Joe Brooks

Audubon junior lefthander Andrew Schorr has made an oral commitment to attend East Carolina University. He is the second South Jersey junior to commit to East Carolina, joining Gloucester Catholic infielder Joe Brooks, his Senior American Legion teammate at Brooklawn. Schorr said he and Brooks planned to be roommates. Schorr missed the high school season after breaking his left leg during Audubon's first scrimmage in March. He returned late in the American Legion season and won a game in the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament, where Brooklawn finished as runner-up.

Kevin Comer, a righthander from Seneca considered by many to be South Jersey's top pro prospect, has committed to Vanderbilt. Comer, who went 6-3 with a 1.43 ERA last season, said Thursday that he chose the school over UCLA. Comer, who has a 90-m.p.h.-plus fastball and a hard-breaking curve, is likely to face a decision in June, whether to choose college over professional baseball. Brooks decides. Gloucester Catholic junior infielder Joe Brooks has made an early college decision, accepting a partial baseball scholarship to East Carolina.

Brooklawn's Joe Shapley outdueled South Charleston's Tyler Kincaid as Brooklawn won the American Legion Baseball Mid-Regional Tournament game with a 6-2 victory Sunday at Bears Stadium in Boyertown and remained undefeated. Shapley pitched 62/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on a homer. South Charleston (W.Va.) took a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning, when Brooklawn tied the game. Brooklawn broke the game open in the eighth with three runs on three hits and added another run in the ninth.

Gloucester Catholic junior infielder Joe Brooks has made an early college decision, deciding to accept a partial baseball scholarship to East Carolina. Gloucester Catholic coach Dennis Barth said Brooks received considerable college interest while competing this summer for Brooklawn's Senior American Legion team. Brooks was named the most valuable player of the New Jersey state tournament as Brooklawn won its 24th state championship. Brooklawn then finished second in the Mid-Atlantic Regional in West Lawn, Pa. Brooks also enjoyed a standout sophomore season at Gloucester Catholic, helping the Rams win the Non-Public B state title.

Brooklawn's bid for a third national title ended Sunday afternoon with a 14-10 loss to Las Vegas in the American Legion World Series before 5,747 fans at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C. With four runs in the third inning and six in the fifth, Las Vegas (49-9) comfortably led, 11-2. "That's a good team we played," Brooklawn manager Dennis Barth said. "We had some errors [three] and walks [seven] that hurt us. You can't give a team like that extra at-bats. " Brooklawn (45-6)

PRESEASON BASEBALL With last year's record in parentheses. 1. Gloucester Catholic (24-7). Senior LHP Cody Brown (9-1, 76 Ks) and sophomore RHP Mike Shawaryn (4-1, 76 Ks) lead a deep rotation, while a loaded junior class of hitters includes East Carolina recruit Joe Brooks (.446) and four others who batted better than .400 as sophomores. 2. Lenape (23-5). Penn recruit Jeff McGarry (7-2, 1.51 ERA) is an ace RHP, and St. Joseph's recruit and senior IF Stefan Kancylarz (.412, 33 RBIs)

The Inquirer TOP 10   PRESEASON BASEBALL With last year's record in parentheses.   1. Gloucester Catholic (24-7). Senior LHP Cody Brown (9-1, 76 Ks) and sophomore RHP Mike Shawaryn (4-1, 76 Ks) lead a deep rotation, while a loaded junior class of hitters includes East Carolina recruit Joe Brooks (.446) and four others who batted better than .400 as sophomores. 2. Lenape (23-5). Penn recruit Jeff McGarry (7-2, 1.51 ERA) is an ace RHP, and St. Joseph's recruit and senior IF Stefan Kancylarz (.412, 33 RBIs)

Chris Bell, senior infielder, Sacred Heart. He hit .451 with five homers and 38 RBIs last season. Joe Brooks, junior infielder, Gloucester Catholic. The East Carolina recruit batted .446 with 29 RBIs. Cody Brown, senior pitcher/outfielder, Gloucester Catholic. The lefthander went 9-1 with 78 strikeouts in 66 innings and also hit .378. Tyler Caton, senior catcher, Cherry Hill East. He batted .480 and was a defensive stalwart for the Cougars. Ed Charlton, senior outfielder, St. Augustine.

