by Andy Smith
Vinny Giambona with a 3 run triple to put Island Trees up now 13-1 over Wheatley pic.twitter.com/HMTPFnAZO7
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 23, 2022
Island Trees had a down year by their standards. The Bulldogs won the Nassau County Conference 5 Title in 2021 but fell short of their goal in 2022. The Bulldogs finished with a 9-9 league record, but they were eliminated by Seaford in the double elimination bracket. Head Coach Mike Valiando, who will make his head coaching debut in 2023, reflected on how the team performed last season. “Last year was filled with a lot of ups and downs. We had some injuries, but our players battled, and the seniors gave us everything they had.”
Although Valiando is entering his first season as the head coach he is quite familiar with outstanding leadership and coaching experience. Valiando served as the assistant coach to former Head Coach Joseph D’Auria since 2016. Before that, Valiando served on the coaching staff of Dowling College under Tom Caputo and at the high school level under Andrew Aschettino. Valiando credited those three men, and how they played a crucial role in his development as a coach. “Having the opportunity to learn from three very successful coaches at both the college and high school level I am excited to use the knowledge I learned and the culture they created to take over the program here at Island Trees.”
Valiando was also a pitcher on the Suffolk Community College team that made it to the College World Series in 2000.
Island Trees is entering a new era this season with twelve graduates moving on. Five of these graduates are currently playing on the collegiate level. This list includes Antonio Ducatelli (Central Connecticut), Vinny Giambona (Dominican College), Connor Waiting (Hudson Valley CC), Johnny Uzzo (Purchase College), and Johnny Najdek (Widener University).
Due to the large graduating class, there are a vast amount of roster spots open. Valiando addressed this current issue. “Due to 12 seniors graduating, just about every position is up for grabs and it has been very exciting to watch our players compete in our preseason workouts. I am looking forward to putting this puzzle together.”
The class of 2023 will have a major impact on this year’s team. Joe Moen will serve as the primary backstop for the Bulldogs. Moen was the primary catcher last year and should be poised for another big season.
Two college commits, James Karras and Tim Palermo are also prepared for major roles as well. Karras, a Bard College Commit, will hold down one of the outfield spots while Palermo, who is committed to Norwich University, will potentially serve as both an infielder and outfielder.
Another current senior, Joe Meyer, will serve as the ace of the Bulldogs rotation. Meyer was a starter last season and will look to use his experience as an example for his teammates.
Current juniors, Andre Mule, and Christian Taylor will be given the opportunity to take the next step. Valiando noted that Muhle, “who played second base last year for us, and I am looking for him to take the next step.” In addition, Muhle will be given the chance to potentially fill an open rotation spot with Taylor. Sophomore Jack Luckey will also compete for a role in the starting rotation.
Coach Valiando highlighted the role his assistant coach has been playing in the development of this young team, especially with the pitching staff. “Anthony Rinaldi has been directing a preseason throwing program and we are seeing a lot of great things through this program.”
Valiando addressed the potential of any freshman potentially playing for the varsity team. “Currently, we are not sure as we want to see how the rest of our workouts and two weeks of practice go. We graduated a great group last year. We will certainly be young and rely on some players who had nice years on JV last year. We are counting on them to continue to improve and become comfortable and successful playing on the next level.”
The Bulldogs take the diamond on Monday April 3rd, at home in Levittown against the Mustangs of Mineola.
