NEWS
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm: Michael Garcia
(Editor’s Note: This is the 12th installment of the Up Next series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured Jack Mulligan, Alex Pagano, Quincy Gibbs, Michael Cotto, Charlie Edwards, Evan Picciano, Nick Lawrence, Robbie Mascia, Jacob Abran, Tyler Camastro and Jason Davis. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm for sponsoring this year’s series.) Michael Garcia (St. John the Baptist 2028) pic.twitter.com/eP6ALc4R3R — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 12, 2026 Rarely does a freshman have an impact role at the varsity level in the CHSAA. Especially on a competitive team. Last year, St. John the Baptist, who wound up with an overall record of 16-10 and won two playoff games over Holy Trinity and St. Anthony’s, had freshman Michael ...
How Are the Local Players Performing in Pro Ball?
by Chris Donnelly and Vin Messana Logan O’Hoppe (Los Angeles Angels, MLB) O’Hoppe has emerged as an everyday catcher for the Los Angels Angels after being traded for Brandon Marsh in 2022. After starting off hot in March/April, slashing .270/.301/.551, he wasn’t able to get back to form, ending the season slashing .213/.258/.371. O’Hoppe still has the tools to be an All-Star catcher, as he ranks in the 72nd percentile in hard-hit rate and the 83rd percentile in barrel rate. O’Hoppe is a strong bounce-back candidate. Ramon Laureano (San Diego Padres, MLB) Laureano was able to put together his strongest season since 2019 as he posted a .854 OPS in 132 games. Starting the season with the Orioles Laureano was one of the biggest bats on the market at the deadline as he ended the season on the P...
Where Are They Now Powered by Complete Sports Performance: Adam Heidenfelder
Adam Heidenfelder gets the start for Old Westbury pic.twitter.com/6uPgGmt4hh — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 3, 2018 Adam Heidenfelder got thrown into the stickiest of situations. The hard-throwing sophomore had just gotten the call up to varsity from JV after striking out 37 batters in his first two outings. All he did was escape the jam with three strikeouts on his way to striking out 9 batters over three shutout innings. It turns out that it was merely a prelude for the type of dominance that the 6’5 250 lb workhorse would have for MacArthur in 2013 and 2014. The Early Days Heidenfelder was born and raised in Wantagh, NY but was in the Levittown school district. He was the second of two Heidenfelder boys. His father, John, played college baseball at Queens College, as...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm: Jason Davis
by Trevor Dugan (Editor’s Note: This is the eleventh installment of the Up Next series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured Jack Mulligan, Alex Pagano, Quincy Gibbs, Michael Cotto, Charlie Edwards, Evan Picciano, Nick Lawrence, Robbie Mascia, Jacob Abran and Tyler Camastro. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm for sponsoring this year’s series.) Middle infielder Jason Davis (Riverhead 2028) is a hard hitting lefty with the @ec_lumberjacks. He was called up to varsity as an eighth grader in 2024. His brother Braden played for the University of Maine, and is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery pic.twitter.com/9LEXOBQKRa — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 9, 2025 It was a renaissance season for Riverhead in 202...
Levittown: How Do They Do It?
(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in March 2025) by Patrick Duryea There’s not many more exciting spectacles then when a large crowd gathers at a high school sporting event. Baseball games will have a tough time rivaling football unless it’s a championship or the crowd consists of scouts watching the next draft pick. But in Levittown, when two of their high school’s square off, “sold out crowd” is an understatement. The storied history of the town is matched evenly with a rich tradition of baseball success at their three schools: Division, MacArthur, and Island Trees. The history of all three schools is filled with winning coaches, championships, and Long Island baseball heroes. All within one town this has created incredible rivalries and atmospheres over the yea...
Neal Heaton: The Best Hitters I Ever Faced
by Neal Heaton There were so many tough hitters that I faced in my career. I was lucky enough to face Hall of Famers like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Believe it or not, the big power sluggers were not the ones that gave me the most trouble. I did pretty well against Ken Griffey (both of them), Don Mattingly and George Brett. The free swingers with long swings weren’t the problem. It was the guys with good bat control that could foul of tough pitches on two strikes. Here are some that come to mind: Wade Boggs – (Career Line: .328 AVG, 3,010 hits, 118 HRs, 1513 runs) He was the toughest hitter I ever faced. Inside-out hitters are the toughest to get out. I never faced Derek Jeter – but players like him that could take the inside pitch and hit it the other way....
