by Tony Genualdo
Last season, Mattituck underwent some drastic changes. After their longtime coach Steve DeCaro left the team prior to the start of last season, the team saw a changing of the guard for the first time in nearly two decades. New head coach Gene Rochler and his team had a successful run that ended in heartbreak after losing the Suffolk County B Championship to undefeated Center Moriches. Now, this season sees another head coaching change.
Dan O’Sullivan, a teacher and longtime coach, is now coaching varsity baseball for the first time. He has spent the last five years being an assistant coach to the Mattituck varsity soccer team. But he does have experience in the baseball world.
“I have had the opportunity to learn a lot of the game from my father-in law, who was the president and founder of the former Center Moriches Battlecats,” O’Sullivan said. “For several seasons, I helped work the Twitter handle for the Battlecats – spending most of the summer hanging out and learning from high level prospects such as Cody Carroll, who is now a member of the Baltimore Orioles.”
His team this season has been putting in a lot of work since the beginning of the year. There have been many weekly open gym sessions for players not just on the varsity level, but at younger levels as well.
“Our hope for inviting aspiring members at any age of the program is to continue to build upon the rich traditions that have been instilled out in Mattituck by Coaches DeCaro and Rochler before me,” said O’Sullivan.
Seniors Emmet Ryan and Chris Nicholson are expected to be leaders on this team, as well as senior Matt Czujko. The younger guys on the team include juniors Nate Demchak and Connor Fox. Demchak will be taking over behind the plate after serving as a utility player for the last couple of years. Fox looks to anchor the rotation after being in the number 3 slot last season. Sophomore Brady Mahon is entering his third year on the varsity team and will be a key piece to the middle infield. He also looks to get some time on the mound this year.
Mattituck has a perfect mix of veteran ballplayers and younger talent on the JV level. Coach O’Sullivan is excited to get the season started and is also looking forward to learning from assistant coaches Jim Finnican.
“Coach Finn has been around the game of baseball for a long time and has coached at many different levels,” said O’Sullivan.
The team is also bringing aboard new JV coach Mike Onufrak. He was a member of the 2015 state championship team and has most recently been playing ball at SUNY Plattsburgh.
“We are excited to infuse some new ideas into the Mattituck tradition that has been so successful in the past,” O’Sullivan said.
