by Andy Smith
East Hampton 1, Miller Place 0
WP: Colin Ruddy (CG, 2 H, 1 BB, 15 Ks)Dickinson RBI single in 5th inning pic.twitter.com/YM4kSn8RWv
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 20, 2022
East Hampton made a major jump in 2022. The Bonackers qualified for the playoffs for the first time in eleven years and finished with an 11-9 record. Eighth year head coach Vincent Alversa, a former NCAA DIvision-III pitcher at Mitchell College, reflected on the progress made last season and how the program has evolved.
“We have been developing the program for some time now and we believe we are just starting to come around. Playoff experience is big and we hope to build off of it and return again this season.”
East Hampton will be without two key impact players in 2023. George Washington Colonial Colin Ruddy was a two-time All-Leaguer at East Hampton and was honored All-County. In his final season, Ruddy was dominant on both sides of the ball. On the bump, Ruddy tallied 75 punchouts across 41 innings with a 5-2 record and only surrendered twelve earned runs. In the batter’s box, he hit .310 and brought in fifteen runs.
East Hampton 2, Sayville 1
WP: Colin Ruddy 7in 5hits 1 run 10ks
Jack Dickinson with a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the seventh to score Kody Vela pic.twitter.com/0neR2JvQs5— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 3, 2021
Another potent bat that will be missed is Avery Siska. He crushed two long balls, and 24 runs batted in. In addition, Siska tallied a .333 AVG with seven doubles.
However, East Hampton has a strong group of returning players who look to build off the playoff experience and take their program to the next level.
Niagara University commit Jack Dickinson will serve as one of the leaders of the rotation. As a junior last season, Dickinson threw 32.1 innings to the tune of an ERA below 1 and registered 51 punchouts and only allowed five earned runs.
Fellow senior and Vassar-commit Will Darell will have a prominent role as a two-way player. As a batter, the outfielder hit nine doubles with a .280 AVG and swiped eleven bags. On the mound, the southpaw struck out 41 across 31 innings.
In addition, senior Hunter Eberhart will also be featured as a two-way player. Eberhart, a great shortstop, also threw 25 innings on the mound and struck out 35 with a 2.82 ERA.
Another name to note is junior Nico Puglia. The backstop qualified for All-League as a freshman and tallied seven doubles, 14 runs batted in, and a .275 AVG last season.
East Hampton also had three freshmen who started many games for them in the 2022 season. Now after a year of varsity experience, these three players look to take the next step. Carter Dickinson (first base/pitcher), Hudson Meyer (infield utility), and Tyler Hansen (infield/outfield) will all look to build off of their debuts last year.
Tyler Hansen (East Hampton 2025) pic.twitter.com/dGYFmkxAUK
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) February 12, 2023
Regarding the starting rotation, Alversa explained, “Jack, Will, and Hunter will be featured in the rotation. Carter could also mix in as a starter as well.”
East Hampton’s league opponents will be Eastport-South Manor, Comsewogue, Rocky Point, Westhampton Beach, Shoreham-Wading River, Mount Sinai, Sayville, Bayport, and Hampton Bays.
The Bonackers take their first step in building off of 2022 against Hampton Bays on March 27th.
