All Shore Media High School Sports 4-22-13 Issue - 8 - Volume V

April 22, 2013 Volume-V

Issue-8

Andrew DiPiazza 6 Central’s Off to a Dominant Start

5

O'Cone Steps Down after Championship Run at Brick Memorial

Gone too Soon 8-9 Coach Tim Osborn

& Indians Building 10 Mariners Momentum 15 Stumpy’s Corner

3

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always,

�Is this going to be on

�

All Shore Media has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

2

All Shore Media Web Site Features

n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed

n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.allshoremedia.com is the most visited sports site in the shore conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 4,100 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

SteveMeyer

Director/CEO/Marketing s m ey er @ al l s h or em e di a . co m 732-233-4460

ScottSt ump

Director/ Managing Editor stump@allshoremedia.com

Senior Content Providers M a tt M a n l e y / / Mma nl e y21 @ g ma il .c o m B o b B a d d e r s / / badders@allshoremedia.com

All Shore Media

is published by: All Shore Media, LLC

26 Oxford Drive Wayside NJ, 07712 Copyright 2013 All Shore Media LLC All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of All Shore Media is prohibited

4/22/13

3

eek 4/9/13

Player of the Week Ryan Wares, Jr., SS/P, Howell

One season after the Rebels won only four games, they are already off to a solid 2-1 start thanks to a huge week by Wares to start the season. In three games, the junior went 7-for-9 with 5 RBI, 4 runs scored, 3 walks, 3 doubles, a triple and a home run. Also, he threw a complete-game shutout, striking out 11, in a 9-0 win over Freehold Township. In a 17-14 win over Colts Neck, he went 4for-5 with two doubles and a triple as the Rebels tied a school record with 25 hits.

Pitcher of the Week Andrew DiPiazza, Jr., RHP, Central

W

DiPiazza started the season with a bang, throwing a no-hitter in his first start in a 2-0 win over Point Boro in Class B South. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior struck out a career-high 16 and walked one in tossing the first no-hitter by a Central pitcher since 2009. He followed that with more dominance in a 3-hit shutout and 13 more strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Monsignor Donovan in his second start. DiPiazza initially verbally committed to Boston College in July but has decommitted to explore his options and has received interest from ACC and SEC programs.

eek 4/16/13

Player of the Week Evan Pietronico, Jr., OF, St. John Vianney

Pietronico helped the Lancers to a pair of slugfest victories last week to keep them in the hunt in Class A Central with a pair of standout games. In a 9-8 win over Manasquan, he finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI, and in an 11-7 victory over Monmouth, he went 3-for-4 with a homer and six RBI, making him 6-for-8 with three extra-base hits and 10 RBI in two games.

Pitcher of the Week Rob Grilli, Sr., RHP, Middletown South

Grilli helped Middletown South bounce back from a loss to Colts Neck on Tuesday with one of the best starts of his career in a 3-1 win over Marlboro last Thursday in a match-up of teams that were both ranked in the top 10. Grilli threw a complete-game two-hitter, striking out a career-high 12 and only allowing one player in Marlboro's lineup to get both hits off him. The victory helped the defending division champion Eagles stay in the mix in the turbulent Class A North race. Grilli's performance also kept Middletown South in the game long enough to rally for three runs in the sixth inning and win it. Grilli was also 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the 6-3 loss to Colts Neck earlier in the week.

/ VOLUME-V

W

ISSUE-8

/

B

rought to you by Baseball U, every week during this 2013 Shore Conference baseball season, All Shore Media will select a player and a pitcher of the week for their performance in the previous week.

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

4

Brick Memorial head coach Dan O'Cone is stepping down from coaching after a season in which the Mustangs captured the NJSIAA Group IV title and had a Shore Conference-high three individual state medalists, he told All Shore Media back in March at the state tournament and officially announced Thursday morning.

"It's just time," O'Cone said after coaching senior Matt Moore in the thirdplace bout at 195 pounds. "Personally I've done a lot. I feel like I've accomplished enough in wrestling, and to be honest, I'm just tired. I'm not sure if I can keep up the same pace and do the right things that need to be done year-round, and it's a yearround job."

"Once I started feeling like that then I kind of thought if we could win a group championship it would be the right thing to do for the program. Normally when we would win the groups as we're going home I'm already thinking about who graduates and who returns. The moment we're getting on the bus the satisfaction of winning is gone and I'm concerning myself with how we get back here next year and win. It's stressful and I wanted to try to feel what it's like to enjoy it."

