(Photo Credit: Gregory Giaconelli)
Anytime a bitter postseason loss occurs, it results in a long, long off season.
In perhaps one of the most exciting games in recent playoff history, Port Washington fell to Plainview in 12 innings last season. This game took over the course of two days to eliminate them from the playoffs. Clearly, this one hurt.
As a result, Port Washington is eager to avenge their playoff loss. Not only are their players working hard this off season, but the numbers for winter workouts are higher than ever. Saying the Vikings are hungry is an understatement.
Port Washington finished last season with a regular season record of 9-8-1, but they know they were better than that. Two of their regular season wins came against Massapequa and Oceanside, the two teams that competed in the Class AA County Championship.
In six of their eight losses, they were either tied in the 6th inning or later, or had the lead. Evidently, Port Washington didn’t have the experience to close games out last season. Luckily for them, they return the core of their pitching staff and will learn from those blown leads.
On the bump, the Vikings will be lead by Trinity-commit Alex Chang. In 2018, Chang finished with a record of 4-1, striking 62 batters over 37 innings, allowed 22 hits and was named All-League. The senior is also one of the leaders offensively, as he’s coming off a season where he batted .382 with 3 HR and 15 RBI. Expect to hear Chang’s name consistently this season.
Behind Chang in the rotation is Derek Livingston. As a sophomore, he went 3-0 with 36 strikeouts over 35 innings and got stronger as the season went on. In game three of the quarterfinals against Plainview, he struck out eight batters in five innings, stranding the winning run in scoring position several times. The junior possesses a lively fastball, and provides a great cushion behind Chang in the rotation.
Port Washington also returns Chris O’Donnell, who was the third starter in their rotation last season. He picked up a win against the state champion Massapequa Chiefs. Tom Burrows, Sean Meth, Jackson Sattinger and Adam Jackman also will contribute towards crucial innings on the mound this year.
Offensively, Port Washington lost four key contributors in their lineup. The most significant being Axcess Baseball MVP Jack Stolper (Middlebury). However, they still return a solid core of players who already displayed success at the varsity level.
Aside from Alex Chang in the starting lineup, the Vikings also return Jackson Trenaman, Aaron Klug, Sean Meth and Jackson Sattinger.
Over the last two years, Trenaman batted a combined .374 and drove in 32 RBI. Not only is he a force at the top of this lineup, but keeps the game under control behind the plate. All-Conference Senior Aaron Klug was outstanding in 2018, batting .398 with 19 RBI and 11 extra base hits. Expect seniors James Lubanski and Jared Scharlat to also chip in with their bats throughout the season.
Luckily for Port Washington, their chance at revenge comes as early as possible. They open up their season against Plainview JFK April 8th. Expect Port Washington to come out of the gates firing.
With the amount of experience and returning players they have in their lineup this year, it’s apparent that Port Washington will be in the mix at the top of their conference. With no dominant team in Conference AA2 this season, it’s definitely up for grabs. The Vikings will do whatever it takes to grab the top spot.
