by Tucker Terranova
Matthew Garib discusses what led to his success on the mound in LuHi’s 6-1 NYSAIS Quarterfinal matchup against Riverdale. pic.twitter.com/mqvRMxPJgC
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 16, 2025
Once considered an afterthought in the Long Island baseball scene, Long Island Lutheran has turned heads in recent seasons and is making its presence felt this spring.
With a move to independent status following four straight PSAA titles, the Crusaders built a schedule packed with top-tier competition, preparing themselves for moments exactly like this. In their first-ever home NYSAIS playoff game, they looked the part—calm, confident, and in control.
“When you play winning programs, you learn how to win,” Coach Shaun Manning told Axcess Baseball after the game. “Playing a tough schedule made our team what it is today, as we’ve been through these high-pressure situations a ton.”
That battle-tested edge was on full display Friday.
At a program like LuHi, players are no strangers to pressure. Many step into big roles as underclassmen, and by the time they’re upperclassmen, those high-stakes moments feel second nature.
No one showed that more clearly than Matthew Garib during their quarterfinal matchup.
The junior right-hander looked unfazed from the jump, delivering five strong innings of one-hit, one-run ball, leading the Crusaders to a 6-1 quarterfinal win over Riverdale and sending them to the NYSAIS semifinals.
After giving up a run in the opening frame, Garib settled in and kept Riverdale quiet the rest of the way. He pointed to his approach on the mound as the key to staying locked in and delivering when it mattered.
“I was trying to get my fastball in there and throw strikes,” Garib said. “My goal was to pitch to contact and let my fielders do the work.”
That approach worked to perfection, and his offense made things even easier. The Crusaders gave Garib plenty of breathing room early, plating half of their six-run total in the opening frame.
Frederick Von Bargen adds to LuHi’s lead with an RBI single.
B4 | Riverdale 1, LuHi 5 pic.twitter.com/BNCgXdQRgg
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 16, 2025
Kayden Bates set the tone with a nine-pitch walk, then promptly stole second. Garib helped his own cause, roping a double to the base of LuHi’s “Tal’s Hill”-like rise in center field, bringing Bates home. The rally kept rolling with an RBI single from Dylan Lancberg, who later came around to score on thanks to Matthew Muzikant.
In the second inning, the bottom third of the Crusaders’ lineup—responsible for four of the team’s eight hits—helped extend Garib’s cushion with TJ Borzumato coming around to score on an RBI single from Vincent Bourne.
Garib hit cruise control from that point on, holding Riverdale hitless the rest of the way and continuing to pound the zone with confidence.
LuHi tacked on insurance in the fourth, leaning into the brand of small ball that’s become the program’s identity. CCNY-commit Tyler Persampire ignited the rally with a walk, stole second, advanced on a balk, and came home on an opposite-field single from Frederick Von Bargen, the first of two RBI singles for the junior, who added another run-scoring hit in the sixth.
Coach Shaun Manning has built his program on the foundation of doing the little things right—something that was on full display throughout the afternoon.
“We work on doing the little things right all the time,” Manning said. “Whether it’s working on jump leads, dirt ball reads, or working on our timing, we believe that free bases are huge. And when good pitching beats good hitting, we have to find other ways to win.”
Manning turned to Cole Thomas for the final two innings who shut the door on Riverdale and punched LuHi’s ticket to the semifinal round on Monday. They’ll square off against the winner of the one-seed vs. eight-seed matchup at the higher-seed’s field.
“Our goal as a program was to win a state championship within five years, which lines up with this season,” said Manning. “We’ve got two more steps left, but we’re on the road to reaching our goal.”
