By Michael Malaszczyk
Final: West Islip 3, Smithtown West 2
WP: PihtWalk-off hit by Anthony Riviezzo pic.twitter.com/ral4RDgk2U
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 14, 2021
Coach Shawn Rush of West Islip is prepared to take on 2022.
West Islip had a great season in 2021. They bounced back from having lost the 2020 season to make it to the Conference Four Finals. In the Finals, they ended up losing a nail biter of a game to Newfield.
“Newfield broke a 0-0 tie in the sixth to take the championship,” said Coach Rush. Pinch-hitter Josh Jacobs ripped a bases-clearing double to give the Wolverines a 3-0 lead, which was the final. Their starting pitcher, Jake Rivera, was outstanding matching Kendall Kendrick pitch-for-pitch for 5 innings but ultimately the Newfield lineup was too tough to hold down.
West Islip LHP Jake Rivera strands the bases loaded in the third, no score pic.twitter.com/rjtGjdCISQ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 18, 2021
Coach Rush still remains proud of how his team performed in 2021 under all the circumstances.
“It was a tough year because of how condensed the schedule was but we are proud of the seniors that made the best of a difficult situation,” he said. “Especially a few who battled through injuries to help the team.”
Out of the seniors who graduated from West Islip in 2021, two of them are playing baseball in college. Pitcher Matt Gordon is now playing for St. Rose, and outfielder Matt Marmo is now playing for Belmont Abbey.
West Islip will have a good number of returning players who have experience at the varsity level.
“We have a number of seniors and juniors who played a vital role last year in the rotation and at the plate,” said Rush. “We are returning 7 players who were in the lineup last year.”
Coach Rush gave special mentions to infielder/pitcher Alex Czarnomski (‘22), catcher/pitcher Matt Sandoval (‘22), outfielder/pitcher Jake Rivera (‘22), catcher Frank Rega (‘22), and shortstop Zach Siano (‘22).
Rush had high praise for all of these player’s capabilities.
“Czarnomski started every game last season,” said Rush. “He had a 2.20 ERA was All-County last year. Sandoval started 4 games on the mound, was 2-0, pitched to a 1.74 ERA, and was named All-League. Rivera had a 1.91 ERA and pitched 5 scoreless innings in the conference final last season. Frank Rega started 14 games behind the plate last season. Zack Siano started at shortstop in all games but one in 2021.”
West Islip has a number of college commitments on its 2022 team. These are seniors Alex Czarnomski (Barry University, Florida), Tim Hantzschel (Cairn University), Jake Rivera (Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham), Frank Rega (SUNY Purchase), Matt Sandoval (SUNY Oneonta), Zach Siano (St. Joseph’s College New York), and Connor Villano (SUNY Brockport).
To have so many players committed is a showcase of West Islip’s strength in 2022. Coach Rush feels his team will be strong on the mound and in the field, in addition to bringing last year’s experiences.
“I think we have a number of serviceable arms and a tremendous amount of experience returning,” said Rush. “Pitching and defense should be a strength.”
Coach Rush feels his team is playing in a stacked conference, and they should not overlook any of their opponents.
“Our league is filled with talented teams led by veteran coaches who will have them prepared to compete with us on a weekly basis,” he said.
Speaking of veteran coaches, Coach Rush is a veteran coach himself; he has coached baseball for 18 years and has been West Islip’s head varsity coach for 13 years. He led the Lions to Class AA County Championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018. They captured the LIC in 2016 and nearly won the NY State Title before running into Ian Anderson (now pitching for Atlanta Braves).
For the third time since 2014 West Islip captures the Suffolk County Class AA title ! pic.twitter.com/yc8SLZY0Dh
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 28, 2018
With an experienced coach and a stacked lineup of players with bright baseball futures, West Islip will be a very strong team in 2022. Look out for them to go even further than they did last year. The league will consist of North Babylon, Bellport, Smithtown West, Deer Park and Hauppauge.
West Islip’s opening day is set for March 29th. They will be playing against North Babylon.
