(This is the first installment of the Fall Ball Series powered by East Coast Strength and Performance. We will visit the local colleges and provide some video content, interviews with coaches and players. Make sure to check out East Coast by clicking here.)
RHP Matt Gonzalez transferred from Division-III Barton College in North Carolina. Here’s a strikeout on a 91-MPH fastball pic.twitter.com/R3DrUKJDu1
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 17, 2021
Hofstra ushered in a new era in July when they hired 14-year MLB veteran and Long Island-native Frank Catalanotto. The move would’ve been exciting regardless of the context but when you consider that the Smithtown native is just two years removed from executing an even more difficult task of reviving New York Tech’s program, there is plenty of reason for optimism surrounding the Pride’s program.
Frank took over a 13-win New York Tech team that had already been dealt the difficult blow of dropping from Division-I to Division-II and failing to miss the playoffs in 2018. He had an immediate impact, sending the Bears into the Division-II College World Series in Cary, NC and winning a program-record 37 games. Following the August 2020 announcement that the school would be taking a two-year hiatus from the NCAA, it was uncertain whether he would return to the college game.
BREAKING: Hofstra has hired former Major Leaguer Frank Catalanotto to be their Head Coach @HofstraBaseball @KendallRogers pic.twitter.com/EagYJdbY4b
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 7, 2021
When Hofstra’s Head Coach John Russo announced that he would be stepping away from the program following the season, it almost made too much sense to call the person that had appeared in 1265 big league games and proved that he can win at the collegiate level.
The Pride made the smart decision and since that time, they have begun their transition into the newest chapter of the program’s long history.
Today I went down to their first intrasquad game where I was able to catch a glimpse of their team and how they operate under the new regime. It’s not just the head coach that has an impact on a program, but it does take an entire coaching staff. Catalanotto brought over pitching coach Chris Rojas and infield coach Jimmy Goelz to join hitting coach Matt Wessinger to form an impressive staff. It should be noted that both Rojas and Goelz were on Frank’s staff at New York Tech
The 2021 Hofstra Pride struggled to a 17-22 record and that was with two pitchers (Jimmy Joyce and Jack Jett) and two position players (Austin Gauthier and Rob Weissheier) that went on to play pro ball. Joyce was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 16th round and he’s performing very well in High-A ball with Everett (3.22 ERA). Jett was pitching for the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League but has since been released. They will be leaning on last year’s closer John Mikolaicyk, Brad Camarda and Mark Faello to step up and fill those innings.
Rob Weissheier (Hofstra 2021) signs onto play with the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. The Kellenberg grad hit 25 HR and drove in 116 runs during his collegiate career pic.twitter.com/LY2YD9J5cz
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 7, 2021
Offensively, they were led by Austin Gauthier who signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gauthier was exceptional all season for the Pride – he slashed .338/.503/.617 which is good for a 1.120 OPS. His loss is a significant one as is Weissheier. He was a four-year starter and was a leader on the team. He led the Pride in home runs (8) and RBI (34). Weissheier, the youngest of three brothers to all play at Hofstra, signed with the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League.
The good news is that the Pride should definitely be able to hit. The core that was in place from John Russo’s recruiting class was solid. Their leading hitter last season in terms of batting average was Ryan Morash (.339). He was tied with Nick Marrero – although he didn’t have enough at bats to qualify. Marrero had an impressive .961 OPS over 59 at bats. They also return Anthony D’Onofrio (15 stolen bases), Santino Rosso (.844 OPS), Will Kennedy (.284 AVG), among others. But the biggest reason they will hit is because of the additions. Shortly after Catalanotto was hired, they were able to bring in some high-end transfers such as Anthony Fontana (Wantagh 2018) from Monroe, Brian Morrell (Shoreham-Wading River 2017) from St. John’s, Mikey Florides (St. Dominic 2019) from Felician and Frankie DiMartino (St. Dominic 2019) from Nassau. Fontana had a monster season at Monroe – driving in 48 runs and crushing 7 HRs. He should be expected to provide production in the middle of the order.
Morrell batted .284 for the Johnnies and then led the HCBL in batting at .393. It’s pretty remarkable how he has re-invented himself as a hitter after initially beginning his collegiate career as a pitcher at Notre Dame. If you’ve been following us from the beginning, you are definitely familiar with Morrell who was a superstar in high school – winning the coveted Carl Yastrzemski Award twice, throwing six no-hitters and essentially re-writing the program’s record book.
Catalanotto, who is as good of a hitting coach as a college kid could ask for, has been pleased with what he’s seen so far in the early going.
“I’ve been really impressed with the energy they bring everyday and the adjustments they’ve made,” said Catalanotto. Me and Jimmy Goelz work with the hitters and they’ve been open-minded and willing to make adjustments. It’s paid off already. They’ve looked much better during BP. It’s been easy with these kids. At Tech, it took a few weeks before they were willing to buy in. With these kids it’s been immediate, and it’s great. It’s also great to finally see the pitchers,” he added.
The pitchers have been throwing bullpens with pitching coach Chris Rojas. Rojas, another coach with pro experience, stated that he’s been impressed with the bullpens thrown by his staff. He said he’s been “talking to them about understanding what it means to develop as a pitcher as opposed to throwing hard and focusing on raw metrics. That’s important but if you can’t execute on the mound it’s a fruitless effort. We focus on body control and feel. Paying attention to what you do on a daily basis, how to play catch, our catch play has a high level of mental intensity. So guys understand how they throw the ball well. That way, they understand when they get to the mound how to make adjustments pitch-to-pitch.”
He noted that they use Rapsodo because “what helps us is the pitch profiling. Helps us understand what a kid is capable of – slider or sinker guy. There’s benefits in the details. It’s one thing for me to tell them something but these kids are more intuitive now. If they have the technology to help them see it along with me to explain it, it gives them more affirmation.”
Interestingly enough, the Pride will open up the 2022 season against Dallas Baptist University who are coached by former big leaguer Lance Berkman.
While it’s unfair to expect as quick of a turnaround that NY Tech had, there is no reason to bet against the success that Catalanotto has had. Center Field Anthony D’Onofrio stated that, “Coach Cat and the staff have been amazing. They really preach doing all the little things the right way which will result with the team being more successful. Coach Cat and coach Goelz have made adjustments with the hitters which are going well. Coach Cat has brought a lot to the team with his professional background.”
