By STEVE SINISKI
³I knew I had a shot,² Appell said, noting his status as a finalist for the award in 2005. ³I was nominated last year and my numbers were right there with [East Meadow¹s Steve] Vitale.²
When Appell¹s bat finally stopped sizzling, his final totals put him in some select company. He tied the school¹s single-season record of eight home runs (set in 2005 by Corey Itts), set a new season benchmark in runs batted in (49) and batted a lofty .411. Appell also ranks at the top of the program¹s charts for career home runs (17) and RBIs (123), boasting a lofty .360 batting average.
³He had a great year, a record-breaking year,² Rams coach Tom Abruscato said, adding that several of Appell¹s season and career totals were among the Top 10 in New York State history.
But what really set Appell apart from the rest of Nassau County had to be his production in the clutch. With the Rams season hanging in the balance in the semifinal round of the Class A playoffs against Garden City, he blasted a three-run home run in the top of seventh, leading the Rams to a come-from-behind 3-1 win. It was merely the latest in a lengthy list of game-changing at-bats spanning four years.
The two-time All-County performer also provided all the offense Clarke would need in last year¹s state championship battle, driving in the first run of an 8-0 victory. But according to Appell, his approach in the batter¹s box isn¹t altered whether it¹s the first inning or the bottom of the seventh.
³It¹s all the same,² he said. ³The mound is still 60 feet, six inches [away] and it¹s still 90 feet between the bases.²
Such tunnel vision is something drilled home by the Clarke coaching staff to Appell and all of his teammates. ³We harp on that and that¹s the way they¹re taught to play,² Abruscato explained of blocking out all distractions at the plate.
The Diamond Award, along with Appell¹s Conference V Most Valuable Player award, can now be stored with a treasure chest full of Clarke baseball memories. As much as the individual honors stand out, it¹s the team hardware that means the most to Appell.
³The state championship no doubt about it,² he said of his crowning achievement. ³That was the greatest moment of my high school career.²
And he¹s also quick to acknowledge the reason behind his four-year run of success. ³I wouldn¹t have done half of what I¹ve
[accomplished] without the coaching staff and the kids I played with. They made me 10 times better and I really do owe everything to them.²
