Heading into the postseason as the number one overall seed in 2018, Smithtown East seemed destined to become Class AA County Champions.
After finishing the regular season with a League III regular season title and a record of 16-2, they went on to lose two of their three playoff games and were eliminated as a result. Obviously, they picked a bad time to play their worst baseball of the year, losing to Bay Shore and Connetquot.
Returning 15 players from last year, however, Smithtown East expects to repeat their success from last season, while altering the ending with a County Championship. Given the talent they have, they know this is a very attainable goal and they have been knocking on the door for the past several seasons.
The clear strength of Smithtown East is their returning pitchers. Considering the experience and talent they have, they most certainly have the most depth on Long Island.
Their stacked rotation will be led by Binghamton-commit Doug Goodwin. He has been named All-League twice. Behind Goodwin in the rotation are two tall talented lefties. Hofstra-commit Will Kennedy and Adelphi-commit Mike Storms make up one of the best 1-2-3 punches in Suffolk County. Last season, Kennedy was named All-County and Storms was named All-League. Kennedy was mentioned by Neal Heaton as his pick for the coveted Carl Yastrzemski Award in our podcast today. The scary thing is that they can follow that up with a handful of other pitchers that could crack the starting rotation of several other teams; including the hard-throwing Jai Sharma.
The hard-throwing southpaw Michael Storms warming up looking to keep Smithtown East’s undefeated season going pic.twitter.com/FhMCDM7xYE
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 24, 2018
Behind their four powerful arms in the rotation, expect New Paltz-commit Nick Harvey to eat significant innings as well. Harvey is the starting shortstop and the catalyst of the Bulls lineup. He was also named All-League last season. Junior Mike Ciminiello will also contribute on the mound.
New Paltz-commit Justin Harvey and Rhode Island-commit Matt Tempone will handle the pitching staff behind the plate. Having not one but two collegiate catchers is a bonus that only Sachem East can relate to. This will allow them to mix-and-match, play the hot hand or even just bring one in for a pinch-hitting spot or defensive upgrade, ultimately giving them an advantage for the upcoming season. Harvey and Tempone will both have an impact offensively as well.
The Bulls also return senior second baseman Matt Werthheim. In 2018, Werthheim was named All-League. Ryan Pennisi and Logan Drucker will also be among their arsenal of offensive weapons along with Kennedy, who is also their starting first baseman when he is not pitching.
Based on the talent and experience they have, there’s no reason why Smithtown East shouldn’t repeat as League III champions. This year, their opponents consist of Northport, Copiague, Hills East, Smithtown West, Centereach and Newfield.
Returning 15 players with a bitter taste in their mouths from a year ago will be an advantage Smithtown East has over all their opponents. Expect big things from the Bulls this season. In terms of talent, they are right there with Connetquot, Ward Melville and West Islip as the most impressive in the county.
