Sports Shorts

Jersey Shore Junior League wrestling champions Joe Favia (119 pounds), Sean Casey (130), Kevin Watson (140) and John Battista (heavyweight) lead the Brick Recreation Mats Rats qualifiers for the state championships that start this weekend at Union and continue next weekend at Lakewood. Other qualifiers include Dan Watson (90), Don Miller (105), Bill Miller (143) and heavyweight Steve Turner.

Steve Healing of Brick Township has earned a good look by the Rutgers University baseball coaching staff and has made the most of the opportunity.

Coming back from complicated Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow, the red-shirt freshman right-hander out of Brick Memorial pitched 2 2/3 solid innings of two-hit relief for the victory as Rutgers rallied back to beat No. 13-ranked Georgia Tech, 7-5. Healing, who allowed only one run in his stint, wriggled out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh, and also shut the door in the ninth with the tying run at the plate to raise his record to 2-0.

The victory snapped Rutgers’ five-game losing streak to Georgia Tech and strengthened Healing’s bid for a role as a set-up reliever or closer for the Scarlet Knights, who are expected to contend for the Big East championship again this spring.

Get a jump on the baseball season and on your competition with individualized baseball instruction. Pat Saverino, former Met, Oriole and Tiger prospect, and current manager of the Brick Clippers, is now offering private instruction, all positions, any age. Call for more information at (732) 477-9380.

The Brick B-Mac girls t-ball and softball season begins in April for girls in grades K-12. The suggested donation is $35 for grades K-2, and $50 for grades 3-12. Sign up at the recreation office, of call (732) 262-1095 for more information.

The Brick-MAC Adult Softball Leagues are now forming — men’s, Monday; co-ed adult, Tuesday; men’s, Wednesday; women’s, Thursday; men’s 30-and-over, Friday; and men’s, Sunday. All games (16-game seasons) will be played at the Drum Point Road Complex.

Weeknight games are 8 p.m. double-headers; men’s Sunday game starts are 9 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. Entry fees are $300, payable to Brick-MAC upon entry.

All teams supply their own balls (.47 core).

For more information, call (732) 262-1072 or fax (732) 262-8207 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.