Mike Ruggiero
Smithtown East Season Preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWmVPt6rH-k There’s been few teams that have won at a higher clip than Smithtown East since 2015. The Bulls have won 53 games over the past three seasons but had their hopes dashed by the Suffolk Class AA champs in both 2015 (Connetquot) and 2016 (West Islip). Last year, they had another successful season but ran into a dominant pitching rotation in No. 1 Ward Melville that shut them out in consecutive games by the scores of 6-0 and 3-0. “We beat the first game and we just needed to beat them one of the next two games,” said Head Coach Ken Klee. “We didn’t score a run–they were just better than us. Their pitching is very good,” he added. Fortunately for the Bulls, they have one of the most talented and deepest pitchi...
Axcess League MVPs Honored at Battle of the Border
During the seventh inning stretch of today’s Battle of the Border, we honored the high school aXcess baseball League MVPs during a ceremony. Below is a list of the winner’s from each conference: Nassau County: A1: Bobby Lewis, MacArthur A2: Tyler DeMeo, Carey A3: Jimmy Joyce, Wantagh A4: Nick Tuzzio, Lynbrook A5: A.J. Cain, Seaford AA1: Brendan McFall, Oceanside AA2: Mark Faello, Plainview-JFK Suffolk County: League 1: Brad Malm, Pat-Med League 2: Pete Theodorellis, Commack League 3: Mike Ruggiero, Smithtown East League 4: Greg Tsouprakos, West Islip League 5: Matt Overton, Hauppauge League 6: James Weisman, Rocky Point League 7: Brian Morrell, Shoreham-Wading River League 8: Kenneth Gordon, Babylon League 9: Luke Hansen, Southold
Ward Melville takes a must-win game from Smithtown East, 6-0.
Sophomore pitcher Ethan Farino made only his second start of the season for the Ward Melville Patriots (19-3), but he threw a CG shutout gem in their 6-0 win over Smithtown East. The Patriots came out hungry for a win after a short rainstorm yesterday forced both teams to pack it in and continue the game today. WM scratched a run across before the rain rolled through and picked up right where they left off. “Smithtown East has had our number for the past two years; they came back and beat us in the seventh inning last Wednesday, so we knew we had a tough road ahead,” said WM head coach Lou Petrucci. “Ethan Farino, sophomore, is a great competitor; that was his second start of the year and he came up big time for us.” RHP Farino and his deceptive three-quarter delivery kept a strong SE line...
Smithtown East Loaded With Div-I Talent
You can typically look at a team’s JV record and get an idea of how the varsity team will fare the next season. If that’s the case, Smithtown East could be in store for a special season in 2017. Their JV team compiled a 17-1 record last year, and Head Coach Ken Klee will have no shortage of arms to throw out this year. “This is by far the most pitching depth we’ve ever had,” he said. “The sophomores alone may have seven Div-I players,” he added. Many of those are pitchers. Doug Goodwin (4-1, All-League as a freshman on varsity last year), Nick Harvey, Michael Storms and William Kennedy are four high-end arms from the sophomore class alone. They all played for Gregg Sarra’s vaunted HDMH team. And then there’s the upperclassmen. Lead...
