Connetquot rolled to the League III title last season but was defeated by Smithtown West in the Class AA playoffs. Still, they finished with an overall record of 20-4. They had a pretty young team – although one of the seniors, Ryan Waring, was named the League MVP after going undefeated and is now at SUNY Poly.
First year Head Coach Dwayne Page, a 2014 graduate of Connetquot had high praise for Waring.
“He really embodied that role of an ace. It’s a testament to his character. It really helped when the senior group is light to have a player like him,” he added.
This year, they will have a small army of seniors on the team – 16 to be exact. Several of those players are three or four-year varsity players. That type of veteran leadership usually bodes very well in the standings – especially when those players are super talented.
It’s hard to say who’s actually the leader on a team this loaded, but we will start with 4th year varsity player and CF Anthony Scarabino. He is committed to Albany and is coming off an outstanding season in which he batted .436 with 27 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
“He’s the catalyst, he shows up to work everyday and just competes in the traditional way,” said Page. Scarabino was named All-County last season and they will expect similar production from him as a senior.
They return senior OF Scott Northrop who is moving from catcher. He was named All-League and is committed to St. Rose. He batted .390 last season with 21 RBIs.
Their senior SS Erick Duignan is an exceptionally athletic kid who is ranked as one of the 5 best volleyball players on Long Island as well. He is committed to Adelphi University and he is also coming off a great season in which he batted. 424 with 19 RBIs.
1b Justin Wilkinson (Adelphi-commit) batted .355 with 19 RBIs but his biggest contribution to the team is defensively where he is lauded for his defensive prowess.
“He is a defensive specialist,” said Page. “It’s really great knowing if the ball is throw in the dirt he will dig it out,” he added.
They have a standout 2-way player at 3B with St. John’s-commit Ryan Kiendle who was batting cleanup for the T-Birds as a freshman in 2021. He batted .342 last season with 10 doubles, 24 RBIs and is one of their top pitchers as well.
Ryan Kiendle (Connetquot 2024) with a HR at the PG Super 25 pic.twitter.com/6p6KwZRMfC
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 18, 2021
“Everyone likes to talk about his bat but what sold me about him was how he goes to work and his ability to play defense.” In regards to his pitching, coach said, “he will pitch in some capacity. It’s hard to project where things will be at. Still have to earn those roles but he will pitch.”
Behind the dish the team will have Rob Page, who he said has done a “fantastic job the last two years. He’s as steady as they get. He controls the staff, he blocks the ball, receives the ball, throws the ball and really good at controlling the pace of play. He’s a field general,” he added. At the plate, he also batted .314 and drove in 14 runs.
RF Ryan Cerone was named All-League after batting .308 with 19 RBIs and will play right field. Designated hitter Rocco Armenia batted .306 with 24 RBIs and is committed to Bridgeport. Coach said “he took the DH role and ran with it.” He added that he had a walk-off hit against St. Dominic and that was “one of my most exciting moments as a coach.”
As you can see, the offense is absolutely loaded with returning players. They should have no issue generating runs.
On the mound, they also have plenty of returning players.
Page noted that it’s early to make a definitive statement but if he had to project out to Opening Day, Nolan Britt would be getting the start. Britt compiled a 1.87 ERA last season and is committed to St. Thomas Aquinas.
Interview with Nolan Britt (Connetquot 2023) pic.twitter.com/ZpGYyEP3JW
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 21, 2022
They also return Dylan Thomasson who is committed to SUNY New Paltz. “He is as consistent as it gets in terms of throwing strikes,” said Page. He worked 39 innings as a junior and pitched to a 3.40 ERA.
Kiendle, as previously noted, will get innings. He had a 1.70 ERA on the mound and was up to 87 MPH last fall (per Perfect Game).
“I’m really proud of these seniors. Many of them will be playing at the next level and that’s a testament to their work ethic,” he added.
The T-Birds are now in League 4 where they will be with Ward Melville, Smithtown East, Newfield, Centereach and Bellport in a very competitive league.
