His High School Athletic Career
18 AUGUST 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY TIM MORRIS
Every time Shane Panzini stepped onto the pitcher’s mound this
spring, he had only one goal in mind. “I wanted to help my team
win,” said the Red Bank Catholic senior. “I tried to throw a complete
game every time to help give my team a chance to win.”
right-hander was a big reason behind the Caseys’ 2021 success. RBC
went 24-5-1 and repeated as Shore Conference Tournament champions.
-
mouth County Tournaments and added the Shore Conference A Central
Division crown to its accomplishments.
at the plate as well, leading the team in home runs (four). He had 22 RBI
and 22 runs scored and batted .385.
Panzini was on the hill for the SCT
-
tance as RBC defeated Group 4 state
champion Middletown High School
South, 7-0, to win the tournament for the
second straight time (there was no 2020
season due to the pandemic, and RBC
“It was awesome getting to win the
game at home,” Panzini said.
-
sey ace because he pitched another com-
It was Panzini’s 12-strikeout
three-hitter that led RBC to perhaps its
biggest win of the season, a 6-1 victory
over the state’s then-undefeated and No.
1 ranked team, Bishop Eustace, in the
-
clusion to a great career, another standout
performance, a 14-strikeout, two-hitter
over 6.1 innings as RBC defeated
Christian Brothers Academy, 3-1, in the
mph fastball to overpower high school
batters.
“I worked on things,” noted Panzini.
“When the count was 0-2 or 1-0, I’d
experiment with change-ups or back-
door sliders.”
The combination of speed, off-
speed pitches and a slider had teams
struggling to get hits, let alone runs, off the Casey. He allowed just
26 hits all season.
Because of the lost 2020 season, the 2021 spring campaign took on
a special meaning for the graduating Panzini.
“You realize that you only have a limited amount of time. It made
me appreciate it more and make the most of it,” he explained.
RBC, like every team in the Shore, was unsure of what to expect of
the 2021 season. Experience was lacking everywhere, but somehow, RBC
overcame it to be one of the state’s best.
underclassmen stepped up. We were a close-knit group. This was the
most tightly knit team I’ve been around. Practice was fun. We all pulled
for each other.”
It all translated to a memorable season and a promise of future success
for Red Bank Catholic baseball. With juniors and sophomores sprinkled
with a couple of freshmen returning
in 2022, Panzini said the Caseys have a
bright future in front of them even without
him throwing heat.
Looking back on his career, Panzini
welcomed being part of a winning program
that won 20 or more games every
year he was there. It was something he
couldn’t have predicted.
“I didn’t think anything like this
would happen to me,” he recalled. “My
freshman year, my older brother, Blaise,
was a senior and walked me through
everything, and I pitched a little. My
sophomore year, the team was the most
talented I’ve been a part of.”
His limited experience as a freshman
was enough for him to learn he had
what it takes to cut it as a varsity hurler.
“It was against Middletown North
my freshman year that I got the idea
I could dominate. I could play at this
level,” he remarked, adding it made
him work on improving everything from
his mechanics, getting to the gym
and nutrition.
Following his high school season,
Panzini was invited to participate in
Carolina. The Casey is considered one
of the top high school prospects in the
country. He is headed to the University
of Virginia to continue his athletic and
academic career.
/TheJournalNJ.com