by Max Edelman
(Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.)
Hauppauge freshman Tucker Brown ripping a go-ahead 2-R single in the bottom of the 6th to break a 6-6 tie against Hills West in a first round playoff game. Hauppauge hung on to win 8-6 pic.twitter.com/M48yI1Jqqt
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 14, 2024
Entering his 10th season as the head coach of the Hauppauge Eagles, head coach Josh Gutes looked back at a season that included a 14-9 overall record (13-7 league), as well as a playoff victory. Gutes looked back on what he considered a strong season for his team.
“Last year went well.” Gutes said. “We won a playoff game against Half Hollow Hills West. We got eliminated two games later by Kings Park. But in the regular season, we took two out of three from West Babylon, who ended up winning the Long Island Championship.”
Of the seniors who graduated from Hauppauge last year, one is playing college baseball. Chris Diesso, who was an All-League catcher for the Eagles last year, is now playing at St. Josephs. The Eagles are returning 18 players from last year’s team, 14 of which are seniors. Of those 14 seniors, two have been starters on varsity since their freshman seasons, and are entering their fourth and final year of playing for the Eagles.
Chris Diesso hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 7th to give Hauppauge a 4-3 win over North Babylon pic.twitter.com/mldNedVh6H
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 18, 2022
John Margolies is the Eagles’ third baseman and closer. Last season, Margolies shined both on the mound and at the plate. Last season, Margolies hit .361 with eight doubles and two triples. On the mound, Margolies recorded three saves. Across his three seasons on varsity, Margolies has 11 saves, which is the Hauppauge school record. Margolies has also been All-League all three of his prior varsity seasons.
The other of the two four-year varsity starters is Matt Neglia, who pitches and plays shortstop. Last season, Neglia, who was an All-County player, had a record of 7-1 on the mound, with 48 strikeouts in 43 innings. He batted .314 and hit a walk-off HR against Hills West. Both Margolies and Neglia are committed to playing college baseball at St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill, New York.
“They’ve been a huge part of our success over the past three years,” Gutes said. “They are hard workers, they are great teammates, they are leaders, they care just as much about the success of others as they do their own. They are selfless, and they are poised for one more huge season.
Also a senior, Kevin Walker is entering his third year with the Eagles. Last season, Walker played numerous different positions. At the plate, Walker had a .343 average with six doubles, one triple and one home run.
“He was kind of do-it-all for us last year.” Gutes said. “He played outfield, he played second base. He’s going to stay at second base for us this year, but he’s also a three-year varsity player.”
Many of the key players for the Eagles are underclassmen. Michael Oliveto, who is entering his junior season for Hauppauge, is going to be the catcher for the team. Last season, in which he was All-County, Oliveto hit .394, with 10 doubles, three triples, and two home runs.
Hauppauge sophomore Michael Oliveto crushes a 3-R HR in yesterday’s scrimmage captured on GameChanger
Make sure your team is on GameChanger and live streaming your games in order to submit videos and be featured on Axcess Baseball all season pic.twitter.com/QGf7ipdA5c
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 25, 2023
Tucker Brown was a junior varsity call-up at the end of last season and now will call varsity his full-time home. The shortstop quickly became a key player for the Eagles, notching the go-ahead hit against Hills West in the playoff win. Along with playing the infield, Brown will find time in the starting rotation. Underclassmen Ian Rivera and Cole Wood will see increased roles in the outfield for their junior seasons. Last season Rivera had an average of .318 while Wood hit .309.
Ian Rivera (Hauppauge ‘25) smokes a 2-RBI double to deep left-center field. pic.twitter.com/k2AWQdebTB
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 22, 2021
On the mound, Vincent Crafa will play a big role for Hauppauge. Likely the Game 2 starter this season, Crafa is coming off a year in which he was 3-1, with 32 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched. With Neglia, Crafa, and Brown manning the rotation, seniors including Nick Colon, Ray Russo, Christian Jenny, and brothers Alex and Max Ofgang, will also see time on the mound throughout the year.
Gutes will look to his lineup to provide the spark for his team this year, and the main key to the Eagle’s success in 2024.
“I think our strength is our lineup.” Gutes said. “Our ability to score runs in a lot of different ways. We may be able to put the ball out of the ballpark, but we can also manufacture runs by playing a lot of small ball.”
Gutes also highlighted the competitiveness of the league and his belief in his team
“We have some great teams in this league, including some high-end players.” Gutes said. “But we really like what we have in our team.”
The Eagles will open their season on March 25 against Rocky Point. Other league opponents include East Islip, Eastport-South Manor, East Hampton, Westhampton Beach and Hills West.
