by Chris Sacchi
The COVID-19 canceled 2020 high school season was a huge loss for seniors across the country. Many players had their final organized baseball game taken away from them.
While this is a sad reality for thousands of young men, John Glenn head coach Matt Rocchio is doing a great job of finding the positive.
He tell his guys, “give everything you got like it’s your last game. Those seniors last year never got their last game. We had really great senior leadership last year,” coach Rocchio said. “Losing them for their senior year really hurt, but they left a lasting effect.”
The 2020 senior class was led by current college ballplayers Dan Brown, at Pace, Aidan Desmond at Gettysburg and Matt Polestino at New Paltz.
Coach says that group really got after it in the weight room heading into last season.
“They showed that leadership in the weight room and in winter workouts, so I think that rubbed off on [this year’s team] a little bit.”
Another challenge for John Glenn in comparison with most teams in their league is the smaller size of the school.
“Being a smaller school, we don’t get 40, 50 kids to try out,” coach said. “So we may not have cuts. We really have to try and push these other players that might think that they have a spot automatically.”
As per usual, coach Rocchio sees this as a positive, because this model allows for more underclassmen to get valuable reps on varsity.
“That definitely is an advantage. I think it would be a lot tougher at a much bigger school to bring up a ninth grader,” Rocchio said.
This year’s team returns six starters who were varsity underclassmen in 2019.
“We have some good experience, which I think is going to be beneficial to us,” coach said. “We have six guys that got varsity experience in 2019 that are going to be playing as starters this year, which is nice.”
Ryan Desmond, the younger brother of the previously mentioned Aidan Desmond, is a senior who is set to play a major role in the outfield, as well as compete for a spot in the rotation.
No matter the talent level or experience, coach knows depth is key in the rotation during such an unusual season.
“We’re gonna have a competition,” Rocchio said. “When we get into June and we’re playing four days a week, we’re gonna have to be using seven guys in the week. For a small school, seven guys is a lot, it’s almost half your team,” coach said. “We’re looking at JV guys that maybe can come up and give some innings. That is going to be a question mark.”
Rocchio gives due credit to his pitching coach Alex Pangourelias, who will be vital this year when it comes to developing arms. Pangourelias works with Rocchio at Team Beast.
“He’s been working with these guys at the Command Center over at Beast. So each one of them has been working with him a lot,” Rocchio said. “The command center is one of the pitching programs they have there, and we’ve really seen our pitchers make a lot of strides, which has been great.”
Junior Cole Lindquist “is probably going to our number one.” According to coach, he recently topped out at 89 miles per hour. He was named second team Axcess Preseason All-Long Island.
“He’s going really well right now. He’s going to pitch and play the outfield for us.”
Also returning as a player with varsity experience is junior southpaw Anthony Schieble, who according to coach “has really worked well” and “really, really made a lot of strides.” His lefty arm should add some balance and flexibility to the rotation.
At the other end of the battery is what coach calls “a two headed monster behind the plate,” featuring junior Mike Zeis and senior Chris Carnevale, who once again come into this season with varsity reps under their belt.
“I have total confidence in either one of them playing behind the plate,” Rocchio said. “They’re both great at receiving. Their pop time to second is really, really quick as well.”
Having two main catchers is always a valuable asset on the roster, and coach is happy to have this luxury in a condensed season.
“They both have strong arms, so we really want to be able to maximize where we can put them on the field. Mike plays the outfield as well, and he really can go get it out there,” coach said.
Rocchio adds that the schedule will call for a lot more strategy from him and his staff.
“We’re not playing three game series this year. Which is the first time since, I don’t know how long we had been doing that. We’re playing a different team every day of the week.”
“So it’s really gonna come down to a lot of strategy on when you started each catcher, when you’re starting a pitcher and different things like that, that you’re going to really lay out with the condensed season.”
Protecting the arms of his players, especially without last season, is key for Rocchio as well, and not just for pitchers.
“You really have to worry about arms. Not just pitchers, but catchers as well,” coach said. “We’re playing four games in one week. That’s a lot for one catcher.”
So coach, does the extra strategy make your job more fun?
“It really does. We talked about that. We talked about how there will be much more on-the-field coaching,” Rocchio said.
“The strategy that has to go into now preparing for the season is a lot more intricate now, which is really awesome. And I like that little stuff. It’s like small ball, but for behind the scenes.”
Rounding out the crew of players who have varsity experience is Lafeyette commit Joe Patane, who was All-League as a sophomore in 2019 and an Axcess Preseason All-Long Island this year
“We were expecting big things from him, last year. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with COVID but this year we’re definitely expecting even bigger things and he’s already being a vocal leader,” coach said of his probable starting shortstop. “His play just leads other players. He’s like a third coach.”
“He led them in the weight room last year, even when he was a junior,” coach said. Now Patane can use what he learned from last year’s senior to really fill that leadership role.
Rocchio says Patane has played virtually every position on the field, in games and in scrimmages, and even recently stepped up to catch a bullpen for a freshman.
“You don’t see that a lot of seniors like that, when their natural position isn’t catcher, but he loves it.”
“If you want it to mold a baseball player, that’s the kind of kid that you would mold.”
While those six players lead the way in terms of experience, senior Lewis Pelkovsky was the leader on JV in 2019 and coach is excited for him to get his chance.
“He did everything for them down there. So we’re really counting on him to be that type of person for us this year catches a little bit, plays the infield a little bit, plays the outfield a little bit.”
Coach Rocchio says the team is counting on Pelkovsky to be a tough out, “that’s tough to strike out, that gives good quality at-bats.”
As for the rest of the roster, just as coach said earlier, his job might just be a little more fun.
“We’re going to have some JV guys that’ll come and come out of nowhere that are going to be positives for us.” John Glenn is also in a new league that combines League A (their former league) and League B. Rocchio thinks this could be a great fit.
“I’m excited that we’re in this mixed league this year. We’re always about three students away from being a B school.”
So we’re the smallest A school in Suffolk County. We always are on that line, to be a B and an A, so it’s cool to be in a mixed one. It feels like we’re in the right spot.”
This combined league is filled with teams that John Glenn has battled with in the past.
In Rocchio’s first season, 2017, his team went 9-11 but was the only Suffolk County team to beat Shoreham Wading-River, and still plays them well.
“Two years ago we had an opening series with them and we played tight with them,” coach said. “It was 0-0 against Crowley. He threw one of his no-hitters against us, but Dan Brown, competed with him, and it was 0-0 to the seventh. Then, they were able to get a couple on the board. Another example where we always play them well.”
Rocchio also mentions a few other teams that will present a fascinating challenge.
“Bayport and Mount Sinai, they’re teams we’ve had some good games against. It’s going to be a fun, really good competitive league.”
Not a surprise that coach is keeping it upbeat heading into a crazy season. His team has already dealt with a handful of COVID pauses this preseason, but if there is anyone who is prepared to deal with adversity, it is coach Rocchio and his John Glenn team.
