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Up Next Powered By The Yard Sports Academy: Matt Gileno
Tucked away on the north shore of Long Island is Cold Spring Harbor. The reigning Class B Nassau County Champs had an outstanding season going 19-5 but still remain on the periphery when it comes to consistently dominant programs. When researching players for this series, I try to find players that haven’t generated a ton of buzz yet but will soon. This players’ coach told me “I have the perfect player to recommend, I know for a fact you haven’t heard of him yet, but you will.” As a 7th grader playing in middle school, Matt Gileno‘s numbers were off-the-charts. He batted .613 with a .688 OBP. He threw a no-hitter against an 8th grade team. During the summer against better competition, he batted .426 with 4 HR and drew 27 walks since pitcher...
Up Next Presented by The Yard Sports: Jayden Stroman
(We are bringing back our popular series called ‘Up Next’ in which we highlight the next crop of stars on Long Island. All the players have been recommended by coaches and none of them have played at the varsity level yet. We can confidently say that they will soon be. First up is Marcus Stroman’s younger brother, Jayden. This segment is sponsored by The Yard Sports Academy. Check them out here. ) Most 12-year-olds spend their summers playing video games with friends or riding their bikes. But most 12-year-olds don’t have an older brother that’s an established Major Leaguer. Jayden Stroman gets to enjoy the perks not often associated with being a middle schooler. Getting to hang out on the field current Major League superstars such as Alex Bregman, Vladimir Gu...
Up Next: Evan Virno
2018 got off to an ominous start for Bellport’s varsity team. Just one year after being crowned co-champs with West Islip and Deer Park in League 4 for the first time in their 50+ year history, they were at risk of missing the postseason late in the season. They needed to win all three to qualify for a postseason berth. Miraculously, they won all three, including a walk-off victory over Hills West on a hit by Brennan Beatrice. Despite losing in the first round against Bay Shore, the next few years should be rather prosperous for Bellport. With several returning players and a strong JV team, they could make some noise once again this season. One player that is perhaps a year away from contributing on varsity but is in the pipeline is Evan Virno. The ninth grader is coming off an outst...
Up Next: Nick Farnacci
(Editor’s Note: This is the 10th profile of our Up Next Series which highlights the top middle school and JV kids on Long Island. We are approaching the end of the series. Once January 1 arrives, we will be full swing in terms of high school and college baseball season.) Plate coverage is a lot art. With the proliferation of the “three-true outcomes” (home run, strikeout, walk), players are foregoing the approach they learned in Little League in favor of what they see on the MLB Network. Besides the fact that very few youth players possess the type of power to hit the ball over the fence, it also is not conducive to a team-mentality. When a young player embraces the old-school approach of small-ball, it is a breath of fresh air. 14-year-old Nick Farnacci is an interesting...
Up Next: Ryan Muskopf
While working at the renowned New York Baseball Academy (NYBA) camp at Hofstra during the summer of 2016, I was in charge of working with Group 5 one week. This is for younger players, typically fifth or sixth grade. Most of the players have potential but are very raw and have plenty to work on. One player that caught my eye was young Ryan Muskopf. Then in fifth grade, he was easily one of the best players in the camp and was well beyond his years in terms of talent. The camp ends each summer in mid-August and it’s up to the players to continue to work on what they learn. In many cases, the players will really take that experience and grow from it. They will continue to develop and sometimes you end up hearing about these players later. Muskopf is that player. While conducting resear...
Up Next: Taj Farmer
We’ve spent some time discussing the Catholic League this off-season, specifically the two programs with new Head Coaches; St. Dominic and St. Anthony’s. To me, the latter of which is the favorite to capture the CHSAA title this season. One player that likely won’t factor in this season–but certainly in the near future–is ninth grader Taj Farmer. Born Tajjiddin Farmer, he is coming off one of the types of seasons that turns heads. He batted .430 with 55 hits (27 extra-base hits) and 72 RBI. I had the chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say… Who are some players in Major League Baseball that you try to emulate? Miguel Cabrera is currently my favorite player because of his approach and success at the plate. Also Mike Trout, for his all...
Up Next: Cristino Tufano
Playing in a small-school district such as Babylon has its inherent challenges in regards to getting noticed. In such cases, a player must often generate buzz from summer ball. That has been the case with Cristino Tufano. The 13-year-old is coming off a monster season with the Camelot Knights. His season, along with the fact that the school has a smaller enrollment gives him an opportunity to move up to varsity as an eighth-grader this season. This past season, he batted .472 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI. He also performed on the mound, with his high-octane fastball. He fired a no-hitter during the Columbus Day tournament as well as throwing a shutout in Cooperstown against California. I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say… What has been your most excit...
Up Next: Dylan Banner
Typically a sign of future success for a varsity baseball program is the record of their JV team. We have seen this time-and-time again with perennial powerhouses such as West Islip, Massapequa and Shoreham-Wading River who typically have the same type of dominance on the JV-level as they do on varsity. With that being the case, there is plenty of reason for optimism for Plainview-JFK. Despite graduating many of their impact players from the back-to-back conference winning teams of 2017-’18, their JV team went 15-3 last season led by Dylan Banner, who was in 8th grade. The 6’1 175 lb SS/RHP (who wears a size 15 shoe) is undoubtedly a player to watch for the next four seasons. While playing for the vaunted Body Armor Titans, he posted these numbers over 78 games: .386 AVG, 33 HR...
Up Next: Connor Schramm
Commack is in the midst of a pretty good run. After winning their first Suffolk County AA title in 2017 since 1997, they followed that up with another League II title and an appearance in the final four. Success tends to lead to more success, especially when the middle schoolers are exposed to a winning program and strive to be part of the next championship. Scouts will spend lots of time there this season with the presence of reigning Silver Slugger winner and TCU-commit Tim McHugh who is among the top hitters in the region. Once he graduates in June, who’s the next player that could potentially garner some headlines? Eighth grader Connor Schramm is making a case already to be that guy. Coming off a 2018 season in which he put up video game numbers, he is a tough one to ignore. Acco...
Up Next: Shaun McMillan
One of the main reasons Beast United has compiled a record of 83-12-4 over the past two seasons is the presence of Shaun McMillan. Prior to coming to the Beast, he played with Camelot Knights and was a home run hitting machine–crushing 31 and driving in 123 runs over 109 games with them. Despite being the youngest player on the team, he has made his impact felt in a big way contributing as the No. 4 hitter, catcher and also on the mound. “As the youngest player on our team, he has a very mature style of play, he always shows up ready to work hard. He is a big part of our pitching staff and lineup,” said his Head Coach James Labartino. He is currently at the Progressive School of Long Island in Merrick, which does not field a baseball team. The family is still deciding whi...
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