by Aaron Diaz
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’ season preview series.
The East Rockaway Rocks made a playoff appearance in the 2023 season after being absent from the postseason since 2019. The Rocks finished with a 8-14 overall record and 6-11 within B league games. East Rockaway was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Wheatley to end 2023 but Head Coach James Hickey relishes his excitement for the upcoming season.
“We’re very excited about the upcoming season.” Hickey said. “The guys that are returning worked very hard this winter, especially our pitching staff. That’s probably the thing we’re most excited about. We have a very small team this year but are excited about how athletic the team is.”
The team turned small after East Rockaway had a huge graduating class in 2023. Fourteen students graduated last year leaving many different openings for the Rocks in the lineup.
“Losing 14 seniors opens up to replacing a lot of positions on the field, batting spots in the lineup and many innings that were pitched last year,” Hickey said.
With that dramatic change to the team brings in a whole new pitching staff Coach Hickey has to work with. “This year we’re working with a brand new pitching staff but what’s most exciting about that is at the varsity level our pitcher has been committed to our winter program,” Hickey explained. “It’s the most prepared we’ve become as a pitching staff coming into the spring.”
Seniors in the pitching rotation starts with Tom Foster. “He was a guy last year who got innings as the season went on and threw better and better,” Hickey said. “He’s a guy who should pick up those innings off the mound. He will also play third base and be in the lineup.”
Jack Sauer will also see innings from the top of the rotation. “He’s a hard working player and great kid. He’s also going to see some time from the corner infield.”
Frank Passanisi and Kyle Pollackov will round out the seniors throwing off the mound for the Rocks this season. Both pitchers will be very dynamic as veteran presences on a small team.
Senior Cameron Barth, who is the last of the four Barth brothers to come through the East Rockaway program, will be playing the outfield this season. Nick Caradonna will be well used on the base paths this season as a new player to the program.
Junior Antonio Buzzetta is a key bat in the lineup for the Rocks while he plays shortstop this season. Conor O’Hagan will man from behind the plate as a hardworking player. “He put in a lot of work during the summer and winter. I think he’s going to have a big season for us.”
Two JV players will make their Varsity debuts this season, first is Edwin Abreu Lopez. Lopez hopes to be a quality arm for East Rockaway this season. He can possibly see some time in the starting rotation.
In the outfield, Joseph Ventura will cover any ground the Rocks need this season as a utility player with speed. Sophomore Jonathan Moya will start in center field after an impressive year last season including his incredible arm strength into the mix.
Coming from a playoff appearance in 2023, Coach Hickey talked about how he’ll take that experience and use it as motivation for his players this season looking to get back to playoff baseball.
“Anytime you have a season where you make the playoffs, it makes the guys want to get back there.” Hickey explained. “You prepare for the season and before you know it the season is over, so the guys understand if you want to keep the season going, you have to get better everyday. We need to compete, prepare and outwork everyone.”
The East Rockaway Rocks look to prepare for a long season ahead hoping to secure a playoff spot in their name. Their season starts the week of March 25.
