Long Island has had many great ballplayers through out history – but people forget how rich the recent history has been.
Several players that graduated over the past decade have gone on to great college careers and even reached Major League Baseball. We even did a mock draft back in June covering this topic.
Here are the results of yesterday’s mock draft. Players selected played on Long Island between the years 2010-2020 pic.twitter.com/UV4LWlU9gb
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 10, 2020
But what if we made it even more exclusive? Instead of fielding an entire team, it was just a pitcher and a position player. Who would you pick then?
I know who I would pick – but I solicited the help of some of the most well-respected coaches on Long Island to fill in my blind spots. Here’s what they had to say…
Tom Abruscato, Clarke
Pitcher: Harrison Cohen (Cold Spring Harbor). Not talked about too much but he was the best pitcher we faced in that four year period…and I believe we faced every Diamond Award winner. He always came a us with that big time stuff. I believe he went to GW.
Position Player: A.J. Cain is one from Seaford. He gave you a quality AB every time up. He went the other way extremely well for a big HR guy.
(Editor’s Note: Cohen is a senior at George Washington University.)
Steve Costello, MacArthur
Boy, tough question. There are many great choices, but I will go with two players I actually didn’t play against very often but are ultimate winners – Jimmy Joyce and Dylan Judd.
Other pitchers have had better stuff, but Joyce is the ultimate winner. And he wanted the ball in a big spot every time. And no way you were taking the ball away from him during a game. And the bonus is you also get a great position player too.
Judd was a four-year impact player. As a freshman, he hit a bases-clearing double against us in the County Championship. Great catcher, great hitter, great leader.
Tom Tuttle, Division
If I have to pick two players it would have to be guys I competed against. I’m sure there are a bunch of great players on your list but the first player that comes to me is Anthony D’Onofrio. I faced Wantagh four years in a row in league play when they had Fontana, Joyce, etc. Although those players were great, I thought Anthony was their best player and key to their success. He possessed so many intangibles during a course of a game that you just can’t teach. His IQ and awareness on the field was excellent. He had so many big hits against us in high leverage spots and always made the big defensive play when needed. When he was a sophomore in the first semifinal game against us he scored the first run and after he crossed home plate he pumped his teammates up like a senior would do. I knew right then that he would be a problem for us the next three years.
As for pitcher, it has to be Jack Piekos from Bayport. Jack was dominant against my County Championship team in ’14. I really thought we were going to win the LI Championship game that year and possibly the State Championship as well. But he was out roadblock. He pitched with great poise and command that day. I believe he won the State Championship for them as well and won the LI Championship the year before. I really thought he would have had a better college career. But you never know about kids.
Lou Petrucci, Ward Melville
This is an easy one…Brian Morrell. He clearly dominates on the mound and at the plate. Always a positive attitude no matter what the situation. Brian has an exemplary three pitch mix that he throws for strikes in any count. He swings the bat with conviction and purpose. He plays the game to win with great leadership and incredible skill set.
As far as position players go, Logan O’Hoppe wins hands down. Great teams win with exceptional receivers behind the plate. Logan provides amazing leadership skills along with high level arm strength and receiving skills. At the plate, Logan is a threat to hit a home run in any situation.
Shawn Rush, West Islip
Over the years I have been lucky enough to see a lot of great players in some big time games. If I had to pick an opposing player to build my team around it would be Commack’s Peter Theodorellis. In the 2017 County Finals, he was lights-out on the mound, a tough out at the plate and just an all-around gritty player.
Ken Klee, Smithtown East
Mark Giardino, Manhasset
Pitcher: Andrew Nagel (Garden City). Competitor, bigger the spot, better the performance.
Position player: Tommy Reifler (Garden City). Played against us for four years. Played an excellent SS, sac bunted, bunted for a hit, stole bases, kept glove close at 2nd, stole home. Did whatever the team needed – hit 1st, 2nd, 9th.
Ryan McSherry, Longwood
Pitcher: Very tough not to choose Brian Morrell but I’d choose Kyle Martin. His ball gets on guys fast. I’ve seen him first hand in the Hamptons League and ‘m not surprised that he was drafted.
