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Recapping Friday’s Blue Chip Prospects Showcase

The recruiting process was completely thrown off with the pandemic, and just now are the 2022s getting to be seen in person by coaches after a year-and-a-half relying on social media videos, emails, phone calls and Rapsodo numbers.

It felt good to have a regular showcase and see the kids compete in front of Division-I head coaches, even though weather forced it inside.

The day was split into two sessions which made it easier to focus on individuals, although it’s still a lot with two mounds going at once and two infielders getting grounders at once. I did my best to post videos of the kids that caught my attention and this will be a longer form version of that. Here’s some of the top performers from the day.

Dylan Banner (Plainview JFK 2022)

Banner should not be uncommitted at this stage of the game, he’s probably the best uncommitted player available on Long Island. He stands 6’4, he hits missiles and he is a top of the rotation starter. When he connects, the ball will get out of any field. He can play SS or 3b, although I would guess he plays third at the collegiate level but it shows how athletic he is that he was still playing short at his height last year. On the mound, he can shut down any lineup and pitch deep into games. I think it’s just a matter of time before he makes his commitment. I would also guess he gets plenty of interest from pro teams next season.

Brady Clark (Bayport-Blue Point 2023)

Brady was impressive pitching on varsity this season. The only knock on him is a couple times he lost the strike zone when he was cruising along, but that can happen to young pitchers. He’s got a great pitcher’s build at 6’2 190 lbs. Very athletic, also a QB on the football team. He shows great command of his change up which I was impressed with because he maintained his arm speed. His fastball touched 87, that’s well above average for his grade. I think he has Division-I stuff.

Sebastian Lippman (Plainview JFK 2024)

Lippman did not pitch much on varsity, although he was a key cog in the lineup as a freshman. They were a strong team so they didn’t feel they needed him yet but the future is bright. He touched 87 MPH which is remarkable for a pitcher just finished his freshman year. Most players that age are in the low 70s. Additionally, he has such efficient mechanics. At the plate, he is a switch hitter and lefty is his natural side. You wouldn’t even be able to tell, as both swings are proficient. Time will tell what he becomes as a ballplayer (pitcher or position player) but sky is the limit for him now.

Nico Quiroz (Holy Trinity 2023)

Quiroz is a high-motor player that runs around with hair-on-fire type urgency. In the outfield, his speed serves him well as he can cover a ton of ground. At the plate, he was called up to varsity mid year and had immediate impact homering in his first game. Holy Trinity has gone through some lean years recently but with players like Quiroz, Cook Kozlowski, Del Vecchio and Vicoso they are building something.

Anthony Scarabino (Connetquot 2023)

Scarabino was an impact player as a sophomore on varsity this season for Connetquot. I think next year he will assume the role of ace with Sean Mileti graduating and he will be a middle of the order bat to go along with Ryan Kiendle. He batted .367 and was All-League. Smooth swing that produces rising line drives. Very athletic – ran a 4.91 60 – and can steal you a base when you need it. I think he will be one of the better players in the League next year.

Dylan Schnitzer (Hungtington 2022)

Schnitzer was a big reason Huntington broke their epic playoff drought and captured the Conference II title this season. He has big-time power and he batted ..475 with 9 RBI and 11 stolen bases. He can play all outfield positions and catch which is a great asset to a team. Also got a 1350 on the SAT, so he will be looking at the high academic schools.

Charles West (Ward Melville 2023)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before – Ward Melville has a hard-throwing lefty. They have a long line of successful pitchers and my guess is West will join that list. He pitched in the playoff game I covered this year against Pat-Med, I think he will step up and play a larger role next season. He sits in the low 80s and has a tremendous 12-6 curve. As he puts on some weight that 83 will turn to 87 and he will be a Division-I arm.

Tyler Cook (Holy Trinity 2024)

Cook is a strong defensive catcher and he has great pop behind the dish. A 2.19 for a rising sophomore is very impressive, he was among the quickest times on the day. Once he physically matures, I think he will make tremendous strides.

Joseph Yovino (Division 2023)

Yovino is a beast. The ball explodes off his bat and he also had a pop time of 2.01 which was the best of the day. He transferred back to Division from Holy Trinity – which was a big move. He should be an impact player right away since he was a starter in the CHSAA as a sophomore. He can also pitch if needed, but his calling card is his bat.

Ricky Fasitta (West Babylon 2023)

Ricky had a nice season on varsity this year batting .339 with 9 RBIs. He has a level swing and you can tell he’s going to put the ball in play a lot. I think he will cause a lot of chaos at the top of the order and on the bases.

Johan Franco (The Stony Brook School 2023)

Franco is physically imposing at 6’1 200 lbs. His fastball is in the lows 80s and I think that’ll jump even more in the next year. Playing for USA Baseball and Stony Brook School has allowed him to face elite competition so he has no problem facing high-end players.

Aedan Forde (St. John the Baptist 2022)

Forde is an impactful two-way player as a middle infielder and can also contribute innings as a reliever. He really showed off some impressive defensive skills during the infield portion of the day and he can throw strikes with his fastball (79-80 MPH) and breaking ball. I think he can step into most Division-II programs and be a contributor.

Cristino Tufano (Babylon 2023)

Tufano has a high ceiling being that he can really make some spectacular plays at SS, has extra-base pop and can throw gas off the mound in short stints. His exit velo of 83.9 will jump as he gets stronger. He’s been a starter on varsity since 8th grade so he is not going to be overwhelmed in big moments. He definitely has the look of a Division-I player.

Joe Paulino (Hicksville 2022)

Paulino is really impressive defensively, he has great agility, soft hands and a very strong arm. Sweet swing at the plate, gets good extension after contact.

Tyler Bonsignore (MacArthur 2024)

Erik Paulsen (Massapequa 2023)

A winning ballplayer that contributed to Massapequa’s 4th consecutive Nassau Championship. He can play first, outfield and pitch. He had a huge weekend last weekend, with a couple game-winning hits. On the mound, he gets the job done – sits 81-82 with great arm side tail on his fastball and command of his change up.

Zaine Toneske (Jackson Liberty 2023)

Zaine is not a Long Island native but plays for Body Armor. He had the highest exit velocity of the dat at 94 MPH. He’s just a typical middle of the order bat, and someone that can do serious damage at 6’1 220 lbs.

Gabe Beschloss (Garden City 2024)

Nick Zampieron (Comsewogue 2024)

I only caught the tail end of his bullpen but I really liked the delivery – somewhat reminiscent of Zack Greinke and the command was exceptional. Breaking ball was impressive.

Evan Baschnagel (Chaminade 2023)

Really nice swing from Baschnagel and he was among the fastest players in attendance with a 4.91 60. The class of 2023 is looking to be another impactful group for Chaminade and Baschnagel is part of that core.

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Vinny is the President of Axcess Baseball. He is a 2013 graduate of Adelphi University and he is currently the Long Island area scout for the San Diego Padres

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