Calhoun RHP Brian Chin struck out 17(!) In a no-hitter over Sewanhaka pic.twitter.com/DLRAaM3u2u
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 18, 2022
Calhoun captured their first Nassau County Championship since 2012 this past week with a victory over Rocky Point – an incredibly talented team that was riding a 17-game winning streak.
They had to run through the gauntlet that is the Nassau Class A postseason, having to defeat a talented MacArthur and Clarke teams two of three just for the right to face Rocky Point in the LIC at St. Joseph’s.
They had contributions up-and-down their roster but a major reason for their regular season success was the complete domination of ace RHP Brian Chin. The hard-throwing senior was untouchable. He allowed just one hit during the regular season and was unbeaten. Overall, his numbers looked like this:
- 7-2 record (both losses were 3-1 games in the playoffs)
- 58.2 IP
- 18 hits
- 9 ER
- 19 BBs
- 97 Ks
- 0.95 ERA
I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
First off, congratulations. Can you discuss what the emotions have been like this week?
Emotionally, it doesn’t feel real at all. Long Island Champs just feels like a dream.
When did you guys know this was a special group? Who were the most impactful players on the team?
We knew it was a special group as early as last year. Losing to Garden City last year was not in the playbook, but we knew what we had to do to get it done this year. We had 16 kids returning to varsity this year, so we all were experienced. Matt Kalfas, Ryan Pucella, Joey Goodman are only a few of the huge players for the team this year.
Who are some people that have had a positive impact on your career?
I have had an insane amount of people help me along the way to get to where I am now. Carlos Quiroz was my travel coach from freshman year to now and really helped me grow and mature as a ball player. Glenn Mitchell was my pitching coach from when I was 10 and he has helped me learn so much about the game and even my own body. More recently, I started working with Dan Taggart for velocity and instantly I saw a change. I jumped from 84 to 87 MPH in just a month. My parents have also been a huge part of my career because they have been right beside me for every step of the way. They have always been encouraging and made sure that I always had fun.
What did you focus on in the offseason to improve?
This offseason I specifically was working on velocity gains and just getting as strong as possible for the season. I was in the gym 6 days per week the whole winter and fall.
Can you explain your experience with the college recruiting process and how you made your decision?
College recruiting was both a lot of fun and also a ton of stress. I was going to showcases all of last summer and playing in a lot of showcase tournaments with my travel team. I was relatively limited in my colleges due to the major I was looking for. I wanted to both play at the highest level with the best academics as well. Ultimately in the fall it came down to two schols. I went with Wentworth because the environment and the coaching staff is great. And also academically they are amazing.
Favorite players in Major League Baseball?
Jacob deGrom, Kolten Wong and Bo Bichette
Favorite hobbies outside of baseball?
Video games, basketball and spikeball
Favorite vacation spot?
Florida
Any superstitions on the field?
Some superstitions are no touching the line, do the same routine when you win, same ball to warm up with and same breakfast on gamedays.
Pregame hype music?
A ton of Baby Keem and Drake
Favorite meal?
Definitely steak and fries.
What are you planning to major in?
Biomedical engineering
