Randall Alejo, RHP, Pat-Med
One theme that I have found common with Pat-Med players is that they are always wired a certain way. They are never fazed by the pressure spots, even when they are not necessary “supposed to be there”. Prime example: May 19, 2017, Pat-Med is ranked No. 14 and playing against No. 3 Hills East. It’s not just the ranking, but the fact that they were playing on the road and facing Vanderbilt-commit and Axcess Baseball‘s No. 1 ranked prospect on Long Island, Matt Hogan. Alejo outpitched the future Carl Yastrzemski Award winner and shocked the baseball community with a huge upset. Now a senior and named to our Pre-Season All-Long Island list with his 88 MPH fastball, Alejo has a chance to be an All-County pitcher. For a contemporary comparison, he is very similar to last year’s League I MVP, Justin Aviles in terms of pitchability and toughness.
Paul Orbon, OF, Chaminade
An extraordinary athlete that has played high-level travel ball for the past several seasons, Orbon has consistently performed well against premier competition. Coming off an injury, he was unable to showcase himself following his junior year which is the reason he’s still uncommitted. Recently cleared for full participation, it should be a huge season for him. He is a tremendous defensive center fielder and top of the order hitter. To me, he’s a borderline Division-I player and would be a smart addition for any of the local Division-Is.
Anthony Cinquemani, 1B/RHP, West Islip
He does it again! Anthony Cinquemani with a 2-R double to left center field and West Islip has a 3-1 lead in the sixth pic.twitter.com/N6E7Udn7fl
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 28, 2018
Cinquemani is a 6’5″ monster that has a penchant for the big moment. Although he is an effective pitcher, I believe his biggest impact is at the dish. This was showcased during the Suffolk County Class AA Finals when he notched the eventual game-winning hit in both games against Eastport-South Manor. The first of the hits came in the third-inning, but still was the difference in the game. The latter came in the clinching game, and it came in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1-1 against the eventual Paul Gibson Award winner, Ryan Foran. Additionally, he fired a CG against Commack three days earlier for West Islip’s
Sean Coveny, OF/RHP, Commack
Our @DigmiNation Player of the Game is Sean Coveny of Commack. He smacked a game-tying 2-R shot to right field in Commack’s 4-3 victory over Connetquot pic.twitter.com/kpMCfkF6Vn
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 27, 2018
Standing at 6’3, he is certainly hard to miss on the field simply by his stature. After his performance during the 2018 season, he was hard to miss, in general. He put himself on the radar, in my opinion, with his opposite-field blast against Connetquot in April. After that, he went on an absolute tear at the plate. He is also a capable pitcher, throws strikes and works in the 80-82 MPH territory. A high-academic student, he also has the ability to get a significant academic scholarship.
Zeke Class, SS, Whitman
He’s a high-energy player with good power. He played every position except pitcher and catcher last summer. He uses an unconventional batting stance with the bat starting over and behind his head but has the bat speed to get around on anything.
Hunter Traenkle, 3B, Division
He might not have the size and athleticism that some of these players have, but there’s not many that have produced more than him. He has doe nothing but win; between playing at Division and for the vaunted HDMH team this summer. Even on a team loaded with scholarship players, Traenkle hit cleanup in the games that I watched. Like many Levittown players before him, he is a hard-nosed player unfazed by the big moments. He is certainly an impact player at the D-II or III level.
Jake Edwards, OF, Calhoun
A 6’1 power-hitting outfielder that was All-State as a sophomore (.402 AVG, 15 doubles, 22 RBI) should’ve been a highly-sought after commodity. He has been the glue of Calhoun’s lineup for the past two seasons and they will be counting on him once again. I got a pretty good look at him in October 2017 when Calhoun hosted a charity Home Run Derby and he put on a clinic. With his power, I think any college would love to add that to the lineup.
Chris DeSousa, OF/RHP, Massapequa
As a freshman, there was a legitimate debate whether he was the highest ceiling player in the program, and if you know the players on that roster than that’s a profound statement. Having played elite travel ball and for the top high school program on Long Island, he has excelled. Some off the field issues prevented him from having an impact last year, but he is still a 6’2″ terrific athlete with a mid 80s fastball and big-game acumen.
