In 2018, Babylon once again had a season to remember. They finished with a combined record of 18-6 and reached the County Championship game. Unfortunately, they fell just short of their ultimate goal, which was winning the county championship.
Coming off an extremely successful year, Babylon comes into this season facing some difficult tasks.
The main obstacle standing in their way is replacing their seniors from last season. As county runner-ups, their roster was loaded. Joseph Rende (2nd Team All-State), Ian Morgan (All-League), Mitch Carmody (All-League) and Frank Vano (All-League) all graduated in 2018, leaving Babylon with big shoes to fill.
Although Babylon has to replace these productive seniors, they bring in plenty of talented players who were key pieces towards their deep postseason run.
Their rotation will consist of two-way players that will have impacts offensively and on the mound. The ace of their pitching staff is senior Gino Vano. Last season, he went 2-2 on the mound posting 38 strikeouts through 39 innings and held a 3.76 ERA. At the plate, he batted .375 with seven XBH’s, 13 BB and 15 RBI. He has the potential to win Conference MVP this season.
Behind Vano in the rotation will be two-way player Bobby Molinaro. Molinaro will provide stability in Head Coach Victor Manzella‘s rotation. He came up mid-season as a sophomore last year, where he batted .310. He will bat in the middle of the lineup this year. Jack Layton is also expected to be in the rotation this season.
Offensively, Babylon returns a strong core of players who made an impact a year ago. Shortstop Antonio Tufano looks to have a breakout season in 2019. Last year, he batted .330 with one home run, eight XBH, 13 BB’s and 16 RBI. Not only can he swing the stick extremely effective, but he’s a threat on the base paths and defensively. His younger brother Cristino Tufano will get his first taste of varsity as an 8th grader. Last year, he batted over .400 on JV as a 7th grader.
Another significant bat they return is outfielder Dylan Pane. Last year, he batted .300 with four doubles and 13 RBI. Junior Christian Pilteri will be anchoring the outfield defensively.
Senior Eric Trapini will be in charge of handling the Babylon pitching staff behind the plate. Last season, he threw out seven of 25 base runners. He also provides a pop at the bottom of the order.
Once again, Babylon will have a competitive conference. Their 2019 opponents consist of Center Moriches, Mattituck, Southampton, Hampton Bays, Pierson/Bridgehampton and Southold.
It’s evident that Babylon is coming into 2019 with something to prove. Although they lost key players from their 2018 lineup, they have plenty of talent defensively and on the mound that will lead them towards victory.
“We expect to compete for a league title and beyond,” said Coach Manzella.
