One of the top class of 2018 players on Long Island is now off the board with James Cardinale (Commack) committing to Hofstra University. They also received verbal commitment today from Ryan Paul Rue of Pennsylvania–a highly-regarded player.
Hofstra did a great job identifying the top players in the class and they now have inked Cardinale in addition to Mark Faello (Plainview JFK) and Anthony D’Onofrio (Wantagh)
I had the opportunity to speak with Cardinale and here’s what he had to say…
Can you talk a little about the recruitment process and how the Hofstra commitment came to be?
Ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to play baseball at a high-level and stay in the northeast area. I’ve always wanted to prove that northeast baseball can be just as good as anywhere in the country. So when I learned that Hofstra was recruiting me I became very excited. Hofstra went to a lot of my games and that made me focus up and play at my best 24/7. Once they decided they would like to offer me I was ecstatic. Right away I knew this would be a great fit for me.
Who are some influential people in your life that helped you through the recruitment process?
The Titans definitely helped a lot with the recruiting process and how to handle curtain situations. My parents were also big a big part of the recruiting process.
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Hofstra already has a couple of the best players on the island committed for 2018, are you looking forward to being a part of that?
I’m absolutely looking forward to that. That actually is a big reason why I decided to go there. I knew they had a lot of talent in their recruiting classes and I love to win and with the guys they have coming in with me will make it easy to do so.
Who are some professional athletes you look up to?
Jesse Berardi always caught my eye when looking up to players. Yes, he is a new professional but everyone always knew he was going to be one. The way he handles the game and handles himself off the field is something I try to emulate.
This is the latest in a great 2017 for you in which you helped Commack win the Suffolk title, how enjoyable was that playoff run?
That playoff run was the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball. The guys around me were extremely talented, wanted to win as much as I did, and were a lot of fun to be around. I’m going to miss all of the seniors next year but hopefully we can go even farther next year since we still have a very talented group.
