FEATURES
Where Are They Now Powered by Prime Performance: Chris Cappas
It’s been over 7 years since Kellenberg’s thrilling 1-0 victory over St. John the Baptist at Hofstra University in which their sophomore stud, Jason Diaz, was electric and struck out the final batter to secure the second straight title for the Firebirds. It remains the last championship for Kellenberg. The Catholic League Player of the Year was senior LHP Chris Cappas who went 6-1 on the mound and allowed just 1 run over 39.1 innings (0.18 ERA) with 53 strikeouts. He ended the season on a 25.1 inning scoreless streak. He was equally as impactful at the plate, he batted .434 with 3 HRs, 23 RBIs and just one strikeout. Cappas, along with a group of seniors, formed a bond that he believes is the reason they were so successful on the field. It doesn’t hurt, however, that they...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm Agency: Fred Klauck
(This is the sixth installment of the popular “Up Next” series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured Dylan Weinstein, Jaxson Torres, Richie Roberts, Joe Maxwell and Dom Muccia. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm Agency for sponsoring this year’s series.) All 15 strikeouts from Fred Klauck’s no-hitter pic.twitter.com/eBMLf8gkF0 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) December 9, 2024 Fred Klauck burst onto the scene this fall when he fired a no-hitter with 15 Ks for Next Level in the Northeast Elite finals against a very talented Blue Line Rangers team. Klauck is a sophomore at Mineola HS with his sights set on making the varsity club in the spring. With a high-octane fastball that touched 85 in the fall, that is certain...
Where Are They Now Powered by Prime Performance: Jake Thomas
(This is the third installment of “Where Are They Now” in which we catch up with some of the great players in Long Island history. Previously, we featured James Bailin and Jeff Tyler. Thank you to Prime Performance for sponsoring this year’s series.) The Early Days Jake Thomas was raised in Merrick, NY. He is the youngest of two children, his sister being one year older. After moving a few times during his youth, Jake’s family settled in Merrick when he was in 3rd grade. He was a die-hard sports fan, he also played hockey and football until high school. His favorite team was the New York Yankees. At the first baseball game he attended in 2nd grade, he was fortunate enough to get Jorge Posada to give him his game used bat when he wished him a Happy Birthday prior to ...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm Agency: Dom Muccia
(This is the fifth installment of the popular “Up Next” Series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured Dylan Weinstein, Jaxson Torres, Richie Roberts and Joe Maxwell. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm Agency for sponsoring this series.) St. Dominic HS took the league by storm during the 2024 regular season, securing the No. 1 seed in the postseason thanks in large part to their dominant 1-2 punch of Victor Frederick and Luke Lang as well as their bevy of freshmen and sophomores that proved that they were ready for the challenge of the Catholic League. One of those young players in particular was infielder Dom Muccia who batted leadoff and did more than held own – he went All-League becoming the first St. Dom’s fre...
Where Are They Now Powered by Prime Performance: Jeff Tyler
Jeff Tyler always found a way to win. Whether it was during his storied high school career for the MacArthur Generals or in college for the Adelphi Panthers there was often a W next to his name in the box score. In fact, even long after his career ended he still found a way to be the winning pitcher. That’s right, even at Adelphi’s Alumni day many years after his final competitive pitch, he was able to hawk a win against Adelphi’s current team. Jeff Tyler owns Long Island’s record for the most wins in a varsity career with 32. He played during the height of Levittown’s special run in which he led the Generals to back-to-back Long Island Championships in 1993 and 1994. But to understand the full story, you must start from the beginning. The Early Days Tyler was...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm Agency: Joe Maxwell
(This is the fourth installment of the popular “Up Next” Series in which we highlight the top underclassmen across Long Island. Previously, we featured Dylan Weinstein, Jaxson Torres and Richie Roberts. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm Agency for sponsoring this year’s feature.) Defense up the middle is valuable commodity in the game of baseball. While every coach wants their team to be flawless defensively, they prioritize being strong defensively at catcher, middle infield and center field. This year, Joe Maxwell provided that for Beast 2027 National. He not only provided some highlight reel plays defensively, he was outstanding offensively. That type of player profile is very rare. Over the summer, he batted .412 with a .505 OBP, 9 doubles, 1 HR, 25 RBIs and ...
