Game 3 of the NSCHSAA Championship
Chaminade Flyers vs Holy Trinity Titans
Hofstra University
: 4pm
The Flyers are the 3-time reigning champs while the Titans are looking to claim their first title since 2012 pic.twitter.com/xMzDohrE4I
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 30, 2023
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s series
by Tucker Terranova
For the first time in 45 years, Chaminade has a new head coach at the helm. A perennial powerhouse atop the Catholic League standings, the Flyers enter a new chapter this spring as legendary head coach Mike Pienkos and his assistant, Jack Lyons, stepped down after nearly half a century of excellence.
Pienkos leaves behind a legacy few can rival, amassing a 67.6% winning percentage, 14 league championships, and the inaugural NYS Championship in 2022. Under his leadership, Chaminade became one of Long Island’s premier programs, most recently securing three consecutive league titles from 2019 to 2022.
While Pienkos’ departure marks the end of an era, the Flyers remain in familiar hands with Patrick Kemp taking over as head coach. A former Chaminade player and longtime assistant under Pienkos, Kemp knows the program’s culture and the competitive landscape of the Catholic League as well as anyone.
Kemp’s coaching career began at St. John the Baptist, where he worked alongside Brian Glen, now a coach at Rocky Point, and taught while current St. John the Baptist head coach Ryan Dalton attended the school. His ties to the league stretch back to his playing days, when he competed against Kellenberg’s Pat Miles and Holy Trinity’s Dan Luisi.
“It’s nice to see that generation from the early 2000s coming back to the Catholic League, which they loved playing in, and now coming back to coach,” Kemp told Axcess Baseball.
Upon returning to his alma mater, Kemp coached the Frosh and JV teams alongside longtime Chaminade assistants Christopher Lynch and Joe Caso, who have been pillars of the program for two decades.
Kemp inherits a Flyers team eager to return to championship form after what was considered a “down year” by program standards. Chaminade finished with a 9-6 conference record last season and saw its postseason run cut short just three games into the double-elimination tournament. After two seasons of not reaching the ultimate goal, the Flyers are ready to return to the top of the Catholic League mountaintop.
The good news for Kemp is he returns a seasoned squad featuring 16 seniors. That experience gives Chaminade a deep leadership core rather than relying on just one player to set the tone. The Flyers named three captains—Collin Anderson, Daniel Anicito, and Alex Stoyer—but Kemp believes leadership is embedded throughout the roster.
SS Collin Anderson (Chaminade 2025) commits to Bucknell University. He was named MVP of the 2023 Axcess World Series @NextLevelBaseba pic.twitter.com/pEnftDXbEj
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 18, 2024
“We are going to rely heavily on the seniors for leadership because of what they have brought to the program, going back to last year plus fall and winter workouts,” Kemp said. “It’s not going to be all put on one specific player, and that’s a good problem to have.”
As usual, Chaminade features no shortage of high-end talent. The offense will be powered by four players named to the Axcess Baseball All-Long Island Team—Anderson (Bucknell), TJ Bradford (Texas Southern), Michael Gardner (Kentucky), and Danny Nawrocki (Bucknell).
Texas Southern-commit TJ Bradford (Chaminade 2025) with a go-ahead grand slam down in the Dominican Republic. TJ is with a group of Long Islanders as part of Sal Agostinelli’s annual trip pic.twitter.com/UQP4rWNhNi
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) February 20, 2025
Kemp also made an important addition to his coaching staff to bolster the Flyers’ offensive approach, bringing in former Chaminade standout Straton Podaras as an assistant coach. Podaras played three seasons of minor league baseball after wrapping up his college career at Radford and brings valuable hitting and catching experience to the program.
Straton Podaras (Chaminade 2016) signs with the Los Angeles Angels pic.twitter.com/xDY7rVBvB2
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 16, 2021
Joining him on staff is another Chaminade alum, Joe Romero, a former Albany pitcher and freshman team coach who will also help guide the Flyers this season.
Seeing a staff full of former Flyers highlights the culture Pienkos built—a program where players not only succeed on the field but feel connected to Chaminade long after they graduate. Kemp understands the importance of continuing that legacy.
Coach Pienkos following the victory pic.twitter.com/e5Kcsszo9W
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 31, 2022
“Coach Pienkos built a program of success from the ground up. It’s going to be very difficult to top what he did here,” Kemp said. “He built a foundation that we are trying to build upon. We want to keep the tradition alive while also modernizing a bit for the modern baseball player.”
Success in the Catholic League has always come down to execution. Pienkos often referred to it as the “one-run league,” a mantra that Chaminade has embraced for decades. Kemp expects his team to maintain that identity while finding ways to take their play to another level.
“From player 1 to player 27 on our roster, everyone is going to play a role on this team and help us win games,” Kemp said. “Pitching and defense will always be paramount in this league, but we think we can reach another level offensively and as a team.”
To prepare for the grind of league play, the Flyers have built a rigorous non-conference schedule. Matchups against Poly Prep—the No. 1 team in New York—Delbarton, Massapequa, Sayville, Seaford, and Somers will test Chaminade early.
The Flyers open their season at home on March 19 against Iona Prep.
