Where are they now
Where Are They Now Powered by BK7 Brand: Jack Piekos
In 2013-’14, there was no team more dominant than Bayport-Blue Point and on that team, there was no more dominant player than Jack Piekos. The Phantoms became the first Suffolk County program to capture back-to-back State Championships (that has since been duplicated by Center Moriches). They went a perfect 27-0 in 2013 and followed that up by defending their crown and winning it again in 2014. Piekos was the biggest reason for that success. The menacing left-handed pitcher won every award you can – League VII MVP, All-County, All-Long Island, All-State, Class A Player of the Year, Fred Biangardi Playoff MVP, MSG Varsity Pitcher of the Year, All-Northeast Honor from Perfect Game and 2x Paul Gibson Award winner. With a fastball touching 90 MPH and an unflappable demeanor, he committed to t...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Randy Leek
1 earned run in 78 innings. That’s not a typo that’s what MacArthur LHP Randy Leek posted in 1995 while winning the Diamond Award – given to the top pitcher in Nassau County. His minuscule ERA of 0.09 ranks fourth all-time in the New York State record books. Despite that level of dominance, it was actually the year before that generated more headlines, as he was part of one of the best high school teams in Long Island history. But before that’s we’ll turn back the clock. Early Days Randy Leek was born and raised in Levittown, NY. His father, Rick Leek, was a baseball coach and actually coached at MacArthur HS prior to current legendary coach Steve Costello. He was huge Met fan and he cited Gregg Jeffries as he favorite player. Later on in life, he met Gregg an...
Where Are They Now: T.J. Pecoraro
(Editor’s Note: This story was originally posted in December, 2019. We will be resuming the “Where Are They Now?” Series this offseason) 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 feel...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Greg Marino
(Editor’s Note: This is the eighth installment of “Where Are They Now” Powered by the BK7 Brand. You can check out the previous seven by clicking here. In this edition, we catch up with Greg Marino, a former standout pitcher at Centereach HS and Stony Brook University.) 6’6″ Greg Marino is coming off a great year and is up to 88-90 MPH with his heater. Certainly a potential draft candidate pic.twitter.com/d5UKWGTEoS — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 16, 2017 Standing 6’6 and throwing in the low 90s, Greg Marino was an intimidating presence on the mound for Stony Brook University. The hard-throwing RHP pitched three seasons for Matt Senk including starting an NCAA Regional game in 2019 against LSU. Following his collegiate career, Marino foll...
Where Are They Now Powered by BK7 Brand: Jack Piekos
In 2013-’14, there was no team more dominant than Bayport-Blue Point and on that team, there was no more dominant player than Jack Piekos. The Phantoms became the first Suffolk County program to capture back-to-back State Championships (that has since been duplicated by Center Moriches). They went a perfect 27-0 in 2013 and followed that up by defending their crown and winning it again in 2014. Piekos was the biggest reason for that success. The menacing left-handed pitcher won every award you can – League VII MVP, All-County, All-Long Island, All-State, Class A Player of the Year, Fred Biangardi Playoff MVP, MSG Varsity Pitcher of the Year, All-Northeast Honor from Perfect Game and 2x Paul Gibson Award winner. With a fastball touching 90 MPH and an unflappable demeanor, he co...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Jeff Towle
When Jeff Towle set the single-season HR record at Suffolk CC with 10 in 2018 it was an exciting moment for the Ward Melville grad. He was able to accomplish the feat in a mere 28 games. To make it more impressive, Towle graduated high school in 2015 with no intention of playing another game. He had been committed to Pace to play football and did not play even a summer ball game since the county championship against Connetquot. The Early Days Jeff was born and raised in Stony Brook to a sports-loving family. His grandfather coached varsity football at Newfield HS for 15 years, his uncle played baseball at Suffolk CC and his younger brother would grow up loving baseball. For Jeff, his favorite sport was football, calling it his “first love.” When it came to baseball, he grew up ...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Danny Barnes
