by Patrick Duryea
Center Moriches does it!
Back-to-back New York State Class B Champs
Undefeated season. 26-0. pic.twitter.com/wfJQ56wNm6
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 15, 2019
All great ballplayers have to start somewhere. For most, it’s playing little league baseball in their hometown. For players in Center Moriches, it all starts at “Beachfern”.
“A hidden gem for several decades now,” as Center Moriches Head Coach Paul Gibson described it, Beachfern is the town’s storied little league field. Gibson went on to explain the small town, old school charm that Beachfern emits. With an ice cream shop and pizza parlor less than 100 feet away, a press box down the third base line, community sponsorships on the outfield fence, and a vintage scoreboard to top it all off. Center Moriches takes pride in their baseball program and its roots. Current players volunteer at Beachfern and connect with the community and next generation of Red Devils. More than anything else though, the program prides itself in their teams gelling together year after year, and growing together as players and people.
Gibson and the Red Devils, though, understand that it takes even more than a close knit bunch to build a winner. Hard work, as well as the X’s and O’s are just as important. Center Moriches teams are consistently strong defensively and on the mound. On the offensive side they stress the importance of making hard contact and pride themselves on having quality at bats and making things happen on the bases. The group spends serious time on positional everydays, as well as positional and team defensive segments. It is no mistake that Center Moriches wins ball games, the teams are hard working and talented. And it is their philosophies and mentality that takes them to the next level.
Gibson highlighted the desire each group has to be even better than the last and how that contributes to the great consistency they’ve had. Somewhat unique to Center Moriches is the frequency of players as young as middle school being called up to play for the varsity team. At a smaller school this can be necessary but it has been very consistent at Center Moriches. Gibson spoke on this saying, “My basic philosophy is to put the best 9 players in the school on the field, regardless of age or grade.” Gibson went on to mention how at a small school this can be very necessary, especially for them after a year like 2019, and the following cancelled 2020, where they graduated a large portion of their team.
This continued desire for success and hard work could very well bring these teams to championships, but what puts them over the edge is the community and bond the teams have. Gibson highlighted alumni giving back as a frequent occurrence and a huge part of their program. One of these alumni is Alec Maag, who is now a middle school coach in the district. Maag recalled the 2018 State Final, where the Red Devils found themselves down 7-2, which Maag felt responsible for due to an error he made. He recalls how his teammates were there to pick him up, and they came back to win 10-7. He went on to state “the sky’s the limit when you work hard and focus on your goals,” a key principle to Center Moriches baseball. This “pick me up” mentality stretches further than the players to the coaching staff. Gibson stressed the connection his staff has with their players, and the importance of a consistently open line of communication. The staff has a serious buy-in to these players developing on and off the field.
“Baseball has been special to Center Moriches for decades now,” as Gibson began our interview, it is a tradition of hard work and championships that helps baseball serve as a focal point for the community. The community of baseball in Center Moriches is to be jealous of. Maag particularly highlighted the teams he played for, mentioning the trust that each guy had for the one next to them, and the confidence and comfortability they played with because of that. Not only that, but a team that worked hard so relentlessly that they would not be denied from winning. The varsity baseball club accentuates the close community that starts back at Beachfern. Maag touched on the feelings of nostalgia that come to him whenever he drives by Beachfern nowadays, knowing that that is where it all starts for a program that is nothing less than a Long Island powerhouse and thinking back fondly on his time winning championships with “one big group of best friends.”