In sevens seasons at the helm of Brick Memorial O'Cone guided the Mustangs to three Group IV titles, four Central Jersey Group IV championships, two Shore Conference Tournament titles, six District 23 team titles and coached individual state champions Steve Santos and Mike Morales in 2009. Just the third coach the program has ever had, he concludes his career at Brick Memorial with a 147-32 record. O'Cone was previously the head coach at Point

O'Cone went on to become a two-time AllAmerican at The College of New Jersey and is a Region 6 Hall of Famer, and was also the President of the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association, a post he is also leaving.

"To me this was a dream job," O'Cone said. "For me it was unbelievable. I got to coach Brick Memorial, the greatest program in the Shore Conference and one of the greatest programs in New Jersey."

Brick Memorial's next coach will inherit a team that returns state medalists Joe Ghione (2x - 2011-12) and Nick Costa along with state qualifiers Alec Donovan and Tyler Poling and region qualifiers Rob and Cliff Ruggiero.

"I think we're leaving the program in a great position," O'Cone said.

O'Cone, who was named NJWCA Coach of the Year this season, doesn't envision himself returning to coaching in the future.

"I would say no," O'Cone said. "Hopefully I can just enjoy this. Right now I just want to step away and be done. I'll come support the kids I coached until they're done and then I'd like to just relax."

"It's time to set new goals."

4/22/13 /

Beach from 2000-2006 and wrestled for the Garnet Gulls from 1989-1992, winning the 1992 Region VI title at 152 pounds.

ISSUE-8

n e o f th e gr ea tes t wr es tlin g p r og r ams in th e s tate will be lo o k in g f o r a co a ch .

/

O

B y Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

5

VOLUME-V

O'Cone Steps Down after Championship Run at Brick Memorial

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

6

Central Ace Andrew DiPiazza Off to a Dominant Start

C

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

entral Regional junior ace Andrew DiPiazza admits that after he returned to the mound from an ankle injury last season, one of his most difficult opponents was himself.

“I was just shaky, and that was all because of nerves,’’ he said. “I couldn’t relax when I was out there.’’

The result was a nondescript 1-1 sophomore season in which he struck out 21 batters in just 17 innings after missing a month

with a right ankle injury. Over the summer, he worked on his head as much as his physical ability by putting himself in situations where he had no choice but to deal with pressure.

While playing for the New Jersey Marlins travel team in a prestigious East Cobb showcase in Georgia, the 6-foot-5, 200pound hurler looked into the stands and saw more than 100 collegiate and professional scouts. It was a sea of radar guns staring back at him, and he was facing a lineup of players from a travel team in California filled with SEC and ACC recruits. If he was going to finally conquer his nervousness, that was a great opportunity.

“It made me deal with adversity and react when things aren’t going your way by just staying calm,’’ DiPiazza said. “I played some of the best kids in the country and saw I could hang with them. I felt extremely confident after that, and now I go out there pitching the way I know I can and just relax.’’

His improving physical talent and a better mental approach have merged into a dominant performance to start DiPiazza’s junior season for the Golden Eagles. In his first start, he threw Central’s first no-hitter since 2009 in a 2-0 win over Point Boro in

which he struck out 16 on 106 pitches despite blustery temperatures in the 40s. He followed that with a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over Monsignor Donovan in which he struck out 13 on 96 pitches. In his third start, he struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs in a complete-game five-hitter in a 9-4 win over Barnegat.

“After the (Monsignor Donovan) game, I was upset that I gave up three hits,’’ DiPiazza said. “I see it as you can always do

“As the game went on, I knew what could happen, but I didn’t want to focus all on that,’’ DiPiazza said. “I just wanted to get through the game and focus batter by batter. I knew if I thought about it too much, you either leave the ball over the middle or you start walking people.”

You don’t just strike out 16 guys and lead the Shore Conference with 40 K’s in three starts because you are relaxed on the mound, so it’s clear DiPiazza’s stuff has also made a leap forward. Last season he would locate pitches in the spot he wanted, but didn’t have the velocity to get hitters

DiPiazza worked on improving his strength and mechanics, and by June his fastball was hitting 86 miles per hour. He first hit 90 in August, and while playing in the fall, he was consistently at 90-91. He also worked to maintain his velocity during the winter by working with New Jersey Marlins pitching coach Brian Aviles about once every two weeks up in New York.

