Every year, Plainedge goes under the radar as one of the best baseball programs in the county.
From Plainedge Youth Baseball League, to varsity, Coach Fratrik consistently has his players ready for the next step. This is one of several reasons as to why they are always in contention for a conference title.
Not only are they one of the favorites to stomp through their conference this season, but they possess a strength that other teams in the conference don’t have; pitching.
The Red Devils finished the season 14-4-1 in 2018, but fell to Valley Stream North after 13 innings in the second round of the playoffs. Expect them to come into the season with a chip on their shoulder.
This year, Plainedge’s conference consists of Hewlett, South Side, Roslyn, Glen Cove and Bethpage. With the talent they have on the mound and their proven success, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be the preseason favorite to win their conference. Realistically, the conference title will be a two-horse race between Plainedge and Bethpage.
The Red Devils pitching staff consists of 2018 All-County Pitcher Nick Incalcaterra, Frank Whitenack and Dom Tuozzo. Last year, Incalcaterra finished the season posting a 6-1 record with his only loss coming to Wantagh, along with a 1.19 ERA. Incalcaterra will definitely be considered an early Diamond Award candidate.
Adjusting from the bullpen to a starting role, Whitenack has the potential to do a lot of damage for this talented pitching staff. As a sophomore, Whitenack posted a 1.37 ERA with two wins, two saves and 15 strikeouts over 15 innings. Not to mention, he is the younger brother of Rob Whitenack who was drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 MLB draft out of SUNY Old Westbury. It’s safe to say pitching is in his genes.
Tuozzo provides a spark behind Incalcaterra and Whitenack, as he went 7-0 on JV as a freshman. The sophomore may have to adjust to the Varsity skill level, but he has the talent to do so.
Although Plainedge shows a ton of promise on the mound, they lack experience offensively.
In 2018, Plainedge said goodbye to eight seniors in their starting lineup. Some of these seniors include Jason Bottari (Albany), Nick DeMicco (Molloy) and Joe Cottone (Kings University). Although Plainedge has shoes to fill this season, they have committed players who are eager to be the next man up.
Some players to note with potential to do damage in their starting lineup are North Greenville-commit Zach Zarra and Mercer County Community College-commit DJ Kregeloh.
On April 8th, Plainedge kicks off their regular season against the Bethpage Golden Eagles, which will be their toughest series of the regular season. Although it’s a long way ahead, expect Plainedge to be well prepared for the season opener.
