Manhasset
Q & A With Cole Zaffiro
One of the toughest environments to pitch in college baseball is College Station, TX. The “12th Man” as they are known, are known to be ruthless to the opposition – especially pitchers. Nobody told that to Cole Zaffiro. As a sophomore, all he did was fire four strong innings, allowing 1 ER and striking out five in relief. UPENN won two of three from the Aggies, one of the best teams in the nation. As it turns out, it was a harbinger for things to come as they wound up winning 33 games in a strong season. They built on that the next season, winning 34 games including the Ivy League Championship. The ace of that team was undoubtedly Zaffiro, who led the team with 74.2 IP and struck out 90 batters. The Manhasset native was named first-team All-Ivy League. Fast forward one ye...
Manhasset Looking to Improve in Year 2 Under Anthony Serrapica
by Aaron Diaz Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. Manhasset 13, Valley Stream North 3 W: Theo Zacharia (5 IP, 3 H, 8 Ks) Trey Zaffiro 2-3, HR, 3 RBI Theo Zacharia 1-2, 2 RBI Tyler Hadziyiannis 2 RBI pic.twitter.com/wAB1eB3Rsw — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 18, 2023 2023 was the season of new beginnings for Manhasset and the new head coach Anthony Serrapica. They squeaked into the playoffs by beating Bethpage in the last game of the season. In the playoffs, Manhasset played a close game against Calhoun in their first playoff game, losing 3-0 finishing with a 7-13 record. Now in his second season at the helm, Serrapica is determined to add some spark to his young team in 2024. Calhoun 3, Manhasset 0 WP: Danny...
Manhasset Will Be Relying on Young Core for First Year Head Coach Anthony Serrapica
by Andy Smith Manhasset LHP Theo Zacharia on his CG 11 K performance over Division pic.twitter.com/rMvfIjLWH7 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 20, 2022 Manhasset finished with a 9-14 record last season. The young Indians team is looking to take the next step in their development. First year head coach Anthony Serrapica is prepared for the challenge and is looking forward to putting his stamp and style on the program. Serrapica has been associated with Manhasset for many years now. Serrapica coached the middle school team while in graduate school. His teaching career moved him around to many different schools, but Serrapica always remained connected to Manhasset in some fashion. When the opportunity came up, Serrapica described it as an “easy transition.” “I am extremely excit...
Manhasset LHP Theo Zacharia Fans 11 in Run-Rule Win Over Division
Manhasset LHP Theo Zacharia on his CG 11 K performance over Division pic.twitter.com/rMvfIjLWH7 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 20, 2022 Last year at this time, Manhasset was looking like the best team in Nassau Conference III. They ultimately defeated Division in the semifinals before losing in 3 games to South Side in the finals. Even though this season hasn’t taken on the same trajectory as last, it doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a push. They pulled off a 10-0 run-rule win over previously undefeated Division, who entered with a 10-0 record. Manhasset LHP Theo Zacharia was outstanding – he went the distance, striking out 11, walking none and allowing just two doubles to Elon-commit Joe Yovino. Additionally, Manhasset’s offense was opportunis...
Manhasset Looks to Take That Next Step
by Mike Anderson Several coaches labeled Manhasset as the high school with the best varsity baseball pitching staff in Nassau County last year. That staff led the team to a 16-5 record, and spearheaded their 13-game winning streak going into the county finals. They even won game one, before South Side was able to take games two and three to advance to the LIC. Head Coach Mark Giardino credits not only their pitching staff, but also their team chemistry for their success. “The kids bought into each other. It really didn’t matter who was in the lineup on any given day. Everybody pulled for each other. It’s cliche to say that ‘You’re only as good or successful as the last guy on your bench,’ but that was the truth with us… Everybody knew their role, accepted their role, and excelled in their ...
