Freeport navigates challenging slate

The Freeport baseball team is aiming for a big finish to the season against some of Nassau County’s top teams.

While the Red Devils have yet to get into the win column this spring, Freeport has been competitive in multiple games against stiff competition in Conference AAA-I. After a week break in the schedule, Freeport will look to raise its level of play in the final nine games of the season with series against Farmingdale, Syosset and Massapequa. 

“We always play well against better opponents for whatever reason,” said 12th-year Freeport coach Roberto Delgado, whose team last year knocked off eventual Class AA semifinalist Oceanside for one of its two wins in the 2023 campaign.  “We will have a week off to regroup and see if we can come back stronger.”

The pitching staff is led by senior Jose Armando Pimentel, who recorded three strikeouts in four innings of work during Freeport’s last game before the week break, an 8-2 setback to Oceanside on April 11. The lefty also kept Freeport competitive in a 4-2 loss to Plainview-JFK on March 25 that was called after six innings due to darkness.

Senior Julio Frometa Gomez leads the pitching staff as starting catcher and also steps in as a reliever when needed. 

“He sets the tone for us,” said Delgado of Frometa Gomez, who registered two hits in a 4-1 loss to Oceanside on April 9.  “He really is the heart of the team.” 

Sophomore shortstop Jayden Brown anchors the middle infield and is making progress in his second season starting on varsity. Brown is also another arm Delgado can turn to out of the bullpen and he tossed three innings of relief in the 4-1 loss to Oceanside. 

“From last year to this year he has really grown,” Delgado said of Brown.

Justin Frometa Gomez, the younger brother of Julio, is also making strides this season as a sophomore. He is also another pitching option Delgado can turn to when needed.

The Red Devils return to the field for their first game since an 8-2 loss at Oceanside on April 11 on Monday at home against first place Farmingdale for the start of a three game series that concludes in Freeport on Thursday at 5 p.m. Freeport will then take on Syosset the following week and conclude its regular season with three games versus defending Class AA champion Massapeaua from May 6-8.

“It’s a young team and sometimes it takes more time to get into the season, but hopefully we get it and come away with a couple wins,” said Delgado, a former minor league baseball player in the San Francisco Giants organization who guided Freeport to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs in 2018 for the first time in nearly four decades. “Pitching wise we have been decent and we have to get a better approach with the hitting, but we are working on it.”