Half Hollow Hills West
Where Are They Now Powered by The BK7 Brand: Rob Rizzo
(Editor’s Note: This is second installment of the “Where Are They Now” series in which we highlight standout players from previous generations. Last week, we highlighted Kyle Gelling of West Islip.) Getting to play baseball professionally is a dream for just about every kid that ever steps foot on a field. Half Hollow Hills West alum Rob Rizzo had finished up his collegiate career at Lynn University in Boca Raton when his head coach called him asking if he wanted to play overseas in Italy. Rizzo did not hesitate to say yes. He hopped on a flight and played baseball in the Serie A1 League for 3 months until the season ended. With that, his career ended with what he called a “three month vacation in Italy.” It was a soft landing to his career which had included ...
Hills West Looks to Put “Disappointing” 2022 Behind Them
by Nick Cipolla 6’5 Clemson-commit Justin LeGuernic (Hills West 2023) was up to 92 mph last season. Low arm slot generates plenty of arm side run pic.twitter.com/IT9yQKiqGJ — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 8, 2023 Half Hollow Hills West has been one of the most consistent programs on Long Island over the past couple decades. Last season was a step back as they finished 7-11, missing the postseason. Head Coach Tom Migliozzi, who has won over 400 games, was very open about his team’s performance when he spoke to Axcess Baseball for their preseason preview. “Last season was uncharacteristic and disappointing for Hills West Baseball”, said coach Migliozzi, “We only had three seniors on the team last year, we were a junior heavy team and the three seniors we had weren’t nec...
Where Are They Now: T.J. Pecoraro
In 2009, Centereach was experiencing a renaissance, enjoying their best season in 18 years. Entering the postseason as the No. 5 seed, surely they would be in position to advance into the winner’s bracket of Suffolk Class AA. As luck would have it, they were stuck facing No. 12 ranked Half Hollow Hills West, a team led by ace T.J. Pecoraro. Centereach matched their ace up against the hard-thrower. It turned out to be a classic game with Hills West winning 4-3 in 10 innings in front of a packed crowd. I remember this game vividly because I was starting opposite of Pecoraro. Even in the midst of the greatest season of my life, I had a feeling we weren’t going to beat the future MLB Draft pick. Hills West also happened to have a really good offense and they were able to take an ea...