Recap of Nassau County Semifinals
Yesterday was Game 1 of the Nassau County semifinals for each Conference. I won’t say it was filled with thrilling games (because three of them were run-rules), but it was certainly filled with outstanding individual performances. I bounced around like a mad man from Massapequa to Island Trees to Division. It took until my third stop to find a competitive game so I’m thankful I continued to search. Here’s a breakdown of each: Massapequa 10, Oceanside 0 Carter DeSousa with a walk-off single as Massapequa wins via run-rule 10-0 over Oceanside in Game 1 of the Nassau Conference I semifinals. They’ll be back at it tomorrow for Game 2 pic.twitter.com/zbgu3SYQlc — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 12, 2021 This one was over in the first inning when Massapequa knoc...
Mike Knapp Fans 13, Division Holds Off Manhasset, 3-2
Final: Division 3, Manhasset 2 WP: Mike Knapp (5 IP, 13 K) James Sill had go-ahead RBI single pic.twitter.com/fzPt8dqAHd — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 11, 2021 Inning after inning, Division was able to narrowly hold onto their lead over Manhasset. First starting pitcher Mike Knapp and then reliever Frank Vespa made pitches when their backs were firmly against the wall. They left runners at the corners in the first inning and the third inning, stranded bases loaded in the fourth inning and the sixth inning and runners at 2nd & 3rd in the 7th. They held on by the skin of their teeth by the score of 3-2. Division’s Head Coach Tom Tuttle said that’s what they expect from their staff: “At Division that’s what our pitchers are expected to do – we ta...
Manhasset 2020 Season Preview
Manhasset head coach Mark Giardino is confident heading into the 2020 campaign, in large part because of the work ethic of his team. “Our goal is to get better every day,” he said. “This group is special. When they were on JV they were excellent. Every year they’ve shown more maturity. If we can get better each day – and I think we can – that should put us in contention for a championship. Success is a by-product of hard work and this group is extremely hard working,” he added. They finished 2019 with a record of 14-9, and lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual Class A Champions, Clarke Rams. The group did graduate ace Jay Schlaefer – now the No. 2 pitcher at Hamilton College, Joe LoCurto, Will Allen and Joe Brunetti. Fortunately, the team...
Manhasset Cruises To A 6-2 Victory Over Carey
Jay Schlaefer talks about his team’s dominant performance today and what this win means for Manhasset going forward. pic.twitter.com/IXioK8K9ag — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 15, 2019 Despite the 30 MPH winds, Manhasset brought their “A game” to the ballpark on Monday afternoon as they triumphed to a 6-2 victory over Carey. This marks their first victory of the young season. After being swept by powerhouse Garden City last week, Manhasset wasted no time getting the run support they needed in this one. In the bottom of the first inning, Patrick Jarvis lined a single up the middle to give Manhasset an early 1-0 lead. Jarvis finished the day going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Jay Schlaefer got the start for Manhasset and did a fantastic job of shutting down the...
Led By A Strong Pitching Staff, Manhasset Ready To Cause Havoc In Conference A2
Two times in three years, Manhasset reached the semifinals in Class A. However, in 2017 they experienced difficulties as they finished 4-15. As seen in the past, Manhasset knows how to rebound after a tough year. If all goes right and everyone produces, they can easily make a postseason run in Conference A2. “If we are going to make a playoff run, our pitching is going to carry us,” Head Coach Mark Giardino stated. “We have a very strong and deep staff. If we stay healthy our staff can be dynamic,” he added. The Indians starting rotation consists of returning players that have previous varsity experience. They will be led by Hamilton-commit Jay Schlaefer, who will be the ace. He will be backed up by Will Allen and Cole Zaffiro on the mound. Aside from their returnin...
Previewing the Nassau Class A Semifinals
And then there were four. The first two rounds of playoff baseball in Class A brought rivalry match ups, games that came down to the wire and a ton of upsets. Let’s hope the next round brings the same amount of excitement. With the first week of playoffs in the books, here’s a look at the upcoming best of three series’ in Class A. Division vs. Wantagh: The match up players and fans have been waiting patiently for is finally here. The rivalry between two of the most decorated programs in Nassau County is back, and this time, they will be playing for a trip to the county championship. Before anybody goes and makes any predictions, there are several aspects that need to be highlighted. The first aspect is that the regular season does not matter. Although Division beat Wantag...
