Simulated intrasquad going on with dual pitching machines – one throwing curveballs the other throwing fastballs pic.twitter.com/tDwUmw7FzW
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 13, 2021
2020 and 2021 were not normal seasons for anyone – and you can look no further than LIU’s first round playoff game against No. 1 Bryant. The Sharks lost 17-13 in a nine inning game that took three hours, 40 minutes to complete and featured 11 pitchers and 32 hits.
Sharks HC Dan Pirillo stated that “Bryant is a perennial top-of-the-conference team every year. You know you’re in for a battle against them. E.J (Exposito) hit a HR early and we had some momentum going. But around the fifth inning, the flood gates began to open. We were doing everything we could to stay in the game but we gave them too many outs and too many extra extras. To beat a team like that, you have to play almost a perfect game,” he said. The Sharks actually led 3-0 but had fell behind 17-4 by the 7th inning. They were able to stage a valiant rally in the 9th inning and score 9 runs, but ultimately the rally fell short.
The next day, they needed to beat another good team, No. 3 Sacred Heart, but they lost 5-4 to have their season cut short. In regards to that game, Pirillo stated that, “it had rained in the morning so there was a heavier air and it was a low-scoring game. Sacred Heart was a good team – we had beat them two of three during the season but that doesn’t matter. We couldn’t scrape across extra runs. That team fought, though, we had a lot of resiliency,” he added.
The Sharks finished the season with a record of 20-15. Due to the pandemic, they were unable to play non-conference games, they also had a couple games cancelled due to positive covid cases by their opponents. Pirillo noted that had they played and won those extra games, it could’ve possibly gotten them the No. 3 seed in the playoffs instead of 4.
In any event, they graduated some of their most impactful players. All three of their All-NEC players have since moved on with their closer, Rob Griswold, now in pro ball with the Long Island Ducks. He was lights out – he compiled an unblemished record of 4-0 with a 0.68 ERA and five saves. He was named to the first-team.
Their SS Anthony Warneke was also named first-team All-NEC. He ranked third in the conference in assists, fourth in stolen bases, sixth in runs scored and 11th in RBIs. Pirillo stated that “he was one of the best defensive shortstops in the area.”
The third of their All-NEC players was CF Cade Biddle. He was terrific offensively with a .325 AVG, .450 OBP, only 29 strikeouts against 28 walks and he stole 26 bases on 32 attempts. He was their leadoff hitter and his presence will be missed.
Pirillo noted that they also graduated Andy Camilo. “Although his stats weren’t great he was a great clubhouse guy and kind of the glue for us,” he said.
On the flip side, they are returning two outstanding players in Christopher Wasson and E.J. Exposito. Wasson, a Massapequa graduate, led the team in hitting at .354 and will man third base this season. He also led the team in OPS at .934, OBP at .462 and stole 19 bases. He will be a critical part of their team once again.
EJ Exposito hits a solo HR in the fifth to give New York Tech a 3-2 lead over Pace pic.twitter.com/0Tgzr3oTdN
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 8, 2020
Exposito is a force at the dish with a real chance to play pro ball. He has made strides each season and will enter the season as one of the better all-around players in the conference. He will switch to SS to replace Warneke. At the dish, he batted .286 with a team-high 6 HR and 29 RBI. He started all 35 games and also played 76 games in the prestigious Northwoods League. Exposito hit a triple in the intrasqaud game and I overhead someone say “that’ll be on Axcess.” Needless to say, they will need him to maintain his high level of play.
Congratulations to LIU Post RHP Joshua Loeschorn who is the Axcess Baseball College Pitcher of the Year.
The freshman compiled a perfect record of 10-0 with a 1.34 ERA. He notched 3 saves and 4 complete games. Opposing batters hit .170. pic.twitter.com/x8xo46nqAq
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 10, 2019
The pitching staff graduated Jackson Svete as well as Griswold, so they will be looking for some returners to step up. They will be anchored by RHP Joshua Loeschorn. He was named Axcess College Pitcher of the Year in 2019 as a freshman for LIU Post (remember those days?) and will now be one of the veterans on the staff. He did not have the dominant season he had in 2019 and early 2020 but when he’s healthy he’s an elite caliber starting pitcher. They also return Nick Torres who threw 17.2 innings with a 1.02 WHIP as a reliever. Coach Pirillo did not mention specific names but did say that they have some players that they’re hopeful will play significant roles that did not factor in as much last year.
They also got four transfers that he mentioned:
OF Mikey Edelman
INF Luke Turner
Pitcher Jalen Wade
Pitcher Kurt Lange
With travel returning for the 2022 season, they will open up their season in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball Complex for Penn State’s tournament. They will fly to Arizona the next week to play at Peoria Sports Complex to face Washington State. They will return to NY and face some local teams such as St. Peter’s, Hofstra, Fordham and Iona before kicking off NEC play.
