Each Tuesday, we’ll take a deep dive into every conference and highlight two players who stood out in the week prior. These players were outstanding, from dynamic pitching performances to scorching numbers at the plate. Here are the Players of the Week from April 21-27. Big North Conference Alex Bellovich, Ramapo, Jr., C Bellovich has been a vital cog to Ramapo’s offensive machine this spring. Already with 24 RBIs this year, Bellovich rattled home four runs against Pascack Hills on April 25, marking his eighth multi-RBI contest of 2025. He’s batting .420 (21-for-50) entering the week, with four doubles and a home run for a Raiders quad averaging over 7.5 runs per game. From behind the dish, Bellovich has been just as crucial, throwing out seven runners so far. Jake Buonanno, Mahwah, Sr., OF/P Buonanno enters the new week riding an eight-game hitting streak, batting 24-for-47 this spring (.511) overall. This past week, his highlight contest came on April 25 against Demarest. In a tight 9-7 win, Buonanno went 4-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs, and two home runs. He also homered on April 27 against Becton to bring him to five this spring and 13 for his career. Buonanno has eight multi-hit games through Mahwah’s first 15 contests. Burlington County Scholastic League Liam Velit, Northern Burlington, Jr., C Velit continued to swing a big bat for the undefeated Greyhounds, going 6-for-10 over a three-game span and extending his hitting streak to six straight. He went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against Cinnaminson, 2-for-3 with a two-run home run against Moorestown and had a double and two more RBIs in a shutout over Delran. Connor Straton, Maple Shade, Sr., P A right-hander, Straton came within one out of a no-hitter in a 6-0 victory over Riverside. The senior struck out 13 batters and walked one, throwing 94 pitches over the complete-game effort. The decision was his first victory of the season. Cape-Atlantic League Edriarlyn Caraballo, Pleasantville, Jr., P/SS The Greyhounds snapped a seven-game losing skid with three wins in a row. Caraballo went 7-for-12 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and home run. He also scored seven runs and collected five RBIs. Caraballo had a pair of 3-for-4 games against Bridgeton and Clayton, also picking up the decision in the win over Bridgeton. He came into this week hitting .512 (22-for-43) with six doubles, 19 runs scored and 12 RBIs. Nate Winterbottom, Cedar Creek, Sr., 1B Winterbottom continued to swing a strong bat as the Pirates’ top hitter. The senior went 7-for-9 at the plate over a three-game stretch. He was 3-for-4 in a non-league game against Collingswood and 2-for-3 in a tough 2-0 loss to Cherokee. Winterbottom then closed out the week with two hits and two runs scored - including his first home run of the spring - in a rout of Timber Creek in the Downbeach Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. He came into this week hitting .538 with 16 RBIs. Colonial Conference Kayden Weber, Paulsboro, Jr., INF Hitting a team-leading .480 coming into this week, Weber had a solid three-game stretch last week for the Red Raiders. The junior went 6-for-9 at the plate with a double, two home runs, seven runs scored and five RBIs. He was 2-for-3 in each game. Hie biggest game came against Sterling, collecting a double, homer, two runs scored and three RBIs. Tyler Wiltsey, Audubon, Sr., SS/OF Audubon went 4-1 on its trip to Myrtle Beach (SC) and Wiltsey had a strong stretch of games. The Rutgers commit went 9-for-20 at the plate with six doubles, a triple, seven runs scored and five RBIs. Wiltsey hit safety in 10 of the Green Wave’s first 13 games, with three multi-RBI games from the leadoff spot in the batting order. Colonial Valley Conference Damien Porras, Allentown Allentown went 4-0 last week and the offense was on fire with 42 runs in those victories against West Windsor-Plainsboro North, Ewing, Haddonfield and Hopewell Valley. Porras was terrific throughout, earning a hit in all four. He went a combined 6-for-12 with five RBIs and six runs. Blake Echternacht, Hopewell Valley, Sr., IF/P Hopewell Valley split a four-game week but Echternacht was a tough out every time he stepped to the plate. He collected six hits in 16 at-bats and stretched his