The Eastport-South Manor High School baseball team finished a successful 2018 season with a 20-7 record, winning the League 5 championship with a 15-5 league record but losing in the County Championship to West Islip.
“Last year was a great year,” Eastport-South Manor head coach Jim McGowin said. “Lots of great guys.”
The team lost eight seniors after last year, though, which brings up lots of questions about this year’s roster.
“The big question mark for us is going to be our pitching,” McGowin said. “We have some big shoes to fill.”
“[We had] arguably the best pitching staff in Suffolk Country,” he said.
We are about to get underway here for Game 2 of the Suffolk Class AA Finals with Ryan Foran on the hill. Fordham-commit Jake Guercio steps in first pic.twitter.com/Bmb6Ylyhy4
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 28, 2018
Some major loses from the pitching staff include the team’s top two pitchers in the rotation, Ryan Foran and Alex Doskoez.
Foran, who is now playing at St. Joseph’s, ended the year with a stellar 9-1 record and 1.11 ERA over 62.2. His only loss came in the county championship.
Doskoez, who is playing at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), won his last seven games of the season, including an unblemished 3-0 record in the playoffs, and finished with a 1.97 ERA.
But the Doskoez name is still on this year’s roster, as Alex’s brother, Justin, steps in as a junior to try to make a name for himself in the rotation.
Justin pitched at the JV level last year but is making the step to varsity as an upperclassman.
“He had a really good winter,” McGowin said.
Junior Adam Burk is also going to be key in this year’s rotation.
“He’s got great stuff,” McGowin said. “We hope he stays healthy for us this year.”
Burk has battled injuries the last two years but in his third year on the team, McGowin hopes to use him to his full potential.
“If he’s healthy, he’ll be a major piece for us.”
Eastport-South Manor will need to see their returners step up in order to continue their success from last season.
Trevor Zanderzuk, the junior third baseman, started every game last season and hit an impressive .340 clip in the final 17 games of the season.
“He stepped up in a lot of big moments in the playoffs last year,” McGowin said.
Senior Connor Trace will be returning behind the plate this season in his third year on the varsity team. Trace hit a whopping .393 last season and also started every game.
“He did a great job for us offensively and defensively,” McGowin said.
Senior Anthony Gambino is also returning to the middle of the lineup as a captain of the team. Gambino hit .311 last year as an outfielder.
He is committed to play football at LIU Post next fall.
The loss of so many seniors from last season adds a challenge for the Eastport-South Manor coaching staff, but nothing McGowin feels like the team can’t overcome.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how this team can come together as one,” he said.
The team begins their season on the road on April 2 against Shoreham-Wading River.
