By Michael Malaszczyk
Coach Richard Greeney of Cold Spring Harbor is looking to lead his team to a championship in 2022.
Cold Spring Harbor made it to the playoffs in 2021, an impressive feat considering the amount of field time the players lost to the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview with Axcess Baseball, Coach Greeney was happy to share his thoughts on 2021.
“2021 ended with a loss in the County Finals,” said Greeney. “We had a lead with 9 outs to go in the game and coughed it up. I was pleased to see the guys push themselves during the COVID played baseball season, but wish we could’ve held onto the game for the guys.”
Despite that last game, Cold Spring Harbor should be proud that they made it as far as they did under the circumstances. Come-from-behind wins and losses happen at every level of every sport; there are countless examples. The fact that Cold Spring Harbor made it to the County Finals is a massive accomplishment on its own.
Coach Greeney remains determined to take his team even further this year, saying that the biggest lessons he wants to take into 2022 are “being able to finish games and overcoming adversity.”
Cold Spring Harbor saw a number of players graduate last year: Noah Porcelain, Xavier Taglich, Ryan Reilly, Matt Wright, James Rampi, Will Buonfiglio and Michael Masciello. Of those players, Michael Masciello is playing as a pitcher at St. John Fisher College, and James Rampi is playing club baseball at the University of Miami.
Cold Spring Harbor’s team is comprised of mostly young players in 2022, with one star senior leading the group: Drew Munn.
“This year’s team will be young and will be looking to our senior leader Drew Munn,” said Greeney. “He is the best pitcher in Nassau County. not only is he committed to playing Division 1 baseball at Central Connecticut State but he also has some MLB teams buzzing about him.”
Drew Munn’s go-ahead 2-R HR in the 9th inning to propel Cold Spring Harbor to a 3-2 win to advance to the Nassau Class B County Finals pic.twitter.com/YARphTUoGj
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 15, 2021
Drew Munn’s stats certainly back up that statement. Munn batted .333, with three home runs. He also compiled 21 RBI, and an ERA of 1.99.
Among other players to look out for, Greeney named pitcher/outfielder Matt Casaccio (‘23, ERA 1.00), Joe Lizak (‘23, batted .320, 10 RBI), Matt Gileno (‘24, batted .300, 5 RBI, 1 HR), and Reid Walter (‘24).
Great swing from Matt Gileno (Cold Spring Harbor 2024) pic.twitter.com/BkmUjYc008
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 11, 2020
Of Reid Walter, Coach Greeney noted that “Reid threw 4 shutout innings against Island Trees in his lone start as a 9th grader and threw a shutout inning in the county final”.
Out of all the players named, Cold Spring Harbor has one college commitment: as stated above by Coach Greeney, Drew Munn is committed to play baseball at Central Connecticut State University.
As far as his team’s keys to victory in 2022, Coach Greeney feels his team is versatile, and won’t be dependent on any one aspect of the game.
“We have lots of middle infield depth, good pitching, and a strong top half of the batting order,” said Greeney.
Coach Greeney is prepared for any challenges the 2022 season throws at his team. “Our conference is made up of well-coached ball clubs,” said Greeney. “We have many fun rivalries in our conference.”
Greeney is a seasoned veteran of baseball, having coached since 1999.
“Baseball is my great escape,” said Greeney. “I enjoy passing on my knowledge to the kids in our program. I also enjoy helping our players find the right college fit for those that want to play after high school.”
With an experienced coach in Richard Greeney, a star player in Drew Munn, and a team of young, hungry players, look for Cold Spring Harbor to have another strong season this year. They will have a great chance to go even farther than they did in 2021.
Cold Spring Harbor’s opening day is set for March 28th. They will be playing against Locust Valley.
