East Rockaway is in the midst of an outstanding season, they are playing in the New York State Class C semifinals today. As is the case with many small schools on Long Island, the success is mostly gone under appreciated.
Head Coach James Hickey spoke about their season and this is what he said:
Can you tell our audience about your season and how unprecedented this is for the program?
We are currently 15-7 this year. We finished 1 game behind Class B County Champion Wheatley in the BC League going 13-3. We tied the school baseball record for wins in a league season with the 2001 team of 13 league wins
After a second place regular season finish we lost a 15 inning classic to Wheatley in the BC championship game. We were down to our last out in the Long Island Championship against Pierson before staging a come back. This was our program’s 4th LIC victory. We took a 5:30AM trip up to Saugerties on Saturday to play one of our best games of the year coming away with a 6-2 victory over Pine Plains after breaking the 2-2 tie with 4 runs in the 6th. This is the first regional championship in ERHS baseball history and the second time we have reached the final 4. The last time being 1981.
Who are the individuals that have had the biggest impacts this season?
We had two players earn All-County honors for the first time since 2001.
All-County- Stefano Cilluffo- Stefano earned this honor through his pitching, hitting, and defense this year. He is currently 6-0 on the mound. He has wins against Wheatley and was the winning pitcher in the LIC. He has a 3.06 ERA and has 64Ks on the year. Stefano also is our number 3 batter and plays a solid SS when not pitching.
All-County- Dylan Henshaw- Dylan Henshaw received All-County for the second year in a row. He currently leads the team in doubles, triples, RBIs, R, BA, and OBP. In the Regional game he made a highlight diving catch and threw a runner out at home plate from Centerfield.
All-Conference- Jon Starkman- Jon is our first baseman and one of our most productive bats in the middle of the order. He recently overtook the lead for most hits on our team. He thrives under pressure and knows what the situation requires of him when he is up to bat. He also plays a very solid defensive first base for us.
All-Conference- Bryan Morgenthaler- Bryan was determined this offseason to do everything he could to help the 2018 rocks. He fully committed not only to our winter baseball workouts program but also to the weight room and our first year of our outdoor running program. This hard work resulted in 4 league wins as a pitcher, game changing speed with 23 stolen bases, and an always reliable glove at second base.
All-league- Matt Perri- One of the toughest kids on our team and plays the most demanding position and he is only a sophomore. His toughness is proven by leading the team in HBPs with 8. Down to his final strike in the 7th inning of the LIC and came through with one of the biggest hits in ERHS baseball history.
All-league- Chris Perri- He plays a very solid centerfield covering a tremendous amount of ground and has a strong and accurate arm. Offensively he is our leadoff bater because of the quality at bats that he gives us and the speed that he has. Winning pitcher in the Regional game throwing a complete game for his first career varsity win. His twin brother is the starting catcher.
