by Mike Merolle
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.
South Side’s Sean Britt is the Axcess Baseball Player of the Game powered by @GCsports. He went 2-2 with 2 IB, an RBI double and a 3-run homer in the first that set the tone early for the Cyclones. pic.twitter.com/Bx5EpHUDGN
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 15, 2023
South Side finished another successful season last year with a record of 18-6, including the playoffs. Their season came to an end after a quarterfinals knockout by Garden City. Head coach Tom Smith looks to get across the finish line in his 11th year managing South Side.
“There’s big shoes to fill,” said Smith. “For the last couple of years, I’ve had a [good] lineup. I graduated four All-County guys. I graduated a class that was the core to our success for the last three years.”
The squad this season is heavy on senior leadership. One of the key captains is RHP/1B Matt Arnott (2024). The St. Thomas Aquinas College-commit carries a 6’6 frame and won All-Conference last season. Arnott was 3-2 in pitching with a 3.40 ERA and 28 Ks in 32 IP. At the plate, he batted .288 in the middle of the lineup. Smith expects Arnott to take charge on the mound and lead the way.
Arnott’s “partner in crime”, according to Smith, is RHP/INF/OF Trevor Marigliano (2024). In 2023, Marigliano finished with a pitching record of 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA and 25 Ks in 24 IP. Last season was Marigliano’s first year as a starting pitcher in the South Side program. His dominance in a few series early on solidified his role behind Arnott to lead the rotation.
Jack Bodkin (South Side 2024) commits to Hofstra University @NextLevelBaseba pic.twitter.com/gwCZOnrDf1
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 3, 2023
INF Jack Bodkin (2024) is a Hofstra University-commit that will lead the middle infield. In 2023, Bodkin had nine XBH, 14 RBIs, and scored 29 runs. His major impact was his ability to get on base. Smith highlights his poise at the plate as Bodkin drew 20 walks last year. Among those traits are his work ethic and personality. He leads South Side by example on and off the field.
Leading the outfield core is OF Brady Callahan (2024) who won All-League last season. He hit for .409, stole 10 bases, and scored 18 runs. INF/C Aidan Medeiros (2024) is a three-year varsity player and a Queens College-commit. He batted .322, driving in 19 runs. Medeiros is expected to play in his usual positions at third and first base with the possibility of carrying the weight behind the plate as a catcher.
RHP/OF Ryan Ganly (2024) will have a different role this season. In 2023, Ganly was used as a bullpen arm but this season Smith is leaning on him to take the third spot in the rotation behind Arnott and Marigliano. He is a Marywood University-commit. 1B/RF Gavin Donoghue (2025) is one of the only non-senior leaders on this year’s team. As a sophomore, he hit .327 with 18 RBIs Donoghue also went 2-1 on the mound as a relief pitcher with a 3.57 ERA. “With a sophomore season under his belt, he’s a guy we look to take a huge step as a junior this year,” said Smith about Donoghue.
Smith is very confident in this year’s pitching staff. “We have a lot of arms which is always a good thing. Sometimes a pitcher doesn’t have it and we have the pitching depth where we can adjust on the fly and be able to put somebody else in,” he said.
In terms of mentality, South Side’s goal is to consistently improve. This message is echoed through the dugout. “Every day when they come in, our mantra is to be better than we were the day before. That’s what they push on themselves. Their goal is to be one of the most competitive teams in Nassau County day in and day out.”
South Side will open their 2024 league schedule away at Glen Cove on April 8.
