Freshman southpaw Michael Storms (Smithtown East) has thrown well this fall pic.twitter.com/ZsCyyRIk9z
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 22, 2019
It’s hard to imagine a team having a better regular season than Adelphi did in 2019– they finished with a record of 34-6-1, they peaked as the No. 5 ranked Division-II team in the nation, they went on an 18-game unbeaten streak, they had an All-American pitcher and an MLB draft pick (Ed Baram).
Somehow, there’s still a sense of unfinished business in Garden City as the Panthers had their season cut short in disappointing fashion with consecutive home playoff losses to Southern Connecticut, Franklin Pierce and Wilmington University. A team with a 3.44 ERA allowed 27 runs in those three postseason games and watched New York Tech celebrate on their field to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.
The challenges of the 2020 team will be to regain that regular season magic without the presence of Baram–who is the fifth Adelphi player to be named All-American since 2011, Brett Malm (.324 AVG, 47 R, 38 RBI), Thomas Colombo (7 HR, 35 RBI), Danny Taggart (5-1, 2.89 ERA), Brandon Morse (.355 AVG), Mike Cattani (.336 AVG), Jonathan Iadevaia (.345 AVG, 32 R) and Lucas Terwilliger (.301 AVG, 30 RBI).
That’s a large group of impact seniors, but after watching their practice yesterday I see why they remain optimistic about this season.
The pitching staff once again will be among the hardest-throwing Division-II staffs in the nation. Last season’s closer, Thomas Ambrosino, who set the program-record for saves in a single-season with 14, will be transitioning to the rotation. They are hoping he can soften the blow of losing Baram. With his high-octane fastball in the low 90s and a devastating splitter, he profiles as a similar pitcher and one they should be able to trust. Joining him in the rotation is junior Josh Rovner. He was 5-0 with a 3.12 ERA last season over 34.2 IP while compiling 23 strikeouts. The 6’4″ RHP topped at 91 MPH yesterday and sits just below that. He should be able to provide the stability that Taggart did in big conference starts.
Two linchpins in the pitching staff are juniors Nic Luc and Max Steele. They both light up the radar gun in the low 90s and can generate strikeouts. If the Panthers are to approach their 34 wins from last season, they will need both these flame-throwers to be consistent.
Two freshmen that have the possibility to have a major impact are Michael Storms and Matt Alifano. If you’ve been following us for the past few years, you are probably familiar with both. Storms anchored the vaunted Smithtown East rotation and I’ve been very high on him. Yesterday he was 84-86 MPH with his velocity so he’s got enough to get swings and misses at this level. With his low 3/4 arm action and nasty armside run, I could easily see him being a late-inning option against a tough lefty. If he can harness his slider, he could be a dominant starter. Alifano, who quietly was one of the most outstanding players on Long Island last season, has won two New York State Championships in baseball and another in soccer. Do not discount that amount of winning, it’s safe to assume he will be comfortable in big moments.
A few other pitchers that looked really good yesterday was Seth Sypniak (2.49 ERA), Nicholas Palmerini (2.42 ERA) and Nicholas Maricich (3.10 ERA).
Some newcomers to the team are Andrew Williams (Nassau CC transfer), Chris Prystupa (Massapequa HS), Stevie Proko (Locust Valley), Steven Murphy (Longwood HS) and Jake Dannenberg (Longwood HS)
Offensively, the team will be counting on another huge season from senior Lawrence Cicileo. He put on a clinic in batting practice, and is coming off a monster season in which he hit .342 with 52 hits, scored 35 runs, drove in 40, slugged .546 and stole four bases. He will likely bat cleanup and provide the punch.
Equally as important to the lineup is senior Tyler Becker. He has interest from several MLB organizations after his breakout performance in the Hamptons League in the summer of 2018. He batted .337 last season with 28 runs scored, .427 OBP and stole seven bases in seven attempts. He missed some time due to illness but is 100 percent now. He also is critical to their run prevention as the SS.
Another important player is sophomore Kyle Olson. He has been groomed to be their first basemen of the future since last season. He’s very athletic, he ran a 6.7 60-yard dash, and has big-time power potential. He slugged .500 in 38 at bats last season.
The aforementioned Matt Alifano will likely start at 3B. He is as smooth defensively as it gets and has the potential to hit in the top of the lineup and then shift over to SS next season in place of Becker.
A few other freshmen that could have roles are Jose Matos and Vinny Iannuzzi behind the dish, Nick Gavilla in the outfield and Dillon Kim in the infield.
The Panthers just wrapped up their fall schedule and will now enter the winter looking to erase the memory of last year’s playoff exit.
