After watching their practice tonight, it was stunning how far along the Maritime program has come. Coach Charlie Barbieri has a team ready to compete for a championship this season.
“In terms of pitching this is the best group we have ever had,” said the third-year Head Coach. “And it’s not even close,” he added.
Having graduated only one player from last year’s team that compiled an 11-5 Skyline Conference record, the Privateers would’ve been in good shape regardless of how strong their incoming class of freshmen and transfers.
Then they received a huge boost with the transfers of Travis Bruinsma and Matt Buckshaw as well as incoming freshmen such as Hunter Kaucky, Matt Paghidas and Luciano Besh.
They join an already-talented staff of Alex Poliwoda, Tyler Stuart, Anthony D’Ancona and AJ Ammirati.
Bruinsma led Long Island in wins in 2015 (12) while pitching Connetquot to the Long Island Championship over MacArthur. Poliwoda was second with nine while pitching for Southold. D’Ancona owns the program record for lowest single-season ERA with 2.78 last season. Ammiriti was named All-Conference–having compiled a 3.08 ERA over 64.1 IP with four wins.
“We can go 13 deep with our arms,” said Barbieri.
The offense is no pushover, either.
They smacked 22 home runs last year and had three hitters slug over .531.
They will be led by three-time All-Skyline Conference first baseman Brian McLaughlin (.360 AVG, .494 SLG in ’16), catcher Steve Semler (.392 AVG, .600 SLG in ’16), Chris Deddo (.328 AVG, .531 SLG in ’16) transfer Matt Costleigh (University of Bridgeport).
For the past several years, the conference has run through either Farmingdale State, Old Westbury or St. Joseph’s.
This year, there may be a new sheriff in town and they play under the Throgs Neck bridge.
They will open up this weekend with a DH against Southern Vermont.
