NEWS
Who Has The Best Tools on the Island?
Regardless of where you’re from, who your parents are, what size you are and what your nationality is, if you’re good you will be found. People love to diminish baseball for being a sport that is tilted towards the upper-middle class that can afford to travel the nation. That is simply not the case. A good scout will locate the top players in their area. Look no further than Kyle McGowin, who hails from the smallest town in New York (Sag Harbor) or Franklin Parra who came from the Dominican Republic and made a name for himself in extremely quick fashion at a school not commonly associated with baseball prowess (Copiague). With the 2019 season right around the corner, I will attempt to name the tools associated with being an impact baseball player and name the players that posse...
Tom Caputo New Assistant Coach at St. Joseph’s College
In a pretty surprising move, St. Joseph’s Head Coach Rick Garrett announced that former Dowling Head Coach Tom Caputo will be his new assistant coach, replacing Paul Parsolano. Caputo is widely considered to be one of the best hitting coaches on Long Island and was able to galvanize a Dowling roster that began the season 3-11 and led them to winning the ECC Championship in 2016. They also were on the verge of a Division-II World Series appearance in 2014. When he was the guest on the Axcess Baseball Podcast, I came away with the impression that while he missed the success he had at Dowling and the impact he had on the lives of young men, that he was content with where he was at in life. Things change of course, and he is now back in the college game. This is bad news for opposing man...
Jason Galbraith New Head Coach of Suffolk Community College
Jason Galbraith has been named the new Head Coach of Suffolk Community College, replacing Brian Klammer who was at the helm for one season. Eric Brown had been synonymous with the program, coaching Suffolk CC for 29-years, winning 685 games including 7 appearances in the NJCAA World Series. He received the 2017 Axcess Baseball Lifetime Achievement Award. Galbraith was the Pitching Coach last season, guiding the staff to a 3.11 team ERA and 11.2 K/9. During his playing career, he was 30-3 at Concordia College and was a second-team All-American in 2001. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 46th round of the 2002 draft. He played two seasons, compiling a 3.21 ERA over 56.0 IP. They finished 2018 with a record of 30-13, capturing the Region XV Championship over Nassau at the PAL St...
Make Sure to Register for Axcess Baseball/Diamond Spikes College Showcase
If you are a high school baseball player that is currently uncommitted to a college, we have an event for you. On Monday, January 21 we will be co-hosting a College Baseball Showcase at LI Sports Dome in Massapequa beginning at 9am. This event is a must-attend for several reasons. First and foremost, this is an opportunity to get in front of 20+ Division-II and III college coaches during a time of the year you will have their undivided attention. With college starting the next week, this is potentially the last time you can meet the coach before their season starts and their priority is to win games for the 2019 season. Additionally, with Axcess Baseball in attendance we will be highlighting the top players in attendance and they will be featured on our Instagram and Twitter accounts reach...
Freshman That Could Have An Immediate Impact
2019 could have certainly gotten off to a better start for some people. Such as me. I immediately got pneumonia after I got back from the Power Showcase in Miami, which has left me relegated to laying on the couch. Fortunately, that does not preclude me from blogging so the show goes on. This is one of my favorite pieces to write each year, because of the difficulty. You are dealing with 18 and 19 year olds and often times high school success does not translate well to college. I will give it my best guess based on what I saw in the fall during our Fall Ball Series Presented by The Greene Turtle and also the recommendations of people smarter than me. Here it goes… Ben Fero, RHP, Stony Brook Freshman Ben Fero flashing some heat pic.twitter.com/FUIl6GkpMK — Axcess Baseball LI (@...
What Are The Major Storylines For 2019? (College Edition)
Yesterday, we went over the major points of interest among the high school baseball season and now we will discuss the college community. The season approaches much quicker, in fact, only 43 days until the Division-I seasons kicks off. Below are some thoughts I have as it pertains to the upcoming season… How will Hofstra replace John Rooney? Rooney is the type of arm that doesn’t come around often to a mid-major like Hofstra. He came from upstate NY and in three years turned into one of the most dynamic pitchers in the country and was drafted by the Los Angleles Dodgers. It’s pretty interesting because had Kyle Young opted to go to school instead of signing with Philadelphia, he would’ve been in line to step right in the ace role for the Pride, but obviously that...
