2024 Season Previews
Riverhead Expects Major Improvement In 2024
by Mike Merolle Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. Riverhead 2, Longwood 1 Mark Gajowski threw a complete game 2 hitter. He brought a no hitter into the 7th inning. 0 earned runs, 6 K’s, 2 walks. Senior Luke Pilon went 2-3 at the plate with a key RBI. pic.twitter.com/ek1ThaNPXc — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 27, 2023 The 2023 season did not go as planned for Riverhead. The team finished with a record of 1-19. It was head coach Kevin Kerman’s first season taking over the role but he sees the positives in a season of negatives. “In an extremely competitive league, we had a disappointing season last year. We are going to use that season as motivation to push this group forward to improve. We have to work extr...
Whitman Looks To Compete For League Title In 2024
by Mike Merolle 🚨 Upset Alert Whitman 8, Commack 7 WP Jaden Grose (4.1P 6Ks) Paul McNally 3-4 HR Johnathan Matthew 2-3 rbi Kevin Brown 1-3 2rbi pic.twitter.com/1SvvIlyRfB — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 26, 2023 Whitman is poised to redeem themselves in the playoffs in 2024. After finishing the regular season with a 13-7 record, the team came up short in two close postseason games. In their first playoff game in 2023, Whitman led by the score of 4-1 with four outs to go but Smithtown West rallied and stole the win. In their second game, Whitman lost 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning to West Islip. Keith Barrett is entering his 12th season as Whitman’s head coach and he’s confident that this year’s squad can make it a special one. “This year, we’re basically looking to t...
William Floyd Hungry to Make Noise in League I
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. William Floyd: 9, Sachem North: 8, (9 innings) WP: Austin Panettieri: 3.0 ip 1H 0R 3K Jayden Zayas: 3R HR Cherokee Smothergill: 2-4 1rbi pic.twitter.com/bfw5lBe7lj — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 25, 2023 William Floyd struggled in their campaign during the 2023 season finishing with a 8-10 record. However, with some key returners, they are poised to make a push for the playoffs in the 2024 season. “We ended the season at 8-10, we won our last three games of the year and we were in the mix for that playoff spot but unfortunately we didn’t do enough good things to get there,” said head coach Keith Kobasiuk. William Floyd made the playoffs in 2022, where they e...
Hills East Looks To Reach Playoffs In 2024
by Mike Merolle (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) Hills East plans for a better year in 2024 after finishing 6-12 last season and missing out on the playoffs. The Thunderbirds finished 10-10 in the season prior. Head coach Tim Belz intends to turn things around in his 16th year managing Hills East. “Our league is very good. Every week is going to be a tough matchup for us. We’re going to have to come out and play our best baseball,” said Belz in an interview with Axcess Baseball. Belz has been dealt tough cards. Hills East’s varsity squad has the “lightest number” of varsity players this year than he’s ever had. This makes team depth one of Belz’s concerns coming into the season. He plans to rely on his team leaders...
Led by 14 Seniors, Hauppauge Poised for Playoff Run
by Max Edelman (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) Hauppauge freshman Tucker Brown ripping a go-ahead 2-R single in the bottom of the 6th to break a 6-6 tie against Hills West in a first round playoff game. Hauppauge hung on to win 8-6 pic.twitter.com/M48yI1Jqqt — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 14, 2024 Entering his 10th season as the head coach of the Hauppauge Eagles, head coach Josh Gutes looked back at a season that included a 14-9 overall record (13-7 league), as well as a playoff victory. Gutes looked back on what he considered a strong season for his team. “Last year went well.” Gutes said. “We won a playoff game against Half Hollow Hills West. We got eliminated two games later by Kings Park. But in...
Pat-Med Looking to Build on Last Year’s Class AA County Finals Appearance
by Aaron Diaz (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) 🚨 Upset Alert 🚨 Final: Pat-Med 3, Connetquot 2 WP: Jack Costello (CG, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 2 Ks) Rob Melo: RBI single Jack Costello: sac fly Bryan Frascogna: RBI single Pat-Med will play the winner of Ward Melville-Longwood on Saturday pic.twitter.com/T6NLwIJdH6 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 17, 2023 Patchogue-Medford finished with an 18-8 record and is always in the conversation when playing playoff baseball in May. Last year’s County Finals appearance was no different. They ran into an exceptional Commack team, however, that halted their championship aspirations. “We got pretty far last year and made it to the County Finals,” said Patchogue-Medford head coach ...
