For as long as I’ve been following college baseball on Long Island, Adelphi has always been known for their strong pitching. Last season, a number of injuries impacted their pitching staff leaving them shorthanded to navigate through the ultra-competitive NE-10 Conference.
It was their offense that kept them afloat, as they averaged an impressive 6.06 runs per game but were outscored by 29 runs on the season. They finished with an overall record of 23-23 (15-12 NE-10), and losing their playoff game against No. 2 New Haven.
Their incoming class of freshmen certainly takes the sting away. From my vantage point, it has the potential to be a real game changer. They brought in many of the top players on Long Island such as infielder Giancarlo Rengifo, outfielders Tommy Rizzuto and Jack Tate, catcher Matt Ryan and pitchers CJ Forman, Tyler Bonsignore and Ari Gluck. That crew could form a formidable group that could compete for a championship.
They also return several key contributors from last year’s team.
Leading the offensive attack is senior 1B Joe Pellegrino. He was named NE-10 Southwest Player of the Year – becoming their second recipient in three years (Matt Alifano). Pellegrino batted .370 with 10 HRs, 50 RBIs and 1.136 OPS over 45 games played. If he can come anywhere close to that level of production, they will be thrilled.
Third baseman Albert Ramos was second on the team in AVG (.335), third in OPS (.816) and scored 26 runs. He is a plus defender and has the skills to shift to shortstop if necessary.
Shortstop Jack Wishner provides terrific defense up the middle and also batted .290 with 47 hits, 29 runs scored and a strong .370 OBP. His double play partner, Alex Rende, batted .320 with a .993 OBP prior to dislocating his shoulder against Southern Connecticut which required surgery. He’s back for his fifth season which provides a significant boost for the team.
Outfielder Greyson Pizzonia possesses all the tools to entice scouts. He has great size, a very strong arm and ran a 6.5 60-yard dash – which allowed him to steal a team leading 16 bases in 19 attempts. He batted .305 with a .784 OPS over 39 games played.
As far as graduating players, they will be without Alec Maag who was a key contributor to them the last couple seasons. The Center Moriches grad batted .341 with an .841 OPS over 42 games. They also graduated their other catcher, Jose Matos, who appeared in 93 games over his 5-year career with the Panthers.
On the mound, they graduated Coleton Reitan, who led the team in ERA (2.83), WHIP (1.12), appearances (19), innings (57.1) and strikeouts (62). His outing against Saint Rose allowed them to clinch a playoff spot as he threw 7.2 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts. His presence will be tough to replace, but as previously mentioned they should be in much better overall position on the mound this season.
During Tuesday’s practice, it was clear that they have a couple pitchers that are ready to make that next step.
Sophomore RHP Dawson Montesa (Queens Metropolitan 2023) led the Panthers in starts (9) and strikeouts (50) as a freshman. Was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie team. FB T93 and has outstanding feel for his splitter and slider pic.twitter.com/04PAil8TdK
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 29, 2024
Sophomore Dawson Montesa led the team in starts (9) and was second in strikeouts (50). He looks like a potential front-line starter. He sits in the upper 80s and touches 93 with his fastball. His outpitch is a devastating splitter that he commands low in the zone and also has a sharp breaking ball that he lands on the outside corner to righties. Montesa, a graduate of Queens Metropolitan HS, looks like the next in line of a long list of dominant pitchers for the Panthers.
Senior John Carver has only accrued 16.2 innings in his career but he is slated to be a conference starter this season. From watching his bullpen, it is clear he has unlocked something that should let him take his performance to the next level. Carlos Acosta and Gavin Graff are two other returning pitchers that started a combined 12 games for the Panthers and will certainly log significant innings. Potential X-Factor is redshirt freshman Billy Kind who was one of the top pitchers on Long Island in 2023 for Seaford but had Tommy John and missed his freshman season in 2024. If he’s back to pre-injury form he’s another impact arm for the Panthers.
RHP John Carver will be a key cog in the rotation for the Panthers – has been dominant this fall. FB 92-94 T95 today. Great feel for his slider. Delivery is reminiscent of deGrom pic.twitter.com/mpMIcBdKBd
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 29, 2024
The Panthers will open up the 2025 season on February 21 in Myrtle Beach in the Northeast Challenge.
