It’s easy to fly under the radar when you play for Centereach. The program has won their league twice since 1991.
One player that will force his way into the conversation is their ace Greg Marino.
The monstrous 6’7″ Greg Marino will be entering his senior year with one goal in mind: leading the Cougars back to the playoffs.
Centereach has not been a force to be reckoned with since 2010, but they might be feared every third day this season when their ace takes the mound.
“My goal is to win as many games as possible on the mound,” said Marino.
He took it one step further by saying “losing is not the team’s expectation this year”. He went on to say that “previous years have motivated me to turn things around and bring more wins to this school, so I believe that my play on the field will do that in the 2015 season, especially on the hill.”
Marino comes from a family with strong athletic ties. His brother, Stephen, was an All-County player for Centereach and went on to dominate the America East Conference for Stony Brook prior to signing a contract with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League.
The younger Marino will follow in Stephen’s path just down Nicholls Road to play for the Sea Wolves of Stony Brook.
“His decision to play there was definitely a factor when choosing my future college, but it certainly wasn’t everything. The school’s medical and academic program was also things I considered, and Stony Brook is outstanding in those areas so it was really a no-brainer,” he added.
In the meantime, he has some unfinished business in high school.
Marino, who is also a talented basketball player, has been working hard in the offseason to prepare himself for the season.
“Baseball has always been my passion,” he said. “It has been that way throughout the boys in my family as well,” he added.
Marino noted that his favorite player is Andy Pettitte. The retired Yankee, who will have his number retired this season, was famous for his penchant for pitching his best when it matters most. Centereach will hope that their ace follows a similar trend and will lead the Cougars to their first playoff appearance in five seasons.
