After entering the postseason red-hot and defeating USMMA in the first round, 4-1, No. 1 seed Farmingdale State was poised to return to the beacon of the Skyline Conference for the first time since 2014. Unfortunately, they did run into a dominant pitcher in Joseph Murphy that put them on the precipice of elimination, which ultimately came later that evening.
They enter the 2019 returning all but one of their impact players, and they have an army of transfers that have all experienced some degree of success at the college level.
“We feel we are much deeper this year than in previous seasons,” said Head Coach Keith Osik, now entering his 14th year at the helm, with seven conference championships under his belt.
The offense starts with OF/DH Vinny Rice, who was a force on offense last year, even playing through injuries for virtually the entire season. He led the team in slugging at.528 with a .415 OBP. Finally at full health for the first time since high school, Rice is among the most feared hitters in the conference. He batted .512 this summer playing in the LICBL and put on a show at our Home Run Derby this summer. Joining him in the middle of the order is 1B Ernie Geraci, who led the team in hitting at .328 over 119 at bats. Senior SS Shawn Blasberg will likely hit atop the batting order, he batted .304 with 19 run scored and played a stellar SS. Leading RBI man Joe Roche will also be counted on to provide production, looking to build on the 20 runs he drove in last season. Second baseman Tyler Schrimpf batted .314 over 102 at bats with 15 RBI.
They will also be counting on two outfielders, Nick Attardi and Cameron Alfano, who suffered injuries last season, but were quality players for the Rams previously. Attardi was the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year in 2016 and Alfano compiled a .423 OBP for the Rams in 2017. Assuming they both are near their peak performance, that represents a huge bonus for the team’s chances.
The transfers that they brought in can be legitimate difference makers as well, including a trio of position players from Nassau CC.
Vincent Napolitano was named First-Team All-Long Island by Axcess Baseball. He batted .394 with 5 HR, 32 RBI, drew 26 walks while slugging .646. His teammate at Nassau, Morgan McCarthy, joins the Rams after putting up a terrific offensive season as well. He batted .362 with a .468 OBP. Brian Perez, a standout at MacArthur HS, drew 32 walks which led to a .463 OBP. He stole 21 bases in 22 attempts. Those three players will represent significant upgrades for the Rams.
St. Rose transfer Steven Burke was one of the top players in Suffolk County while playing for North Babylon in 2016. He has a real chance to be a two-way player, but at the very least will be relied on to log significant innings on the mound.
Stony Brook transfer Mike Amandola is a catcher that will provide stability behind the plate and a competent bat as well.
NYIT transfer Nick Vitale brings versatility and Division-I experience to the table. Additionally, he was a member of Ward Melville’s Suffolk AA championship team in 2013. Jimmy Mattera won the Gold Glove for best defensive outfielder across the NJCAA Division-III level while playing at Suffolk, Jason Conti batted .336 with 21 RBI, 26 runs scored and 10 SB for Suffolk last season.
Credit to Osik and his staff for supplementing the talent on the roster with quality players.
The pitching staff will be anchored by Matthew Constantine. He proved his mettle in the playoffs, recording the victory in their lone postseason win. He was 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA during the season, walking only eight batters over 48.1 IP. Burke will likely join him atop the rotation. They will be looking for some combination of Robert Bellotti, Joe Marino, Ryan Mallon, Logan Hicks, Tommy DiGiorgi and Brendan Haas to round out the rotation.
Some freshmen that can provide an immediate impact are C Pat Leach (South Side) and Thomas Messina (New Hyde Park).
The Rams have never been a sup-par team under Osik, always competing for a championship. This year promises to be no different. The offense should be at or near the top of the league. With the fences slated to be moved in by 10 feet before Opening Day, that could increase their offensive output even more.
