Longtime coach Joe Fucarino has built Molloy into one of the best Div-II programs in the region and they are looking to build on the recent success pic.twitter.com/Yb17jFthpk
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 21, 2022
In 2020, we saw a Molloy program that appeared to be on the verge of breaking out. Obviously, that was thwarted by the pandemic, however, with the bulk of that team returning for the next two years it was clear that they were looking to capitalize and win a couple conference championships.
That’s exactly what they were able to accomplish – led by longtime head coach Joe Fucarino and a loaded roster that was among the most talented Division-II teams in the nation. The Lions were named the 2021 Axcess College Team of the Year and followed that up with a 40-15 season in which they were just one win away from reaching the Division-II College World Series.
In talking with Fucarino about what made that group so special, you can just hear the passion in his voice and how much he enjoyed coaching that unit that not only overcame the adversity presented by the pandemic but also making it through a difficult conference schedule and also through the gauntlet of the East Regional against powerhouses like Le Moyne and Franklin Pierce – whom they had to defeat twice to reach the Super Regional.
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Now they did have their season ended at the hands of No. 1 Southern New Hampshire (who went 46-12), but that shouldn’t take away from the exceptional season that the Lions were able to produce.
The Lions graduated 11 players – a pretty big number especially considering six of those were everyday players (Matt Overton, Peter Theodorellis, Thomas Brady, David Franchi, Pat Hoffman and Vin Pecora). Coach Fucarino spoke about those players in high regard stating that they “all fed off each other and pushed each other” which really helped further the program.
The stats are almost hard to fathom – each of those players performed at such a high level that the team’s offensive numbers are just incredible.
As a team, the Lions batted .324 with a .417 OBP and .865 OPS. Additionally, they scored a ridiculous 8.04 runs per game and were +143 in terms of run differential. They had 8 players named to the All-ECC team and had the ECC Pitcher of the Year, Charlie Cucchiara, and Fucarino was named Co-Coach of the Year along with Chris Reardon of Queens.
So, the natural question is whether the Lions can sustain this level of winning. The perception might be that they were loaded up for 2021 and 2022 and their best players graduated. The reality is that they had several role players that were good enough to play on most Division-II teams in the country but simply were blocked behind seniors. Many of those players performed well in their limited roles but are now ready to be the everyday players.
Fucarino mentioned OF Anthony Manisero as one of these players. The Staten Island native ripped the cover off the ball to the tune of a .475 AVG and 1.271 OPS over 40 at bats. He showcased his abilities in yesterday’s intersquad game and he will certainly be an impact player for them. He will join Garret Scavelli in the outfield, who batted .312 with a .915 OPS over 157 at bats and even crushed 4 HRs. Fucarino raved about him, calling him a ‘5-tool player’. Rounding out the outfield is JJ Devito, who began his collegiate career at Anderson University as an infielder but has shown enough to garner a starting position in the outfield and possibly atop the order.
The infield is exceptionally talented as well. Senior Chris Peralta will transition from the outfield to first base. He hit 5 HRs last year in limited time with an .856 OPS. Robby Keane will play second base. The senior batted .292 and plays a stellar defensive second base. Same can be said for SS Chris Einemann who is unusually tall for a middle infielder at 6’4 but moves incredibly well. He also compiled 62 hits and 44 RBIs over 53 games. He primarily played third but will shift to SS. At the hot corner, they have grad student Jake McCarthy, who was injured early in the season and missed the rest of it. He was All-Conference in 2021 with a .329 AVG so he is a proven veteran player. Additionally, they have Gavin McAlonie who can play all the infield spots but was at third yesterday.
The Lions were extremely lucky to have a catcher like Thomas Brady – a Division-I transfer that wound up playing four years for the Lions. Not only an outstanding player and leader, but he was an iron man behind the plate. He started 53 of their 55 games and batted .342 with 46 RBIs. They had another Division-I transfer waiting in the wings and that’s Matt Yip who came over from UNC-Wilmington and compiled a .915 OPS over 42 at bats. He should get the bulk of the time behind the plate along with Chris Giardino. They also have Stephen Collica as catching depth. Fucarino appeared very confident in their situation at catcher.
FINAL: Molloy: 6 FPU: 4 Cucchiara slams the door and earns the save capturing the D2 East Regional Championship pic.twitter.com/k8b9htLlXg
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 22, 2022
The staff graduated Billy Wildeman, who was All-ECC and won 8 games, but they return Charlie Cucchiara (8-1 record, 2.91 ERA over 99.0 IP), Mike Andreoli (11-3 record, 4.24 ERA over 87.0 IP), Brian Morrisey (2-1 record over 52 IP including the win against Queens in the ECC Championship) and Robert Lucano (4-0 record, 4.73 ERA over 32.1 IP). So, the rotation not only has a true ace but they can follow him with 3 other proven commodities. Fucarino stated that their workhorses are shut down for the fall so most of the pitchers competing for spots have been throwing in intersquad games. In yesterday’s game, we saw some impressive arms like Stony Brook transfer JC Kiss, AJ Verga, Timmy Mott, Sean Mileti, Chris Wiercinski, Nick Incalcaterra, Jason Schwartz).
Fucarino said “I’m very happy with our pitching – I like where we are. A battle-test team with a lot of guys returning.” He noted they are returning about 30 of their team’s 40 wins on the mound.
Jack Coogan went 3-for-3 with 2 triples, 2 walks and 3 RBIs as LuHi captured their second straight PSAA Championship with a 15-2 victory (plus ice shower) pic.twitter.com/ysaKn40t7K
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 12, 2022
In terms of transfers and freshmen – that’s where you really see the residual effects of winning. Their freshman class is extremely strong and if you’ve been following us for a while you recognize many of the names – Jack Coogan, Sean Welsh, Mike Knapp, Sean Serrano, Grayson Saltzer. These players will form the next core of the team. Thomas Lebrecht is an outfielder that transferred from Hofstra and went to Chaminade and could be an impact player as well.
Fucarino stressed the importance of maintaining the same level of energy in practice whether it’s the fall or the week of the Regional.
The Lions will open up the 2023 season in Morehead City, NC before their annual tournament in Myrtle Beach which is run by Fucarino. He stated that the tournament has been dubbed “The Road to Cary” being that six of the 7 team regional featured teams in the tournament. Following that, they’ll play a three-game series against Adelphi before heading to Florida. He added that they will have played 19 games before the ECC schedule begins.
