by Mike Anderson
Like a Long Island varsity baseball powerhouse typically would, Division did not disappoint in 2021. They finished the year at 14-4 overall, going 14-2 in league play. They won their 39th league championship in program history simply by riding their strong culture, according to head coach Tom Tuttle.
“We just have a really good culture and players that commit to the program, and that’s the reason why we’re successful year-in and year-out,” Tuttle said.
They did graduate a pair of very impactful seniors: shortstop Nick Roselli and pitcher Will Giuliani. Roselli was Conference III Player of the Year and an All-Long Island selection, and now plays Div-I baseball at Binghamton. His stats were absurd – as he broke a school-record by batting .619 with a .701 (!) OBP. He also scored 33 runs, drove in 19 out of the leadoff spot and compiled 20 extra-base hits.
Giuliani was an All-Conference pitcher, and now plays Div-III ball at SUNY Maritime. Despite these losses, they have quite the core of players to step in for these guys.
Knapp strands runners at the corners again
End of 3: Division 2, Manhasset 2 pic.twitter.com/IvXdgp2Yqw
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 11, 2021
Kicking off the list is senior Mike Knapp, who was an All-County player in 2021 as a junior. He posted a 6-0 win-loss record while striking out 62 hitters in 30 innings pitched. He posted a 2.37 ERA, while also posting a batting average in the .340s with 17 RBIs. He is committed to play Div-II ball at Molloy College next year. Complimenting him is the 6’3” third baseman James Sill, who was also All-Conference last year as a sophomore. He batted .415 with 18 RBIs in 2021. Tuttle described him as a kid with “Div-I potential” and mentioned that they will be looking for the junior to pitch more this year, as well.
6’3 James Sill (Division 2023) with the highest exit velo of the day at 99.1 consistently in the 90s. Player to watch for this season pic.twitter.com/6NwjquiTyk
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 17, 2022
They have an early Div-I commit in Matt Bolton, a lefty-swinging sophomore who was an All-League player as a freshman. He batted .500 and stole 16 bases as a freshman, and is committed to Binghamton. Junior catcher Joe Yovino is another Div-I commit, as he is set to attend Elon University in North Carolina after he graduates next year. They have another college-committed catcher as well in senior Jeremy Taggart, who is committed to play NJCAA baseball at Hudson Valley. Senior outfielder Chris Powers hit over .300 for them last year. Rounding out the list is a senior middle infielder Christian Ramirez who Tuttle listed as a guy to look out for as well.
As for their starting rotation, there is a lack of clarity for Division. Tuttle confirmed that Knapp will be their day one starter, but they have to sort out the two and three spots.
“That’s a question mark for us right now… We’ve got about five to six other guys competing for the two and three,” Tuttle said. They do have another college committed arm in Jack Taggart, a senior who is set to play Div-III ball at Manhattanville College next year. As mentioned earlier, Tuttle expects Sill to contribute more on the mound.
This year’s Division team will be very young, as Tuttle is looking to fill some holes in their lineup.
“We’re going to probably start about six to seven juniors and sophomores. They’re going to have a chance,” Tuttle said.
Being that their pitching staff is still not totally figured out, Tuttle believes their strength is their lineup. On top of his strong lineup, he believes their chemistry is their other strength.
“These guys like each other, they do a lot of stuff in the offseason together. They were really dedicated in the offseason together. They have a lot of fun; there’s a lot of good personalities on this team… I think that’s going to help us,” Tuttle said.
In order to get better this year, Tuttle says that they are going to need to pitch better, and then pointed to a couple of leads that they blew. If their pitching staff does perform will this year, they will be able to contend for another title. They already have a handful of good hitters, and they have a bonafide staff ace in Knapp. Their culture is that of a winning organization, and they have a coach who has won many times before. Exactly how well they do likely lies with how well the rest of their arms do this year.
We will get to see Division return to the diamond soon, and we will see what they have in store for us this year. Their quest for a 40th league championship begins on March 28 against Lynbrook.
