Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s series
By Anthony DiCocco
Owen Smith is the @GetGameChanger Player of the Game as the East Meadow RHP went the distance and also drove in 3 runs at the plate pic.twitter.com/ooUcF4Mwuj
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 25, 2025
In year two under head coach Bill O’Connor, a young and hungry East Meadow Jets team will hope to make some noise against some of Nassau County’s best squads.
Last spring, East Meadow went 17-7, riding its wave of success all the way to a Conference AA-1 title. After capturing their first title in nine years, the Jets now find themselves back in Conference-AAA for the 2026 season, where they will take on some powerhouse programs, such as Farmingdale and Massapequa.
“We’re playing all the big boys; it’s like being in the SEC right now,” O’Connor said in an interview with Axcess Baseball. “We just have to take it one game at a time, win the next game and go from there to simplify things. We have our work cut out for us.”
East Meadow had a largely senior group a year ago, featuring 13 upperclassmen. With a big graduating class, this season will look very different for O’Connor’s team, as the Jets will field a plethora of new starters and just four seniors.
“[Our seniors] were all motivated to win and they bought in to accomplish that,” O’Connor said. “They were mature and had that common goal. But we have some young kids here that could compete this year. We may not hit as many bombs, but we’re athletic, we have some speed and our pitching is a year older.”
The Jets’ biggest loss comes in the form of C Joe Lanza, who took home All-County and Conference Player of the Year honors last season. Lanza will take his talents to SUNY Farmingdale this spring after producing a .400 average, 1.278 on-base plus slugging (OPS), four home runs and 19 runs batted in last year.
Getting the start for the Jets is Owen Smith. We are underway from East Meadow! pic.twitter.com/ekkNhIiFjD
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 24, 2025
All-Conference players Owen Smith and Daron Lake (Utica), as well as All-League CF Eric Garcia, also graduated. Lake slashed .297 with 16 RBIs and nine steals, while Smith batted .291 with an .840 OPS, two homers and a team-best 24 RBIs.
Garcia was a potent leadoff hitter last season, posting a .422 on-base percentage (OBP) with 19 steals and 23 runs scored.
Luckily for O’Connor, All-County SS Trevor Smith — Owen’s younger brother — is poised for another huge season as he returns for his senior year. Last spring, Smith led the team with 24 runs scored, 22 steals and a .600 OBP. He also batted .388 with 16 RBIs and a 1.069 OPS.
Smith also dealt with a thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis last year, making his stellar season all the more impressive. Now that he is healthy, Smith will also pitch for the Jets as their No. 3 starter, which he was unable to do a year ago.
“We weren’t even sure if [Smith] was going to be able to throw … or even play,” O’Connor said. “He was the starting quarterback, but he couldn’t even play football last year. It was unbelievable that he overcame that and then he comes out and plays the way he did. It was ridiculous.”
Replacing Garcia in center will be senior Chris Amodeo — a Nassau Community College commit. As a junior last spring, Amodeo served as East Meadow’s primary designated hitter and produced a .382 average and .975 OPS.
Sophomore 2B/RHP DJ Dowling will be a staple on the right side of the infield after earning the starting job as a freshman last year. Dowling batted .308 and delivered the Jets’ “biggest hit of the year” in O’Connor’s eyes, as he delivered a two-out, two-strike single to spark a ninth-inning comeback against Calhoun with their season on the line.
To fill Lanza’s shoes, O’Connor will turn to junior C Matt Amy behind the dish, who he called “an excellent defender with good bat-to-ball skills.”
“I’m very comfortable up the middle with [Amy, Dowling, Smith and Amodeo},” O’Connor said. “I’m going to expect a lot from them.”
Last year’s starting 3B Ryan Jacobs will move across the diamond to man first base for his senior campaign. He hit .205 and drove in five runs a season ago.
When it comes to East Meadow’s corner outfield spots, the hot corner and designated hitter, O’Connor is in wait-and-see mode. However, junior Kyle Frances, who posted a 4.40 earned run average (ERA) across 14 ⅓ innings last season, will continue to help out on the mound, but is also expected to seize one of the four remaining lineup spots up for grabs.
Senior middle IF Joe Augustyn will also vie for a spot.
Unlike their lineup, the Jets’ pitching staff will largely remain intact from last year. RHP Spencer Kemler (Georgian Court) represents a big hole after pitching to a 4.59 ERA over a team-high 39 ⅔ innings pitched.
East Meadow also lost its ace in LHP Alec Coelho (SUNY Maritime). However, its current rotation has experience without him. Last year, Coelho posted a 1.50 ERA and a save, but dealt with a nagging back issue that only allowed him to appear in 9 ⅓ innings.
Juniors Nick Schwabe and Matt Esslinger will now form a 1-2 punch at the top of the Jets’ rotation. Right-handed Schwabe recorded a 2.80 ERA over 15 innings last year, while Esslinger — a southpaw — went 4-1 with a 3.04 ERA across 25 ⅓ frames.
O’Connor has high hopes for the duo.
“[Schwabe and Esslinger] both got their feet wet as sophomores last year and pitched in some big games,” O’Connor said. “They both have really good stuff and the sky’s the limit for them.”
Freshman RHP Aayden Marquez is expected to eat some innings in relief after impressing in intrasquad games as an eighth grader last season.
Even with a tough schedule and a somewhat green roster, O’Connor and the Jets’ main goal remains the same.
“Just win, baby,” O’Connor said. “We’re not here to pass time and do whatever. We’re here to win our county. We’re in the deep end, but you want to make your mark. I told my seniors ‘Last year, we came close, and this year, you get one more opportunity.”
East Meadow will start its season with a non-league game against Division on March 23 before visiting Farmingdale on March 27 to kick off its league slate.
