Carlos Hidalgo gets the start for St. Dominic. The reigning CHSAA Pitcher of the Year pic.twitter.com/AltFcIrILU
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 28, 2019
Matt Prokopowicz knows exactly what it takes to be a successful player on Long Island. He was a part of the Massapequa‘s famed undefeated season in 2006 culminating in capturing the Class AA New York State Championship. He went on to have an illustrious career at Hofstra University in which he batted .376 and compiling 271 hits and garnering Baseball America All-American status.
Now he’s the head coach of St. Dominic High School, becoming their third skipper in three seasons. They are looking to bounce back after an early postseason exit in May. The prior year, they made it to the Championship game but lost to St. John the Baptist in a classic game.
“I think they had a lot of pressure on them last year because of playing in the championship game the year before,” said Prokopowicz. “They were a young team,” he added. The first year coach has been extremely pleased with the progress the team is making in the preseason, noting they have put in an incredible amount of work especially during their voluntary workouts ran by assistant coach Joe Salanitri.
“These kids have been getting after it,” he said. “I don’t know if you can get more dedicated than they have been. Coach Joe has been hitting with them from 6-8am three days a week,” he said.
While they have certainly committed themselves to putting in the work, the question will be how they respond on the field. The Bayhawks are led by a trio of Division-I players – RHP/OF Carlos Hidalgo (St. John’s), 1B Sean Lane (Maryland) and C Dom Camera (George Washington). That trio will likely be three of their four top hitters in the lineup.
In regards to Hidalgo – who won the 2018 CHSAA Pitcher of the Year – Prokopowicz has been thrilled.
“We had a sit down with him and his attitude has been incredible. He’s been taking the information we’ve given him and putting it to action. To me, that just shows maturity. He’s an outstanding two-sport athlete. I honestly think he’s going to have a breakout season both on the mound and at the plate,” he added. Hidalgo will work in the mid-to-upper 80s with his fastball and also can really drive the baseball. He is projected to be the team’s leadoff hitter in order to “get him as many AB’s as can be for the middle-of-the-order.
Sean Lane was initially committed to Notre Dame following his freshman season but is now committed to Maryland. He’s a 6’4 230 lb masher at the plate and plays first base. He will need to produce in the cleanup spot in order for St. Dominic to reach their goals this season.
“Sean is Sean,” he said. “That kid works hard. When I was playing, I was constantly hitting everyday and he’s not far behind. A lot of that has to do with his parents – like all our kids here – that’s a tribute to them. I’m hoping he’s going to have a big year – we need him.”
Another critical piece to the team is catcher Dom Camera. He committed to George Washington last season. Prokopowicz stated that it’s “going to be fun to watch them this year.”
Both of those players will often text Prokopowicz to get in extra work.
“That’s the best feeling as a coach, when they text me and say ‘are you around today to hit?’ and I say ‘yes absolutely let’s get after it.”
As a player, he stated that coaches were always there for him and he feels the duty to do the same.
“Coaches genuinely want to see their players get better,” he said.
Dylan Bruno is a junior LHP/OF that will likely bat second after Hidalgo in the lineup. Prokopowicz said he “sprays the ball all over but still has some power.” He added that many players in his lineup have the ability to put the ball out of the yard but that’s not their goal.
“We are going to be an old school team – we are going to hit & run, bunt and test defenders. It’s sort of a lost art. When you do that the defense can get frazzled and lose their wits. Ultimately, we want to play consistent baseball. It’s going to be a fun year – we are going to come out swinging,” he added.
The pitching staff will likely consist of Hidalgo, Bruno and Teddy Brennan. The latter two pitchers are southpaws. Prokopowicz said “anytime you can go into a conference series with two lefties, that’s huge.”
They will open up the season with a scrimmage on March 20 against Ward Meville. The next day, they will travel to Massapequa to face the reigning Class AA NYS Champs at 10am followed by Mamaroneck, another Class AA powerhouse. Their conference schedule will open up on March 31 at Kellenberg.
In addition to the work they’ve put in, he has stressed the importance of engaging with coaches and asking questions so that everyone knows where everyone is going on every play. He wants “everyone to stay in sync and have a lot of team chemistry.”
To do this, they have group bowling on Saturdays and they also had a Thanksgiving dinner. He likes to preach the importance of family because that’s a core value at the school.
“St. Dom’s just has a different feel – it’s small, tight-knit group. It really is a family and it’s something cool to be a part of.
It makes the drive work it. I can’t wait.”
