Back-to-back !!
Division captures the Nassau County Class AA Finals – they will face Hauppauge next Saturday pic.twitter.com/bOGnOvzE6L
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 26, 2024
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s series
by Vin Messana
50 wins and back-to-back Nassau County Championships for Division in the past two seasons. But for Head Coach, Tom Tuttle, the losses in the Long Island Championships sting.
“There’s no question it stings,” said Tuttle, who has been at the helm since 2007. “In both Long Island Championships, we lost in the last inning. Out of 14 innings, we had two bad innings. Twice we didn’t make a defensive play. The unfortunate thing is, we are built to win a two of three. The LIC is one game – it is what it is. I give the other teams credit, they played well, but we’ve had two bad innings. In a two of three, I like our chances. There are moments I definitely think about it at night.”
The Blue Dragons have a lot to be proud of. They have continued to be one of the true powerhouse baseball programs on Long Island dating back to the 1970s. In Tuttle’s tenure, which dates back 17 seasons, they’ve averaged 21 wins per year and he’s led them to 6 Nassau County Championships. Additionally, they have won the last three Diamond Awards.
- 2022: Joe Yovino
- 2023: James Sill
- 2024: Matt Bolton
“And we really should have the last four if you look at Nick Roselli in 2021,” said Tuttle. Roselli was drafted by the New York Mets following an outstanding three-year career at Binghamton and today he played with the big league club in their Spring Training game against the Houston Astros.
When asked how the team continues to have such standout seasons from individuals, Tuttle had the following to say:
“Well first of all, they have to have the ability on their own, but we try to maximize their work ethic. We are very demanding. If they have aspirations to play at the next level, at the college level, they have to work at an elite level. We hold them accountable, and we are big on player development. Everything that encompasses being a great player, we really emphasize that. The other thing is, guys mirror other kids. Roselli worked at an elite level, Bolton mirrored that and Sill followed. When you work hard, we know you’re not lying.”
Yovino is the backup catcher at Elon University, Sill is having a tremendous sophomore season at Molloy University and Bolton is off to a red-hot start in his freshman season at Binghamton. In fact, Sill is the reigning ECC Pitcher of the Week and Bolton is the reigning America East Rookie of the Week
Bolton one hops the fence for an RBI double to make it 4-3. Isaiah Marino is intentionally walked and Cody Brush is up with the tying and winning runs on base with two outs pic.twitter.com/mWfOVFiNnt
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 1, 2024
Bolton, the most recent of their Diamond Award winners, was a three-time All-County player and two-time Conference MVP. Last season, he batted .558 with 7 HRs, 36 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 1.012 SLG, .661 OBP and went 20-for-20 in stolen base attempts.
From last year’s team, they have a handful of players that have continued their playing career; Christian Varela (St. Thomas Aquinas), Demetri Zirogiannis (CCNY), KK Delacruz (Farmingdale), Tyler Diez (Farmingdale) and Mike Roy (St. Joseph’s LI).
Coach Tuttle noted that their program prepares the players for college, which is why they have such a high number of graduates continuing their playing careers.
So who’s next?
Tuttle mentioned senior SS Isiah Marino as a player he believes has the capabilities of taking that leap to becoming a top player in the county.
“He’s got a scholarship to play at Molloy next year and he’s a three-year starter for us at short. I’m expecting a bounce back year from him – last year was just okay. He had a big summer for Joe Fusco with Showtime so I’m expecting a big year. He has All-Long Island talent, he should hit .400.
They also return 1B Aidan Quinn, who will be a three-year starter.
“I’m hoping for a big year for him, we’ll need him to perform.”
LF Matt Hartmann is their third returning player. He is committed to CCNY, where he will be teammates with Zirogiannis beginning in 2026.
“Those three seniors, we’ll need them to play well. We have to fill a lot of spots. We have eight or nine guys fighting for 6 or 7 sports and that includes the whole rotation.”
Coach Tuttle mentioned one pitcher that is penciled into the rotation and that is junior Jefferson Biener. He was called up for the playoffs and he made a start in the single-elimination portion of the tournament against Glen Cove.
Jefferson Biener gets the start for MXE pic.twitter.com/WLizYoY7rh
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 2, 2024
“We took a gamble and he stepped up threw a three-hitter. He’s like Greg Maddux, believe it or not. He has a ton of movement on his two-seamer and he throws a knuckle drop. He’s very cerebral, very bright.”
The rest of the rotation is up for grabs for now, as are many spots in the lineup.
“The lineup will be fluid for the first time in a while. We’ve had a lot of stability in recent years, but this year it could change weekly.”
They are fortunate to have plenty of talent in their system as evidenced by the JV team’s 14-4 record. The head coach of the JV team is 2009 Diamond Award winner Kevin Chenicek. Tuttle noted that their program is big on alumni helping out and giving back.
“We have a bunch of former players on the coaching staff. It’s all alumni, we are big on culture. We have “Brotherhood” on the back of our shirts, we believe that helps us.”
They will look to continue the success of the brotherhood in 2025. They kick off their title defense on April 7 against East Meadow.
