Stony Brook HC Matt Senk is entering his 32nd season at the helm. Had a chance to speak with him after practice pic.twitter.com/xW2A2t8aV3
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 25, 2021
It’s been about five months since the now-infamous ending to the 2021 season for Stony Brook in the America East Championship against NJIT. Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning with the bases loaded and threatening to score more, it began raining. The game was called and it was expected they would complete it the following day, Sunday at 10am. Stony Brook entered the game with a record of 2-1 in the tournament and NJIT was 2-0 so Stony Brook would have to hold on to win and win again. But with the lead and home-field advantage it certainly wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Instead, the game was rained out the next day and the America East gave the automatic qualifying bid to NJIT.
Mayhem ensued as Stony Brook was (rightfully) furious about the situation and it gained plenty of media attention. The decision stood nonetheless and Stony Brook’s season ended that way as did the career for their seniors.
Now that the dust has settled and they are focused on the 2022 season, where do they stand?
Well as Coach Matt Senk, now entering his 32nd season, stated in the interview they have to replace over 200 innings which were filled by LHP Jared Milch (74 IP), RHPs Brian Herrmann (73 IP) and Sam Turcotte (67.2 IP). Fortunately, they do return their inning leader, RHP Nick DeGennaro. The hard-throwing righty was compared to former standout closer Aaron Pinto by Coach Senk and he will be anchoring the rotation. The rest of the staff is up for grabs – which is what they use the fall for. In previous years, their veteran starters used the fall to prepare for the spring but right now they are seeing who will step up. One player that may have been in line to fill some important inning was RHP Brian Morrisey but he transferred to Molloy College.
As for the lineup, they lost standout 1B Chris Hamilton (.319/.381/.494) who graduated. They also lost dynamic CF John LaRocca (.329/.429/.487) who stole 18 bases including home plate in an incredibly gutsy play in the championship game against NJIT. Catcher John Tuccillo led the team in at bats with 180 and he transferred to Bryant University.
Evan Giordano will be one of the key cogs for Stony Brook in 2022. He’s coming off a monster season and is one of the veterans on the team pic.twitter.com/jPex9n5zyR
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 25, 2021
So yes they will be looking for some players to step up. The good news is that they have perhaps the favorite for the Player of the Year returning in 3B Evan Giordano. He was outstanding last year – batting .314 with a .927 OPS, 7 HR and 39 RBI. When you watch him play the field, it is clear he will be an all-around impact player for the Seawolves. He is silky smooth, he swings the bat as well as anyone in the conference and he’s a leader. They will be counting on him this year along with SS Stanton Leuthner. He is phenomenal with the glove and held his own with the bat – hitting .274 with .809 OPS which is serviceable considering his glove.
Senk mentioned catcher Shane Paradine as another key impact player. He batted .328 with a .916 OPS over 131 at bats. He will settle in as the primary catcher and they are hopeful he will provide that punch in the middle of the order.
He also mentioned CF Cole Durkan has been performing well in CF. Stony Brook is always known for strong defense so he is an important part of that. Some of the other spots on the team are still up for grabs although one player that has really performed well in the fall is sophomore Matt Brown-Eiring who has shown some impressive pop and can play corner OF or 3B.
Since yesterday was Scout Day, I got a chance to see every play showcase his measurables. They certainly have a ton of athleticism. They had two young outfielders freshman Matt DeStefano and sophomore Idris Carter run sub 6.6 60s. That is game-changing speed and even if they are not regulars, they could both be dynamic late in the game as pinch-runners.
The Seawolves will open the 2022 season in Louisiana at McNeese State University, before traveling to face University of South Florida.
This season will feature some added incentive for the Seawolves as they look to overcome the sour tastes in their mouths from the America East Championship game. The question will be; do they have the personnel to do so?
