Thursday, October 1, 2026
Uniondale’s baseball season has come to an end, as the Knights won half of their final six games to go into the offseason on a high note. The team was led by two multi-positional seniors, Steven Frias, Carlos Vazquez, and freshman Oliver Blanco.
Those three wins came against Westbury in a three-game sweep on April 27-30.
“[Blanco] can play anywhere,” assistant coach Frank Esposito said. “He pitches for us, then catches the next day and he’s played shortstop. He can play center field; he can play anywhere.”
In the team’s 4-0 win in game two of the three-game series against Westbury on April 28, Blanco fanned 10 batters in the complete game shutout, as the freshman shone in one of his final starts of the season.
“His baseball IQ,” Esposito said, describing his freshman’s development. “He usually has good at-bats. He’s one of those kids that we talked about with Steven Frias.”
Frias went 3-for-3 with a triple in the 4-0 win.
Blanco capped off the series with a 3-for-4 night at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in three. Frias added a multi-hit game as well, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI.
“He’s definitely a dominant player and he’s only a freshman,” said head coach Ciro Gentile. “He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Vazquez earned the win after five innings of one-hit ball and nine strikeouts.
“Frias and Vazquez have been with us for a few years and we’re losing them next year,” Gentile said. “They’ve been key players.”
Others who made an impact include junior pitcher Jaxson Baptichon and sophomore Willy Rodriguez.
“Even though we lost yesterday (5-3 to Valley Stream Central on May 5), I was talking to some of our younger players about the offseason, really working and trying to develop some pitching,” Esposito said. “I think that is going to be important for us.”
Looking ahead to next season, even with the departures of Frias and Vazquez, this Uniondale club will build around Blanco, who showed a lot of promise both in the batter's box and on the mound. The Knights will also rely on Baptichon, as he enters his final season with the program and Rodriguez, who enters his junior season after a solid sophomore campaign.
Uniondale earned a promotion to a tougher conference this spring.
“I think the conference was more competitive for us,” Gentile said. “It’s a big jump up from the county-wide to the AAA. But we like playing the better teams and more competitive teams. It’s a little challenging for us numbers-wise, but the kids have been competitive, especially the last four or five games.”
That being said, the ball club managed to finish the last six games of the season with a .500 record, and a sweep against Westbury, whom the Knights outscored 22-10 in three games. Uniondale closed out the season dropping three games to Valley Stream Central on May 4, 5 and 7.
Uniondale ended the season 5-14 overall and 4-14 in Conference AAA-2, as it turns the page to the offseason.
