2024 Season Previews
East Rockaway Excited About 2024 Season Coming Off Postseason Appearance
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’ season preview series. The East Rockaway Rocks made a playoff appearance in the 2023 season after being absent from the postseason since 2019. The Rocks finished with a 8-14 overall record and 6-11 within B league games. East Rockaway was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Wheatley to end 2023 but Head Coach James Hickey relishes his excitement for the upcoming season. “We’re very excited about the upcoming season.” Hickey said. “The guys that are returning worked very hard this winter, especially our pitching staff. That’s probably the thing we’re most excited about. We have a very small team this year but are excited about how athletic the team is.” The team turned small after East...
Carle Place Hopeful for Improved Season Under Head Coach Steve Laurino
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. In Steve Laurino’s first year as head coach of the Carle Place Frogs, he led the team to a 6-17 record including the playoffs for the 2023 season. Carle Place made it to the semis after a first-round playoff series win against Locust Valley but fell to a dominant Seaford team in the second round. With playoff experience on their hands, Coach Laurino is excited about their chances in 2024. “We came out slow to start the season,” Laurino said. “We had a tough non-league schedule but came off strong at the right time of the year. So this year I’m excited and I think we have a good chance to make a run. We’re a team that can make some noise again and go even furth...
Westbury Coming Off Most Successful Season in 20 Years
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. The baseball community within Westbury isn’t vast for a relatively large school. But the baseball turnout has gotten stronger throughout the years and last year was a step in the right direction for Coach Ryan Mulholland in his third year at Westbury. “We had a successful season last year,” said Mulholland. “We had a 9-8 record which was the most wins Westbury baseball has had since 2003. That was a big improvement for us. So that was a testament to our kids and their work ethic.” Westbury started the year 0-8 and won nine straight games to end the season on a high note. That win streak gave some motivation to the Dragons heading into the 2024 season. “You always want to ...
Valley Stream Central Begins New Era Under Head Coach Tino Muscatelli
by Max Edelman Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. After serving the previous two years as an assistant coach of the Valley Stream Central Eagles, new head coach Tino Muscatelli is set to step into the head role for his first year. With a new head coach, and in a new conference, Muscatelli looked back on what was a successful season for his squad last year, and why his team will be joining a new league this year. “Our program was in the county wide last year.” Muscatelli said. “We had success last year, we went 15-4-1. But this year, we’re out of the county wide, back into our regular scheduled league. I’m looking forward to playing against some good teams, and trying to build the program from the bottom up.” Seven starte...
Led by Dynamic 1-2 Punch, Longwood Eyes Deep Postseason Run
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. Elimination game between Longwood and Ward Melville. Winner will advance to face Pat-Med tomorrow in the Conference II Final pic.twitter.com/ufnuXson2z — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 22, 2023 Longwood has become one of the most consistent programs in Suffolk County since Ryan McSherry took over in 2016. Last season was no different as they finished with a 16-8 record and a share of the League I title along with Sachem East and Pat-Med. The playoffs started off extremely well as they defeated Bellport and Ward Melville, before blowing a late lead to Pat-Med and losing, 12-7. Then, they had to face Ward Melville in a rematch on the road, and they lost 3-2 in extra innings. The...
St. Anthony’s Eager to Take Next Step
Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. St. Anthony’s has compiled a record of 25-8 over the past two regular seasons, but they fell short in the playoffs both times. Coach Paul Parsolano, now entering his 5th season with the club, is eager for his club to take that next step to get over the hump and break their championship drought. “The last two years we turned into a whole other team. We’ve been so close the last two years. We feel like the program is finally where we want it to be. I’ve never had this much depth since I’ve been here – at all three levels of the programs. We must be doing something right because more and more players are wanting to be here. I think we are ready to make t...
