Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s series
by Joe Bello
Coach Mike Milano is preparing for his 22nd season at the helm of Seaford High School baseball. The Vikings bench boss is excited and ready for what is to come in the 2025 season.
The Vikings went 15-8 during the 2024 season, making the playoffs but eventually falling to Mineola in the Class A quarterfinals.
“We won 6 in a row to close out the season as the #3 seed in Class A Playoffs and took an experienced Mineola team to 3 games where they pitched out of a bases loaded, one out jam to win the quarterfinals series.” Milano said. “With one senior in 2024, we won the series vs Island Trees & North Shore and swept CSH & LV. Only lost 2 out of 3 to Class A Champion Clarke and 2 of the 3 games were 1-run games. The one senior, a byproduct of Covid-19, proved difficult at times but we should benefit from it in 2025. Our seniors got a ton of game time as juniors and learned how to win and lose in 2024. We expect a lot more experience and late game grit in 2025.”
That one senior Seaford lost was RF and relief pitcher Anthony Janes, who Milano described as very strong in the role he played on the 2024 team.
Milano’s Vikings return 14 players from last year’s team including 11 seniors.
The 2024 Vikings featured 5 award winning players on its roster, and all 5 of them return for another season.
Senior Thomas Apollo won All-County honors last spring. He is the 3rd Apollo that has played varsity baseball at Seaford. His brothers are Richie, who graduated in 2020, and Nick, who graduated in 2023.
Thomas Apollo (Seaford 2025) with a double to LF. pic.twitter.com/WZovV2ZueF
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 29, 2024
“Tom was wonderful in ’24 and earned All-County with a 3-0 Record as a Junior in his first varsity season with 31 strikeouts over 23 innings of work.” Milano said. “Tom has a tremendous mental makeup for the position and the stuff to get it done vs any Class A team.”
Senior Jason Berthel won All-Conference honors last season for the Vikings. Berthel hit .352 with 16 RBI in the 2023 season as a sophomore, and hit .305 with 19 RBI in his junior season of 2024. He is committed to the University of Bridgeport.
“Berthel has played the left side of the infield since his sophomore year and will again hit in the middle of the lineup in 2025.” Milano said. “He can help a team win in so many ways with his love of the game, coachability and strength/power. He treats his body right and works at every aspect of the sport with a professional focus. Jason was All Conference in 2023 & 2024.”
Senior Luke Walsh is another name that jumps off the page for Milano’s VIkings. Walsh was All-League in 2024, and is committed to SUNY Maritime.
“Walsh’s athleticism in 2023 was invaluable to us as a left fielder in 2023 and in 2024 he was moved into the middle of the lineup as well.” Milano said. “He also took the ball in every series. We are so excited to see him in his senior year as an explosive starter with middle of the lineup talent as an outfielder.”
Milano and his longtime assistant coach Charles Menges are both looking forward to seeing what Berthel and Walsh will bring to the table in 2025.
“Coach Menges & I are so excited to see Jason Berthel round out his wonderful Seaford HS Baseball career with an elite senior season.” Milano said. “With the stuff that Luke Walsh is capable of bringing on the mound, he can propel our already deep and smart pitching staff to another level in 2025.”
Jordan Cassuto, senior, was awarded All-League honors in 2024. He was a big part of the bullpen at Seaford last spring. Cassuto will play on both sides of the ball in 2025, he hit .304 with 10 RBI last season, while pitching 16 innings of relief, notching 3 wins and 3 saves.
Jordan Cassuto (Seaford 2025) now on the mound for Empire. pic.twitter.com/hAqq1g1T4b
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 29, 2024
“He beat Class A Champion Clarke in relief in 2024 helping to hand them their first defeat.” Milano said. “Jordan has some potentially very strong leadership qualities and the versatility and strength to hopefully get the job done in his senior year.”
Rounding out the award winners on Seaford’s roster is Dylan Alt. The 6’3” junior hit .362 as the Vikings leadoff hitter in 2024. He also made a huge impact on the mound as a sophomore, pitching to a 2.26 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Toeing the rubber for SS Elite is Dylan Alt (Seaford 2026) pic.twitter.com/lyKbasekOg
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 22, 2024
“Dylan Alt is one of the most baseball-savvy players I have coached in a long time both on the mound and as a position player/top of the lineup bat.” Milano said.
Both of Milano’s catchers are back for another season as well, this being senior Patrick Cappetti and sophomore Joe Rotondaro.
Winter workouts are in full swing for the Vikings, they have been preparing for the season since early January. Each and every workout is open for all kids in the Seaford school district to attend.
“Class A baseball is great.” Milano said. “It is such a well coached conference with tons of talent. We look at A2, our league, as highly competitive and we hope to again make the postseason and give our depth a chance to pay dividends. Like Coach Menges and I say annually, if this group wants to work, the work will be there for them. If they want to make a run at being an elite level team, we would love to see it and we will do everything in our power to provide them with an avenue to make a run at it. HS kids have a lot of distractions. They have a lot of off the field ‘baseball related’ distractions that pull them from where the focus should be, on the field and with their coaches/teammates. For 2 plus months, 6 days a week and multiple hours a day, a high school season can be a wonderful place to channel their focus and pull together towards something that can last forever. Their community of parents, teachers and youth coaches have been there for them up to this point. Now it is up to them to decide the path they want to take come March 17th when the season officially opens up. We feel good about our athleticism, our leadership and our pitching depth. Pitching is always so important to us and we feel good about our depth with both right & left handers.”
Milano and his Vikings are ready for another season of competitive baseball in the A2 League. He is confident that his team is primed for success this spring.
Seaford opens up their season against Malverne on April 1st.
