by Patrick Duryea
Consistency is a key to success no matter who you ask. You’d be hard pressed to find a program more consistent than Shoreham-Wading River. In addition to making the playoffs every season from 1986-2022, they have had only two coaches in their baseball program’s entire history.
The current head coach is Kevin Willi, who took over for the legendary Coach Sal Mignano. He started the program at SWR and it did not take long for them to become a prominent figure in Long Island baseball. Under Mignano, SWR won 582 games, which makes for an average of over 15 wins per season, not to mention 12 league titles and 8 Suffolk County titles. Before taking over Willi coached under Mignano for several years and noted “he was my mentor” and “he took me under his wing”. The tradition of excellence that Mignano instilled in each generation is as relevant as ever today.
BREAKING: Brian Morrell fires his SIXTH career no-hitter. This one against John Glenn with 9 strikeouts pic.twitter.com/DqAS6d2BUw
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 3, 2017
Shoreham-Wading River has been rich with superstars of Long Island baseball for years now. The sheer amount they’ve had for being the twelfth smallest school in the county is improbable. Shoreham-Wading River is a name frequently showered with awards by the end of the year. In recent years they’ve had Brian Morrell earn two Yastrzemski Awards, Billy Steele win the Gibson Award in 2022, and Gordon Votruba win League MVP en route to a league championship in 2024. They also had the Yaz Award winner in 2012 with Mike O’Reilly and, of course, the great Keith Osik in 1987. If you’re one to believe in tall tales you may believe that the old Shoreham nuclear power plant left some type of energy in the community that contributes to having so much talent. However, Coach Willi contends it is the dedication of his players that makes the program tick and it goes much deeper than just the starpower.
Willi attributes the constant demand for success within the program as a product of Mignano’s tenure. Highlighting the motto started by Mignano, “hardball with class”, as a key pillar in the SWR philosophy. Playing baseball at Shoreham-Wading River comes with a heightened level of responsibility. Presentation matters, and SWR will show it as it is a full team effort pre and post game, raking the field, putting away equipment, and replacing the bases. Willi and his team take pride in tucking in their jerseys, putting on their belts, and playing together as a team. As Head Junior Varsity Coach Mike Garofola described it, “the SWR baseball player knows what it takes to be successful and has the work ethic necessary to achieve their goals”.
One of the biggest strengths Willi emphasized is how important every last player’s role is on the team. Willi mentioned how they do not have 40 guys at tryouts like big schools. He is rarely even forced to make cuts. However, he knows his 20 or so guys that show up to tryouts will be dedicated and that is all they need. He mentioned how 20 dedicated guys showing up to tryouts is more optimal than 40 guys with only 10 that really care. In Willi’s almost 10 years at the helm, not one player has quit. Each and every player has a role that they take pride in.
An underrated aspect of Shoreham-Wading River’s success is the full program effort. The winter workout program is run for all ages each year. Willi noted that he is constantly in contact with all the coaches in his program keeping track of all of their players. Coach Garofola takes pride in preparing his players for the next level. He stresses the fundamentals and the mental side of the game saying “There are players that play ball and there are players that are ballplayers. I try to create ballplayers”. The dedication that Coach Willi and his full staff show to every player from a young age translates into dedication to the program when those players elevate to the varsity level.
When simply prompted Coach Willi will tell you the success Shoreham-Wading River has is “an accumulation of a lot of small things that would normally go unnoticed”. The Wildcats take pride in their dirt field and gritty mentality. Their dedication, responsibility, and tradition make up one of the best programs on Long Island. It is a special place when a school with only two coaches ever, and not even 500 students, is feared year after year as a contender. From the foundation laid by Coach Mignano to the tradition carried by Coach Willi, Shoreham-Wading River has been a baseball factory, and they do not plan on going anywhere anytime soon. In a world where bigger is often better, it’s meaningful to just go out there and play hardball with class.
