Brach has excelled as the top closer in San Diego’s system. Between AA and AAA this season, Brach was 3-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 67 appearances and 94 strikeouts over 71 2/3 innings with 34 saves, one of the top totals in the minors. Brach is one of two members of his family in professional baseball, as his younger brother, Brett, also a pitcher, was drafted the Indians in the 10th round in 2009.

Brach becomes the second former Shore Conference player to reach the big leagues this season, joining former Toms River South/Rutgers star Todd Frazier, who has played 27 games at third base thus far for the Cincinnati Reds.

Barnegat's Mark McCoy pictured in last week's East Coast Pro Showcase. (Photo courtesy of Dan McCoy).

Area Code Games on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The eight-team event, which features some of the top high school talent in the nation, will be shown live on ESPN3.com on Tuesday. McCoy will start the game for the Yankees team at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif., when they take on the Texas Rangers team that features top talent from Texas and Louisiana. (Click here for more).

Last week, McCoy pitched in the East Coast Pro Showcase on Aug. 3 in Lakeland, Fla. He tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four, walking none and allowing three hits against a team of all-stars from the Carolinas.

In other news, the talented Brick trio of recent graduates Tim Carney, Sean Henry and Nick Vitale have all set their college destinations, according to head coach Jason Groschel. Carney, the All Shore Media Player of the Year and a third baseman/pitcher, is headed to Temple, Vitale, an outfielder, is headed to Kean University and Henry, a shortstop, will play at St. Peter’s, according to Groschel.

Barnegat senior pitcher Mark McCoy, a Wake Forest recruit, has been selected to play for the New York Yankees’ team featuring some of the top talent in the Northeast at the upcoming Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., from Aug. 5-10. The eight-team event features some of the top talent in the nation and has produced more than 500 major league players in its history. Click here for more.

It should be a whirlwind month for McCoy, who also will replace Tulane recruit Nick SanGiacomo as Barnegat’s new starting quarterback, so he will roll right from California into Barnegat’s preseason camp.

Also, while Brick Memorial lost twice in last week’s American Legion state playoffs to end its postseason hopes, but not after having a historic regular season for its program. Here is a report from information provided by head coach Evan Rizzitello.

After 10 seasons as Rumson’s head baseball coach in which he brought the program to new heights, Kevin James said he has stepped down to spend more time with his family.

James, who has three young daughters, was named the Class A Central Coach of the Year by his peers this season after helping the Bulldogs recover from a 2-7 start to earn a share of the A Central public title. In 2008, he led the Bulldogs to their first and only Shore Conference Tournament final appearance in school history, where they lost to perennial power Toms River South. They also won a division title that season. James also led the Bulldogs to the Central Jersey Group II title in 2004.

Click here for links to all of the postseason accolades.

Jersey Shore is 32-13 all-time in Carpenter Cup play since first playing in the 16-team tournament of all-star teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware in 1992. It is coming off its third Carpenter Cup title in history and first since 2002. Jersey Shore will try to become just the second team in the tournament’s 26-year history to win back-to-back titles and the first since Olympic Colonial did it in 1991-92. The tournament is single-elimination.

Click here for the roster and a link to the full schedule.

Congrats to former Colts Neck star pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, a University of Florida reliever who was drafted for the second time in his career when the Toronto Blue Jays picked him in the sixth round on Tuesday, the 199th overall pick.

The junior right-hander is 5-3 with three saves and a 4.36 ERA for the Gators, who have advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, where they will face Mississippi State starting on Friday in a best-of-three series to try to continue their run to the College World Series.

DeSclafani was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 22nd round out of Colts Neck in 2008 but chose to attend Florida. He is part of a school-record haul of 11 MLB draft picks for the Gators this year. Click here for the full story.

Also, Monmouth University’s record-setting infielder, Ryan Terry, was taken in the 21st round by the Tampa Bay Rays as the 660th overall pick. Click here for a full story on Terry.

Finally, Manalapan’s Group IV final game is now set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Ken Frank Stadium Toms River South against Westfield. The Braves are playing in their first Group final in program history.

The rest of the baseball schedule for the day is as follows:

At Toms River North
Group II: West Essex vs. Gov. Livingston, 11 a.m.
Non-Public B: Newark Academy vs. Gloucester Catholic, 2 p.m.

At Toms River East
Group I: Waldwick vs. Audubon, 11 a.m.
Group III: Paramus vs. Seneca, 2 p.m.

At Toms River South
Non-Public A: Pope John XXIII vs. St. Augustine, 11 a.m.
Group IV: Manalapan vs. Westfield, 2 p.m.

E-mail: stump@allshoremedia.com

We have entered the final week of the 2011 baseball season, with five teams still playing for championships, starting with tonight’s Shore Conference Tournament championship game at 8 p.m. at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood between Red Bank Catholic and Jackson Memorial.

RBC is trying to regroup after losses in the Monmouth County Tournament final against Middletown South  and a 15-3 wipeout at the hands of St. Augustine in the state sectional semifinals. The Caseys can still cap a season in which they have set several school records by winning their first SCT title in program history.

Meanwhile, Jackson Memorial will be playing for two championships in two days. The Jaguars are seeking their second SCT title in the last three seasons after having won it in 2009 by beating Christian Brothers Academy. This is their third straight final appearance.

A day later, the Jaguars will try to win their first Ocean County Tournament title since  1972 when they take on Brick in the OCT final at 7:30 p.m. at Toms River East. Brick is in a similar spot to RBC in that only a week ago, it was still in play for five championships, but an 8-6 loss to Jackson Memorial in the SCT semifinals and a 7-1 loss to Middletown South in the Central Jersey Group III title have left the Green Dragons with one last shot at a championship from their best season since 1980.

Also on Tuesday, the Group semifinals will be held, as Middletown South and Manalapan are the last two Shore Conference teams standing in the state playoffs. Middletown South will play South Jersey champion Seneca and possibly face Vanderbilt-bound ace and potentially high MLB draft pick Kevin Comer at 4 p.m. at Rutgers in the Group III semifinals. Seneca could possibly try to hold Comer back to see if it can save him for the Group III final, so we’ll see. Junior lefty Howie Brey will get the ball for the Eagles (19-8). The winner will play the Millburn-Paramus winner in the Group III final on Saturday at one of the Toms River schools. The Eagles last made a Group III final in 1999 but have never won it.

Manalapan has made it further in the state tournament than it has ever gone after winning its first Central Jersey Group IV title in school history. The Braves face South Jersey champ Millville, which beat Toms River South on its way to the sectional title, at 4 p.m. at The College of New Jersey in the Group IV semifinals. Senior lefty Jake Winston will most likely get the start. The winner takes on the winner of the Westfield-Morris Knolls semifinal on Saturday in the Group IV championship game at one of the Toms River schools.