Commack
Get To Know Jack Reardon
When the topic of underrated players come up, there’s a million names you could go with–from those in small schools to someone returning from season-ending injury to players that get overlooked by other high-profile teammates. One name that always comes up is Jack Reardon. The Commack senior transferred from St. Anthony’s, where he was sometimes overshadowed by Division-I teammates to a school with…other Division-I teammates. Even so, rival coaches always point out his bat speed as reason to avoid him in a big spot. He announced his verbal commitment to New Haven last week, adding to the list of Commack players that will go on to play at great collegiate programs. I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say… Can you talk us through you...
The Story of Pete Harnisch: From Commack HS to MLB All Star
When the 1988 Baltimore Orioles set a record for futility by starting the season with a record of 0-21, they were searching for ways to sell tickets by the end of the season. They called on one of their three first round picks–the only one that actually signed with the team–from the previous season. It was a right-handed pitcher out of Fordham University that just finished a decorated collegiate career with a record of 21-3 and a 2.29 ERA. His name was Pete Harnisch, a graduate of Commack HS. “It was a different era,” said Harnisch who made his debut just over a year after signing a pro contract. “They kept moving me up because I was pitching well. It’s not like today where they move guys along slowly so they don’t lose their confidence. The big le...
Busy Week of College Commitments
With the conclusion of the summer season typically comes a flurry of college commitments as players decide where they’d like to continue their baseball playing career and college coaches ready to solidify their next crop of incoming players. This year is no different as the passed weak has featured several players announcing their verbal commitments. Here’s how it went down. Gavin McAlonie (Miller Place) – Molloy College Quick Hit: Raised his stock significantly beginning with his 4-for-4 performance against Shoreham-Wading River back in late April when Aidan Crowley was going for his fourth consecutive no-hitter in front of a huge crowd. Since then, he proved he is an impact player every step of the way especially with his in-game performances with Body Armor. He also th...
Predictions For Suffolk Class AA
The beautiful thing about traveling around to indoor facilities in the winter is that it gives me a chance to see how kids have evolved since last season. Since the Long Island Championship last June, players had additional opportunities to improve their game over the summer and increase their strength over the winter. I feel like with all that being said, I have a pretty good feeling as to who the top players and teams are across Long Island. Today, we will focus on Suffolk Class AA, where many of the top players in our region reside. From a scouting perspective, I’m looking forward to see how those select few players answer the bell and attempt to be this year’s version of Franklin Parra and Logan O’Hoppe on draft day. From a journalistic standpoint, I’m excited t...
MVP Beast Cruises Past Premier Baseball 8-0
Final: MVP Beast 8, Premier Baseball 0 (5-inning mercy) WP: Jake Krzemienski Ristano: 3-for-3, 2 RBI pic.twitter.com/YR8LpE6hIP Axcess Baseball (@axcessbaseball) October 5, 2017 It is not uncommon for Long Island teams to struggle in national tournament against elite teams, especially in a tournament such as Perfect Game‘s WWBA Underclass World Championship. Someone forgot to tell MVP Beast that, as they mercied Premier Baseball, a team from Texas, by the score of 8-0 in five innings. Head Coach Pete Kritikos was not surprised one bit by his team’s performance. “The guys that have been with us since they were 11-years-old just know what to do,” said Kritikos. “And to be honest with you, we’ve been there before. Whether we’ve won or lost, we&...
Insider Notes: May 18
Yesterday, I was at the Hauppauge-Commack match up between two very-accomplished pitchers in Matt Overton (Molloy-commit) and Johnny Pohlman (College of St. Rose). In addition to them, there were a number of talented players on the field. Here’s what I saw from them: Johnny Pohlman– The big RHP is lanky and projectable. He has the chance to fill out and add several MPH to his fastball when he gets to college. They are really banking on that, because his fastball was 78-82 MPH, which is more of a Div-III velocity. However, what he lacks in velocity, he makes up for in gumption and pitchability. Despite walking four of the first seven hitters, he settled in and found his rhythm. He wound up recording nine strikeouts and allowing only two hits. He faced some good hitters, but he r...
Suffolk Class AA Power Rankings
Prior to the season, I wrote up some predictions for Suffolk Class AA based on my observations from the previous season and the improvement I saw from each team in the off season. So far, those predictions are looking pretty good. Here’s the top 10 teams in Suffolk Class AA right now. The obvious limitations to this list is that I’ve been covering games in Nassau and the CHSAA as well, so I haven’t yet gotten to see all the teams in Class AA, but within the next two weeks I should be able to. Here’s my best stab at it. 10) Deer Park (8-4) One of the biggest surprises this year, they have been led by senior Connor Hewlette, who already has four wins and Robert Belotti, who has three. They also have a fairly easy schedule remaining, which gives them a good chance at a...
