by Ben Diamond
Head coach of the West Babylon baseball team, Victor Manzella is in the same boat as other coaches going into this season. They lost a few players from his roster due to the pandemic canceling the 2020 season. Although, his senior class last year wasn’t as big as his senior class this year which is eleven players. Last year he lost players like second baseman Jack Rankin, who would have been an impact player on his roster.
This year, Manzella has a few players on his roster that he expects to make an impact this season. His center fielder, Cole Maucere, who Manzella says will be the player that has the biggest impact on the team because not only will he patrol center field but he will also help out on the mound. He is a lefty with big pop in his bat, and a great outfield arm. He is committed to play at New Haven next year. Anthony Zingalas is another player Manzella expects to do big things for his team this season. He will be the starting shortstop and in the pitching rotation on Manzella’s squad.
Cole Maucere (West Babylon 2021) pic.twitter.com/Vi0a6wUf8p
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 21, 2020
“Maucere is a stud in the outfield, he can track down any ball that is hit his way, and he has a strong outfield arm.” Manzella said. “He has a big lefty bat that will be very important in our lineup.”
With everything that has been going on this past year, Manzella was unable to hold traditional winter workouts with his team this year. So like most coaches this year, once the weather started to get nicer, he started to hold practices outside once a week. They even had to use alternate sites if they couldn’t use their own field due to soccer being played on it, anything to get some work in.
“Due to limited space in the school, we couldn’t have our traditional winter workouts.” Manzella said. “But once the weather started to get nice in March, we began to go outside once a week at any field we could get because our field was being used by soccer when fall sports were being played.”
But something that makes this year a little bit more difficult for Manzella than other coaches is that this will be his first season coaching this squad. He joined them last year and was able to hold winter workouts but when the season was canceled he didn’t have the ability to see his players play. So going into this season it will be the first time he’s really been able to see them play. But he knows that they are ready to go and that they want to play. He thinks that his players will be prepared when the time comes for the season to start.
“Last year was supposed to be my first year with these kids, and I was only able to hold winter workouts with these kids. I haven’t been able to see them compete in over a year.” Manzella said. “However I know they are hungry, and I know they are excited to get on the field. But I tell them all the time not to take anything for granted, you have to play every game like it’s a playoff game.”
With the season around the corner, Manzella hopes to create a positive environment within his team, and maintain a winning attitude with his players.
They will open against Deer Park on May 8. They will also face Newfield, ESM, Comsewogue, Hauppauge, Smithtown West, Centereach, Bellport and West Islip.
