Saturday, November 8, 2025
Wantagh’s baseball team is off to a strong start to the season. The Warriors are 12-1 overall and locked in a tie for first place in Nassau Conference A-1 with Clarke.
And yet, like Mudville, there’s no joy in Wantagh.
“We’re staying on top of them because our goals are always big, so I guess we don’t tend to enjoy the wins as they come because we’re always trying to improve for when it matters,” Wantagh coach Keith Sachs said. "Instead of enjoying a 10-run win, we try to create a situation that will help us with a big win down the road.”
Sachs sees the bigger picture. He knows when the page turns to the postseason, the pitching is better, the margins are smaller.
“We’re coaching to win the game that’s going to be a one-run game in the semifinals,” Sachs said. “We’re hard on them, but they have big goals, so I think they understand that now.”
Pitchers Christian Danzilo and Gavin Deignan have been virtually unhittable. Deignan has thrown back-to-back no-hitters, striking out 12 against Floral Park and 11 against Valley Stream South.
And the balanced lineup has no holes. It’s a big reason why Wantagh has a +99 run differential and has won six straight games.
“The well-roundedness might be our strength,” Sachs said. “We return a lot of starters, but not stars. So everybody’s good. Everybody’s a good baseball player, and they all buy in and they all do their thing.”
There’s also a championship mentality that carries over from the Long Island Class IV championship-winning football team Sachs coaches in the fall.
“They’re winning kids,” he said.
Danzilo and Deignan are both 4-0, both lefties, and both bring more than just pitching to the team. They’re both athletic and both hit. When not on the mound, Deignan plays first base. He hits leadoff and has an average in the mid-.400s.
Ryan Conigliano is a returning starter at shortstop, and he’s brought some pop to the plate with four home runs in the Warriors’ first five games.
Outfielders Tom Wunderlich and Cole Spinelli have picked up where they left off last year, and junior third baseman Ryan Tullo is one of the best arms Sachs has seen since Jimmy Joyce, who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2021 and is currently with the Arkansas Travelers, their Double-A affiliate.
Second baseman Charlie Cascino is a first-year starter who is batting ninth, but he’s hitting close to .400 and playing solidly defensively. And sophomore Luke Tierney has also been strong behind the plate.
“They’re not studs, but they’re all good players,” Sachs said. “I don’t really mind who’s up in any situation.”
Wantagh, whose lone loss was by one run to Valley Stream North, is on a collision course with Clarke, the team that beat the Warriors in a three-game series to win the county title last year.
The three-game series closes out the regular season and could be a playoff preview.
But if Wantagh wins those games, don’t expect much celebrating.
“The story is far from being told,” Sachs said.