by Eddie Lennon Versatility is the ability to adapt and be useful in a variety of different functions or activities. Not just on the pitching mound, but for Danny Barnes, the 2007 Diamond Award winner and former Toronto Blue Jays, becoming versatile has created a unique journey through the different areas of professional baseball. After his years in the Port Washington league, he moved on to play for Manhasset High School for four years under coaches Rich Hess and Bruce Minerley. Barnes was known for his incredible work ethic that he developed from his pitching hero, the great Roger Clemens. He also wanted to be a workhorse that batters feared from 60 feet and 6 inches away. Danny Barnes is as versatile as it gets. He did not just know how to play the sport, but he has an understanding ...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Luke Stampfl
Flying out to left field in your final collegiate at bat is not the Hollywood ending most imagine. Especially not when you were already 3-for-4 with a home run over 400 feet in that game. And it’s in an elimination game at Clemson in the NCAA Regional. But St. John’s grad student Luke Stampfl still smiled as he rounded first base. Partially because he said it was his hardest hit ball of the day – even factoring in the home run – and partially knowing that he gave absolutely everything that he had – and that included months of grueling pain that he endured from a cyst on his tailbone, which overlapped with his recovering from a deep bone bruise on his knee after fouling a ball off. Stampfl had a career that most players dream of – playing five years of Di...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Anthony Papa
When it comes to overused phrases, “he’s got that dog in ’em” is that at the top of the list. But Anthony Papa, a former Diamond Award winner, Long Island Champ and Skyline Conference champ, fits that mold to a t. Papa, who suffered a torn UCL during his senior year of high school and told nobody, wound up pitching a five-hit complete game in the Class A Long Island Championship in 2015. He was able to play through the pain during the season as a hitter and won the Diamond Award. Later in life, he tore his ACL during conditioning training on the beach. He was able to pitch through the pain as well and to this day never got the ACL repaired. Followers of Long Island baseball are familiar with Anthony Papa for his dominant days as a 1-2 punch atop the Division rotatio...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Alex Robinson
When Long Island baseball fans refer to the “glory days” of the NSCHSAA, they are most likely referring to the 2009-2012 period in which it seemed like every team had 5-7 Division-I players. During that time, Holy Trinity won two of those years – led by southpaw workhorse Alex Robinson. The big lefty with the high leg kick and overpowering fastball was named the New York Gatorade Player of the Year, posting some gaudy numbers on the bump. He went 7-0 with a 0.41 ERA with 109 strikeouts over 51 innings. He allowed just 14 hits and walked 22 batters. He also fired a couple no-hitters and won Game 1 of the Championship series against St. Anthony’s. When I asked how anyone ever got a hit off him with a low-to-mid 90s fastball in a wood bat league he chuckled and said, &...
Where Are They Now Powered by the BK7 Brand: Chris Smith
“When you have Scott Boras calling you up telling you that you’re a first round pick, you take it!” Wantagh grad Chris Smith was not just one of the best players on Long Island during his magical ride of a senior season in 1998, but his took his game up a notch at Florida State University, where he became an All-American OF with a cannon of a left arm that generated 98 MPH heaters – and that’s before every team had someone sitting in the mid 90s. Smith was the rare two-way player that could thrive on either side of the ball, but once he showcased upper 90s heater against the University of Miami, it became clear the best path to multimillionaire status was on the mound. He made the controversial and difficult decision to leave Florida State after playing in bac...
Where Are They Now: Mike Belfiore
USA Today Sports Growing up in the 1990s during the peak of the Yankee dynasty, Commack native Mike Belfiore was fortunate enough to be in attendance for not one, but two World Series clinching games. Like many New Yorkers, he became infatuated with the game after watching homegrown players like Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte transform into icons. “It became sort of an annual thing going to the playoff games at Yankeee Stadium with my dad,” said Belfiore. Little did he know at the time, that he would later be in the big leagues with an AL East division rival of the New York Yankees during the final season of Mariano Rivera‘s career. The early years Belfiore was always talented for his age, but he credits the time spent with private instructors for taking his game to the next level. “Al Chan...
