by Aaron Diaz
(Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.)
With a coaching change, the Pierson High School of Sag Harbor continues their same success as they look to bounce back from an unexpected end to their 2023 season.
New head coach Bob Manning will take over the 2024 Pierson team from former coach Jonathan Schwartz. Pierson will be left in good hands with a team full of eight returning seniors in the 2024 season. “Coach Schwartz left me in a good position with high-quality, coachable players,” Manning said.
Pierson finished last season with an 18-5 record. They had an impressive 16-game win streak throughout but the team struggled when it came to postseason play, especially in the County Championship.
“I’m very fortunate to coach such a small school that I see my players almost daily and the baseball program is in really good shape out here,” Manning said. “The former coach Jon Schwartz left us high-quality players and my assistant has been my guiding light before the beginning of the season.”
Now heading into 2024, Pierson only has three holes to fill on their team with Christian Pantina, Gavin Gilbride and Massimo Vaccaro graduating in 2023.
Pierson will be returning eight seniors in 2024 with a locked and loaded pitching staff unchanged from the year before.
“We lost no pitching,” Manning said. “We have another year of experience under their belt and most of them are juniors. So what we’ve been working on is going back to the fundamentals, a lot of my guys are still participating in other winter sports. We’ve been holding morning workouts and pitching sessions in the afternoon, so I know they’ll be in shape.”
In the pitching staff, Manning will bring out senior Nathan Dee who made his work out of the bullpen compiling a 2.70 ERA with 3 saves in 2023. All-County junior pitcher Braeden Mott had a 1.50 ERA in a team-high 35 innings with a 5-0 record.“This offseason he’s been getting bigger and stronger,” Manning said.
Junior Paul Roesel had strong starts in 22 innings of work compiling a 1.50 ERA. Roesel also had a compelling batting average of .359 at the DH spot in the lineup.
Senior Dom Mancino will make his way to the mound and centerfield this season after pitching his way to a 2.30 ERA in 30 innings with a 4-1 record. He will be one of the top rotations pieces for Manning.
“My real struggle – and it’s a good struggle to have is I have too much pitching,” Manning said. One of my big decisions this year is to go with three or four starters and then determine how I’m going to use my other key players in those roles .”
In their lineup, Pierson brings back All-League utility infielder/outfielder Andy Wayne who Manning said, “has been working hard to improve his game.” Wayne batted .339 in the 2023 season.
All-League junior outfielder Matt Krotman brings back his .441 batting average and 24 RBIs and his versatility to the outfield with all three positions in his holster.
All-League first baseman Charles Schaeffer will be the quiet leader of the team who will lead by example. His lockdown defense at first base will fit nicely with his .345 average from 2023.
“In terms of offense, we have to play team baseball and that means small ball,” Manning explained. “We need to be able to lay down the bunts, not hitting into double plays, hitting opposite field and moving runners over. Everybody, one through nine in the lineup has to be ready. As a team, we have to have a team-approach offensively.”
The overall goal of the offseason for the team resonates with what the team needs: hitting. “I think we needed to improve on timely hitting and defense,” Manning said. “From my limited experience last year, we had potent bats but they went quiet at the wrong time. Then we needed that lockdown defense.”
Looking at the rest of the league, Pierson looks ready to put their team up against anybody especially a recent county final regular in Port Jefferson.
“Our league is mixed and we’ll be seeing for lack of a better term, “Rivals” in Port Jeff,” Manning said. “We’ve seen them in the County Finals for the past three or four years. So we’re excited to see them.”
With their first game on April 22 against Southampton, Pierson will be ready with a new coach and a similar team to last season. “I want to be better tomorrow than I am today,” Manning said. “I think if we get that instilled into our program, we are going to be very successful.”
