Two years is hardly considered a drought in terms of winning a championship. When you have the winning tradition and the caliber of players of Ward Melville, however, you do expect to win it all.
In 2015, they did not lose a game at home all season, they had arguably the best player in the state and a number of other Division-I caliber players.
Nick Vitale, a captain on the team as a junior, and now officially one of those Division-I players spoke to Baseball on the Island in an exclusive interview. Here’s what he had to say…
Did you play any other sports growing up? When did baseball become the focal point?
Baseball was always my #1 sport. I used to play basketball up until 8th grade. I quit basketball to intensify my work ethic for baseball because I wanted to focus on becoming the best baseball player I could be. I’ve loved baseball ever since I was 5 years old.
Do you come from an athletic family?
I come from a very athletic family. My dad played baseball at Dowling. He set many records there and was one of the few players ever to be inducted into the Dowling Hall of Fame. I’m thankful for the endless hours of batting practice and ground balls my dad has sacrificed to make me better. My sister is also an athlete, she plays soccer and basketball and is very good at both sports.
Talk a little about the recruiting process and why you chose NYIT
Almost a year ago I already decided mentally that NYIT was my #1 choice and that I wanted to go there. I was striving to play Division-1 baseball and I am interested in the academics at NYIT. Also, I met with Coach Malvagna, the baseball coach at NYIT, and I realized right away that he is the type of coach I would love to play for. Coach Malvagna showed interest in me right away, I’ve heard from numerous people about what a great coach he is. I am beyond excited and honored to be able to play for him at NYIT.
Was it upsetting how the season ended? Was 2015 a year you will look back on fondly?
In my high school baseball season in 2015 at Ward Melville, we were defeated by Connetquot in the Suffolk County Finals. It was really upsetting because as a captain I knew we had the talent to win the New York State Championship. 2015 was a very enjoyable year for me because I got to play a lot of baseball and I recently made my commitment to NYIT to play baseball. I’m very happy that i achieved my goal of playing Division 1 baseball.
What are your goals for 2016?
In 2016 my goal is to win a state championship at Ward Melville. It would be really special to me to win a championship in my senior year. My other goal is to prepare myself for college ball by getting my swings in and ground ball reps
