Year after year, Rocky Point puts a strong, competitive team on the field, fighting their way to the playoffs. At long last, they won the Suffolk County championship in the 2018 season, the first in program history. In his first year at the helm, Anthony Anzalone, recently named Head Coach, looks to continue the tradition of success at Rocky Point.
Anzalone is excited for the opportunity that lies ahead. He feels comfortable leading this team, attributing that to his many years of being around former head coach Andrew Aschettino, as well as Eric Strovink. He added, “It helps to still have Strov beside me on this journey. He’s constantly learning himself, and really allows me to elevate my coaching.”
Although the Eagles graduated several starters from their championship season, such as Joe Grillo (Bridgeport), Dillon Cassidy (Herkimer), Ryan Callahan, Ryan Maciaszek, and John Rosman, they have a strong core of returning players. Alexander Bonacci (SUNY Poly), Mike Gunning (LaFayette), Trey Miller (Herkimer), and Rob Milopsky (Hillsborough) were all key contributors last season, and they look to continue their strong play in the upcoming season.
Beyond the four aforementioned returning players, seniors Connor Hamilton and John Russo as well as junior Kyle Callahan are expected to fill some holes. However, Coach Anzalone noted that “every person on our roster is going to need to make major impacts at some point if we want a chance at playing baseball late in June.” That idea rang true in the past several seasons, in which a large variety of players contributed to the success of the Eagles, leading to deep playoff runs.
Milopsky and Miller will make up two thirds of the pitching rotation, with senior Eric Maier looking to round it out. Maier did not see many innings last season as a junior, but after working hard and putting on some size this offseason, he is looking to seize this opportunity.
Last year, the Eagles had a mentality to not let people come in and walk all over them. When things went wrong, they weathered the storm, and battled through. Buying into this mentality led to success, and Coach Anzalone and his team look to keep this mindset in the season ahead.
Rocky Point opens up their 2019 season with a scrimmage against Bayport on March 18th. The first league game of their season is not until April 9th, against Harborfields. Defending a county title is no small task, but the Eagles appear to be up for the challenge.