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm: Tyler Camastro-Szwejkowski
(Editor’s Note: This is the tenth installment of the Up Next series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured Jack Mulligan, Alex Pagano, Quincy Gibbs, Michael Cotto, Charlie Edwards, Evan Picciano, Nick Lawrence, Robbie Mascia and Jacob Abran.) Tyler Camastro (‘28, NY)#USGShowcase @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/o0gOqBsUwQ — PG Mid Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA, MD,DE,DC) (@PGMidAtlantic) June 12, 2025 With the newly-implemented NCAA Division-I roster limit of 34 players, there is certainly a premium on spots that didn’t previously exist. Teams will find clever ways to adapt. One way is to have more 2-way players that will contribute on the mound and at the plate. While it remains way too early to project how his future will play out, St. Dominic ...
Bayport-Blue Point: How Do They Do It?
(Editor’s Note: This article was originally posted in January 2025. It was the third of a 5-part in which we dove into the top baseball towns on Long Island.) by Patrick Duryea You may be familiar with the proverb “it takes a village”. Nowhere is that more evident than in the tight-knit baseball community of Bayport-Blue Point. Coach Victor Manzella’s program is all about coming together and working towards a common goal. The ties run from current players and coaches through alumni who it is never a surprise to see still hanging around during the season. The success of Bayport-Blue Point starts at the bottom with the little leagues and works all the way up to Athletic Director Tim Mullins who Manzella praised for his consistent support. At their little league parade the JV and Varsity team...
Where Are They Now Powered by Complete Sports Performance: Tommy Boyce
18 hour bus rides are not for the faint of heart. You really have to love baseball to drive from Salt Lake City to Medicine Hat, Canada only to get off the bus and play a double header. This was life in the minor leagues in the late 1980s. Long Island-native Tommy Boyce did it for 3 seasons after his recording-setting career at NY Tech. Prior to that, he helped lead Comsewogue to their first and only New York State Championship in 1982. Along his journey there were many highs and lows, but first let’s turn the clock back. The Early Days Tommy was born in Brooklyn but raised in Port Jeff Station. His father was an air traffic controller and his mother owned a hair salon. He had one younger brother, who was the Long Island record holder for most goals scored in a boy’s lacrosse g...
World Baseball Coaches Convention Set for Jan. 15-17
Register now for the 2026 World Baseball Coaches Convention at Mohegan Sun! The World Baseball Coaches Convention is back for another year and the lineup is loaded once again. Some of the featured speakers for this year include Pete Walker (Blue Jays pitching coach), Dan Swirka (Murray State head coach), Tracy Smith (Michigan head coach), Hunter Mense (Giants hitting coach), Tucker Frawley (Mets defense & base running coach), Jim Martin (Stony Brook head coach), Jim Penders (UCONN head coach), Brandon Brewer (University of Miami infield coach), Chuck Ristano (Navy head coach), Elliott Glynn (Fordham coach) and many more. The event is perfect for coaches who are seeking to improve their program. The lineup of top-notch coaches offer a series of wide-ranging thought-provoking presentatio...
Up Next Powered by Ken Kortright State Farm: Jacob Abran
(Editor’s Note: This is the ninth installment of the Up Next series in which we highlight the top underclassmen on Long Island. Previously, we featured, Jack Mulligan, Alex Pagano, Quincy Gibbs, Michael Cotto, Charlie Edwards, Evan Picciano, Nick Lawrence and Robbie Mascia. Special thanks to Ken Kortright State Farm Agency for sponsoring this year’s series.) Jacob Abran (Rocky Point 2029) pic.twitter.com/3EZa7Omx53 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) December 22, 2025 It wasn’t long ago that Rocky Point was the talk of the town. In 2022, they were led by a trio of Division-I bound seniors and a junior who would ultimately play in the College World Series. Those players (Cody Miller, Sean Hamilton, Nick Benhardt and Dom Carbone) allowed the Eagles to roll through Suffolk County and...
Shoreham-Wading River: How Do They Do It?
(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in December 2024) by Patrick Duryea Consistency is a key to success no matter who you ask. You’d be hard pressed to find a program more consistent than Shoreham-Wading River. In addition to making the playoffs every season from 1986-2022, they have had only two coaches in their baseball program’s entire history. The current head coach is Kevin Willi, who took over for the legendary Coach Sal Mignano. He started the program at SWR and it did not take long for them to become a prominent figure in Long Island baseball. Under Mignano, SWR won 582 games, which makes for an average of over 15 wins per season, not to mention 12 league titles and 8 Suffolk County titles. Before taking over Willi coached under Mignano for several years and...
