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2021 was an incredible season for Commack. They ran through Suffolk County on their way to an appearance in the Conference I Long Island Championship against perennial powerhouse Massapequa. In a well-played game at St. Joseph’s College, the Cougars prevailed to capture their first LIC in program history. What made the accomplishment even more impressive is that they were able to do so knowing that their Head Coach, Bryan Bonin, was battling cancer. The boys were able to rally behind their coach on their way to the best season in program history and their second county title since 2017.
While they definitely had some impact seniors like staff ace Craig Pihlkar, SS Connor Pedersen and CF Johnny Catuosco, their leading hitter was sophomore 3B Chris McHugh. If the last name sounds familiar that is because he is the younger brother of St. John’s RF Tim McHugh, who was a high-profile player for the Cougars and also burst onto the scene during his sophomore year during their county championship season in ’17.
GRAND SLAM FOR TIM MCHUGH GIVES COMMACK 6-3 LEAD pic.twitter.com/JIymh6E4g2
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 9, 2018
Chris arguably had an even better season than Tim had during his senior year in which he won the Silver Slugger Award and batted .490 with six HRs. McHugh batted .525 with three HRs, 22 RBI and 16 runs scored for the Cougars. Tim was originally committed to TCU but is now at St. John’s.
The boys can clearly play. Chris will enter his junior season as one of the top players on Long Island. Earlier this week he announced his commitment to play at nationally-ranked VCU of the Atlantic-10 Conference.
Chris McHugh (Commack 2023) crushing a HR. Had a huge season for the LI Champs as a sophomore pic.twitter.com/Gjho8r5oat
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 5, 2021
I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
Can you tell us about your experience with the college recruiting process and why you chose VCU?
My recruiting process was very long and, at times, got very difficult, but I stayed patient and waited for the right fit. Right when I went to VCU I was in shock of their campus and stadium, also them being ranked very highly, their baseball program is great and VCU just felt like the right fit.
Who are some people who have had an impact on your playing career?
I would say my brother helped me in the baseball part of the game, but overall my coach Paul Gibson helped me with everything in the game, he helped me most in my recruiting process and helped me find the right fit.
How have you enjoyed your time with Team Beast? Who are some top performers on your team?
My time with Beast has been great starting when I was as young as about 8. I’ve loved every season with them. My team is full of great players and I can’t name them all but some notable commits on my team are JT Caruso, Justin LeGuernic, Alex Larson, Connor Schramm and Eric Mohr – who I play high school with too.
What are your goals for the off-season?
My goals for this off-season are to get faster while continuing to put on muscle.
Winning the Long Island Championship is quite an accomplishment – what was it like being a key contributor as a sophomore? Were there any seniors that helped you more comfortable early on? The class of 2023 for Commack appears very strong; is this a group you’ve played with for a long time?
It felt awesome winning the LIC, easily one of my favorite moments of the year. To help my team felt even better to bring us the first LIC in school history. Some seniors who I would say definitely helped me out would be Connor Pedersen since he was the shortstop, he helped me a lot fielding wise, Craig Pihlkar and Johnny Catuosco. Many more also helped me but those had the biggest impact on me. The class of 2023 is extremely strong, which I am looking forward to this year and the year after. We have all been playing together for a while and we have the chemistry, so I’m excited to see where it goes with them.
Do you work with any private instructors?
I do not. Most of the time I just work with my brother.
Favorite pregame meal?
Chick-fil-a
Favorite app on your phone?
Favorite baseball trip you’ve been on?
Georgia for the WWBA
Favorite players in Major League Baseball?
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Mike Trout
Favorite vacation spot?
Florida
Walk-Up Song?
Real as it Gets