Locust Valley Enters 2024 With Youthful Team
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. A satisfying finish to the 2023 season for the Locust Valley Falcons left the team with a 12-11 record. Head Coach Brian LoRusso took his team to the playoffs but lost in the first round to Carle Place in a three-game series. Now heading into the 2024 season, LoRusso looks to build off of last year’s success with a young team at its core. “We graduated a large part of our team,” LoRusso said. “We only have three returners this year. Two are sophomores and the other is a senior. We are going to be extremely young but I expect big things from them so we hopefully make the playoffs.” 2023 was a big graduation class for Locust Valley. The Falcons graduated 12 seniors and will...
Oyster Bay Has Sights Set on Winning County Championship
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. Oyster Bay finished 2023 with a record of 11-6 record and a first round bye. Their season ended in the County Semifinals against their league rival Wheatley in extra innings, which was the only team they did not sweep during the season. “We had a pretty good season,” said Oyster Bay head coach Jeff Schiereck. “The only games we lost were to Wheatley. We had a bye in the first round and faced Wheatley in the second and lost. It was disappointing but we’re back and ready for new things.” The Baymen did not have a big graduating class in 2023 but losing All-County player Jonathan Goldschmidt in the infield will play a part in how Schiereck positions his team in the field. “H...
Brentwood Aims For A Stronger 2024 Season
by Mike Merolle Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. It was an underwhelming season on paper for Brentwood as they finished 2023 with a 5-12 record. However, there were positives taken away from it. Head coach Rich Gonzalez is entering his eighth year as head coach and is expecting a better year. “[Last year] we didn’t have as strong a season as we would have liked but it was a productive season in that no matter the circumstances, we finished the season with good chemistry and a good attitude,” Gonzalez told Axcess Baseball. Brentwood’s squad will be led by some key seniors and a junior. Gonzelez mentioned that his captains are seniors Rob Ortiz, Jose Mena, Jaden Rivera, and junior Kevin Fajardo. Gonzalez highlights thi...
Westhampton Beach Primed For A Better Season In 2024
By Mike Merolle Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. Westhampton Beach 5, Hills West 4 WP: Ryan Knieriemen Ryan Knieriemen: 2 for 4, RBI single Frankie Noto: 1 for 3, RBI single Reilly Miller: 1 for 2 pic.twitter.com/6ppG0UZjlT — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 12, 2022 It was a tough season for Westhampton Beach in 2023, finishing the season with a record of 2-18. Sixth-year head coach Asa Grunenwald believes the team’s biggest struggle was finding consistency on the mound. After seasons of development, Grunenwald is excited for the talent this year’s Westhampton Beach brings. Grunenwald has a group of seniors that has been a part of the program for six years. Riley Miller, Nick Rizzo, Kevin Smith, Ethan Selt...
John Romano Ready for First Year as Huntington Head Coach
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. After a 1-19 record during the 2023 season, Huntington’s head coach, Bill Harris, decided to step down. John Romano was named head coach and he is preparing for his first season with the team. “With this being my first year in Huntington, it’s my job to change the entire culture, which we’ve done since day one,” Romano said. Huntington didn’t have a big senior class but they did lose player Matt Gerardi in the process, being the MVP of the team last season. However, as he shifts the culture, Romano has had time to see what kind of baseball players he has and he believes he has a lot of good ones. “When it was time for baseball workouts, you can tell we ...
Bayport-Blue Point Ready to Begin New Era Under Victor Manzella
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. For the past quarter century, Long Island baseball fans could count on Bayport-Blue Point making the postseason. Under longtime coach Jim Moccio, they did so in 25 straight years and won the Class A New York State Championship in 2013 and 2014. He decided to step down following the season, and he is replaced by Victor Manzella, who just led West Babylon to the Class A Long Island Championship, beating Bayport in the County Finals. “Coach Moccio, who had won 383 games and 2 state titles, decided to retire,” Manzella said. “ I happen to live in Bayport Blue-Point, so when the opportunity came up to interview for that position, I took the opportunity and was blessed to get t...
