by Mike Anderson
Go-ahead 3-R HR by Joey Marchese puts Shoreham-Wading River up 5-3 in the top of the fourth pic.twitter.com/kyV05kSkBA
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 12, 2021
For Shoreham-Wading River varsity baseball, it’s 35 years and counting. That’s 35 consecutive playoff berths. In 2021, they went 15-3, and head coach Kevin Willi credited everyone and everything from top to bottom for the program’s long-sustained success.
“It started with Sal Mignano who is basically the founder of SWR baseball. He created a tradition of hard work and dedication that has translated into my tenure as coach. It’s really amazing because the kids are driven and motivated. They work hard, they do extra lessons, they’re always above and beyond,” Willi said. However, it wasn’t just the culture or the preparation from the players that guided them to such a strong season. The pitching staff was dominant, too.
“I think our ERA was around 1.50 as a team,” Willi said.
Leading that staff was Jake Halloran, who is now pitching at the Div-I level for Hofstra. Halloran had a great year, which included a no-hitter, so Shoreham-Wading River is down an ace. However, Army West Point-commit Billy Steele is a flamethrowing senior, sitting 89-90 MPH. He was a surprise for Willi, as he was a catcher his whole life until he finally started to pitch in the summer of 2020.
Billy Steele (SWR 2022) took a no-hit bid into the 6th inning over Bayport-Blue Point in SWR’s victory on Friday pic.twitter.com/dfclGy3YxL
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 16, 2021
“He’s got low mileage on his arm. He comes out and throws hard. He’s got three good pitches… We didn’t expect to have him as a staple on our staff, but he was awesome,” said Willi. Steele will be their ace this year, but it will be tough for him to outdo the 1.05 ERA he pitched to in 2021. Expect Steele to be in the lineup every day as well, as he batted .473 last year with three home runs and 23 RBIs.
They’ve got some other arms that will continue to step up for them this year as well, such as Ben Grodski and Gordon Votruba. Grodski was a transfer from Riverhead who is now a junior, and he pitched to a sub-2.00 ERA last year. Votruba was only a freshman last year who also threw a no-hitter. Votruba has outstanding control, as he only walked three hitters in 28 innings pitched during his freshman year. They are also getting back a pair of two-way seniors in Matt Varrone and Greg Friedman, who will play the field and give the team valuable innings in relief. Both guys were injured last year, but have good velocity on their fastballs.
While most of the pitching staff is returning, the infield is going to look brand new for Shoreham-Wading River. They lost shortstop Joey Dwyer, who is playing Div-III ball at the University of South Carolina Sumter. Dwyer also closed for them. Also gone from the double-play combo is second baseman Jacob Bacenet, now playing at Div-III Russell Sage. Varrone figures to be the regular shortstop for them this year, as Willi described him as having all of the ideal tangibles for a shortstop.
“He’s got a strong arm for short, smooth hands, and he’s quick on his feet… He’ll be tough to beat out,” Willi said. The rest of the infield is a little bit unclear for them.
“We have a couple of guys who filled in last year, but we need a couple of guys to step up… We have some decisions to make with some JV guys… I’m looking forward to those pleasant surprises,” Willi said.
The outfield on the other hand, is fully returning. Friedman will lead the way for Shoreham-Wading River, manning the center field position. He is committed to Div-III Mercy. Surrounding him in the corner outfield will be Joey Marchese and Kyle Engmann. Marchese is a 6’5,” power-hitting senior who plays right field and is committed to Div-III SUNY Cobleskill. Engmann, on the other hand, is a lefty-hitting junior who will play left field. Marchese co-led the team in home runs (along with Steele), while Engmann led the team in on-base percentage.
Also returning to the lineup this year is senior catcher Liam Bowes, who is committed to Fordham University. A very talented hitter, he batted .397 in 2021 and only struck out once.
For a team that boasts the pitching that they do, you can expect Shoreham-Wading River to be in every game this year. When you combine some of the bats they have with that pitching, you can expect them to come out on top in most of those games, as well. They bring not only talent and depth, but also culture and experience to the field with them every day. They have as good a chance as anyone to dominate their league this upcoming season.
They will start their quest for a 36th straight playoff appearance on March 28th, where they will travel on the road to take on Southampton.
