Archive
Matt Overton Commits to Molloy
by Vinny Messana One of the big reasons Hauppauge has won back-to-back League V titles is their balance. While many people assumed Nick Fanti was the reason for their 17-1 season in 2015, it’s important to remember that sophomore first baseman Matt Overton was a terrific player on that team. This past season, he was every bit as crucial to their successful season. Today he verbally committed to Molloy College, the first of two important commitments that they received from 2017 graduates on Long Island (Jacob McCarthy). I had a chance to speak with Overton and here’s what he had to say… First off congratulations on the commitment–can you speak a little about the process and why you chose Molloy? The recruiting process was a very short one for me. It was actually pret...
Recap of Week 6 of the New York Baseball Academy at Hofstra
by Vinny Messana This week concluded the 41st year of the New York Baseball Academy. The annual camp was a tremendous success highlighted by special appearances from former professional players (Pat Lennon, Matt Giuliano, Dave & Matt Lemanczyk, Mike Gaffney, Brian Dorsey, Reid Gorecki, etc.) with Long Island roots. Just as importantly, however, was the experience for the young ballplayers who were able to improve their ballgame while having a great time in the process. This week the morning clinics were run by current LIU Post Head Coach Mike Gaffney, current Hofstra Head Coach John Russo and legendary NYIT Head Coach Bob Hirschfield. As always, a bevy of different awards were handed out. Below are the winners of the coveted “Super Hustler Award”–given to the players that...
Adelphi Reaping the Benefits of Kevin Salmon’s Presence
by Vinny Messana Over the past half a dozen seasons, the Adelphi Panthers have had five different pitching coaches. They appear to have found their answer with the current coach, Kevin Salmon. In his first year in charge of the staff, the Panthers ERA decreased from 4.60 to 3.71. That in itself is a reflection on him, but the real value may be in the intangibles he brings to the table. Salmon, a former professional pitcher that played his high school ball at Brentwood and collegiately for Briarcliffe and Coastal Carolina, has had a calming effect on the staff. All the pitcher’s spoke glowingly of their experiences with him and are excited to work with him once again. I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say… What are your fondest memories of growing ...
Recap of Week 5 of the New York Baseball Academy at Hofstra
by Vinny Messana, Editor Long Island baseball has never been better represented across Major League Baseball than it is right now. The bar has been raised high to become a great player and if you don’t want to fall behind you have to put the work in. Over the past five weeks, close to 1,000 players have walked onto Hofstra University’s baseball field and taken part of the famous New York Baseball Academy–which is now in its 41st year. It was another tremendous week of baseball, filled with 210 players–headlined by some of the brightest baseball players on the island, including Matt Pelcher of Calhoun and the younger brother of Marcus Stroman. This week featured morning clinics from Hofstra’s Head Coach John Russo, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Tyler K...
Andrew Misiaszek Primed to Become Next Great Long Island Southpaw
by Vinny Messana, Editor It was only a couple months ago that Anthony Kay set the Long Island baseball community ablaze by getting selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the MLB Draft. The ink has barely dried on the contract, and already there’s buzz regarding another great southpaw from Long Island. It’s time to get familiar with Andrew Misiaszek–Southside ’15 grad and current LHP for Northeastern University. The southpaw played a major role in the Huskies’ 31-win season. He fired 52.0 innings as a freshman, allowing only 45 hits while striking out 53 batters. He won five games and figures to be in the weekend rotation next season. Additionally, there’s a strong chance he will be playing in the prestigious Cape Cod league aga...
Recap of Week 4 of the New York Baseball Academy at Hofstra
by Vinny Messana It was yet another fun-filled week of baseball at the New York Baseball Academy. There were 210 kids eager to learn from a coaching staff that has decades and decades of experience and have taught some of the top players this region has ever seen. The players had the fortune of learning from a couple of special guests. Dave Lemanczyk (1979 A.L. All Star) imparted his wisdom on the young men in an insightful morning clinic and also gave batting instructions at the cages all day on Wednesday. Former Long Island Ducks pitcher and LI native Brian Dorsey was in charge of the pitching specials on Tuesday and also gave a fascinating speech during his clinic. In addition to learning a great deal, many of the players had awards bestowed upon them. More important than the skill-base...
