All-South Jersey Baseball Team

Here is the all-South Jersey baseball team:

Craig Mensinger tried to find the right words to describe Sean Mooney's senior season for the Ocean City High School baseball team.

It wasn't easy.

"Magical," Mensinger finally said. "I've been the coach here a long time [31 seasons]. We never had a pitcher do what he did this year."

Mooney, a righthander who played first base when he wasn't on the mound, led Ocean City to the South Jersey Group 3 title as well as the Cape-Atlantic League American Division crown.

Mooney is the Inquirer's South Jersey player of the year in baseball.

A St. John's recruit with a live fastball and a sharp curve, Mooney put together one of the most remarkable seasons in recent South Jersey history before laboring a bit in a loss to Northern Highlands in the Group 3 state title game.

Mooney allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits as Ocean City dropped a 7-2 decision in the final game of his career.

But his work before that off day at Toms River North left Mensinger shaking his head in amazement.

"I've never seen anything like it," Mensinger said.

Mooney, a St. John's recruit, finished with a 9-1 record and an 0.75 ERA. He struck out 102 with just 11 walks in 56 innings.

"I feel like I had a pretty good year," Mooney said, standing outside the Ocean City dugout after the last game of his career.

Mooney also was a top hitter. He cracked a home run that carried nearly 400 feet in a victory over Mainland and is the only player in Ocean City history to reach the 100-hit plateau.

But it was his pitching that made Mooney such a dynamic athlete to watch this spring. He entered the state title game with a 9-0 record and an 0.00 ERA. He threw five complete-game shutouts, including a three-hitter in a 5-0 win over Highland in the South Jersey Group 3 title game.

"What I'll remember most [is] going through everything with these guys," Mooney said of his teammates. "That's what made it so special. These guys are my brothers."

Tyler Mondile, senior pitcher,

Gloucester Catholic

He finished his career as one of the top pitchers in Gloucester Catholic history. As a senior, he was 6-1 with an 0.75 ERA. He had 65 strikeouts and 11 walks in 47 innings. The Florida State recruit was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the major-league baseball draft.

Kenny Mendoza,

senior pitcher,

Clearview

He was 9-1 with a 1.13 ERA for a Pioneers team that won the South Jersey Group 4 title. He shut out heavy-hitting Toms River North and Millville in the sectional tournament. The Campbell University recruit was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 24th round of the major-league draft.

Nick Snyder,

senior pitcher,

Cherokee

Snyder was 6-0 with an 0.95 ERA and did his best work against Olympic American opponents. A tall lefthander, he went 11-0 in two seasons as a varsity starter. A West Chester University recruit, Snyder had 75 strikeouts this season in 511/3 innings.

Drew Wilden, junior pitcher, West Deptford

He helped West Deptford to the first state championship in the history of the program. The lefthander and Maryland recruit was 9-2 with an 0.97 ERA. He had 108 strikeouts in 65 innings and earned three playoff victories.

R.J. Concepcion,

junior, Audubon

He burst onto the scene in 2016 as a transfer student. He hit .532 in leading Audubon to the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals. He had 11 doubles, three triples, and an inside-the-park home run, and also was a top defensive catcher.

Buddy Kennedy, junior infielder, Millville

He is one of the best hitters in the state. He batted .536 in leading Millville to the South Jersey Group 4 title game. The North Carolina recruit shared the South Jersey lead in home runs with nine and had nine doubles and two triples with 25 walks.

Joe Loperfido,

junior infielder,

Haddonfield

He was a top two-way player. The Duke recruit led South Jersey with six triples. He batted .431 with 28 RBIs and 26 runs. He also was a top defensive player with great range at shortstop.

Tyler Dearden,

junior infielder,

Rancocas Valley

He was the driving force in Rancocas Valley's attack. He batted .481 with nine doubles, three triples, and two home runs. He scored 22 runs. The Penn State recruit is also a top defensive first baseman.

Nolan Gerold,

senior infielder,

Camden Catholic

He was the heart of the Irish lineup. He batted .535 with 44 RBIs and 33 runs. He helped Camden Catholic to the Non-Public A title game. A Rutgers-Camden recruit and top defensive shortstop, he had seven home runs and seven doubles.

Davis Schneider,

junior infielder,

Eastern

He was a top defensive third baseman and a dynamic hitter. The Rutgers recruit batted .439 and led South Jersey with 16 doubles and 28 RBIs. He helped the Vikings capture the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic and Olympic American championships.

Ja'Ques Colon,

senior outfielder,

Vineland

A top defensive centerfielder, he was a spark plug for the Fighting Clan. He led the team with a .444 batting average and had eight doubles and four home runs and scored 25 runs. He was one of South Jersey's top baserunners with 28 steals.

Dom Fiorentino,

senior outfielder,

Ocean City

He was the offensive catalyst for the South Jersey Group 3 champions. He batted .452 with eight doubles and 15 stolen bases. He knocked in three runs in the South Jersey Group 3 title game. He plans to play at Ursinus.

Jack Herman,

sophomore outfielder,

Eastern

He has been an impact player since the first game of his freshman season. As a sophomore, he batted .553 with 38 RBIs and 42 runs. The Maryland recruit led South Jersey with 52 hits and was tied for the lead with nine home runs, setting school records in both categories.

Adam Laskey, senior,

Haddon Heights

He was a versatile, valuable player for the Colonial Conference Patriot Division champions and No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 1 tournament. He was 5-0 as a pitcher with a 1.71 ERA with 56 strikeouts and just nine walks. He batted .502 with nine doubles and scored 27 runs. He is a Duke recruit.