by Nick Cipolla
North Shore 4, Seaford 0
WP: Matt Nochawitz (CG 1 hit Shutout, 1 BB, 6 Ks)Gavin Goss 2 for 2, double, 2 RBI
Gavin Butler 2 for 3
Matt Ryan 1 for 3, RBI Double pic.twitter.com/Oq0ckwHVYw— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 29, 2022
Sometimes in baseball, you have to fight an uphill battle due to having more experienced and talented teams in your league. That seemed to be the case in 2022 for the North Shore Vikings as they finished 7-11, missing the playoffs for the first time in over two decades.
Most teams look at a losing season as a negative, but North Shore’s head coach Scott Lineman seems to have found the silver linings that come with a losing season.
“We were a young team that played in a very difficult conference”. Said Coach Lineman, “Even though we didn’t make the playoffs for the first time in over two decades, I was happy with the players’ competitiveness throughout the season. My expectations for this spring is to get better each day and compete at a high level. We are in a very tough league again in 2023”.
Despite being a relatively young team, they lost some key pieces from last year. Gavin Goss (‘22), Julian Sferrazza (‘22), and Nick Caprarella (‘22) all graduated and were essential pieces of the 2022 team. In 2023, the Vikings will rely on an experienced pitching staff that is headlined by Senior ace Matthew Nochowitz (‘23) who was an All-League pitcher last season with a 4-1 record and 36 strikeouts.
“He is a smart pitcher that pounds the zone and mixes up his pitchers”, said Coach Lineman when asked about his star pitcher. Nochowitz has committed to play at SUNY Cortland next year and he looks to add a few more big time wins to his resume before he graduates.
Joining Nochowitz in the rotation is southpaw Garret Gates (‘24). He had a 2-3 record with 42 strikeouts in 32 innings of work in 2022. Gates throws in the mid 80s and has plenty of big game experience pitching with Next Level Baseball. Senior Gavin Butler (‘23) pitched in relief last season, but Coach Lineman said he will see his innings increased and is projected to be the 3rd starter for the Vikings.
North Shore 2
Seaford 1WP- Garret Gates
CG 2 hitter, 0er, 2 BB, 10kMatt Ryan Sac Fly in first inning for 1-0 lead.
Julian Sferrazza: 2 for3, scored on a steal of third and an overthrow for 2-0 lead pic.twitter.com/4QctsCFlVC
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 27, 2022
On the offensive side of the ball, Senior Sean Maldonado (‘23) and Adelphi commit Matt Ryan (‘24) will split the catching duties and both can play multiple positions in the field. “Both will hit in the middle of the lineup and will be needed to drive in runs”, said coach Lineman.
Some other returning players that will make an impact are, Jayden Rosario (‘23) will play shortstop for North Shore and should help them team score runs. Justin Rosen (‘24) is a big, strong hitter that will bring some pop to the lineup. Joining Rosario and Rosen is utility man Patrick Hart (‘23) is a team first player who brings some speed to the everyday lineup.
“I think our biggest strength this year is our mental toughness”, said coach Lineman, “All our returning players dealt with adversity last season and have been working hard to improve. We have been in the weight room since early December. We also have been hitting twice a week and following a strict throwing program that is coordinated by assistant coach Rob Gates. The team is hungry to win games and get back in the playoffs.”
The Vikings open up the 2023 season against Plainedge on March 27th in hopes of starting the year off on the right foot.