Position Player: I’d go Nick Grande. He destroyed me in the playoffs my first year as a varsity coach. I also coached him in the Hamptons League and wasn’t surprised to see the accolades he earned at Stony Brook.
Anthony Frascogna, Pat-Med
If I can only pick one I’m picking Joe Flynn, he could pitch, hit and field. He was a big part of great teams as an underclassmen and then was able to make a team great his senior year.
Strangely, if I get two picks I’m going with Anthony Kay and Alec Sole. Kay was just as dominant on the mound and Sole was just an absolute beast at the plate.
(Editor’s Note: Kay graduated in 2013 and Sole graduated in 2011.)
Josh Gutes, Hauppauge
Position Player: Nick Grande. One of the most competitive kids I’ve ever seen but also the best teammate. Can make every play at SS and make every throw. Can hit the ball out of the park and almost impossible to get out. Tremendous base runner. As high character a person as I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.
Pitcher: Jake Krzemienski. Closed out our playoff game as a sophomore where a ton of runs were scored by both teams in the first five innings. He came in the 6th and got six straight outs. We couldn’t touch him. His stuff plays better than it looks. Fierce competitor. Have spoken to Coach Bonin and Coach Salmon a lot about him in the past and they raved about him as much as a person as they did a player.
Important to note – both guys are incredibly high character people which is why they’re my top two picks. Also hope to note – I would 100 percent go with Nick Fanti and PJ Contreras as pitcher and position player if it were legal!
Casey McKay, St. John the Baptist
Pitcher: Chris Cappas
Chris is one of the best all-around baseball players I have seen in this league. In addition to beingg a terrific hitter, he was just as dominant on the mound. When you get a kid as talented as him with the compete level he had, he was next to impossible to beat. He is the type of pitcher that you needed to play a perfect game to beat. Your best chance to score against him was if his defense made a mistake.
Position Player: Jordan Ramlogan
I got the chance to coach Jordan this past summer when we combine our teams to give our seniors a season. I really think he would have been up for player of the year this season. He doesn’t have one skill that jumps out at your that will turn your head. You only get a chance to appreciate just how good of a baseball player he is when you watch him play over the course of a season. More important than any of his baseball skills is his compete level and leadership. He plays the game with an infectious enthusiasm and has a relentless motor. Give me a team of Jordan Ramlogan’s and I’ll be competing for a league championship every year.
Dan Luisi, Holy Trinity
Over my four years coaching in the highly-skilled and competitive CHSAA, I have coached with an against so many great players. If I had to choose one position player to build a team around, it would be Logan O’Hoppe. Logan is one of the most skilled catchers I’ve seen since taking over the Holy Trinity program. Behind the plate, he was as close to flawless a defender as you can be – from his set-up and glove work to his blocking. As an opposing coach, his ability to control the bases with his strong arm made it difficult for us to play our style of baseball. He controlled a lot of the things we wanted to do. As good as he was behind the dish, Logan was also a dominant middle of the order guy for SJB. He showed a disciplined and advanced approach to his at bats. In order to have any success going against Logan, you had to have your best stuff – if you fell behind or struggled with your command – he’d take advantage of it. He was a force in the CHSAA and was really fun to watch. Every conversation I had with Coach McKay and the short interactions I’ve had with Logan gave me enough to know that this is a special young man,. If I were to start a team, Logan O’Hoppe would be the position player I build around.
Pitcher: If I had to choose one pitcher that I coached against to build a team around, I would have to say Chris Cappas. Chris was a dynamic player, probably one of the best two-way players the league has seen in a long time. During his career, he didn’t lose many games on the mound. He attacked lineups with a three-pitch mix highlighted by a low 90s fastball. He was the ultimate competitor, he pitched with emotion and fire that was unmatched. If you can surround yourself with players that have that type of edge – it’s hard to lose. As an opposing coach, on day’s that Chris Cappas was on the mound, you’d have to play a near perfect game to win.
Paul Parsolano, St. Anthony’s
Joe Flynn or Kevin Courtney for me. Ace pitchers and middle of the order bat.
