It’s hard to envision a better collegiate debut for UNC freshman Johnny Castagnozzi.
The Massapequa-native singled in the third and sixth innings – scoring both times – in North Carolina’s 7-4 victory over James Madison to improve to 2-0. It’s impressive on several levels, not the least of which is a northeast player getting the start in the second game of the season for an ACC team that is expected to make the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, he was the spark plug for two rallies, showing aggressiveness at the plate and on the basepaths which directly helped the Tar Heels come away with the victory over the CAA opponent.
Here’s the video pic.twitter.com/8WPQZatDNN
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) February 20, 2021
Castagnozzi is no stranger to winning. While at Massapequa, his Chiefs came away with Long Island Championships during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons and we all know there was no 2020 high school season. He has been lauded for his calm demeanor, but he is also a fiery competitor. He played mainly third base in high school but has the arm and athleticism to play SS and 2B as well, he started at second yesterday.
When I interviewed Massapequa coach Tom Sheedy prior to the 2017 season, he said that Castagnozzi had the potential to ‘maybe be one of the best players we’ve had here.’ That was high praise from a coach that has done an incredible amount of winning, coached a ton of impact players and is not prone to hyperbole.
Castagnozzi has dealt with a ton of pressure since being ranked as the top NY player in the 2020 class by Perfect Game during his eighth grade year. Since that time, he had the target on his back being the only freshman to start at Massapequa during Sheedy’s tenure. From there, he committed to UNC during the fall of his sophomore year and did nothing but win. He also hit three homers in one game against Port Washington in 2018.
One of the knocks on Long Island is that they rarely produce high-end position players. While there’s been anecdotal evidence here and there, the point has largely been in the pudding. Many of our best players choose to go down south and rarely see the field, let alone contribute. So it is a breathe of fresh air to see Castagnozzi off to a nice start. Let’s hope he can continue it.