Where Are They Now Powered by Prime Performance: James Bailin
(Special thanks to Prime Performance for sponsoring this year’s “Where Are They Now” You can check them out by clicking here.) Photo Credit: Newsday/Bill Davis 29-0. There’s a beauty in perfection. It is elusive in the game of baseball – a game that is designed to include failures and to humble every player. For Division Ave HS in 1996, there was no such failures. The Blue Dragons went wire-to-wire not losing one game. In fact, they only played in one game that was decided by one run. They scored 325 runs during the regular season and often were up by double digits before their starting pitcher took the mound. And their starting pitchers usually only needed one or two runs to begin with. One of their starters, James Bailin, was untouchable that season as he fi...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm Agency: Richie Roberts
Center Moriches is one of the true powerhouses in Suffolk County. They won back-to-back Class B Championships in 2018 and 2019 and captured the Long Island Championship in 2021. The talent pool is always deep in the school district and they have a penchant for calling up underclassmen that wind up playing impact roles at the varsity level. Last year, he featured JT Bonventre who was a 9th grader at the time, and this past year they had an 8th grader not only get called up but was a key contributor for them. His name is Richie Roberts, and he will be a big time player for the Red Devils for the next 4 seasons. Last year, he went 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA and 2 saves over 18 innings on the mound. Additionally, he committed just 1 error in 46 chances splitting time between 2B and SS. At the plate, ...
Jayden Stroman Signs NLI to Attend Duke University
17-year-old Jayden Stroman, brother of Marcus, is making 96 MPH throws from shortstop There have only been 12 throws by an infielder of 96 MPH or more in MLB this season pic.twitter.com/T881ZZisJT — Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 1, 2024 Jayden Stroman signed his financial agreement to attend Duke University. Baseball fans are certainly familiar with his older brother, Marcus, who also graduated from Patchogue-Medford and attended Duke University where he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 2012 draft. He debuted in the big leagues in 2014 and just helped lead the New York Yankees to capturing the American League pennant. Jayden attended the Stony Brook School in 2021, 2022 and 2023 before heading to Florida to attend IMG Academy in 2024. His decision t...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm: Dylan Weinstein
(This is the first installment of the popular “Up Next” series. We will highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island every Monday during the offseason. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm for sponsoring this year’s series.) Dylan Weinstein (‘28, NY) cranks this loud bomb to LCF, plating three. Minimal moving parts in his operation, with a quick leg lift and quick hands that fire the barrel through the zone w/ authority. #NewEngElite @PGYouthBB @PG_Tourney pic.twitter.com/fBSQahqTVJ — PG Mid Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA, MD,DE,DC) (@PGMidAtlantic) May 18, 2024 Like the New York Yankees, St. Dominic HS last reached the mountain top in 2009. That was when they last captured the Catholic League Championship, during that golden era of the CHSAA when every team seemingly had 5...
Where Are They Now: Bryan Verbitsky
Bryan Verbitsky has a claim for the best high school career on Long Island of this century. He was a two-time Diamond Award recipient – given annually to the top player in Nassau County. He led Island Trees to a County Championship in 2007 over Clarke. He ended his career with his name all over the record books at Island Trees – finishing first in home runs (30), hits (136), ABs (319), runs (129), second in SBs (45) and fourth in ERA (1.90). Simply put, he had one of the finest careers a high school player can have. Additionally, and this is something that often gets forgotten – he did so when the conference was talent-based, meaning he performed exceptionally against the best players in the county. “There were no gimme wins in the league,” said Verbitsky. Many people that played baseball ...
Jayden Gigante Commits to St. John’s University
24 hits as an 8th grader. 26 hits as a 9th grader and 40 hits as a 10th grader. That is some rarified air for any player. Carey OF Jayden Gigante has had a tremendous start to his high school career, and he still has a full 2 seasons left. This week he recently announced his verbal commitment to St. John’s, where he will join his summer ball teammate, Andrew Caramico in 2 years. He also received interest from UCONN, Boston College, Stony Brook, Rutgers and North Carolina. His school ball coach, Doug Robins, had this to say about his young star. “He is a fiver tool player. Jayden has become a tremendous player through hard work and dedication. His range in the outfield is off the charts – he covers the gaps.He has been a starter since 8th grade. He’s a gamer and rise...
