“Wait till next year” was the annual rallying cry of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but it could easily be borrowed by the Huntington High School junior varsity baseball team, which worked through some tough stretches this past spring on its way to a 4-16 record.
Like just about every other sport, baseball is a game where everyone is constantly looking ahead and so it is with the Blue Devil JV. The team hopes to turn around its fortunes next spring when many of its players will return to the fold, although a few are expected to be promoted to the varsity squad.
Coached by Frank Vega, the 15-player strong squad was captained by John Lourenso, John Caputo, Alex Gonzalez and Alex Bellisimo.
The Blue Devils claimed three victories over Copiague and also topped Cold Spring Harbor in a non-league game, 9-6. Huntington dropped a handful of close contests.
The team was led by Bellissimo, Matt Gennarelli and Ben Collins. A freshman, Bellissimo pitched and played shortstop. The sophomore Gennarelli also pitched and played third base. “They are two great pitchers who were big reasons behind our improvement,” Vega said.
A talented sophomore, Collins proved quite durable behind the plate, catching 105 innings. The teenager threw out six would be base stealers at second base. “He was a true motivator and leader,” Vega said.
Sophomore Michael Reed also displayed flashes of his potential. The left handed pitcher teased batters with an assortment of pitches and gained more experience on the mound.
The Blue Devil JV squad also included freshmen Matthew Colavecchio, Michael Gerardi, Zachary Gordon, Kyle Green, Jaden Italiano and Palmer O’Beirne and sophomores Craig Haas, Michael Matthews and Reiniery Vasquez Duenas.
Vega said the highlight of the season was winning more games than the team did last year. “It’s because they played as a complete team,” he said.
