There’s young teams and then there’s what the 2020 Long Island Lutheran team is comprised of.
Shaun Manning‘s squad will enter the season with 0 seniors, two juniors and 15 players that are either sophomores or younger. The program, coming off a 12-win season, is very much in a transitional phase. Last year’s group was comprised of many seniors.
“Eighty five percent of the innings were thrown by seniors. The other 15 percent were thrown by Richie Ratchford,” said Manning. Only a sophomore, he will be counted on to anchor the rotation. Manning noted he is the “only proven quantity on the mound” and there’s six or seven other candidates to fill out the rotation.
Another important piece of the team is junior Harrison Leone, who is one of the upperclassmen on the team. Manning noted he will be looked to for leadership.
Of the younger players, there are two players that will be the future of the program moving forward.
Freshman Paul Napolitano, younger brother of Kansas freshman Luke Napolitano, is certainly a high-level player. Coach Jake Thomas noted that he is “gritty, very talented and is a player that will keep developing,” while Manning noted that he is a “leadoff type of hitter and he’s going to bring stability to the middle infield – he’s fundamentally sound and brings a presence of on-base ability and a steadying factor to the lineup,” he said.
Sophomore Jack Coogan is a sophomore that just transferred in from Commack. Thomas said he’s a big middle-of-the-order bat.
“He’s an offensive threat. He has some good power. He will continue to grow into his body, he’s just starting to fill out,” he said.
They will open up the 2020 campaign on April 1 against Portledge, who defeated them in the semi-finals of the ACIS (Athletic Conference of Independent Schools). They will face Chaminade and St. Anthony’s in scrimmages prior to their conference schedule.
Manning has put together a staff of former players of his. Joe Romero, Casey Cunningham and Jake Thomas all played college baseball. Thomas is a former Toronto Blue Jays farmhand, who was drafted in the 27th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Binghamton.
The high-level staff is conducive to fostering a winning program.
Manning noted that they are trying to mimic the blueprint set by the basketball program, which has garnered national recognition and is regarded as the top program in the area. They have captured the NYS Federation Championship eight-times (1981, 1982, 1994, 1997, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2019.