In a long and busy game, it was one swing, one hit, one headfirst slide into third base. But it was so much more than that for Joe Brooks and the Gloucester Catholic baseball team. Brooks might not be all the way back from injury, but his triple off the wall at Rowan University in the Non-Public South A championship game Tuesday was a great sign for the Rams and their senior leader. "It felt good to square up on one," Brooks said after Gloucester Catholic's 12-4 victory over St. Augustine Prep propelled the No. 1 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings to Saturday's state final against Don Bosco Prep at Toms River North.

In a long and busy game, it was one swing, one hit, one head-first slide into third base. But it was so much more than that for Joe Brooks and the Gloucester Catholic baseball team. Brooks might not be all the way back from injury, but his triple off the wall at Rowan University in the Non-Public South A championship game Tuesday was a great sign for the Rams and their senior leader. "It felt good to square up on one," Brooks said after Gloucester Catholic's 12-4 victory over St. Augustine Prep propelled the No. 1 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings to Saturday's state final against Don Bosco Prep at Toms River North.

Brooklawn's bid for a third national title ended Sunday afternoon with a 14-10 loss to Las Vegas in the American Legion World Series before 5,747 fans at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C. With four runs in the third inning and six in the fifth, Las Vegas (49-9) comfortably led, 11-2. "That's a good team we played," Brooklawn manager Dennis Barth said. "We had some errors [three] and walks [seven] that hurt us. You can't give a team like that extra at-bats. " Brooklawn (45-6)

Brooklawn's Joe Shapley outdueled South Charleston's Tyler Kincaid as Brooklawn won the American Legion Baseball Mid-Regional Tournament game with a 6-2 victory Sunday at Bears Stadium in Boyertown and remained undefeated. Shapley pitched 62/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on a homer. South Charleston (W.Va.) took a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning, when Brooklawn tied the game. Brooklawn broke the game open in the eighth with three runs on three hits and added another run in the ninth.

PRESEASON BASEBALL With last year's record in parentheses. 1. Gloucester Catholic (24-7). Senior LHP Cody Brown (9-1, 76 Ks) and sophomore RHP Mike Shawaryn (4-1, 76 Ks) lead a deep rotation, while a loaded junior class of hitters includes East Carolina recruit Joe Brooks (.446) and four others who batted better than .400 as sophomores. 2. Lenape (23-5). Penn recruit Jeff McGarry (7-2, 1.51 ERA) is an ace RHP, and St. Joseph's recruit and senior IF Stefan Kancylarz (.412, 33 RBIs)

Chris Bell, senior infielder, Sacred Heart. He hit .451 with five homers and 38 RBIs last season. Joe Brooks, junior infielder, Gloucester Catholic. The East Carolina recruit batted .446 with 29 RBIs. Cody Brown, senior pitcher/outfielder, Gloucester Catholic. The lefthander went 9-1 with 78 strikeouts in 66 innings and also hit .378. Tyler Caton, senior catcher, Cherry Hill East. He batted .480 and was a defensive stalwart for the Cougars. Ed Charlton, senior outfielder, St. Augustine.

The Inquirer TOP 10   PRESEASON BASEBALL With last year's record in parentheses.   1. Gloucester Catholic (24-7). Senior LHP Cody Brown (9-1, 76 Ks) and sophomore RHP Mike Shawaryn (4-1, 76 Ks) lead a deep rotation, while a loaded junior class of hitters includes East Carolina recruit Joe Brooks (.446) and four others who batted better than .400 as sophomores. 2. Lenape (23-5). Penn recruit Jeff McGarry (7-2, 1.51 ERA) is an ace RHP, and St. Joseph's recruit and senior IF Stefan Kancylarz (.412, 33 RBIs)

With class trips, proms, and graduation plans, spring can be a tricky season for senior athletes. But that won't be a problem for some of South Jersey's best baseball players. They're juniors. To be sure, there's plenty of talent in the senior class, led by Vanderbilt recruit and likely high draft pick Kevin Comer, the hard-throwing righthander from Seneca, as well as Virginia Tech recruit Mark Zagunis, the terrific catcher from Holy Cross. But this year's junior class is loaded with potential Division I athletes - six of whom play for the same team - and features a mother lode of lefthanded pitchers.