In addition to his changeup, he added a spike curve that has become his go-to pitch, freezing batters who are bracing for that fastball.

“When something is not right with the fastball or the velocity is down, I try not to overuse (the curveball), but it’s a very hard pitch to hit,’’ he

“The biggest thing was the money,’’ DiPiazza said. “I didn’t want to come right out of college having to pay tons of debt. I think everything will work out fine if I just keep pitching the way I know how.’’

DiPiazza said he has since added an offer from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and also visited Rutgers on April 13.

After setting the bar extremely high to start the season, he hopes to get a crack at some of the Shore Conference’s top teams in the tournaments to show the type of ability he flashed this past summer.

“ Th e a dr en alin e of f acin g th os e big teams an d bein g th e u n d er d og, I love th at f eelin g, ’’ h e s a id. “ I d on ’t wan t to let a n yth in g s lo w me d own . I wan t

Photos Courtesy:

Central Regional & NJ Marlins

4/22/13 /

The next question is where DiPiazza himself will land, as he verbally committed to Boston College in July but has since de-committed. Unlike football and basketball, collegiate baseball programs rarely give full scholarships, and the financial package offered by the Eagles was a sticking point.

7

ISSUE-8

“If you don’t have location, it doesn’t matter how hard you throw, but even though I was hitting spots, since I was throwing in the low 80s, hitters could track the ball and hit it,’’ he said.

said. “So far, my location with it has been very good. I’m just focused on getting it to land exactly where I want.’’

/

DiPiazza’s newfound calmness on the mound also helped him as the game progressed against Point Boro because he knew he had a nohitter going. He also had to jokingly steer clear of teammate Nick Imperiale, who he said told him he had a perfect game going into the sixth against Toms River East last season only for DiPiazza to give up a home run in that inning.

to swing through the pitch or make weak contact.

VOLUME-V

better.’’

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

8

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

His dedication was also unwavering. He suffered a horrific car accident in which his vehicle flipped multiple times last summer, resulting in several broken bones and a brush with death, yet he was back at football practice less than two months later, grimacing through the pain because there was nowhere else he would have rather been.

s a lin e of mor e th a n 2 00 h u n d r ed peo ple s n aked ar o u n d th e "It's really disbelief,'' senior quarterback Bob S ilver ton M emor ia l Davies said. "It's almost like folkore. He was like this invincible man, especially after the car Fu n er al Home on Apr il 1 7, it wa s a s accident. if a timelin e o f Tim "I remember him as a man who was incredibly O s b o r n ’s h is to r y passionate about everything h ad co me to lif e. he did, dedicated to his The late Jackson Liberty coach, who died at 53 when he collapsed while exercising at a gym in Brick on April 13, made an impact at every stop of a journey that was cut short in tragic fashion.

As hundreds gathered during each of the threehour sessions for his viewing in Toms River, a tapestry woven from teen-aged Jackson Liberty players in their jerseys to old Brick teammates from the 1970s brought to vivid life the generations of people whose lives he touched.

With a shaved head and a burly physique honed by 25 years as a New Jersey state trooper, Osborn could seem menacing to most. However, he could immediately disarm people with a gaptoothed smile or one of the practical jokes that were his specialty. He was so beloved that three towns – Brick, Toms River and Jackson – claimed him as one of their own, in addition to the brotherhood he formed with his fellow state troopers during his tenure.

He also commanded the respect of the entire Shore Conference, as his wake featured a who’swho of fellow head coaches, including his own head coach, legendary former Brick head man Warren Wolf. As the only coach in Jackson Liberty’s six-year history, which includes the Lions’ first winning season and trip to the NJSIAA playoffs this past fall, he was still influencing the next generation up until the day he died.

team and his players, and the first person to help if you ever needed it. He was hard on the outside, but he was a great man on the inside.''

It shows the respect Osborn engendered and the character he helped create in players that Davies was benched at quarterback this past fall in favor of sophomore Matt Castronuova yet was eager to offer a fond

recollection of his former coach.

Osborn had a career record of 23-37 at Jackson Liberty, leading the Lions to a 6-4 mark this past fall and a trip to the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs, where they lost 28-14 to Colonia in their inaugural playoff game.

“He was a tough coach to play for because he pushed you very hard, but he pushed you hard because he wanted you to be able to react to any situation and be successful,” Jackson Liberty assistant Frank Giannetti told The Shore Sports Network.

