By Anthony DiCocco
A season ago, Pat-Med made another playoff appearance while its 16 wins matched its second-highest season total in the past 15 years. Now head coach Anthony Frascogna and the Raiders will attempt to replicate that success without last year’s Carl Yastrzemski Award winner.
RHP/CF Jayden Stroman — the younger brother of current MLB free agent Marcus Stroman — powered Pat-Med in all aspects of the game last season. When on the mound, Stroman went 5-0, posting a 0.70 ERA and 0.76 walks and hits per inning pitched with 50 strikeouts in just 20 innings pitched.
RHP Jayden Stroman named recipient of the Carl Yastrzemski Award given to the top player in Suffolk County pic.twitter.com/LFrSfPaIVw
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 17, 2025
At the dish, he produced a .431 average and a 1.547 on-base plus slugging (OPS) with five home runs, 43 runs scored and 27 steals. Following his graduation, the two-way star is continuing his career with the Virginia Cavaliers.
“Having Stroman and the excitement that goes with that kind of talent was fun,” Frascogna said in an interview with Axcess Baseball. “He made an impact in a lot of different areas. He set the tone and led by example with his work ethic. It wasn’t like he just showed up and was just the best kid; he was the hardest worker, too.”
All-League RHP Jace Rogers (Wentworth Institute of Technology) will also need to be replaced. As Frascogna put it, Rogers “did a lot of the dirty work to get things done” when Stroman garnered all the attention.
Along with Stroman and Rogers, the Raiders graduated All-Leaguer Jacob Oakley (Manhattanville) and Alberto Menniti (St. Joseph’s). Additionally, the program’s all-time hit and runs batted in (RBI) leader in Frankie Kentoffio, who earned an All-County nod last year, will continue his playing career at Brookdale Community College.
Evan Picciano (Pat-Med 2029) pic.twitter.com/0t4RNgcGFm
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) December 1, 2025
Despite some key losses, Frascogna hopes Stroman and the other seniors’ work ethic from a season ago rubbed off on his underclassmen, who are poised to take the next step this year.
One key returner is freshman SS/RHP Evan Picciano. Across 18 games in 2025, Picciano slashed .327 with a .821 OPS and logged nine innings on the mound as an eighth grader playing up at the varsity level. During summer ball, he produced a .424 average and 1.101 OPS.
RHP Conor Lockwood will be tasked with leading the rotation this year after having a nice season last spring. The Suffolk County Community College commit went 2-1 last year while also securing two saves as he pitched to a sparkling 2.82 ERA.
“[Lockwood] will probably be our [No. 1] to start,” Frascogna said. “He’s a senior that’s been around for awhile so hopefully he can fill in some gaps offensively and on the mound.”
Lockwood will also see time at one of the corner infield spots after batting .286 with a .732 OPS last year. Primarily manning first base will be Brockport commit Ashton Klugewicz, who sported a .832 OPS and .421 on-base percentage (OBP) despite batting .232 as a junior last spring.
“I’m hoping [Klugewicz] can lock down first so we don’t have to worry about that,” Frascogna said. “We’d like him to be a bit more consistent this year and he’s been working hard on his defense all summer. He’s a good lefty bat.”
Junior Chase Desantis is slated to occupy third base while senior Derek Graham will factor in somewhere, whether it be shortstop when Picciano is pitching or second base. Desantis, who will also toe the rubber this season, batted at a .302 clip last year and posted a stellar .939 OPS.
Due to an abundance of infielders, sophomore 1B Tyler Schelmety will serve as a designated hitter and occasional pitcher. Though he is on the younger side, Frascogna has high hopes for Schelmety.
6’0 230 lb Tyler Schelmety (Pat-Med 2028) crushes a home run for the Blue Line Rangers that wound up being the difference in the game. Special power for his age pic.twitter.com/VtajFvEhBs
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 30, 2025
“We hope [Schelmety] will really help our offense,” Frascogna said. “He’s got pretty high-level power for such a young kid. He’s a big, strong kid. I think he has the ability to change a game because he can hit the ball out of the park.”
When not on the mound, senior Rob Delellis figures to see a bulk of time in the outfield. Delellis was an ideal table-setter a year ago, as he reached base at a .526 clip while batting .308. He was a force on the mound as well, pitching to a 2-0 record and 0.51 ERA across 14 innings.
Gavin McMurray may also play in the outfield, though Frascogna believes he can play anywhere since he is one of the “better athletes” on the team. McMurray joined the team as a sophomore last spring and produced a .429 OBP and .829 OPS as the team’s backup catcher.
After being utilized as a pinch runner for most of last season, uber-speedy senior Aidan McDonald will also play the outfield this year and possesses an impressive glove.
Behind the plate, Brayden Davis, who is committed to Mitchell, will reprise his role as the starting catcher after notching a .364 OBP last spring. Davis may also spend time on the mound in order to fortify the pitching staff.
Uncommitted catcher Brayden Davis (Pat-Med 2026) with a showcase best 1.91 pop pic.twitter.com/8GqVpxIloe
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 20, 2025
“Davis has one of the better arms on the team,” Frascogna said. “We’re trying to load up our pitching staff so we don’t run out of guys. We want to see who can compete.”
After pitching at the junior varsity level in 2025, Frascogna will look for hard-throwing right-hander Thomas Fleischman to compete for a starting pitching spot as well.
Although a number of Pat-Med’s starters this season are on the younger side, Frascogna expects the Raiders to fully embrace a team mindset in order to make a playoff run.
“We’re fortunate that a lot of these guys have been playing with us for a long time,” Frascogna said. “It’s not one guy replacing one guy; we’re going to have a team of guys that try to pull together to win. Once you start winning some games, that feeling comes through the team, and once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.”
Pat-Med will kick off its 2026 campaign at Central Islip on March 26.
