Having played Ward Melville four times already in 2017, Sachem East was very familiar with them. They took the No. 1 seed right down to the wire, loading the bases with two outs down by one run. They were unable to cash in and they had their season ended against the League I powerhouse.
Nevertheless, it was a successful year as they finished with a record of 13-8, won a playoff game over Brentwood and even had the League I MVP reside in their own dugout, senior Anthony Siroka who dominated the opposition with a 5-0 record on the mound and at the plate with a .459 AVG, 6 HR and 25 RBI.
“He was probably one of the most feared hitters in Suffolk County,” said 13th year Head Coach Kevin Schnupp. “He hit with power and he hit to all fields. He was also a team leader and we’re going to miss him,” he added.
They also need to replace All-County CF Brendan Ryan, who is currently playing at Ithaca College. He batted .388 with 5 HR and scored 22 runs. He was their catalyst at the top-of-the-order. Additionally, they graduated catcher Brandon Davis, who “held it down defensively for us,” according to Schnupp.
Fortunately, they have a couple of the brightest stars on Long Island in junior RHP Roman Dorosh and sophomore catcher Don Wille (who just committed to Fordham University).
“Dorosh is going to be one of the best we’ve had come through the program,” he said. As a sophomore in League I, he compiled a record of 5-2 with an ERA of 1.66, including a 10-K, one-hit masterpiece against rival Pat-Med. “He has a great arm slot and when his slider is on, it’s unhittable,” said Schnupp. He noted that after the season when surveying the hitters regarding the toughest pitcher they faced all year, Siroka stated that Dorosh was that guy.
“They had some great battles against each other during intra squads,” he said.
He will be anchoring the rotation and playing the outfield, after switching from catcher to prioritize his arm health.
Joining him will be lefty Andrew Scavo, who only threw three innings last year due to the depth in the rotation provided by Siroka, Dorosh and Aiden Dadabo (now at Binghamton). Schnupp described him as a “crafty lefty” and noted that he defeated the powerhouse travel team Team Citius in the fall.
They will also be counting on returning All-League outfielder and Iona-commit Dan Palermo. He batted .368 last season with 10 RBI, scored 12 runs and drew 11 BBs. LIU Post-commit and SS Craig Leonard will be counted on to provide stability up the middle defensively.
They also have another sophomore catcher that Schnupp is confident in, Ryan Micheli. He stated they will find a way to get both of their bats into the lineup.
Speaking on League I, Schnupp said it’s always a tough league and “until someone knocks off Ward Melville, they are the team to beat”.
They will open up the season on March 26 against Pat-Med, in what promises to be an emotionally-charged game between the two rivals.
