Ben Brown
Ben Brown on Getting Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies
(Ben is a 2017 graduate of Ward Melville HS. He just finished up a tremendous season in which he led the Patriots to the League I title and an appearance in the Suffolk Count semifinals. He compiled a record of 5-1 with 67 K over 40 IP while allowing only 17 hits. Today he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 33rd round of the 2017 MLB Draft. The following words are his own.) So, in the weeks leading up to the draft, I knew I had a chance of having my name selected–I was invited to a few pre-draft workouts but I decided to go to the Twins and Phillies ones. They were both great experiences and there were a lot of draft picks there. I knew there was no shot I would go in the top 10 rounds, but I had an idea that I would go today but I had no clue which round or which team&#...
Which Players From Long Island Could Get Drafted? Part 2
Back in January, we did the first part of this series. I promised there would be a Part 2, and here it is. This is based off of my observations and the opinions of the local scouts. Rob Andreoli (LIU Post) The ECC Player of the Year was spectacular from day 1. He compiled 73 hits, walked more times (24) than he struck out (22) and was successful on 22 of 26 stolen base attempts. Despite hitting leadoff, he was able to drive in 44 runs and launch five home runs. He is 6’2″and plays a terrific center field as well–leading the team in outfield assists with six. He did battle an injury towards the end of the season that compromised his speed, but he continued to play at a high level. Ben Brown (Ward Melville) As I stated yesterday, Ben returned to the mound after a serious ap...
West Islip Advances to Class AA Finals With 5-1 Victory Over Ward Melville
Final: West Islip 5, Ward Melville 1 WP: Tom Gatto (complete game) West Islip advances to face Commack in Class AA finals pic.twitter.com/64j8cplbbn aXcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) May 26, 2017 Plenty of obstacles have stood in the way of West Islip this season. To this point, none have been able to hinder their success. Despite graduating a number of impact seniors last year, losing a pre-season aXcess Top 30 player to season-ending injury, dealing with two other playoff teams in their own league and now facing one of the top pitchers in the county in Ben Brown, they have passed every challenge with flying colors. They won two of three from No. 1 seed Ward Melville, 5-1, behind a complete game gem from Tom Gatto to advance to the finals where they will face No. 2 Commack. “...
Neal Heaton: Who Are the Top 3 Arms in the Class of 2017?
I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of great pitchers over the years. The group of arms in the 2017 class gives them all a run for their money. Here are my top three based on what I’ve seen. Brian Morrell (Shoreham-Wading River, Notre Dame-commit) The thing I like about Brian Morrell is he pounds the strike zone. Electric arm and his curveball is flat-out nasty–it’s a knuckle-curve. Change up is way above average and of course, his velocity is 88-92 AVG. He’s a competitor, and he’s also a great hitter. 2. Ben Brown (Ward Melville, Siena-commit) Tremendous work ethic. Fastball anywhere from 88-91 MPH with a great overhand curveball and great change up. He pounds the strike zone too and he’s a very tough competitor. Being 6̵...
Two No-Hitters and a Bunch of Gems Highlight a Day of Pitching Dominance on Long Island
When the aces take the hill, the offenses tend to go dormant. That was the theme today as Brian Morrell (Shoreham-Wading River ’17, Notre Dame-commit) and Josh Rovner (Pat-Med ’17, Adelphi-commit) both fired no-hitters, while Ben Brown (Ward Melville ’17, Siena-commit) and Brian Morrisey (Commack ’17, Stony Brook-commit) fired two-hit shutouts with double-digit Ks. This year is especially heavy on power-throwing right-handed pitchers and you can also throw Nic Luc (Farmingdale ’17, Adelphi-commit) and Nicholas Trabacchi (Smithtown West ’17, UMBC) to the mix who both fired gems today Brown has been close to perfect this year. Through three starts, he is yet to allow a run and has fanned 30. It will be a fas...
Ward Melville Not Taking Anyone Lightly in League I
Ward Melville has been a Suffolk County powerhouse since Head Coach Lou Petrucci took over in 2007. The effervescent skipper is not one to take credit for that success, though. “Like the great Jimmy Leyland said, ‘A great coach has great players”, he said. They have certainly had some sensational players in recent memory. They’ve had two Carl Yastrzemski Award winners in A.J. Nunziato (2007) and Steven Matz (2009) and two Paul Gibson Award winners in Anthony Kay (2013) and Joe Flynn (2015). But Petrucci said they will not be taking anyone lightly this year with the level of competition across League I. “Sachem East will shock everyone this year–mark my words.” He added that teams like Pat-Med, Brentwood, Longwood and Lindenhurst have legit players ...
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