Who is Matt Pelcher?
by Vinny Messana, Editor Usually when you hear baseball fans rave about an 8th grader you take it with a grain of salt. He’s good for his age? Big deal. Every once in a while, however, the hype is warranted. The hyperbole is not overstated. When it comes to Calhoun’s Matt Pelcher–there might not be enough endearing terms. “As a player for his age he’s just a freak,” said his summer coach. “Probably the best catcher in his age group.” And it’s probably not close. Pelcher hit .286 and threw out 40 percent of base stealers on varsity as an eighth grader for a playoff team that won 15 games and had an All-Long Island pitcher in Dylan Hughes and a 5-game winner in Jake Garguilo. It is no small task to put up strong offensive numbers while al...
Matt Buckshaw Bucks the Trend
by Vinny Messana Sometimes a change of scenery is the best fit. For a player like Matt Buckshaw–who has already dealt with quite a bit of adversity in his career–this was the case. He initially displayed his intestinal fortitude two years ago by overcoming two debilitating injuries on the field and still earning a spot on Stony Brook’s squad. Now, he’s showing some of the same courage and making a shift to a less prominent baseball institution, but one that could benefit his post-baseball career. While his story may go beyond the typical coverage here at BOTI, it sends a positive message to college athletes that pursuing a career that suits you can be more crucial than the glamour of playing at a Div-I program. I had a chance to speak with Buckshaw and here’s ...
Recap of Week 3 of New York Baseball Academy at Hofstra
by Vinny Messana The New York Baseball Academy has been home to some of the top young talent in the northeast over the past 40 years. That–combined with a coaching staff that features former professional players and some of the most recognizable and respected baseball minds–has allowed the NYBA to be named one of the top five baseball camps in the country. This week just concluded Week 3 at Hofstra. The camp had over 200 kids between the ages of 7 and 17. They were fortunate enough to get coaching from 12-year big league veteran and Long Island native, John Habyan. After building up the St. John the Baptist program to being one of the elites on the island, he became the pitching coach of Hofstra this past year. Another special guest was Kellenberg-grad and former big leaguer Re...
Recap of Week 2 of New York Baseball Academy at Hofstra
by Vinny Messana For 40 years, kids ages 5-15 have made their way to the New York Baseball Academy to develop their skills and learn from some of the brightest minds and most recognizable names in the Long Island baseball community. The director of the academy, legendary former NYIT coach Bob Hirschfield, has recently moved the camp to the beautiful campus of Hofstra University. The 240-acre campus is the perfect environment for young baseball players to hone their craft of the game they love. This week was a tremendous success once again. Former MLB slugger Patrick Lennon and longtime Mineola Head Coach Helms Bohringer were the special instructors along with the usual Head Coaches, who all have had successful playing careers and combine for decades and decades of experience between them. ...
Q & A With Nicholas Trabacchi
by Vinny Messana It was another tremendous season for Smithtown West. They finished the season with a record of 20-5 before getting defeated by Northport in the Class AA semifinals. A big reason for the success was the superb season of junior Nicholas Trabacchi. On Saturday, he committed to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County–a Div-I program that competes in the America East. I had a chance to speak with the 2017 graduate and here’s what he had to say. First off, congratulations on the commitment to UMBC–can you talk a little about the process and how you came to your decision? It was a long process, but definitely an enjoyable one. Everything started to pick up for me in the fall of my junior year. The majority of the schools that showed mutual interest were in ...
Home Run Derby: Who Would Win a Long Island Showdown?
by Vinny Messana With the 2016 MLB Home Run Derby set to take place tomorrow night in San Diego–it got me thinking: who would win if only current Long Island players took place? Assuming the game took place on a typical college field with dimensions of 330 ft down the lines and 400 ft to center with 375 in the gaps, here are a few names of participants (with their schools and their next academic year) that would put on a show… Nick Balfe-Freshman, SUNY Old Westbury Here’s a player that has received less publicity than the others but he had a breakout senior season for North Babylon this year and he smacked five HR for the Bulldogs. He is staying on Long Island to play his collegiate ball at Old Westbury. He fits the profile of a power-hitting corner infielder. He is a pur...
