NEWS
2/19 Recap: St John’s Stays Hot & Hofstra Comes Close
With eight teams in action, Sunday saw day games nearly across the board. Several schools wrapped up their series today and began the process of preparing for next weekend. Only one doubleheader today as LIU Post played two this afternoon, and Division III got in on the fun as SUNY Old Westbury had their first game of the season. Division I St. John’s Wins Their Third Straight: 7-3 The Red Storm continued their hot streak with a win against Richmond today. It was a joint effort between the pitching and the offense, three lefties held Richmond to five hits and three runs, while a four-run fifth inning propelled St. John’s to a win. The Johnnies got on the board first with a solo home run from Robert Boselli III in the third, but Richmond tied the game the following inning. Then in th...
NCAA Recap 2/18: Opening Weekend Continues
Plenty of baseball today, as seven local teams played eleven games, all down south. Molloy and LIU Post opened their seasons in North and South Carolina respectively. Both played doubleheaders as did Fordham and NYIT, there was plenty of baseball as the first weekend of the season rolls on. Division I Fordham Splits Doubleheader, Wins Then Loses: 4-3 & 13-5 A come-from-behind victory for the Rams in their first game of the season. Cancelled yesterday due to lightning, Fordham had their doubleheader with Houston Baptist University today at noon. Going into the eighth inning Fordham was down one, the bases had just been loaded on a walk when Justin Bardwell hit a grounder to short. First Jason Lundy came around to score, then Mark Donadio came home when the second basemen attempted to tu...
Opening Day 2017 Kicks Off Down South
It’s finally here. It may not look like baseball season on Long Island, but down south there were several local Division I schools in action today. Teams got the 2017 season started across the south, from Myrtle Beach to Houston. St. John’s dominates Western Carolina: 14-3 The Red Storm came roaring out of the gate in Myrtle Beach. A two-out single up the middle from sophomore Josh Shaw brought home two runs in the top of the first, and that was only the beginning. Shaw, 2016’s BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, also lead off the sixth inning with his third career home run. He and junior Jesse Berardi, who scored on Shaw’s single, lead St. John’s with three RBIs each. Anthony Brocato, Troy Dixon, and Mike Antico drove in another two run apiece, Brocato went 3 for 5 with two doubles, and...
Fordham Heads Down to Houston With High Hopes
by Brianna Pace Coming off a .500 season, Coach Kevin Leighton and the Fordham Rams are focused on having a big season. Returning seniors are trying for a fourth consecutive playoff berth and they have a lot of pieces in place to make it happen. Despite the loss of Greg Weissert–who was drafted by the New York Yankees–the pitching staff has a high-ceiling. Lined up to start this weekend the coach has Mike Cowell, David Wright, and Jimmy Murphy. Cowell and Wright are both coming off of injuries but Murphy was the team captain last year and finished with a 4.50 ERA. With a solid mix of young players and veterans ready to take the mound it is safe to say the loss of Weissert won’t be a huge hit to the team’s pitching. Mark Donadio, a senior outfielder, is expected to have a big ye...
Neal’s Knowledge: How to Control the Running Game
I had the pleasure of playing for Jim Leyland for three years. Sitting next to him was like going to Harvard for 12 years and studying baseball. I learned a lot from him and he taught me if you don’t hold guys on properly you will run yourself right out of the game. It is very important for pitchers to keep the running game in check and there’s several ways to do it. I will break it down for lefties and righties. Lefties: You have a huge advantage. As we saw from Jon Lester, you don’t even have to throw the ball over in order to prevent runners from stealing. Leyland told me the most important thing is being able to vary how long you hold onto the ball prior to your delivery. Base runners love seeing a pattern with how many looks you give and how many seconds you are in y...
Stony Brook Looking To Continue Successful Run
by Mike Guido Key Additions: Mike Wilson (INF), Kris Killackey (RHP), Nick Montefusco (RHP), Brian Herrmann (RHP), Garrett Heaton (INF), Nick Grande (INF), Chris Hamilton (OF), Chris Keenan (RHP), Brandon Bonanno (RHP), Jake Alba (RHP), Mike Amandola (C), Steven Acosta (RHP) Key Losses: Chad Lee, Jack Parenty, Johnny Caputo, Tyler Honahan The Stony Brook Seawolves are no strangers to success. They have a knack for always putting a good product on the field–especially since 2012 when they made their iconic run to the College World Series. After finishing 27-27 in 2016, they are looking to do improve on that mark. A rotation led by Bret Clarke, who boasted a 6-2 record with a 2.19 ERA overall and a 3-1 record and a 1.32 ERA in conference games, will need to rely on the youth of the rec...
Preparing for Tryouts and Showing Your Best
In preparation for high school and middle school tryouts for the upcoming baseball season, it is imperative that you are prepared to show your coach the best of your skills and commitment to the team in order to give yourself the best chance to make the team. The most difficult and painful job any coach has is to tell a young player that he has not made the team. There are only a certain number of players that a coach can keep on a given team. Sometimes, the number is based on the amount of uniforms a school has, the level of play (many times middle school teams can take more players), the number of quality players trying out for the team or a manageable number an individual coach can adequately instruct. This always makes it difficult for a coach, as it becomes very difficult to separa...
St. John’s Leaning on an Experienced Lineup
(Photo Credit: St. John’s Athletics) by Brianna Pace Head Coach Ed Blankmeyer, now in his 22nd year, has his head held high walking into the 2017 season. With youth in the pitching staff and experience out on the field, St. John’s is ready to have a comeback year. The level of experience is much higher this year as opposed to last year. Blankmeyer highlights the amount of experience the team has this year coming from the multitude of returning position players. Compared to last season, he says that he values the experience this season’s team has the most. Blankmeyer likes his team’s chances this season, but he also says the conference is going to be good. He said that the lower level teams are getting better but he has confidence in his team. He said that he’s expecting a good season...
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 ...
NYIT Leaning on Trio of Hard Throwers
Last Season’s Record: 17-26 Key Additions: Ben McNeill (SS), Brendan Dowd (C), Nicholas Vitale (SS/2B), Ryan Kuskowski (C), Nicholas Tedesco (1B) Key Subtractions: Joe Daru (OF), Dixon Marble (RHP) The New York Institute of Technology looks to continue their steady improvement under head coach Bob Malvagna. The NYIT Bears are the last independent school in the NCAA Division I baseball program, therefore, their goal for their season is different than most teams. They’re not looking to make conference tournament at the end of the year, their focus will be growing as a team. As Coach Malvagna said of his expectations, “Every year we improve is a positive.” Strengths: The Bears’ starting pitching will be their biggest strength this season. This class of seniors are the first group that Malvagn...
Frank Catalanotto: What is the Proper Pre-Season Hitting Prep?
(Photo Credit: Spokeo Images) Baseball season is right around the corner. If you haven’t started, now is the time to transition into baseball-specific training. You should now take the focus from off-season training to preseason workouts. During the first part of the off-season, you should have taken some time to rest and let our body heal from all the wear and tear of the long baseball schedule. Then, you go on to building back some muscle that the body may have lost during the season. This muscle-building phase during the off-season is so critical. If you don’t take it seriously, your body may be more susceptible to break down. The off-season is when you focus on becoming a better athlete; incorporating workouts that include strength, power and speed. Six to eight weeks before the ...
First Episode of aXcess Baseball Weekly
We have started episodes of aXcess Baseball Weekly. Today we shot our first segment featuring Eric Hassell of Adelphi. This is a short segment due to the season having not yet begun, but the following episodes will all be 20+ minutes, featuring the latest news in college and high school baseball and a special guest.
