Thursday, October 1, 2026
Long Beach baseball has clawed its way through a brutal field in Nassau Conference AA-1 to lock up a playoff berth with three games remaining. With at least six starting sophomores in any given game, coach Jason Zizza said the Marines have had to develop a “win now” mindset ahead of schedule.
“We're young this year, but that doesn't mean that we can't win baseball games,” Zizza said. “That doesn't mean we can't make a run in the playoffs. That just means that we're getting our experience, not only for this year, but the next two years. It’s going to be a whole lot of fun. We feel like we can really compete and do something special.”
With Elmont bowing out of conference play, Long Beach had a bye week in late April and will earn three victories toward its record. The wins will help to negate a decisive sweep the Mariners suffered at the hands of Calhoun, leaving them with a 6-6 conference record and playoff berth ahead of a series against Bellmore JFK.
Much of Long Beach’s success has come down to pitching, with senior Nathan Hall leading a starting rotation that also includes sophomores Logan Wien and Tyler Donohue. On April 8, Hall threw five innings and allowed two earned runs in a 10-6 victory over South Side, Long Beach’s first league win of the year.
“He goes out there and competes,” Zizza said. “He also leads the younger guys as a senior.”
Wien and Donohue have had their moments to shine as well, stepping up in an all-important series against New Hyde Park. After dropping the first game 4-1, Donohue started the second on April 15 and allowed three hits and one earned run in a 10-3 victory. The following day, Wien struck out 11 batters in a similarly decisive 13-3 rout.
“He works fast, great tempo, throws a ton of strikes,” Zizza said of Wien. “He keeps hitters off balance. He’s well-conditioned and he gives us a chance to win whenever he steps on the mound.”
Zizza said his players knew the series against New Hyde Park would likely have massive playoff implications. Coming through with two sophomore pitchers and plenty of runs was a momentous result that could reverberate through the program for years.
Left-handed sophomore Kellen DeSantis has also had opportunities to pitch, notably earning a win over East Rockaway early in the year. He battled in a 12-8 loss to Calhoun, the closest game of that series.
Long Beach’s offense runs through a tight core of hitters, as junior Ryden Nafte and senior Joe Lordi often set the table for Jesse Stadtman, a junior who has led the Marines at the plate all year.
“All three of them are top-of-the-order guys that usually hit one, two and three,” Zizza said. “They are very tough outs. They battle through at-bats, they put the ball in play. They're all hitting near or over .400.”
Communication has been a massive factor for Zizza, who constantly stresses to his younger players that this is not the end, nor does it have to be a quiet beginning. Despite their relative youth, the Marines are strong enough to contend now. A deep playoff run can only mean more preparation for one of the county’s most dangerous contenders moving forward.
