by Joseph Langan
After consecutive playoff appearances, coach Rob Moore and his Lindenhurst Bulldogs plan to be back for the third straight time in 2020. With a deep playoff run that ultimately ended in quarter finals with a tough 8-7 walk-off loss against West Islip, Coach Moore says his 15 graduated seniors were “able to leave their season with no regrets.” With a much deeper team in 2019, the Bulldogs have a lot of work to do in 2020 to fill the void of their graduated seniors.
Lindenhurst hit a hot streak towards the end of the season, winning nine out of their last thirteen games and pushing themselves into the playoffs after a 2-7 start. That push, along with last year’s playoffs appearance was initiated by some of their key graduated players. Outfielder Justin Ventura (SUNY Ulster), was placed in the heart of the lineup for the Bulldogs, hitting 3 home runs and being a big power threat at the plate. As for their rotation, the set of right handed pitchers Pete Manger (Penn State Altoona) and Dominic Sarnicola (St. Joseph’s LI) are going to be hard to replace. Together, the two accounted for 8 out of the 12 wins for Lindenhurst in 2019, leaving big shoes to fill for this year returners.
Coach Moore is aware of the challenges this season presents when it comes to his roster depth. Despite the issue, Coach Moore is confident in a couple of his returners, saying “as for this year, we have two returning players that we are hoping can lead us back into the playoffs.” Senior catcher Sean Delahunty (Caldwell) is expected to lead the push this season. Delahunty, a seasoned vet is well experienced in all aspects of the game, most recently making the Irish National team for this upcoming summer. Three year varsity junior Jack Kelly is expected to hold it down in the infield and on the mound for Lindenhurst. Coach Moore, counting on Kelly said, “we hope that Jack’s experience and leadership can help guide our young players on the field this year.”
They also have junior Nicholas Finger, a pitcher that could wind up being a big contributor this year.
With a huge hole left by the 15 seniors Coach Moore relying on his practice methods to put his team above the competitive league II competition this season.
“To help us prepare for the 2020 season, our team has been in the gym since the start of the new year working on our fundamentals, correcting our bad habits, and building a sense of camaraderie between our players. At Lindenhurst, we try to instill in our players that it is not about perfection, but rather leaving a practice a better player than they were the day before. We never want our players to be complacent, but always look to improve each day.”
While the Bulldogs have a big hurdle to overcome this season due to their lack of senior experience, Coach Moore is hopeful. “Seeing the dedication, effort, and drive from our players, we are hopeful that we will make a run into the playoffs for our third consecutive year.”
The Bulldogs start league play on April 6th against Walt Whitman.
