NEWBURGH, N.Y. – After missing the 2014 Skyline Conference Championship tournament last year, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team is determined to get back into the playoffs in the new season.
The Knights went 13-20 overall, and 7-9 in the Skyline Conference, falling a game shy of making the postseason. This was the first time the Knights missed the Skyline Conference Championship tournament since 2007, a situation they do not want to find themselves in this time around.
"We all learned a lot from last year," said Sosler. "We kind of peaked at the wrong time, and I think that's kind of been the big focus; keeping up in our conditioning and making sure that we're ready to make a full-season run."
The Knights opened Skyline play with a 4-0 record last year, and 5-1 after their third series. This included a sweep of Farmingdale State College, the first time the Knights accomplished this feat since 2008. The Knights went on to win just two more Skyline games during the season to narrowly miss the playoffs.
The Knights return a solid set to players from last year's squad, including some young guns that make up the core of the lineup. Now in their second season with the Blue and Black, sophomores
Steve Notaro (Staten Island, N.Y.) and
Rob Peccerillo (Staten Island, N.Y.) will once again man the left side of the infield at shortstop and third base, respectively. Notaro played just 20 games in 2014 before his season was cut short by an injury. He hit .224 with 11 RBI in 67 at bats a year ago. Peccerillo started all 29 games in which he played, hitting .247 with 14 RBI, 13 runs scored and a home run.
Junior
Matt Cahill (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) is the veteran of the infield and will once again start at first base for the Knights. He hit .255 in 94 at bats, knocking in 12 runs. He has a reliable glove at first, maintaining a .994 fielding percentage through his first two seasons. Joining him on the right side is sophomore
Louis Rivera (Linden, N.J.), who hit .208 in 22 games last season. Rivera played a solid second base in 2014, making just two errors.
Senior
Rocco Pepe (Commack, N.Y.) was described as the "Jack-of-all-trades" by Sosler. Pepe has the ability to play any position in the field, including infield, outfield and pitcher when called upon. Sophomore
Jimmy Papineau (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) spent time on the left side of the infield, but also played plenty of designated hitter in 2014. He saw time in 27 games, hitting .232 with 14 runs scored.
Sophomore
Tim Rice (Bellmore, N.Y.) made four pinch hit appearances last year, but will work to earn more time around the infield in his second season. Sophomore
Anthony Delisio (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) got a hit and drew a walk in three plate appearances last year, and will look to have a larger role in 2015 while playing some second base. Junior
Silverio Santiago (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) doubles as a first baseman and pitcher for the Knights.
The Knights do not return any starters from last year's outfield. Senior
Ryan Atkins (Wallkill, N.Y.) is looking to snag an outfield role. Last year, he tallied three RBI and three runs in 13 at bats. Sophomore
Connor Doyle (Hicksville, N.Y.) made two starts and played in six games last year, knocking in a run and scoring twice.
After losing all of their catchers to graduation after last season, the Knights bring in four newcomers looking to fill that spot in the lineup. Freshmen
Ryan Hayes (Robbinsville, N.J.),
Tyler Swartz (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) and
Adrian Peralta (New York, N.Y.) enter the fold in their rookie campaigns, while junior transfer
Kristopher Fragomeni (Beacon, N.Y.) may use his experience after a couple years at Dutchess Community College to earn the starting catcher role. Fragomeni is also eligible to play the outfield.
The large recruiting class for this season also adds depth and potential starters all around the field for the Knights. Freshmen
Johnny Vaccaro (Roslyn Heights, N.Y.) and
Louis DeAngelis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) can each earn a starting role in the outfield this year, while also doubling as pitchers. Freshman
Blake Keenan (Fishkill, N.Y.) also doubles as a pitcher, but will look to find some time at first base behind Cahill. Freshman
Albert Estwick Jr. (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) will play a similar role to Pepe, eyeing time in the infield, outfield and on the mound.
The Knights run deep with pitching in 2015. They return junior
Brandon Lubrano (Mineola, N.Y.) fresh off a Skyline Baseball All-Conference Second-Team recognition, as well as sophomore
Kevin Duffy (Wallingford, Conn.), who was named the 2014 Skyline Baseball Rookie of the Year. Lubrano went 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 2014, while Duffy went 2-4 with a 3.21 ERA.
Junior
Ryan Turton (Westbury, N.Y.) went 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA for the Knights in eight appearances in 2014, including two starts. Sophomore
Joey Pugliese (Highland, N.Y.) was also an effective reliever last year, recording a 3.77 ERA in eight chances. Sophomore
C.J. Szczesny (Syracuse, N.Y.) made four starts and 10 total appearances a year ago, registering a 4.11 ERA in 30.2 innings. He also tallied a save.
Junior
Logan Kurtz (Gansevoort, N.Y.) started five games for the Knights in 2014, going 1-3 with a 5.92 ERA. Junior
Sean Betterly (East Meadow, N.Y.) went 3-2 across five starts. Senior
Andrew Conn (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) pitched 12 innings in eight appearances in 2014.
Sophomore
Stephan Sookdeo (Carmel, N.Y.) made just three appearances for the Knights last season, but recorded a 2.35 ERA in 7.2 innings. Santiago earned a start and six appearances for the Knights, banking a 6.00 ERA. Senior
David Hobbs (East Rockaway, N.Y.) made just five appearances in 2014, but managed to record a save in limited chances. Senior
Matt Schumacher (Commack, N.Y.) only appeared on the mound once last year, but went 3-3 with five starts in 2013, where he recorded a 3.26 ERA over 30.1 innings.
The Knights' new class of recruits help fill up a very deep rotation and bullpen. Sophomore
Riley Stong (Newburgh, N.Y.) transferred from Southern New Hampshire University, and the 6-foot-4, 220 pound righty will be an imposing force for opposing hitters. Freshman
Joe Pillitteri (Wallkill, N.Y.) is a local star pitcher, who was named All-State, All-Section and All-League in his time at Wallkill High School. He also set 10 school pitching records across three years of varsity baseball.
Freshman
James McCleary (Floral Park, N.Y.) was an All-League pitcher at Archbishop Molloy High School. Freshman
Chris Wolfe (Beacon, N.Y.) transfers in from Dutchess Community College, and played three years of varsity baseball at Beacon High School.
"Good veteran leaders, with a good mix of young guys, will be key for us to make a big jump from where we were last year," said Sosler of the depth of his team.
With a large group on young players on this year's team, the Knights are looking to not only get back to the Skyline Playoffs this season, they are looking to create a perennial competitor for the Skyline Title. Doing so will not be so simple, and the Knights will have to work hard to reach that level.
"I expect that we go out and do something to get better every day," said Sosler. "We're going to work hard and we're going to take it one game at a time and continue to get better."
The Knights kick off their season on Monday, Mar. 2, when they face off with York College of Pennsylvania and Johnson & Wales University in the first two games of their Spring Break Trip down to Myrtle Beach, S.C., as part of the Ripken Experience.
Follow the Knights on Twitter at
@MSMCKnights
