by Chris Sacchi
Matt Prokopowicz is in his second year as head coach of the St. Dominic’s baseball team. Yet, he’s still waiting to manage his first game.
“Getting to go now, I’m a little kid in a candy store. I’m all smiles ear to ear and I can’t wait, I need to get that baseball fix in… it’s starting to hit home that we’re going to be starting very very soon.”
Coach has a lot to look forward to.
As a former All-American at Hofstra, and a member of Massepequa’s 2006 Class AA State Championship team, coach brings great experience from his playing days to foster what he feels like is a fantastic team environment.
“Being a team and having success, you’ve got to trust every single person… And those kids get it. They understand it and they’re buying in. And if you come to one of my practices, it’s literally all smiles.”
Prokopowicz also cites a competitive practice atmosphere that motivates every player on the roster, something he learned during his playing days.
“It’s always a competition, no matter what, if it’s an inner squad, a line drive contest, a BP game, we’re always trying to do a competition just to get these guys going at each other in the right way… Every level and I went to, it was always some type of competition and you want a winner and a loser.”
As for the leaders on and on the field, Prokopowicz can rely on two senior D1 commits as powerful bats in the middle of the order.
“The good thing about this year is that we really didn’t lose too much in our offense.”
Coach is certainly right. Catcher Dom Camera is committed to George Washington University, while first baseman Sean Lane is set to be a Maryland Terrapin after this year. Prokopowicz is excited at the prospect of those two as anchors in the three and four spots in the batting order.
2021 Catcher Dom Camera @GWBaseball1 committ
Showing off an impressive skill set.
Huge upside @axcessbaseball @CoveSports @TheCatchingGuy pic.twitter.com/N3Y9hSvmgG— NextLevelBaseball (@NextLevelBaseba) September 13, 2020
When looking at the rest of the lineup and position player group, coach says, “one through seven, it sounds crazy, one through seven in the batting order have the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”
Junior Chris Sais is a catcher and infielder whose big bat can put him into coach’s plans. Prokopowicz says the ball jumps off his bat pretty hard, and refers to another coach as evidence.
Shaun Manning, founder and owner of Next Level Baseball, told Prokopowicz that the exit velocity for Sais was “up to 103 [miles per hour.”]
“So, if I’m not having that [in the lineup,] I shouldn’t be coaching,” Prokopowicz jokes. “I’ll find a place for him.”
Another junior who has impressed Prokopowicz is Mike Petrucelley, who’s swing reminds coach of a New York Mets Hall of Famer.
“I kinda compare him to Mike Piazza and just the way he swings it. Very, very little movement. But when that ball comes off the bat, excuse my french,” coach says. “And I don’t say those things lightly. I’ve been around baseball a long time. I call a spade a spade, you know.” According to coach, Petrucelly is in competition for right field.
Alongside the power bats are three players with great speed.
Sean Lane (St. Dominic 2021) pic.twitter.com/QBBdC1d1X4
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 22, 2020
Junior Derek Torres is set to be the team’s starting left fielder, and according to Prokopowicz, “runs like a deer.” Prokopowicz has known Torres since he was 12 years old, coaching him on the Long Island Titans.
“He’s probably one of the most respectful, one of the most genuine kids you’ll ever meet in your life. And he is clutch as hell. So that’s a kid that will be counted on a lot on the mound and in our lineup,” says Prokopowicz.
Torres is a left-hand pitcher who is set to be a key arm as well.
Junior Albert Ramos is set to be the team’s shortstop and another hurler who “is jumping in velocity,” per Prokopowicz. These two as well as likely third baseman Luca Lopetrone (another pitcher who will be atop the rotation for St. Domincis) will be key for a style of play that coach is trying to implement.
“We’re going to have some fun in the batter’s box. We’re old-school guys; we love to bunt, love to hit and run. Especially with our field, our field isn’t turf, probably the only dirt and grass field [in the league.]”
Prokopowicz credits his head coach at Hofstra, John Russo, for giving him a first-hand view of the advantage of wreaking havoc on the bases and moving runners along. Prokopowicz says the team stole 157 bases in a 50 game season.
The plan is to “put pressure on the defense, make them make a play.”
Even with the big hitters mentioned above, coach is focused on a line-drive approach that imitates other defenses.
“I don’t care if you hit a ball 500 feet in the air. I’d rather see you hit a ball 10 feet off the ground at 400 feet and take somebody’s head off. That’s my main message,” Prokopowicz says. “Put the fear of God into the pitcher and to the fielders, put the fear of God into them, so when you hit the ball, they don’t want to field it. That’s the way I was, and it worked out pretty good,” says the career .376 hitter at Hofstra.
On the mound, St. Dominic’s is set to benefit from a new, award-winning coach. After a series of voting for Axcess Baseball, pitching coach Tyler Levine, who also has recent playing experience with the Long Island Ducks, was chosen as the best pitching instructor on Long Island. Levine, an East Meadow native who pitched in college for SUNY Old Westbury, is set for his first year at St. Dominic’s.
Coach Prokopowicz speaks highly of his new partner.
“He’s worked with a ton of pro guys and tons of college guys, so he brings in a heck of a lot of information and a lot of knowledge about pitching, so we’re extremely lucky in that regard.”
Senior transfer Logan Gersbeck, who is committed to Stevenson University, is one of many pitchers, along with the arms mentioned earlier, set to benefit from Levine’s experience. This will be especially key for a staff that graduated nine senior pitchers last season.
While Prokopowicz and his team are incredibly excited and ready to get back on the field, the biggest moment of the season might have already happened. I will let coach tell the story.
“JJ Burn, he’s a junior. He just had a stroke two months ago.”
“And he’s cleared to play. That’s kind of a miracle in itself.”
“He was lifting with Derek [Torres] at the gym it’s just, [Derek] could tell something was off… And [JJ] started to slur his speech, and Derek’s kind of of a hero because, JJ’s mother works in healthcare.”
“She works at Winthrop hospital on the Island. So instead of just calling her or calling 9-11, he FaceTimed her.”
“And with a stroke, you only have an hour to get the patient to the right facility and to get the treatment, or it’s basically permanent damage.”
“And he FaceTimed his mother, and she was able to tell that he was having a stroke and they got him to the right place, And they were just in the Nick of time.”
JJ Burn is set to be in competition for right field, for a spot next to the team’s likely center fielder, senior Justin DiMartino.