“He had a real handle on developing kids not only as football players but as young men.”

He started the Jackson Liberty program from scratch after his stint at Toms River North, and the Lions showed steady improvement before a breakthrough season this past fall.

He previously was an assistant on championship teams under Bob Nani at Toms River North, where he coached his two sons, Brad and Matt. Osborn also played for Shore Conference legend Warren Wolf at Brick, winning the inaugural South Jersey Group IV title in the first year of the state playoff system in

/

1974, and served as an assistant for the Green Dragons from 1982-99.

After retiring as a state trooper, Osborn became a teacher at Jackson Liberty in 2006 and also served as the athletic director. While he was remembered for his impact on the football field, he also will be missed by the Jackson Liberty community for the type of person he was in the hallways as well.

“He really went over and above being a coach for these kids,” Giannetti told The Shore Sports Network. “Whatever they needed – he helped kids that were interested in becoming [a part of] law enforcement because of his State Police background. He was always willing to talk to kids about anything.

Football, careers, problems, whatever it was, he always made time for kids. He would get phone calls from kids he coached 5, 10 years ago that needed advice on something or needed help with something. He always had time for them…he always had time for anything.”

"Tim Osborn was a man beyond a teacher and head football coach, but a mentor and father figure for so many students, not only here at Jackson Liberty but the entire shore community,'' Jackson Liberty principal Maureen Butler said in a statement.

"He went above and beyond for everyone, especially our students and staff, and was an integral part of making Jackson Liberty what it is today.

Our Liberty family is so deeply saddened by his passing and will miss him more than words can express.

Photo courtesy of Ocean Signal Media

"Tim was a dynamic, dedicated teacher and coach who was incredibly passionate about his students and the Jackson community," Jackson School District Deputy Superintendent Lu Anne Meinders said in a statement. "I had the pleasure of knowing him as a fellow district staff member, but also as a parent of a child who played for him in the inaugural year of the Jackson Liberty High School football program and I can tell you

See Continued on Page 12

Osborn

Photos by

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

VOLUME-V

"People look at this year as the first winning season and say it took six years, but they don't know how much work it took to build the program,'' Davies said. "He got us to buy in and that's what great coaches do.

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

9

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

10

Mariners & Indians Building Momentum

E

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

xpectation s h ave always been h ig h f o r Toms River S ou th du r in g h ead coach Ken Fr an k’s 35 year s in th e du gou t, bu t as mu ch as th os e expectation s ar e b or n ou t of a win n in g cu ltu r e, th ey ar e als o attr ibu table to exceptio n al talen t th at pou r s in to th e pr ogr am.

“Overachiever” was never label that came to mind when senior pitchers Tyler Gebler, Andrew McGee, Connor Kaden and Kyle Driscoll mowed through Shore Conference Class A South lineups in consecutive years from 2009 to 2012 before pitching for Division I programs. But that is precisely the word Frank uses to describe this year’s team, which has nary a Division I senior in sight – at least not an obvious one.

Frank’s expectation for sophomore pitcher Vinny Scrudato on April 16 against Brick Memorial were for the right-hander to pitcher three, maybe four innings before handing the ball off to the next pitcher in line. Falling in line with many pitchers before him, Scrudato both exceeded and met his coach’s expectations, pitching above and beyond his target four innings while living up to the overachiever billing.

In his first career start, Scrudato pitched a complete-game shutout in a 5-0 win over the Mustangs, who were ranked No. 9 in the All Shore Media top 10 this past week. Scrudato allowed six hits and two walks while striking out six batters thanks to his fastball command and an effective curveball that he used as an out-pitch.

“We lost a lot of starters from last year’s team and I came into this year knowing I could help the team on the mound,” Scrudato said. “I was looking forward to a chance to start and my focus was just on throwing my pitches for strikes and keeping the hitters off balance. We have a great defense and I

wanted to make sure I at least gave them a chance to make the plays and they did a great job.”

Not only did Scrudato make the most of his repertoire, but his lineup made the most of only four hits. Ryan Sweeney got the Indians off to a fast start with a two-run homer in the first inning to plate junior Russell Messler.

The long ball by Sweeney and preceding single by Messler were two of the four hits recorded by the Indians and yet Toms River South added three more runs through an assortment of walks, hit-by-pitches, stolen bases, bunts and two more timely hits.

