Farmingdale State Begins Season in Unfamiliar Territory–As Underdogs

by Danny Gatta

The Farmingdale State Rams will begin the season in unfamiliar territory; not defending a Skyline Conference title. In 2015, the Rams lost in the conference championship to Old Westbury, ending their run of seven consecutive conference championships.

The Rams run of dominance in the Skyline conference was impressive, and even with the recent loss, they are still expected to be perennial contenders. They are graduating seven seniors, including All-American Outfielder Michael Marino. Marino was a leader on last year’s team and the main catalyst for the offense.

When asked about Marino, head coach Keith Osik said, “He’s just a class act and a great leader. It’s great to see when kids buy into what we do as a program and improve each year and that’s what he did.” Marino had an incredible year; top ten in the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, OBP, runs scored, doubles, hits, and total bases.

The Rams will have to replace Marino’s offensive production, along with seniors Anthony Alvino, Mike Scarlato, Tom Rydzewski, Ryan Levine, and Anthony McQuade. Shortstop/catcher Alvino was top ten in the conference in batting average, slugging percentage and OBP. Sophomore shortstop Anthony Gigante, a transfer from Belmont Abbey College, is expected to be a huge contributor.

Although losing seven seniors hurts, the Rams have an influx of freshmen and sophomores ready to replace the production on offense. “Our youth is our biggest strength, and will also be our biggest weakness,” said Coach Osik. He believes that the presence of youth combined with the experienced juniors and seniors will allow his team to compete at a high level.

Pitching is expected to be another area of strength for this Rams squad. They return four starting pitchers, including Matt Seelinger, Kevin Cashman, Kevin Martinez and Ryan O’Connor. O’Connor was impressive as a freshman, totaling six wins while being in the top ten of the conference in ERA (3.99), and opponent batting average (.265).

They will need to find a replacement for closer Alex Pangourelias, who led the conference with 19 appearances and five saves. Matt Seelinger had a strong year compiling 43 strikeouts. Kevin Cashman finished 2015 with an ERA of 2.37 and an opponent batting average of .266, both among the leaders in the conference.

The future is bright for this Farmingdale State team, but there is some room for improvement. Coach Osik believes they have the opportunity to shape these young men into fine ball players. “We have a chance to mold kids into the way the program is accustomed to running.”

Osik believes they have the talent needed to compete in this conference and that his guys are hungry for the challenge. “We are very excited, rejuvenated, and ready to start the season.”

The Farmingdale State Rams will open their season in North Carolina February 26 in the Fayetteville Tournament against Frostburg State. Their first conference match up will come on April 1st, when they take on Yeshiva.