Brendan Dowd (East Islip 2016) will be moving to the outfield and expected to produce runs pic.twitter.com/S2ddLzk9Dx
— Axcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) September 26, 2017
The “Battle of the Boulevard” has long been the name of the sports rivalry between NYIT and LIU Post. Until this year, however, baseball was not a part of that conversation as they did not compete in the East Coast Conference (ECC).
“The reclassification is a great opportunity,” said Head Coach Bob Malvagna, who will be entering his fifth season at the helm. “The ECC has tremendous programs and I’m very impressed with the coaches in the conference. They’re all working hard to build programs just like we are. It’s a very big positive,” he added.
Regarding the “Battle of the Boulevard” rivalry he said, “Baseball is going to add to it. The rivalries are there. It puts baseball right there with other sports.”
He will have the challenge of three-time All-Long Island third baseman Louis Mele, who signed to play with the Sioux Falls Canaries after his senior season concluded. He was a mainstay in the lineup for four seasons and Malvagna spoke highly of his impact on the program.
“He set such a great example,” he said. “He just went about his business. He led by his work ethic and by his production. You could be a leader and not produce, but he was our leader from day one. Not only is it hard work but you have to produce. Everybody works hard to play at this level. If you don’t, you’re not even going to get here. Sooner or later, it comes down to production.”
This team will be counting on a few returning players in the lineup to pick up the runs he produced. Sophomore Brendan Dowd (East Islip 2016) will move from behind the plate to the outfield and will be expected to contribute in the middle-of-the-order.
Power-hitting Jake Lebel, who stands 6’5″ 268 lbs, will be counted on to provide punch. He smacked three home runs last year while batting .280 and should certainly add to that total in his junior year.
SS Ben McNeill (Commack 2016) is one of the best fielding shortstops in the region and will play a crucial role in solidifying the infield defense as well as setting the tone at the top of the order.
Joe Fusco (transfer from Hofstra), Nic Lombardi (Hills West 2015) and freshman Joe Pesce (Lake Mary, FLA) are outfielders that will be counted on to drive in runs, as will catchers Ryan Kuskowski (Smithtown East) and Joe Kelly (Lake Worth, FLA).
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Infielders Brandon Fanizza (Massapequa 2016), Nick Vitale (Ward Melville 2016) and Nick Tedesco (Sachem East 2015) could see significant playing time and play pivotal roles.
A newcomer who could play a huge role is freshman OF EJ Cumbo (Clarke 2017). He was a three-time All-County and two-time All-State selection. His career .537 AVG is a school-record for Clarke HS. He is a fierce competitor that could have an immediate impact in the lineup.
The pitching staff will be tasked with replacing their top three starters from last year (Elias Martinez, Matt Diaz, Frank Valentino). They will be counting on Suffolk CC-transfer Chris Mott (Sachem East 2015) to throw significant innings. Malvagna is also high on Alex Passarella (Xaverian 2016), who led his team to a Catholic League Class AA title while throwing 33 innings. Another pitcher that could contribute immediately is Chris Nappi (Pembroke Pines, FLA). He looked very good in his bullpen session today; showing good mechanics and throwing strikes consistently.
The Bears will be eligible for postseason play in 2018, and it will make for great drama in the ECC with an even number of teams after playing 2017 with an odd number. With their presence to add to a strong field that features a College World Series finalist in St. Thomas Aquinas, it promises to be a great year of baseball.