“We haven’t hit the ball a whole lot to this point, but we’re doing the little things you have to do to win games,” Frank said. “We’re running the bases, manufacturing runs and probably the biggest thing is we’re catching the ball.

Our pitchers have been pretty good, and we’re not making many errors.”

A 7-2 loss to Jackson Memorial two Toms River South junior Russell Messler days later cooled the Indians down after wins over Toms River North and play and our confidence is growing with every game. The Brick Memorial bumped their record to 6-2, but the second time through the A South schedule, I think we’re emergence of Scrudato and overall solid defense appear as going to surprise some teams.” though they will keep Toms River South relevant in Ocean County and beyond for yet another season.

“I think we’re just starting to come together and establish our identity,” said Messler, who was an All-Shore firstteamer as a sophomore in 2012 and is off to another torrid start to this season. “The younger guys are showing they can

Full Speed Ahead for Mariners

Toms River North has been through slow starts over the past few years, which is why 20-year head coach Ted

Schelmay was not panicked when his team full of experienced players dropped to 3-3 with a loss to Toms River South on April 15.

4/22/13

11

ISSUE-8

/

The Mariners responded with a threegame surge to end the week, capped by a come-from-behind win on the road against previously unbeaten Wall on Friday. Toms River North fell behind 7-3 due to a sloppy third inning in the field, but chipped away at the deficit before junior third baseman Julian Feliz broke a 7-7 tie with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the seventh. Senior right-hander and University of Delaware recruit Ron Marinaccio came in to strike out the side on 13 pitches to nail down the save and the Mariners’ biggest win of the season.

VOLUME-V

/

“Coming off the loss to South, we knew we had to turn things around,” Marinaccio said. “We’ve been swinging the bats well this week and being down early wasn’t a big deal for us because we knew we could hit our way back in the game.”

Like their neighbors to the south of town, the Mariners got a big performance from a sophomore on the mound, although it was not as obvious in the box score. Brett Hyers made his first varsity start on Friday and although he allowed seven runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, only three of those runs were earned and Hyers also struck out five batters while walking none.

“He’s a talented pitcher and his defense let him down during that big inning,” Schelmay said of Hyers, who earned a win in relief against Jackson Liberty in his only other appearance this season.

“The good thing was he kept his composure and kept making his pitches and that’s why we left him out there.

Young pitchers have to learn how to deal with adversity and he handled it well today.”

Senior Jordan Silvestri also pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for Toms River North in the win.

Junior first baseman/designated hitter Anthony Ferlise has been on fire during the three-game winning streak. After a 3for-3 game with a long double and two RBI against Wall, Ferlise is 8-for-11 over the last three games with two doubles and six RBI. “We’re lineup that hits one-throughnine and if you pitch around one guy, you have to deal with another good hitter,” Ferlise said. “Lately, I’ve been getting good pitches to hit and putting good swings on the ball.”

Join The

All Shore Media Team Today!

Interested in joining our team and think you have what it takes to be covering sports in the Shore Conference for All Shore Media?

We are looking for local writers interested in covering sports like Lacrosse, Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Track, Ice Hockey and more as part

of our newspaper and our website (www.allshoremedia.com). Grab your chance to appear regularly in The All Shore Media Sports Review and on www.allshoremedia.com while helping us recognize more athletes and bring more stories to Shore Conference sports fans. This is your chance to become a regular

contributor to a growing business on the cutting edge of covering sports in Monmouth and Ocean County.

Just contact: Managing Editor Scott Stump @ stump@allshoremedia.com

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

12

Osborn

Continued from Page 9 that his vibrant personality and enthusiasm endeared him to so many people, including myself. His loss will be felt by so many of us."

He was also more than a coach to many of his players.

“RIP Osborn you were like a father to me,'' 2012 graduate and former star lineman Remy Martin tweeted.

Osborn was also a key member of the Shore Football Coaches Foundation and the U.S. Army

All-Shore Gridiron Classic who worked to promote Shore Conference football. He served as the general manager of the Ocean County squad for multiple years, helping to assemble rosters and ensure the preparation for the game ran smoothly.

Osborn is survived by Jeanne, his wife of 29 years, as well as his two sons. He also was a beloved brother in a large family.

On the day of his death, a hastily-organized candlelight vigil was held in his honor on the Jackson Liberty football field as the many generations he impacted mourned his loss and remembered his spirit.

