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Much like the story of the Weissheier brothers, the Going brothers never intended to play at the same school. In fact, it wasn’t even clear which sport was their best. R.J., the elder of the two, actually began his college career playing baseball at the rival Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire in 2012. After transferring to Suffolk Community College, he decided he really wanted to go away again. “But Cap (Coach Tom Caputo) made Dowling seem like the perfect fit,” he said. “I knew that the year coming in would be a big one–which it was, we won 37 games that year,” he said. R.J. had a tremendous season–he compiled 62 hits, .368 OBP, batted .302, smacked three HR, scored 37 runs, drove in 39 and swiped 25 bases while also contributing tremend...

Photo Credit: Vinny Messana Here’s a quick rundown of some of the recent draftees that hail from, or played their college ball in, Long Island. Max Almonte Age: 23 Team: State College Spikes (A-Short) Key Stats: 0-1, 3.68 ERA, 7.1 IP, 2 K, 1.23 WHIP Steven Ascher Age: 21 Team: Charlotte Stone Crabs (A-Advanced) Key Stats: 7-2, 2.32 ERA, 66.0 IP, 36 Ks, 1.20 WHIP Notes: He has struggled after a 7-0 start, but he is progressing very quickly. High-A ball after only one year in the minors is impressive. Tyler Badamo Age: 23 Team: Brooklyn Cyclones (A-Short) Key Stats: 2-6, 3.75 ERA, 57.2 IP, 51 K, 1.02 WHIP Notes: The record is deceiving–he has pitched very well and received no run support. He should probably be 5-5 based on the independent pitching results and his WHIP and K numbe...

One of the aspects that sets apart a Division-III college from another is their ability to snag the Division-I caliber players that–for whatever reason–have opted to switch schools. That has been a staple of Farmingdale State over the years. They have been able to gather a bevy of players that fit the profile of a Division-I athlete but wind up in the Skyline Conference.  Well, St. Joseph’s was able to grab a player that fit the bill last year in Nick Girardi, who transferred from Manhattan College. He ended up lighting up the conference to the tune of a .383 AVG and .455 OBP–numbers that earned him Player of the Conference. Just recently, they were able to snag lefty pitcher Nick Clemente from the College of St. Rose, who previously played for the University of Rho...

Photo Credit: Spokane Indians Add another name to the list of former Stony Brook stars on the verge of making it to the big leagues. Just two weeks ago, Travis Jankowski was promoted and now it’s catcher Patrick Cantwell–who was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock by the Texas Rangers. Cantwell was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft by the Rangers, shortly before the Sea Wolves magical run to the College World Series. He already had a reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in Long Island history thanks to his days at West Islip high school. Being that he played in League III against my Centereach team, I witnessed him throw out a runner attempting to move to second on a wild pitch. That pitch went all the way to the backstop. His arm is incredibly strong and he ...

Hello everybody and welcome to our third edition of the weekly mailbag. Last week we discussed the golden era of baseball, the baseball equivalent of Deflategate, which program would be in store for a big 2016 and advice for high school athletes deciding on where to take their talents… Without further ado, we’ll dive into the emails for this week and, as always, if you would like to be featured in the August 17th edition, send your email to baseballontheisland@gmail.com. What are some of the things scouts look for when breaking down a pitcher? Kevin, Massapequa Age-23 Great question, because it is one of the things that players have a hard time dealing with when they realize that game results aren’t the be-all, end-all. All I wanted to hear when I performed well was ̶...

Photo Credit: Vinny Messana Winning the Suffolk County Class AA title is a culmination of hours upon hours of hard work and sacrifice coming together that should result in a feeling of elation. Same can be said, plus an even greater sense of satisfaction, for winning the Long Island Championship. Why, then, was 2015 not everything it was supposed to be for Brandon Morse and his championship-winning teammates? Our season was one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I’ve ever been on. We lost one of our best team dads and a brother all within the few weeks of playoffs.  It was devastating on each and every one of us. We went out with the mentality that we no longer had to win for us but win for both Nick and Walter. Every game in the locker room Travis Bruinsma would always play th...

Feeling good, living better. A photo posted by Marcus Stroman (@mstrooo6) on Jul 29, 2015 at 3:57am PDT Two of Long Island’s finest pitching prospects in history, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz, have combined for two starts in 2015–both by Matz. That is about to change very soon, as both players have began their throwing program with hopes of coming back in the first week of September. “I will be back 100%,” he told me this week. Stroman’s father told us the plan was for an August return but that appears unrealistic at this point. His first throwing session was earlier this week, as was Steven Matz. Stroman, unlike Matz is a very outgoing and engaging figure. He makes his life very public via social media. If you follow him on Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat yo...