Wantagh
OTD: Wantagh Wins Class A NY State Title
Being the No. 7 seed entering the postseason? No problem. Not having a two-time All-State pitcher available in the postseason? No problem. Facing an undefeated Queensbury team in the NYS title game? Psh. The Wantagh Warriors defeated Williamsville East to capture their first Class A NYS title since 1998. Starting pitcher Bobby Hegarty, who fired a one-hitter against Mount Sinai to capture the Long Island Championship went the distance, although he did struggle in the early going putting the Warriors in a 5-1 hole. They clawed back with a three-spot in the fourth inning and tied the ballgame in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Fontana that scored Jimmy Joyce. The game was tied going to the ninth inning when Joyce smacked the go-ahead home run to left field that put them three outs a...
OTD: Wantagh Gets to Morrell Early, Repeats As Long Island Champions
THE WANTAGH WARRIORS ARE BACK TO BACK CLASS A LONG ISLAND CHAMPIONS! FINAL: Wantagh 4 Shoreham-Wading River 2 pic.twitter.com/JFdQ2tqOgN — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 3, 2017 Much like they have for the past two seasons. Wantagh‘s star players shined when it mattered most. This time it was in the Long Island Championship, defeating the 24-1 Shoreham-Wading River WIldcats 4-2. From the first pitch of this championship contest, the atmosphere could’ve been mistaken for a Wantagh home game. The first pitch of this game was driven for a lead off double over the left fielder’s head courtesy of Anthony D’Onofrio. This was just the beginning. When the first inning was all said and done, Morrell was forced to throw 32 pitches and allowed four earned runs, handing him his worst outing...
OTD: Fontana Deals, Leads Wantagh To Third Consecutive Long Island Championship
THEY HAVE DONE IT AGAIN. Wantagh completes the three-peat as Class A Long Island Champions! FINAL: Wantagh 4 Rocky Point 2 WP – Anthony Fontana (Complete Game) pic.twitter.com/9HcJj90Tin — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 2, 2018 Nobody knows how to win championships better than Wantagh. On Sunday, the Wantagh Warriors defeated the Rocky Point Eagles by a score of 4-2 to capture their third consecutive Class A Long Island Championship. The highly anticipated pitching matchup between Joe Grillo and Anthony Fontana was everything that was expected, as both starters produced for their team. However, Fontana got the best of the Rocky Point lineup. He went the distance, allowing no earned runs on four hits. “This is incredible, three years in a row I could cry right now this is o...
OTD: Mepham Knocks Off Wantagh, 3-2, Behind Gianni Macchio’s Walk Off Double
Gianni Macchio walks it off with a 2RBI double and Mepham eliminates Wantagh!!!!!! FINAL: Mepham 3 Wantagh 2 WP: Tyler O’Neill (CG) Gianni Macchio: Walk off pic.twitter.com/KWbKBq1QJ9 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 14, 2019 There is nothing quite like the atmosphere of a win-or-go home playoff game. In any given sport, emotions are always at their peak and anything can happen. Sure enough, this ballgame lived up to the hype. In a game for the ages, Mepham knocked off the three-time defending Long Island Champion Wantagh Warriors on a two strike, walk off 2 RBI double courtesy of Gianni Macchio. Heading into Monday, nobody predicted this outcome. Considering the fact Wantagh was sending their ace, Mason McLane, to the mound, it seemed even more unlikely. Tyler O’Neill got the st...
OTD: Wantagh Stays Hot and Wins Crucial Series Opener Against Plainedge
Final: Wantagh 4, Plainedge 1 WP: Anthony Fontana S: Mason McLane pic.twitter.com/pyGUi3N7Of — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 23, 2018 Anthony Fontana has made a habit of coming up big in his career. Whether it be at the plate in the Long Island Championship against the Paul Gibson Award winning RHP Sam Kessler or last season on the mound in an emergency start against Carl Yastrzemski Award Winning RHP Brian Morrell, the southpaw is always calm and in control on the mound. And he always seems to win. He performed like a seasoned veteran today, pitching out of a couple of jams to lead Wantagh to a 4-1 victory over a dangerous Plainedge team that entered with a record of 9-2-1. We practice every single day and we really work hard for these big games and I think we executed really...
