by Andy Smith
Sachem East 14, Brentwood 5
WP: Patrick KrampaskyNick Oelcher: 2 HRs
Richie Heyder: HR pic.twitter.com/MSSUno8Bp0— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 13, 2022
Kevin Schnupp, the only varsity coach Sachem East has ever had, is preparing his team for another season. Since 2005, Schnupp has led them to numerous successful seasons during his long tenure. Schnupp, a Sachem North alum, the only high school at the time, played college baseball at Dowling College.
Sachem East finished 2022 with a league record of 15-3 and an overall record of 16-6. The Arrows won their second League 1 Title in a row but lost in the playoffs. Schnupp reflected on why the team fell short in their postseason run. “We wound up losing in the playoffs after some injuries to our pitching staff. We had to make some changes to our rotation.”
Sachem East will be entering the season without many key pieces from last year’s run. Rich Heyder, a Silver Slugger candidate, finished with a .500 AVG, 4 home runs, and 30 RBIs. Currently playing at NJIT, Heyder also swiped eight bags for the Arrows in 2022. All-County Nick Oelcher (playing at Saint Thomas Aquinas College) held down shortstop last season and had a strong campaign, tallying 38 hits, 34 RBIs, and 21 runs.
Sachem East captured League I title with a win over Pat-Med. Home run by Richie Heyder pic.twitter.com/nkDdLbPWaa
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 13, 2022
Two Sachem East alumni are currently playing together at Mount St. Vincent’s. Tyler Margolis (All-League) and Mike Ragona hit .379 and .300 respectively. Margolis also had a .558 OBP and swiped twenty bags.
Schnupp noted, “Ty and Richie were both two-year starters in the outfield and solidified the top of our order.”
All-League pitcher Matt Guido (Lycoming College), had a 6-1 record and 54 punchouts in his final season as an Arrow.
Josh Andrechuk, currently playing at SUNY Farmingdale, threw to a strong 3-0 record until he suffered arm injuries toward the end of the season.
Schnupp continued, “Nick was a two year starter in the infield and his defense and strong stick will be greatly missed, Matt was a two year big game pitcher for us and all four were big leaders for two years. We will miss Mike and Josh’s toughness but we are expecting the returners to continue the way that they all played.”
While Sachem East will miss these very talented players, they have a strong core ready to continue the success of the program. Senior two-way player Patrick Krempasky showcased his dominance on both sides of the ball. Committed to Bridgeport University, Krempasky was limited on the mound last season due to injuries but made up for it in the batter’s box. Krempasky hit at the top of the order with a .377 AVG, 26 hits, 16 runs, and ten stolen bases.
SUNY New Paltz commit Joe Richetti (senior) held down center field for the Arrows. The leadoff batter hit .350 and swiped 16 bags last season.
Joe Richetti (Sachem East 2023) 80 mph pic.twitter.com/cjAnSoJNXX
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 22, 2022
Behind the plate, Jake Acker (senior) shutdown opposing runners and gave strong support to the pitching staff. The Weslayan commit will be hitting towards the top of the lineup this season.
Junior Alex Apicella, committed to JMU, is a vital piece of this team. Apicella will be playing multiple positions in the infield and will also make appearances on the mound.
Bottom 6: Alex Apicella lines a single to right center and Sachem East cuts the deficit to 6-3 and they’re still batting pic.twitter.com/zVnoGXghPy
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 19, 2022
Alcorn State University-commit Sam Leonard will be an important player, especially on the defensive side of the game.
Senior Chris Bartnik (College of Staten Island commit) split time last year at first base and DH. Bartnik will look to continue to build off of the success he enjoyed last season, posting a .353 AVG 6 RBIs.
In addition, junior Austin Barrett came on strong for the Arrows on the bump, and will look to progress even further this season.
Coach Schnupp expressed his thoughts on the makeup of his current roster. “We feel very strong in the infield this year and are looking for a couple of players to step up to play in the outfield.”
As for pitching, Schnupp highlighted a few names. “We are looking for Krempasky, Barrett and Apicella to have strong years on the mound and we have a lot of arms that we are looking at to help throw some innings.”
Schnupp noted that currently there are not any plans to call a freshman up to varsity but that may change due to twists and turns a season may bring. He expressed his thoughts on the state of the league and how his team lines up against the competition. “League 1 is a very tough league. We are hoping to compete on a daily basis with our players and some of the newcomers.”
“We are just looking to play one game at a time in the league. All games are important.”
They will open up on March 27 against rival Sachem North at home. in front of what should be a packed house.
