by Mike Merolle
🚨 Upset Alert
Whitman 8, Commack 7
WP Jaden Grose (4.1P 6Ks)Paul McNally 3-4 HR
Johnathan Matthew 2-3 rbi
Kevin Brown 1-3 2rbi pic.twitter.com/1SvvIlyRfB— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 26, 2023
Whitman is poised to redeem themselves in the playoffs in 2024. After finishing the regular season with a 13-7 record, the team came up short in two close postseason games. In their first playoff game in 2023, Whitman led by the score of 4-1 with four outs to go but Smithtown West rallied and stole the win. In their second game, Whitman lost 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning to West Islip. Keith Barrett is entering his 12th season as Whitman’s head coach and he’s confident that this year’s squad can make it a special one.
“This year, we’re basically looking to take the next step. We have a lot of talent so we’re looking to compete for a league title and then maybe do a little damage in the playoffs,” said Barrett.
Although last season didn’t end as intended, there were still some key takeaways that Barrett will move forward with. Whitman had their first home playoff game since 1986. Also, they upset the 2023 Class AA Long Island Champions, Commack, which ended their 11-0 undefeated start.
Usually in high school baseball, it is the seniors carrying the workload of the varsity squad. However, Barrett has struck gold in finding two bright spots for the future of Whitman baseball. Sophomores OF/RHP JD Duffy (2026) and RHP/IF Jaden Grose (2026) were All-League players in 2023 as freshmen. Grose had a 5-1 pitching record with a 1.60 ERA. He also was the pitcher responsible for the upset victory over Commack as he had 6 K in 4.1 IP. C Michael Orgera (2025) also was an All-League player in 2023.
Jonathan Duffy (Walt Whitman 2026) utilizing a 3 pitch mix effectively. FB 80-83 CH 72-74 CB 69-72 pic.twitter.com/VBy3sxjB9k
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 20, 2023
Supplying some senior leadership will be 3B Paul McNally (2024). The St. Joseph’s University LI-commit hit three home runs with 27 RBIs in 2023. LHP/1B Kevin Brown (2024) is committed to Wesleyan University. Brown went 3-3 last season with a 1.25 ERA. Barrett will also look for a big impact from CF Tommy Crapanzano (2024).
Barrett will have some new faces on the team this season as he is bringing in two transfer players from St. Dominic’s. SS Lucien Saint Cyr (2026) will have a key impact and Barrett highlights his high ceiling. RHP Tyler Azarieh (2025) will be expected to provide strong innings on the mound. Coming up from the junior varsity squad is LF Danny Ryan (2025).
Barrett is content with the versatility of the roster. With the mixture of talent coming from different classes, he struggles to find a weakness in this year’s team. “I feel like we have a very well-balanced team. I think we have good pitching, our defense is pretty good, the lineup should be strong top-to-bottom. Right now, I’m not 100% sure what our weakness is,” he said.
Whitman will focus on the fundamentals to keep their form. “The biggest thing that we’re going to stress on is making sure we do the little things. This is like moving runners over when we need to, get them in when we need to, make sure we get outs on bunts. [We’re going to be] making sure we address the things that happen in the game at crucial times,” he said.