hitting streak to six games overall. He recorded four RBI and four runs in the process. Echternacht started the game against Princeton and allowed one hit and two runs with six strikeouts in six innings of work. Greater Middlesex Conference Cory Pascarella, Colonia, Sr. Pascarella played a big role in Colonia’s offense, recording 59 runs across victories against Sayreville, North Brunswick, Linden and Raritan. He went 4-for-4 with five runs, eight RBIs and was a triple shy of the cycle against North Brunswick. Overall, he had eight hits, 13 RBI and eight runs on the week. Pascarella also tossed a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts against Sayreville. JP Zayle, St. Joseph (Met.), Sr. Zayle helped his squad sweep a two-game series against Monroe and go 2-1 overall last week. Zayle had three multi-hit performances in as many games. He went 3-for-4 in the loss to East Brunswick before going a combined 5-for-8 with six RBIs and three runs in the sweep against Monroe. He was a home run shy of the cycle in Saturday’s 20-9 victory. Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League Logan Chi, St. Peter’s Prep, Jr., P/CF Chi has been fantastic all season, but he turned in his most important start of his high school career on April 26. Hosting Don Bosco Prep, Chi twirled a complete-game shutout in a tight 1-0 victory for the Marauders. He struck out nine, allowed two hits, and walked one. This season on the mound, he boasts a 1.24 earned run average in 22 2/3 innings alongside 34 strikeouts. At the plate, he’s clipped a .429 average (18-for-42) with nine walks, nine runs, eight RBIs, four stolen bases, and three extra-base hits. Isaiah Paraison, Lincoln, Sr., P Paraison fired a 17-strikeout no-hitter against Snyder on April 21 as part of a 3-0 victory. He walked just one batter, and picked up his second-straight double-digit strikeout game. He has 39 punch-outs through 18 ⅔ frames this spring, giving him 90 total for his career. North Jersey Interscholastic Conference Tyler Herman, Lyndhurst, Jr., P/INF On April 25, Herman fired a complete-game shutout against Rutherford. He totaled nine strikeouts, bringing him to 47 in 31 ⅓ innings this year. This marks Herman’s second shutout of the 2025 season, doing so against North Arlington on April 4 as well. Jack Spitaleri, Glen Rock, Fr., 1B On April 27, Spitaleri hit his first varsity home run. It came at the perfect time, too. Stepping up to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning at Weehawken Stadium against No. 18 Passaic Tech, Spitaleri delivered a walk-off two-run home run to right field. This past week, drove in seven total runs, and is a .314 hitter (11-for-35) entering Monday’s slate. Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference AJ Terry, Randolph, Sr., SS Terry reached a major career milestone over the weekend. Randolph opened the Morris County Tournament with a 4-3 win over Kinnelon and Terry recorded a double and a triple to join the 100-hit club. The senior entered the season with 85. It was also his fifth multi-hit game of the year. Ethan Rasmussen, High Point, Jr. Rasmussen was involved on both sides of the ball in High Point’s wins over Newton and Kinnelon last week. At the plate, he went 4-for-7 with nine RBI and five runs. Three of those four hits were home runs. In the 19-2 win against Newton, he got the start and punched out 11 over five innings. Olympic Conference Jaylen Alvarez, Rancocas Valley, So., OF The Red Devils split four games last week, with Alvarez going 6-for-11 at the plate. The sophomore had a double and two RBIs in a non-league win over defending Group 4 state champion Bridgewater-Raritan. His top effort of the season then came against Clearview in the Downbeach Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. In that game, Alvarez hit for the cycle and drove in four runs. The home run was his first of the year. Brett Jackson, Cherokee, Jr., 2B Cherokee extended its season-long winning streak with six wins in five days. Jackson had a lot to do with that success, going 9-for-19 with two doubles, two home runs, five runs scored and nine RBIs. He hit his fourth homer of the season as part of a 4-for-4 effort against Eastern, also collecting a double, three runs scored and four RBIs. Jackson came into this week hitting .447 (17-for-38) with 20 RBIs - both team-highs. Shore Conference Sean Loggie, Christian Brothers, Jr., P In a must-win divisional game, Loggie fired a complete-game shutout in six innings to even the season the series with Red Bank Catholic. He struck out 10 batters, scattered three hits, and walked none. In 17 innings this spring, he has allowed two earned runs, and has compiled 25 strikeouts. Brayden Nalducci, Brick Memorial, Sr., 3B/P Entering this week, Nalducci is riding an 11-game hitting streak, batting 19-for-40 over this span. Overall this spring, he is batting .460 with 18 runs, 14 RBIs, seven doubles, seven stolen bases, and one home run. Skyland Conference Matt Cichocki, Bridgewater-Raritan, Sr., 1B/OF On April 26, Cichocki had an all-around game at home against No. 15 Ramapo. Tossing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts, he also dialed up a 3-for-5 effort at the plate. Cichocki scored once, drove in one run, and stole two bases. Anthony Petino, Hunterdon Central, Sr., P Petino was tough on the mound on April 24. Facing Bridgewater-Raritan on the road, Petino twirled a complete-game shutout alongside 10 strikeouts Super Essex Conference Matthew Norman, Cedar Grove, Sr., P/1B Norman played well last week and helped Cedar Grove win three of its four games. He recorded five hits throughout, three of which came in the lone loss to Belleville. On the mound, he got the start against Bloomfield and was strong. He tossed a four-hit shutout with three strikeouts. Dante Placenti, Caldwell, Fr., OF Caldwell continued to pick up wins after topping Bloomfield, West Orange and Rumson-Fair Haven. Placenti continued his outstanding play in his debut season. He went 8-for-14 with eight RBIs and five runs. He went 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs against Bloomfield and picked up three more hits and three more RBIs against West Orange. Tri-County Conference Braeden Lipoff, Gloucester Catholic, Jr., C In a pair of victories, Lipoff was red-hot at the plate. The East Carolina commit went 7-for-8 to raise his season average to .621 and extend his season-long hitting streak to nine games. He was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored against Washington Township. Lipoff then had an explosion at the plate Saturday against St. Augustine in the Downbeach Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. In a comeback win, he went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a solo home run, grand slam, four runs scored and seven RBIs - with the slam breaking a 5-5 deadlock for the game-winning runs. Dylan Rickards, Kingsway, Sr., 1B After a slow start, Rickards has picked things up at the plate for the Dragons. Over a four-game span, the senior went 6-for-11 with three doubles, a home run, six runs scored and eight RBIs. He had two hits in games against Rancocas Valley, Cumberland and GCIT. In a win over Cumberland, Rickards was 2-for-2 with a double, homer, two runs scored and four RBIs. Union County Conference Gavin Schnall, Summit, So., OF Summit is hot, having won four of its last five games and three of those wins were last week against Bernards, New Providence and Union Catholic. He set a career high with four this in a key 6-4 victory over Union Catholic. That came three days after going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run in a loss to Oratory. In the four games, he went 8-for-12 with two RBIs and six runs. Quinn Smith, Cranford, Jr. Smith helped lead the charge in a three-win week for Cranford. He homered and drove in five runs in a 14-4 win over Union. The next day, he added another hit, run and RBI in an 8-7 win over Marlboro. His week was capped with another two-hit game against New Providence. The junior overall was 5-for-9 with six RBI and four runs last week. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Kevin Minnick covers South Jersey baseball. He can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kminnicksports PJ Potter covers Central and North Jersey baseball. He can be reached at ppotter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @PJ_Potter Brian Bobal covers Central and North Jersey baseball. He can be reached at bbobal@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @BrianBobal. Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)