It’s been nearly two generations since Shoreham-Wading River has failed to qualify for a postseason berth. Last season, they had another successful season and finished with a record of 17-6 but lost to Rocky Point twice to get eliminated.
Entering 2020, they possess arguably the deepest pitching staff in Suffolk County and it does not bode well for opposing hitters.
Leading the charge is Boston College-commit Aidan Crowley – who started the 2019 season with back-to-back-to-back no-hitters.
“I was a pitcher and I know to throw one no-hitter requires a lot of luck – everything has to go your way,” said Head Coach Kevin Willi. “To throw three no-hitters, that’s just amazing. And he started the year with those. He carried his success into the season too, he won some tough postseason games for us. He improved a lot from his sophomore season. He touched 90 last summer. He’s in the mid-to-upper 80s indoors but we expect him to hit 90 this year. We expect him to be our dominant No. 1,” he added.
Joining him in the rotation is Hofstra-commit Cullen SantaMaria. He’s another hard-thrower that touched 88 last week in a bullpen. Willi noted he had some great outings last year but struggled to be consistent. He believes his experience will help with that. The senior provides a solid No. 2 option.
The third spot in the rotation is up for grabs at the moment – but not for lack of options. In fact, they return John Keane, who started and performed well last season in the No. 3 spot. They also have southpaw Blake Osness, who is committed to Westminster College. He had an ERA under 2.00, was named All-League last season as a reliever and seemed to thrive in high-leverage situations. Additionally, Pace-commit Luca Romano is a capable option.
The offense will be tasked with replacing two outstanding performers from 2019.
Mason Kelly, who smacked 7 HR including two in the postseason, is currently at Furman. DJ Brown, who was All-County, is currently playing football at Springfield College. He actually had a great freshman season – played all 10 games, had 33 tackles, two INTs and one fumble recovery.
They will lean on senior CF Jared Sciarrino, who transferred from Longwood HS following his sophomore season. He did a ton of damage last season and they will count on him to provide some punch. Additionally, John Keane could see significant time in the field when he’s not pitching.
Senior catcher Aidan Hutchins (Farmingdale State College-commit) will start the season behind the dish, although Willi noted they are very high on their two underclass backups who could eventually become All-County type players.
If you are looking for this to be the year that Shoreham-WR fails to make the playoffs, don’t count on it. They are led by 11 seniors that all have extensive varsity experience. They will, however, have the challenge of playing in a new league. After competing in League 7 for years, they are moved up to 6. They will take on reigning Class A Long Island Champions Sayville in their second series of the year. Coach Willi said they need to “gear up for that.”
Miller Place, who entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in Class A, will also be competing for a league title. Additionally, Westhampton and Kings Park are vastly improve and will round out the competition.
