By Nakeem Grant
Hofstra has not been to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament since 2012 when they finished second in the CAA with a record of 20-10. Coach John Russo has a lot of confidence, however, that his offense will provide the punch needed to deliver them back to the dance.
“We missed the tournament in 2013 and 2014 by half a game,” said Russo. In 2014, they were eliminated on the season’s final day when Northeastern and James Madison University won their games.
“This year, we have a great combination of hitting and pitching. We have the ability to be one of the top hitting teams in the conference.”
Steven Foster (sophomore), David Leiderman (junior), and Brad Witkowski (junior) were the main cogs that drove the Pride’s offense last season. Each player had their own role and helped the offense to stay consistent throughout the 2015 season.
Foster led the way for Hofstra last year in his freshman season. He led the team in multiple categories including batting average (.351), hits (52), runs (35), and steals (19). He ranked fifth in the conference for hitting and third for stolen bases. For his accomplishments, he was named to Baseball on the Island’s All-Long Island team.
Leiderman was best run producer for Hofstra, driving in 29 RBIs after only driving in eight RBIs in 2014. He was also among the team leaders in other statistics including hits (49), steals (10) and runs scored (27).
Witkowski was an All-Rookie Selection for the CAA in 2014, when he batted .330 with a .410 OBP. Last season, his averaged dipped a bit to .312 but still compiled a healthy .406 OBP and coach Russo hopes that he can keep that momentum going in 2016.
Russo is thrilled to see his young hitters returning, but he thinks that they can top their numbers from last season.
“Foster added 15 lbs. of muscle in the off season so his power numbers should increase this year. If Leiderman can cut back on his strikeouts, his production can go up even more.”
Sophomore Matt Anunziata is primed for a monster season. He drove in 28 runs as a freshman despite a low .245 AVG. With his skillset, do not be surprised if he becomes an All-Conference honoree.
They will also benefit from the presence of transfers Nick Bottari (Miami), Ryan Karl (Cornell) and Teddy Cilis (UNC-Wilmington). Bottari was arguably the best hitter out of Long Island’s 2014 HS graduating class. If he wasn’t first, he was second behind Anunziata. Karl started all 40 games last season and was a thumper in the middle of the order. The Pride could really benefit from his pop, as they did lose last year’s home run leader (Brett Johnson, 8).
Two freshmen that will certainly have an immediate impact will be infielder Tom Archer and catcher Vito Friscia. Both players come highly regarded out of high school and ranked among the most coveted recruits at their respective positions.
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Former MLB pitcher, John Habyan will be joining Hofstra’s coaching staff as their pitching coach. Coach Russo has nothing but high praise for his newest coach.
“He’s the best pitching coach in the northeast and in the country. He has so many years of baseball experience that he’s willing to share with our young pitchers.”
Coach Habyan pitched for six different teams in his MLB career which lasted for eleven years. Prior to his arrival at Hofstra, he was the varsity coach for St. John the Baptist High School.
Hofstra’s pitching staff was ultimately their undoing last season. They had an ERA of 6.93 last season, but coach Russo believes that his freshman arms, Andrew Mundy and Alex Cosenza can turn things around in 2016.
Mundy, who pitched for coach Habyan at St. John the Baptist, won a pair of CHSAA League titles in 2013 and 2014. That type of relationship can not be understated–as we saw between Richard Garrett and Nick Girardi from St. Joseph’s. As a senior in high school, he put together a 5-1 record with an ERA below 2.00. He showed some incredibly stuff at the Grand Slam Challenge.
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Cosenza, a redshirt freshman also enjoyed great success in high school during his years at Massapequa HS. He won two Nassau County Class AA championships and he was a member of the All-New York State team. During his junior year, he threw a complete game master piece at Dowling against a powerful Ward Melville lineup. He profiles as a Tom Glavine type of pitcher–hits his spots, know how to expand the zone and not afraid to challenge any hitter despite not possessing a power fastball.
They will be counting on Chris Weiss–last year’s starting catcher and middle reliever–to be the No. 1 pitcher. While this may sound like a leap of faith, Weiss was a highly regarded HS pitcher out of Longwood and has already proven that he has the prerequisite demeanor and arsenal of pitches to win at this level.
Bowie Matteson–last year’s closer–will also play a crucial role in the rotation. He sits in the upper 80s and has a real bulldog mentality on the hill. Their pitching will surprise many and keep them in games.
Hofstra will travel to College Station, Texas to face Texas A&M, a school that is ranked fifth in the nation, in a three-game series to get their season underway. We will be in attendance, supplying our audience with live video, score updates, interviews, scouting reports and immediate game stories.
(Follow us on Snapchat @BOTI_2016 for live video as well.)
“Just to give the kids a chance to play them is a once in a lifetime experience. A chance to play in front of 8,000 people is incomparable to anything else.”
To register call Ray: 631-286-2414
Unlike other conferences in Long Island, the CAA conference allows teams like Hofstra to play against some of the top baseball programs in the country. It’s a unique opportunity for young ballplayers and coach Russo is all for it.
“Our conference has something different to offer. We get to play several games down south plus we’ll play 25 to 30 home games for their family members to see.”
Their first seven games will be against teams from the SEC, one of the best conferences in all of college baseball. He isn’t afraid to let his young players square off against the SEC.
“I will give my freshmen and sophomores a chance to prove themselves. Getting onto the baseball field is the best experience that you can have.”
“I look forward to watching these guys grow on a daily basis, weekly basis, and a monthly basis. Memories of playing against these great opponents will last forever. It will boost their confidence to another level.”
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