TJ 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...