by Tony Genualdo
Max Nielsen strikes out 18 batters to send Ward Melville to the Suffolk County AA Finals ! pic.twitter.com/RtJrqe4y4p
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 31, 2019
Ward Melville’s run to the Suffolk County title game last year was just the latest in a string of successful seasons for the Patriots of League I. Connetquot would win the championship over Ward Melville in three games, but Coach Lou Petrucci said that he couldn’t have been prouder of his team.
“Our kids learned to play in some amazingly energetic and competitive environments,” said Petrucci. “They well exceeded our expectations.”
Among those kids from last year were Matty Maurer and Brady Doran, two players who were dominant at the top of the batting order for the team. They would set the tables for fellow seniors Ethan Farino and Max Nielsen, who now play at Marist College and University of Connecticut respectively. Nielsen captured the 52nd Carl Yastrzemski Award, given to the top player in Suffolk County. He went 5-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 103 strikeouts.
“[Nielsen] clearly established his place on Mt. Rushmore of left-handed pitchers at Ward Melville when you think of Steven Matz, Anthony Kay, Chris Buehler, and Chris Celano,” Petrucci said. “Farino was another outstanding competitor who led us to so many big victories during the season and we can’t forget his relief appearance against Commack in the 8-6 series final win.”
As for this season, the pitching staff will be led by seniors Ryan Hynes (Molloy-commit) and Chris Vivenzio (NY Tech-commit). Hynes finished 7-0 his junior year with a 1.25 ERA, including three playoff victories. They are both looking forward to competing every day they take the hill.
Eight more seniors return to the team this year. Coach Petrucci says that they all have big shoes to fill. Anthony Pascale (Bridgeport-commit) has established himself as one of the top catchers on Long Island. Jake Woods is a gap-to-gap defender in center field. Justice Spencer is a speedy power hitter. And Matt Franco is a true power threat. He hit a three-run home run in the playoffs against Commack to send the team to the Class AA semifinals. Other seniors include Jack Holland, Frankie Collora, Jack Ruffner, and Jack Scardino.
The junior class is not too shabby either. Greg Vivenzio, Luke Gacovino and Josh Russo look to make a name for themselves this season.
The other teams in the league will make this season tough for Ward Melville. Sachem East, Pat-Med and Longwood are well-positioned to make the postseason. Other teams like Brentwood, William Floyd, and Central Islip will round out League I. Petrucci says that he expects his team to be competitive.
“I’m hoping we can play .500 baseball and sneak into the playoffs,” said Petrucci. “We lost some tremendous talent and leadership last season and that will be hard to match. If those guys can come up with some timely hits, we should be able to stay in some games and compete.”
