committed to Rutgers, Toms River North's
Matt Mancini has committed to St. Peter's and
Manalapan's
Ryan Harvey has committed to Seton Hall. Three of the biggest uncommitted recruits right now are the 2007 DigitalSports Pitcher of the Year,
Pat Light of
Christian Brothers Academy, second-team selection and
St. John Vianney pitcher
Kevin MacLachlan, and
St. Rose shortstop
Chris Bresnahan.