Transcript from IG Live With Jimmy Joyce
(Hofstra junior pitcher Jimmy Joyce on the mound against New Mexico on March 7, 2020. Joyce earned the final save of the season before the NCAA’s cancellation. PHOTO CREDIT: HOFSTRA ATHLETICS- TIM MARCH) Vinny Messana (VM): I just wanted to address Section VIII and Section XI canceling the remainder of the 2020 season, which was not a shock but not what we wanted to hear. My heart goes out to all the seniors that lost your senior year. [Jimmy], do you still keep in touch with any of your former Wantagh teammates? Jimmy Joyce (JJ): I keep in touch with all of them honestly. The whole 2016 team, we talk at least once a week, still. That’s what memories will do for you. VM: At least you guys in college got to have a little bit of a season. The high school guys obviously– don’t want to p...
Wantagh Looks To Regain Postseason Magic of 2016-2018
From 2016-2018, Wantagh was the epitome of a team. Each year they went into the postseason with detractors, and each time they came out as the last team standing – not just in the loaded Nassau Class A, but on Long Island. They even captured the State Championship in 2016. Things didn’t go that way in 2019 – after they graduated five All-State players in a three-year span, they featured a much less experienced roster and it showed in the first-round of the playoffs in a 3-2 loss to Mepham. In any event, they are entering 2020 poised to make a deep postseason run and head coach Keith Sachs – who knows a thing or two about winning- sees some positive signs entering the season. “They have an insane level of commitment – 12 months out of the year,” he ...
Who Was The Best Team of The 2010s?
When it comes to being considered the best–the bar is set high. Over the course of the past 10 seasons, there have been undefeated seasons, there have been back-to-back state champs, there have been pitching staffs loaded with Division-I talent and pro pitchers. But there can only be one team considered the best. I have watched a lot of baseball, but I didn’t trust my own instinct so I solicited the help of some trusted sources to put together my definitive list of the best teams of the decade. To make it a bit easier, we narrowed it down to teams that have won a Long Island Championship, because plenty of talented teams have made it to the finish line only to come up short. We also did not list any school more than once on purpose because many of the back-to-back champions fea...
Get to Know Aidan Bardi
Aidan Bardi, who hit 18 HRs in Cooperstown, getting his swings in. He’s hit 73 HRs this season. He’s in the Wantagh school district pic.twitter.com/TJxzXPLZmN — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) September 19, 2019 Move over Barry Bonds–your record has been tied. Eighth grader Aidan Bardi has made a name for himself this season by smacking 73 HRs in astounding performance of power. The young slugger hit 18 HRs in one week in Cooperstown, with more than half of those going to the opposite field. I had a chance to speak with him at MaX Effort Baseball in Farmingdale, NY to watch him hit and ask him some questions after–here’s what he had to say: Who’s your favorite player in Major League Baseball? Mike Trout. Who’s your favorite team? The Angels. W...
Mepham Knocks Off Wantagh, 3-2, Behind Gianni Macchio’s Walk Off Double
Gianni Macchio walks it off with a 2RBI double and Mepham eliminates Wantagh!!!!!! FINAL: Mepham 3 Wantagh 2 WP: Tyler O’Neill (CG) Gianni Macchio: Walk off pic.twitter.com/KWbKBq1QJ9 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 14, 2019 There is nothing quite like the atmosphere of a win-or-go home playoff game. In any given sport, emotions are always at their peak and anything can happen. Sure enough, this ballgame lived up to the hype. In a game for the ages, Mepham knocked off the three-time defending Long Island Champion Wantagh Warriors on a two strike, walk off 2 RBI double courtesy of Gianni Macchio. Heading into Monday, nobody predicted this outcome. Considering the fact Wantagh was sending their ace, Mason McLane, to the mound, it seemed even more unlikely. Tyler O’Neill got ...
Nassau County Class A Playoff Preview (Plus Predictions)
As always, the Class A playoffs will be a roller coaster of emotions. It brings high energy, closely contested match ups and upsets. The factor that makes these playoffs so great, is that there’s 18 teams competing for the ultimate goal of a county championship. As we’ve seen in previous years, there’s been clear favorites heading into the postseason. However, this year, it’s anybody’s title to win. With that being said, let’s take a look at the Class A playoffs. Play-In Games: #18 South Side vs. #15 Island Trees For several reasons, this is a great match up. Not only do both teams have great arms, but they both struggle to hit high-end pitching. For South Side, expect Dan Kelleher to take the mound. Kelleher features a lively fastball, along with the ab...