What Are the Major Storylines for 2019? (High School Edition)
With 2019 upon us, it is time to turn the page and start to think about the upcoming season. College ball is just 44 days away, and that will be here before you know know. First, let’s start off with high school. Below are some of the major storylines to watch for this upcoming season. The more things change, the more they stay the same? At the high school level, we had repeat winners at the AA level (Massapequa), A (Wantagh) and Suffolk AA’s winner (West Islip) won their third since 2014. It came as a bit of a surprise just considering the quality of teams they were facing. Oceanside was so talented that they would’ve been the prohibitive favorites in Vegas after they swept the Chiefs in April and started out 12-0. Massapequa still found a way to run the table in the pos...
Up Next: James Sill
Having watched a lot of baseball across the nation these past couple years, I have noticed one huge difference between northeast players and their counterparts in the midwest or south. That difference is pure size for young players. This weekend especially in Miami, I saw many middle school age players that are over 6’0 and 180 lbs. That is typically the size of a 16-18 year-old. When you’re that size at a younger age, however, you generate more power and more power means more recognition and more recognition typically means more offers. Levittown-native James Sill possesses that size. And that power. And will soon generate the recognition. Standing 6’2″ 190 lbs 90 MPH exit veto, the young man turned some heads this season while playing on the big field as a seventh...
C.J. Picone Finishes Runner-Up at Power Showcase, Raises $5,395 For Charity
MIAMI, FLA– It was a classic height vs heart in the finals of the 15U at the Power Showcase in Marlins Park yesterday afternoon. Kellenberg sophomore, C.J. Picone, who is listed at a generous 5’5″ 145 lbs reached the finals for the first time in his Power Showcase career after two near-misses. Standing in his way was 6’0″ 175 lb Adam Parzych, who was the No. 1 seed. Picone put on a performance, smashing seven HR, including one at 389 feet into the bleachers in left-center field. You can watch the full video on our Instagram Story. “Of course I was excited–a little nervous. I was just happy to be out there. First time being in the finals. It was a great experience,” he said to me following his performance. Under many circumstances, 7 home runs...
2018 Axcess Baseball Award Winners Honored
With the coverage that we’ve been doing of the younger age groups, sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the players that are performing well at the highest levels. We announced the winners of the 2018 Axcess Baseball Awards and they accepted their plaques this week. Below are the winners of each. Axcess Most Valuable Player (College) Nick Grande (Stony Brook) Axcess Man of the Year (High School) Logan O’Hoppe (St. John the Baptist) Axcess Rookie of the Year Travis Zurita (SUNY Maritime) **Not pictured* Axcess Cy Young James Varela (LIU Post)
Up Next: Evan Virno
2018 got off to an ominous start for Bellport’s varsity team. Just one year after being crowned co-champs with West Islip and Deer Park in League 4 for the first time in their 50+ year history, they were at risk of missing the postseason late in the season. They needed to win all three to qualify for a postseason berth. Miraculously, they won all three, including a walk-off victory over Hills West on a hit by Brennan Beatrice. Despite losing in the first round against Bay Shore, the next few years should be rather prosperous for Bellport. With several returning players and a strong JV team, they could make some noise once again this season. One player that is perhaps a year away from contributing on varsity but is in the pipeline is Evan Virno. The ninth grader is coming off an outst...
Up Next: Nick Farnacci
(Editor’s Note: This is the 10th profile of our Up Next Series which highlights the top middle school and JV kids on Long Island. We are approaching the end of the series. Once January 1 arrives, we will be full swing in terms of high school and college baseball season.) Plate coverage is a lot art. With the proliferation of the “three-true outcomes” (home run, strikeout, walk), players are foregoing the approach they learned in Little League in favor of what they see on the MLB Network. Besides the fact that very few youth players possess the type of power to hit the ball over the fence, it also is not conducive to a team-mentality. When a young player embraces the old-school approach of small-ball, it is a breath of fresh air. 14-year-old Nick Farnacci is an interesting...
