by Mike Merolle
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.
Comsewogue 3, East Hampton 2
WP: Carson mccaffreyKevin Schnupp: 1-3 HR
Joe Perri 2-3 2 Singles
Matt Nowlan throw out at plate to win game pic.twitter.com/i13tMOM2cn— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 24, 2023
It was a playoff season in 2023 for Comsewogue as the team finished 11-9 in their league but 0-2 in the playoffs. East Hampton officially ended their season after defeating Comsewogue in the loser’s bracket elimination game. Head coach Joe Caltagirone is entering his eighth season as the Comsewogue manager and will look for an improving year in 2024.
Caltagirone is returning 11 seniors this year. As of now, eight of them are committed to playing college baseball in the next year. Caltagirone is excited about the impact and leadership the seniors will provide. They had 5 All-League players and only one, James Genovese, graduated.
“Last season, they all gained valuable playoff experience and all had some impact on winning. This season, I am expecting them to take the next step as a team [to] win a playoff game and make some noise in the AA bracket,” Caltagirone told Axcess Baseball. “I feel the core guys know what I expect of them. Lead by example and not settle for just being good, strive to get better every day. If they have that mentality, good things will happen.”
Some of the core guys include three four-year varsity seniors. Kevin Schnupp Jr. plays catcher and is committed to UMass-Amherst. He was named All-County last season after sporting a .367 AVG, .450 OBP, .616 SLG, 1.066 OPS, 4 HRs, 18 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and threw out 11 of 24 attempted base stealers.
Matt Nowlan is a key bat in the middle of the order and is committed to Molloy University. Nowlan was named All-League in 2023 after batting .355 with .532 SLG, 1.070 OPS, 3 HRs, 19 RBIs and 19 runs scored.
Nick Zampieron is excellent defensively and a spark plug atop the lineup. He is committed to Stony Brook University. Zampieron will play SS and pitch this season. He was All-League in 2023 after batting .420 with a .524 OBP, 1.060 OPS, scored 29 runs, stole 24 bases, 1 HR, 9 RBIs. On the mound, he was 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA with 20 Ks and converted all 3 of his save opportunities.
Some shots from today’s CatcherMTRX clinic in Ronkonkoma
UMASS-commit Kevin Schnupp Jr (Comsewogue 2024) showing a strong and accurate arm in the video pic.twitter.com/PNkHgSNOzI
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 6, 2024
“I expect them to perform up to their abilities and exceed expectations because all three have superior work ethics. Each is different in their own way but their goals align. They are catalysts for our lineup and all have the ability to impact the game in multiple ways,” said Caltagirone.
Another impact player is senior LHP Carson McCaffrey. The southpaw pitcher is a three-year varsity player and has proven to be one of the toughest lefties to hit against in the county. He was hard luck 2-4 on the mound but with a 3.83 ERA and struck out 48 batters over 39.1 innings. McCaffrey will have the game one assignment each week according to Caltagirone. McCaffrey is committed to SUNY New Paltz. At the plate, he homered twice and drove in 12 runs.
Other key members of the Comsewogue pitching staff are seniors CJ Cubano, Anthony Manetta, and Joe Virga. Caltagirone has seen improvement in the three arms over the past season. Manetta is a two-way threat with sneaky pop, great speed on the bases, and gold glove defense in the outfield. Manetta was All-League, he batted .409 with 1.140 OPS, he hit 2 homers, drove in 22 runs and stole 13 bases.
Junior Joe Perri had a great second varsity season. The catcher and third baseman hit .333 with a .770 OPS and 18 RBIs. Senior Vinny Perri is committed to SUNY Brockport.
College Coaches! 2025 Catcher, Joe Perri (Comsewogue HS).. Joe is a plus defender with a strong and accurate arm. Very High Baseball IQ. Steady offensive player with gap to gap abilities. Gamer!!! Good student! @axcessbaseball #TitanNation pic.twitter.com/f3kLCVEKxJ
— Titans (@TitansBsb) January 20, 2024
Caltagirone’s main concern is the team’s health and pitching depth. “We graduated our team leader in wins and ERA and will look to fill his spot as well as the high-leverage spots that tend to pop up late in games. We also have a few players coming off injuries from other sports that need to round back into form,” he said.
Comsewogue’s biggest strength is the roster’s varsity experience and versatility. “Top to bottom, our order is versatile and can impact the game in many ways. Also, we are a top fielding team with multiple players capable of playing multiple positions at a high level,” said Caltagirone.
Comsewogue will open their 2024 league schedule on the road at Bellport on March 25.
