FEATURE STORIES
Q & A With Adam Colon
As a seventh grader, Adam Colon was called up to Bellport’s varsity team to fill a void. Five years later, he has been through his share of ups-and-downs but has been able to come out on the other side as a stronger individual. I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say… Have you been playing baseball your entire life? Yes, I began playing when I was five-years-old. Was baseball always your main focus? Yes. I played basketball until eighth grade, but I stopped to focus on baseball. Did any of your family members play at a high-level? My father grew up in Puerto Rico and played minor league ball with the Montreal Expos. Which player had the biggest influence in your career? I would have to say Roberto Clemente. I wear No. 21 to honor him. Talk a little ...
Anthony Fontana: Why I Chose Furman University
by Anthony Fontana It all started in Fort Myers, FL for the Perfect Game tournament. Game 3 under the lights at Terry Park. I stepped up to the plate, I got a first pitch fastball and absolutely crushed a line drive over the center fielder for a double. Standing on second base it was just a regular RBI double to me but little did I know that double would change my life. A few days later when the tournament was over, I received an email from coach Taylor Harbin, assistant coach at Furman University . Once I saw Furman University emailed me, I was excited because of how awesome their conference is. So Coach Harbin and I spoke for a little while about the program and I decided to go on a visit to Furman. A little before my visit i went to a few other schools–one of them being Arizona St...
Mark Faello: Proof That Patience is a Virtue
Mark Faello was never lacking in ambition. When he was 10-years-old he approached Hofstra Head Coach John Russo and asked if he was good enough to play there. Fast forward six years and Russo was competing with all the other local schools–plus some of his CAA rivals–to get a verbal commitment from the Plainview-JFK ace. Fortunately, Faello had never wavered in his desire to attend Hofstra. “It was my dream school,” said the right-handed pitcher. “I love how big the campus is and when I visited, I said, ‘how can any school top this?” Despite getting interest from several other schools, he committed on Aug. 1, after a dominant season on the mound. He went 3-1 with a 0.24 ERA and 3 no-decisions over 35.1 innings. The Hawks had a successful season, fin...
Who Is Mike Florides?
When you’re a quiet, unassuming kid it can sometimes be hard to stand out from a crowded pack. Except when you’re a talented baseball player and your brother was drafted out of HS, as is the case with St. Dominic sophomore Mike Florides. His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 27th round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of Holy Cross HS. The 2019 grad recently transferred from Glen Cove HS and happens to be one of the smoothest infielders on the island. He stated that he emulates his play after Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs and you can see he possesses a similar flair. While Mike always had the athleticism and baseball IQ, he was very small for his size. As recently as last spring, he was under 5’0″ which potentially could limit his ceiling as a ...
Marcos Perivolaris Following the Stroman Blueprint to Success
by Mike Connors Height doesn’t measure heart. That’s the motto for 5’6 Cortland sophomore Marcos Perivolaris. The saying “HDMH” was made famous by Pat-Med grad and Blue Jays star pitcher, Marcus Stroman. For Perivolaris, he lives by this motto not only on the field, but off the field as well. “It’s not about your physical appearance–it’s about your drive, work ethic, and your ability to compete,” says Perivolaris. The reason Cortland is such a great fit for Marcos is because everyone around him, including head coach Joe Brown, knows that your height doesn’t matter as long as you have the heart. You have to make up for your height in certain ways, and the ability to compete is just one of many. Ever since Perivolaris was youn...
Jimmy Joyce: The Cold-Blooded Warrior
(Photo Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy) Baseball can be a nerve-wracking game for players. There’s a lot of quick-twitch movements that can be effected by feeling pressure. Jimmy Joyce is not like those players. “I’ve always been the type to not get nervous,” said New York’s Class A Player of the Year, who guided the Wantagh Warriors to their first state championship since 1998 with a tremendous season. He batted .373 with 4 HR, 34 RBI at the plate and he went 9-1 with a 1.09 ERA with 73 strikeouts on the mound. “I always tell myself–nerves are fake. This always helps me on the field.” From the time Joyce was four years old, it was clear he was destined to be an elite athlete. He played soccer, football, basketball and baseball in his youth, but ...