"I think it's incredibly fitting that he goes out with the first winning class in Jackson Liberty history,’’ Davies said. “On behalf of all the seniors

and all the current and former Jackson Liberty

players, I want to thank everyone for their condolences. It's a tough time, but he always said to

go all out all the time, and he certainly would want us to keep giving everything in our lives every day, so that's what we'll continue to do.''

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

13

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

14

it all the time: “How do you want to be remembered?”

Sometimes they are referring to whether a team wants to put in the effort to be remembered as a championship squad, but the majority of the time they are referring to the type of character players show on and off the field. Most coaches will tell you they are more proud of producing good people than All-Shore talents, and the best programs do both.

There were two instances that dramatically reminded me of this question recently, one a small gesture from a former Shore Conference star, and the other the tragic death of a Shore Conference fixture for the past 30 years.

I attended the wake for Jackson Liberty head football coach Tim Osborn, who collapsed while working out on a treadmill at a gym in Brick and later died at 53 years old on April 13. It was a stunning event, given that Osborn had already survived a horrific car wreck last summer and was in tremendous shape for his age.

As I wondered what the traffic jam at the corner of Hooper Avenue and Church Road in Toms River was all about, I realized it was from the massive crowd at the second three-hour viewing for Osborn. I walked almost all the way around the building to get to the end of the line waiting to go in and pay their final respects.

It was clear how many people Osborn had impacted. Whether it was current Jackson Liberty players in their uniforms, former players from Toms River and Brick, fellow Shore Conference coaches, or his former fellow troopers in the New Jersey State Police, all had

The moments with Osborn and Frazier brought me back to the aftermath of the somber death of legendary Manasquan and Middletown North coach Vic Kubu at 65 years old from cancer in 2007. I got a chance to see Kubu’s office at Manasquan, and it revealed all you needed to know about him.

Kubu won a Shore Conferencerecord 11 sectional titles Todd Frazier speaks to a group of high between Manasquan and school basketball players in Toms River.

Middletown North, 10 of them at Manasquan, but it would seemingly endless line have been hard to know that by looking in his outside of that funeral office. home featuring men and On a tiny, crumbling wooden shelf in a corner, women of all generations the state championship trophies were resting in a to know he was a success nondescript and ramshackle fashion. In giant, no matter how many frames featured prominently on the wall, there championships were won were pictures of all his senior classes with or records were set. personal inscriptions from each senior. Near The other reminder them were all the academic accolades for his about a person who is players over the years. much more than his When I spoke with his former players, it was athletic achievements was more about how he co-signed a car loan for one a feel-good story in the player who didn’t have a father, or how glasses wake of the awful news suddenly appeared in the locker of a player who about Osborn’s death and the national horror of needed them but couldn’t afford them. This the Boston Marathon bombing. Former Toms applied to star players all the way down to the River South and Rutgers baseball star Todd last man on the bench. Many of his former Frazier, now the starting third baseman for the players rarely mentioned the wins and titles and Cincinnati Reds, gave the thrill of a lifetime to a focused more on the interpersonal relationships special member of the organization. they made.

Teddy Kremer, a 30-year-old man with Down So when a coach asks a player how he wants to Syndrome who occasionally has served as a be remembered, know that it often has nothing batboy for the Reds, jokingly asked Frazier to to do with statistics. hit a home run for him on April 18. Frazier obliged, belting one in an 11-1 win over the Florida Marlins. He was greeted at home plate Osborn Photo Courtesy of: by a jubilant Kremer, who high-fived him and pumped his fist in excitement, forgetting to Ocean Signal Media retrieve Frazier ’s bat at first. Frazier then www.ocsignal.com

FOR INFORMATION ON HI-RES COLOR PRINTS OF AN PAGES & IMAGES IN ANY OF OUR PUBLICATIONS

CONTACT: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

4/22/13 /

Legendary Toms River South head coach Ken Frank has produced more championships and wins than he can remember, but a moment like that means more to him than any of those.

Frazier is known for his charitable works around the Toms River area, and now a national audience was able to get a glimpse into what type of person he has become. I have seen Frank speak on multiple occasions, and he always stresses that he is out to create good people as much as good ballplayers, so he is as proud of Todd Frazier the person as Todd Frazier the major-leaguer. No matter what Frazier achieves in the stat column, he will be remembered for the way he treated people.

