Paul Gibson
Up Next Powered by State Farm Ken Kortright Agency: JT Bonventre
This is the 18th installment of the Up Next series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured Everett Zarzicki, Brian Brower, Stellan Zangari, Ryan Bush, Bryce Cutrone, Justin Ortiz, Colin Raymond, Jagger Adamo, JD Duffy, Chris Sultana, Matt Zambriski, Tucker Brown, Christian Calabro, Derek & Ryan Yormack, Andrew Poxon, Tristan Garcia and Evan Fallon. Special thanks to State Farm Ken Kortright Agency for sponsoring this year’s series. When it comes to improving as a ballplayer, it always helps to play against older competition. You can find out a lot about yourself when you’re not always the best player on the field. In the case of JT Bonventre, he is still often the best player on the field even when playing up. This past season, he...
Center Moriches Hopes to Build on Championship Appearance
by Mike Merolle Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s season preview series. Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the 7th against undefeated Babylon, Center Moriches has pulled off the improbable comeback and they scored 5 times with the walk-off hit coming off the bat of Gavin DeRosa Game 3 tomorrow ! pic.twitter.com/62mTZYUsgd — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 24, 2023 It was a bittersweet ending to 2023 for Center Moriches. The team made the Suffolk County Class B Championship and led for the majority of the game until Babylon scored on a walk-off, winning the championship 6-5. Nonetheless, it was still a successful season considering Center Moriches’ 10-8 league record and their strong playoff run. Head Coach Paul Gibson is entering his fif...
Center Moriches Reloaded For Next Window of Success
Final: Center Moriches 3, John Glenn 0 WP: Jordan Falco (CG, 2 H, 3 BB, 11 K) Playoff picture still to be determined depending on result of Babylon game pic.twitter.com/12hqVIP4cC — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 11, 2021 When a small-school team has a talented class of players, it’s always important to make the most of it and try to get a league title or, hopefully, a county championship. In the case of Center Moriches, they certainly maximized their window of success, and squeezed a little extra out of it too. The 2018-’19 Red Devils won back-to-back NYS Class B Championships including an undefeated 26-0 record in ’19. From that group, here are where the players wound up: Alec Maag: Adelphi Jordan Falco: Adelphi Matt Alifano: Adelphi (reigning Axcess Player o...
Center Moriches Gears Up For Another Title Defense, Enters Season With 30-Game Win Streak
Center Moriches enters 2021 with a 30-game win streak following their highly-publicized 26-0 season in 2019 and a consecutive Class B New York State Championship. It is a very different looking team, though. They graduated Andres Auffant, Matt Alifano, Brad Sakellarides, Alec Maag and David Falco in 2019 and Rob Copozzi last year. Additionally, Paul Gibson III is entering his first full season as head coach after being promoted from assistant in 2019. They return two Preseason All-Long Island players in RHP Jordan Falco (Adelphi-commit) and SS Leyton Pulsipher (Central Connecticut State-commit). Falco was 6-0 during the 2019 season and they will count on him to anchor the rotation again. Pulsipher started every game as a freshman and now enters as one of the more experienced players on the...
My Favorite Player Growing Up
by Paul Gibson III (Editor’s Note: Paul is the head coach of Center Moriches HS, his alma mater. He was the assistant coach during their back-to-back New York State Class B championships. The following words are his own.) Growing up around the game I was lucky enough to to watch, meet and learn from so many great baseball players. Wade Boggs, Paul O’Neill, Cecil fielder are just a few that come to mind. But when I started to think about who MY favorite player was growing up the answer came to me right away. Of course , this is pretty much as bias as it gets, but my favorite player was and always will be my dad. Of course their are players with more notoriety and accolades, but having this first-hand experience made the choice pretty simple. I always loved the game, so I was as observ...
Paul Gibson III Named New Head Coach of Center Moriches
The two-time defending New York State Class B Champs have a new Head Coach. Paul Gibson III will be the new Head Coach of Center Moriches, according to sources. He replaces Dennis Donovan, who led the Red Devils to an undefeated record of 26-0 this past season in what we deemed to be the greatest team of the decade. “Very fortunate to have been an assistant, teammate and most importantly lifelong friend of Dennis,” said Gibson. He is an absolutely amazing coach and a better role model. I look forward to this opportunity and the continued growth of this storied program.” Gibson was on staff as an assistant last year, so he is familiar with the program. He is also a coach of one of the premier travel organizations on Long Island, Team Beast and is the son of former New York...
Paul Gibson’s Fall Machine League To Begin September 14
With so many young pitchers having their seasons cut short due to injuries or innings limits, travel teams that compete in fall ball have found it increasingly difficult to fill the necessary innings on the mound. To combat this issue, Paul Gibson III and Scott June have put together a “Fall Machine League” which will begin on September 14 and run through October 20. June, Co-Director of the league and a co-owner of All Pro Sports Academy in Bellport, sees this as a great opportunity for middle school and high school hitters to gain roughly 60 at bats prior to the 2017 season coming to a close. He decided to put this together at the recommendation of Paul Gibson, Special Assistant for Pitching Development with the Kansas City Royals, when he noticed how big this concept was bec...
