by David Moskowitz
Old Westbury is always a competitive team. Problem is, they have not been able to overcome Farmingdale State for the past six years. Year after year, they appear to have a shot, only to lose in dramatic fashion in the final round.
They will most likely find themselves face to face against Keith Osik’s squad, and they must find a way to get it done.
The team must cope with the absence of their seniors from 2013. Gone are Steve Chapter, Tim Walsh, Matthew Andress, and Andres Machuca, and James Roubal. Walsh, Chapter, and Roubal were big contributors last year, but all in all to lose only 5 pitchers isn’t bad. The team still has a good group of arms, highlighted by Alex DiSanto.
DiSanto was a beast last year while serving as the team’s closer. He posted 13 saves and in 28.2 innings pitched, he had a .31 earned run average. Over the summer, Alex played in the FCBL league, where he pitched 23 innings, recorded 10 saves, without allowing a run. He will be a dominant presence at the back end of the bullpen.
Christopher Vitale, Arismendy Nunez, Frank Dimaria are three very solid pitchers and will be counted on again this season. Braylin Perez is a newcomer to watch, as he was a big contributed to John Jay and has the opportunity to pitch a lot this year.
In terms of offense, Old Westbury lost captain Steve Mare, captain Paul Valerio, Brian Walsh, Robert Crocitto, Jeremy Delgado, Peter Romeo, and Eddie Hernandez. Put another way, Old Westbury will be featuring a fairly new lineup this year.
Returning guys Brandon Stein, John Angelino, Jonathan Pagan, Jacob Conners, Kevin Licul will be expected to lead the offense. I definitely think Kevin Licul will have a great year as he should receive the lion’s share of time at first base, and Jacob Conners is an interesting name to watch. In terms of newcomers, Nick Yip and Christian Faust should make some noise.
Overall I expect this team to be competitive and fight for the Skyline Conference. The coaching staff is confident that they have a shot. The games are on won on paper and the Panthers have a shot to dethrone the Rams.