Led by One of Top Pitchers in the League, Northport Hopeful to Return to Playoffs
by Max Edelman (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) John DeMartini received the Bill Batewell Man of the Year Award – presented by current Northport head coach Sean Lynch, who played for Bill Batewell at Sachem HS pic.twitter.com/oP5tvbxGwD — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 13, 2023 Northport is fresh off an 11-7 season that saw tough playoff losses to Lindenhurst and North Babylon. They looking to return to playoff success in 2024. Head coach Sean Lynch, who is entering his 5th year as head coach of the Northport Tigers, looked back on last season and his team. “We had a great group of guys.” Lynch said. “Just awesome team chemistry, we just played very well as a team together, everybody had their own di...
St. Joseph’s Seeking Three-Peat in Skyline Conference
(Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) From 2008-2014 the Skyline Conference went through Farmingdale State College as the Rams captured 7 consecutive titles. Since that time. St. Joseph’s LI has won it four times, while no other program has won it more than once. 2015 – Old Westbury 2016 – St. Joseph’s 2017 – Maritime 2018 – St. Joseph’s 2019 – Farmingdale 2020 – N/A 2021 – Merchant Marine Academy 2022 – St. Joseph’s 2023 – St. Joseph’s Tom Caputo took over as Head Coach following the 2022 season, and he led them to a 30-11 season, as they defended their title and made another appearance in the NCAA Regionals. Following the season, his mes...
Valley Stream North Focusing on Fundamentals as They Look to Bounce Back
by Aaron Diaz (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) Valley Stream North 10 Floral Park: 0 WP: Chris Manzi (PERFECT GAME, 10 K) Joe Gisonda was 2-2 with a 2-run HR and 4 runs. pic.twitter.com/SRoiofKZFM — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 29, 2019 After missing the playoffs in 2023, the Valley Stream North Spartans look to rebound with a full pitching staff to get back to their program success. “Last year was a difficult year for us,” said Valley Stream North head coach Phil Sanfilippo. “We got off to a poor start against some excellent teams and we dug ourselves a massive hole and missed the playoffs.” Now looking onward to 2024 in his 14th year, Sanfilippo and the assistant coaches James Casella and Daniel Lod...
Long Beach Returns Several Key Players as They Eye a Return to the Playoffs
by Mike Merolle (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) Long Beach 4, New Hyde Park 2 WP: Dylan Cantwell (complete game, 4 hits, 1 ER, 8 strikeouts) pic.twitter.com/M249yTzNJ6 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 10, 2023 Last season didn’t go as planned for Long Beach as the team went 7-10-1 with a quick exit in the playoffs. Head Coach Jason Zizza expects a better outcome this time around with some changes in the roster. A key player that Long Beach lost to graduation last year is RHP/OF Jake Scafa (2023). He currently plays for Francis Marion University in South Carolina. Scafa was a four-year varsity player for Zizza. In his 13th season as the head coach, Zizza understands how to adjust when players come and go...
Bellport Looks To Succeed With Young Roster In 2024
by Mike Merolle (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) Final: Bellport 7, Newfield 0 WP: Danny Rubin (CG shutout, 6 Ks) pic.twitter.com/aRKqeZR4bN — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 13, 2023 The Bellport Clippers once again finished with 10 wins (10-10 record) in their schedule last season. However, head coach Joe Murphy’s team this year has an entirely different look than last year’s. Bellport will play with zero seniors in 2024. “It will be a very challenging year in the sense that we don’t have any seniors on the squad. I only have two returning players from last year’s squad that are going to be juniors. The rest of the squad will have to come from juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, they will be very young ...
Wheatley Looks To Reach Finals Again In 2024
by Mike Merolle (Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series.) In his first year as head coach for Wheatley, David Burke led the team to the Nassau County Class B Finals. It came down to a one-run game where Seaford only allowed one hit and prevailed. Although Seaford came out on top, it was still a season full of positives for Burke and the Wheatley Wildcats. The site of Game 1 of the Nassau County Class B Finals between Seaford (20-1) and Wheatley (19-6). First pitch coming up at 4:30 pic.twitter.com/mTBGROwkZv — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 25, 2023 “The season went how I expected. I expected to be competitive and to be in the hunt for a county championship, but we just came up one run short,” said Burke. Burke is...