ISSUE-8

“It was great how excited — that look,” Frazier told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I started smiling even before I hit home plate because I knew it. ... You can’t get mad—even if you have a terrible day. How can you be mad when you’ve got a guy like that around?”

15

/

ou hear Y coaches asking their players

At Jackson Liberty, he helped start the varsity football program from scratch, and took the Lions to their first state playoff berth and their first winning season this past fall in their sixth season of existence. His career record was well below .500 at Jackson Liberty, but the players he molded clearly cared for him. How did Tim Osborn want to be remembered? All you needed to see was the

scooped him up in a big hug in the dugout.

VOLUME-V

come to say goodbye one final time. Osborn was an assistant during championship runs at Brick under his former coach, the legendary Warren Wolf, and under Bob Nani at Toms River North, but it was the person he was more than the championships he won that was being celebrated.

VOLUME-V

/

ISSUE-8

/

4/22/13

16

2012 DRAFT PICKS Player Team

Round

Pat Light (CBA) Boston Red Sox Keon Barnum Chicago White Sox Andrew Velazquez Arizona Diamondbacks Nelson Rodriguez Cleveland Indians Ryan Harvey (Manalapan) Texas Rangers Rhett Wiseman Chicago Cubs Chris Shaw NY Mets Austin Barr NY Mets Richard Palase Seattle Mariners Tommy Burns Milwaulke Brewers Nolan Long San Francisco Giants

1 1 7 15 18 25 26 29 32 34 38

2011 DRAFT PICKS Nick Ahmed Scott McGough Tom LaStella David Palladino Jeffrey Diehl Keith Bilodeau Kenneth Ferrer Mike Papi John Brebbia Mike Dennhardt Javier Reynoso Jordan Gross

2 5 8 13 23 24 28 30 30 32 39 40

Atlanta Braves LA Dodgers Atlanta Braves LA Dodgers NY Mets SF Giants Washington Nationals Aneheim Angels NY Yankees Cincinnati Reds Chicago White Sox Boston Red Sox

2010 DRAFT PICKS Player Tyler Vail Sean Nolin Robert Aviles JC Menna Kenneth Ferrer

Team Oakland A's Toronto Blue Jays Cleveland Indians Oakland A's Cleveland Indians

2009 DRAFT PICKS Sean Nolin Chris Zagyi Fabian Roman Camden Maron Pat Light Joe Talerico Mitch Clarke Steven Matz

Seattle Mariners Chicago White Sox KC Royals NY Mets Minnesota Twins NY Yankees Cincinnati Reds NY Mets

48 42 36 34 28 21 19 1

2008 DRAFT PICKS Sean Nolin Scott McGough Richard O'Donald Keith Landers Mike Dennhardt

Milwaulke Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates Seattle Mariners Baltimore Orioles Seattle Mariners

50 46 47 18 17

2007 DRAFT PICKS Sean Giblin Pittsburgh Pirates JC Menna Pittsburgh Pirates Kyle Slate Philadelphia Phillies

10 39 37

BU CLASS OF 2013 SCHOLARSHIPS

Round 5 6 7 14 35

Justin Dunn John McCarren Chris Gaetano Joey Benitez Ryan Tufts AJ Bogucki Ryan Testani Matt Ruppenthal Karl Ellison Grant Lamberton Paul Tupper Alex Woinski Cameron Stone Tyler Kirkpatrick Neil Kozikowski Matthew Osieja Jonathan Gonzalez Brady Cotler Brian Wikoff Simon Mathews Johnny Adams Shane Cooper Ryan Bailey Casey McCone Pavin Smith Mitchell Cavanagh Dylan Manwaring Matthew Vogel Eli Kashi Kyle Simmons Kwestin Smith Ben Monte Ryan Reuther Phil Maldari Kellen Croce Mikael Mogues Jonathan Tenaglia Marc Canzanella Greg Salamone Adam Thayer Keith Klebart Chris Vincent

Boston College Wake Forest Monmouth U Old Dominion Virginia Tech U of North Carolina Seton Hall Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Monmouth U Princeton Lafayette Stony Brook Marist Virginia Commonwealth Quinnipiac Delaware St Washington College US Naval Academy Temple Boston College Iowa Monmouth U Bridgeport Virginia St John's Wake Forest South Carolina George Washington Furman Delaware St Stonehill College Trinity College Emory Maine Seton Hall Franklin Pierce Western New England Franklin Pierce Bridgeport Sacred Heart Franklin and Marshall