Coming off a magical run to the Nassau Class AA semifinals last year, Long Beach baseball is intent on turning short-term success into a winning tradition. The Marines, now 3-4 to start the season, are counting on seniors to step up and keep them in the mix near the top of a highly competitive division.
“These seniors, not all of them got a lot of playing time last year, but they were all fully invested,” coach Jason Zizza said. “They understand that they were part of a winning program that went really deep in the playoffs. They have a chip on their shoulders and they want to prove they can that as well.”
Zizza noted that Long Beach lost several key graduating players last year, but the coach believes in the next generation as much as the last. The Marines run through senior Matthew Hayes, who earned All-Conference honors as a junior. He is their ace pitcher and starting shortstop.
“When he’s pitching, he’s one of the fiercest competitors that I’ve ever coached,” Zizza said. “He wants the ball in big situations. I feel that giving Matty Hayes the ball gives us a chance to win any game that he starts.”
Hayes will be joined by fellow All-Conference player Patrick Henry, the starting catcher who hit .417 as a junior. Zizza said that Henry is a tough competitor behind the plate and offers plenty of pop near the top of the order.
Henry will be a familiar face for Hayes, but the shortstop will often be surrounded by new starters in the infield. Seniors Luke Weis and Hayden Lipinski are stepping into starting roles as third and second baseman, respectively. Lipinski will shift between second and short when Hayes pitches, opening up a middle infield spot for freshman Michael Canepa. Sophomore Aiden Perry will pitch and start at first base.
While the infield is slowly taking shape around Hayes and other improving talent, Zizza has the “good problem” of too many qualified outfielders on the roster. Senior Steven Misrok moved out of the infield and has slowly earned a role in center field.
Fellow seniors Sam Kaplan, Matt Espinoza and Jayson Kapelner will also receive playing time, as well as versatile junior Joseph Lordi. Junior Aiden Pilch and freshman Cayden McCormick will occasionally platoon in the outfield when they aren’t pitching.
Zizza’s “problem” in the outfield reflects a larger theme of his coaching style. The goal for any individual player is not to singlehandedly carry the program, but to serve a role. Some players will have bigger days than others, but one thing is expected of everyone on the roster.
“We preach respect in our program, not only respect for yourself but for the game,” Zizza said. “We talk about never being a palms-up player. If something goes wrong, you move on. We talk about baseball not being about what happens, but how you react to what happens.”
The bar may be rising for Long Beach after a highly successful 17-6-1 season, but if culture counts for anything, the Marines have every chance to turn that sudden breakthrough into something even more meaningful.
