Magical ride for Intagliata

Stony Brook University’s remarkable run on the baseball diamond caught the attention of sports fans from coast to coast, as the Seawolves earned a trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., and became ESPN’s feel-good story of the spring. 

For a team from the Northeast with a roster comprising 11 players (all of whom live east of the Cross Island Parkway), battles with perennial contenders from the Deep South and the West would be expected to be mismatches. But despite the naysayers who predicted blowouts, Stony Brook mowed down Miami (Fla.), Missouri State, Central Florida and Louisiana State on its way to Omaha, where the national championship has been decided for more than 60 years. 

For one player, the journey began on the fields of Franklin Square. Senior outfielder Sal Intagliata, who honed his skills in the Garden City South Little League and starred at Carey High School, played right field for Stony Brook.

Despite losses to UCLA and Florida State that sent the Seawolves home from the World Series a little earlier than they hoped, Intagliata won’t soon forget this postseason. “The experience was insane from the moment we landed,” he said. “Playing in a stadium with over 20,000 great baseball fans was awesome. Everywhere we played, the people were so knowledgeable and supportive. It was just amazing to be a part of this.”

While many considered Stony Brook a Cinderella story, the Seawolves were actually chock full of big-time talent. Seven players from the team were selected in the June 5 Major League Baseball draft, including first-round pick Travis Jankowski.

Intagliata, who hit .507 to lead Carey to a conference championship and earned All-Long Island honors as a senior in 2008, was a key cog for the Seawolves, who finished with a program-record 52 wins and won 21 of their last 22 regular-season games. He batted .333 in the postseason, hit a two-run homer in Baton Rouge, La., against a strong LSU team, and played flawless defense. Intagliata made just one error in his entire college career.

Grabbing national headlines and playing among the elite college teams from around the country was the experience of a lifetime for Intagliata, a pre-med student who expects to enroll in medical school in the future. He said he is proud to have been a part of a team that made history.

“I’m really pleased with the accomplishments this team made in terms of how it will affect the program in the future,” he said. “This is terrific for the university. We have a very committed coach in Matt Senk, and an outstanding athletic program. I hope this shows young players in the area that players and teams from the Northeast can compete at the highest level.”