Q & A With Paul Britt of St. Joseph’s
One of the benefits of being a successful program is having top-talent choose to transfer to you when things don’t work out where they started. This is becoming the case for St. Joseph’s, who has been able to snag some talented players–Nick Girardi, Ryan Aloise, P.J Martino, Lou Doria and now Paul Britt–who chose to come home and play for the Golden Eagles. Our reporter David Moskowitz had a chance to speak with him and here is the conversation…. You played high school baseball at St Anthony’s. What was it like to play there and play in the Catholic League? I loved every second of it. Coach Phelan, Amendola, and Gemma were all great to me. My personal opinion is that the Catholic league is one of the top leagues on the island. The quality of p...
Running For His Life: Why Matt Diaz’ Fastball Will Get You Paying Attention to NYIT
“If you don’t lose a lot of weight, you won’t be a part of this team.” This is what Matt Diaz was told by Coach Bob Malvagna when he showed up to school at 250 lbs despite getting rave reviews from his high school coach–Joe Cubas. After all, Cubas had a great reputation within the baseball community as the coach who discovered Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and vouched for the Miami-native Diaz as a worthy athlete to pitch at NYIT. Upon hearing that, Diaz knew it was time to kick his workout regimen into high gear. Now a senior and in the best shape of his life at 205 lbs, Diaz is finally living up to the potential that he showed while pitching in Miami as a high school prospect. He was getting recruited by many schools; notably Florida Atlant...
Q & A With Jake Doyle
Jake Doyle is a 2015 graduate of Seaford HS, where he posted a .375 career AVG and recorded 100 career hits. He was named All-County in his junior season and is now playing at Vassar College. David Moskowitz had a chance to speak with him and here is what he had to say… You attended Seaford High School. What was it like to play there? Playing at Seaford was one of the best experiences of my life. There is something special about putting on a jersey with your hometown written across the front: there is a huge sense of pride in it. Growing up I would always go to the varsity games knowing that one day it would be me on the field. Being able to play with some of my best childhood friends by my side is a privilege I will never experience again, and is a memory I look back at and wish ...
Anthony Varvaro: More Than Just a Ballplayer
Spring Training is generally filled with mindless fielding practice and a lot of downtime for pitchers when they are not in a game. That’s when players joke around or discuss their innermost thoughts. It was in this setting in February of this year when Anthony Varvaro and Rick Porcello were in the outfield talking about their post-baseball career plans. “It would be pretty cool to sit in front of the Holland Tunnel and collect money from people,” joked the now reigning AL Cy Young Winner. Both players shared a laugh–but little did Porcello know what his buddy was actually planning. Varvaro, who had six years of Major League experience at that point was a criminal justice major at St. John’s University and had aspirations of going into law enforcement. “...
Man Of Steel: How Eric Russo Finds Inspiration To Overcome Life’s Obstacles
Editors Note: Eric is a 2017 graduate of Centereach HS. He is uncommitted at the moment, but has put himself on the radar since this past summer when his velocity spiked from the upper 70s to mid 80s. ) By Eric Russo There have been many things that have held me back throughout my life both on and off of the field. Tryouts will be Jan. 15 at MacArthur HS! The most prominent of which occurred before I could even take the field. My family has had to persevere through some struggles the last few years that no family should ever have to deal with. I was born with two special needs siblings; my sister that has cerebral palsy, and my little brother that has autism. So taking care of them has always been more important and had to come before baseball. This become more prominent w...
Greg Weissert on His Successful 2016 Season
Photo Credit: Fordham University Athletics (Editor’s Note: Greg is a 2013 graduate of Bay Shore HS. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the 18th round of the MLB Draft out of Fordham University.) by Greg Weissert My last season at Fordham was the spring of 2016, and it was one that I will never forget. Although at times it was extremely stressful–with the thought of the draft never far from my mind–I tried not to let that take away from the fun and competiveness that came with playing with my teammates, maybe for the last time. Playing with the draft process in full effect was a new experience for me. I had to focus on my game, working to prepare for every start and keeping my emotions in check. It was fun and exciting, but at the same time, it was absolutely nerve wracking. 2017 tr...
