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St. Dominic shortstop Brandon Stahl and the rest of the...

St. Dominic shortstop Brandon Stahl and the rest of the team feels a preseason trip to Florida helped the team build chemistry. (File photo, 2009) Credit: Richard Slattery

Shortstop Brandon Stahl joked with leftfielder Derek Hirsch and it seemed to loosen up the entire bench. The laughter reverberated out to the basepaths, where coaches Chris Tranchina and Paul Parsolano were about to orchestrate a seven-run sixth inning outburst against the Rock Bridge Bruins of Missouri.

Trailing by by run at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., St. Dominic still seemed in control. This was spring training at its finest. It was players having fun, staying loose and preparing for the CHSAA season.

"It's a good feeling when you put together a winning program," said Stahl, the Bayhawks captain who is committed to Old Dominion. "We've been in the championship series two years in a row."

St. Dominic came back for a 14-8 win over Rock Bridge and set the tone for a productive spring trip. The Bayhawks are no longer one of the CHSAA's doormats. It's no surprise that the league defending champions are brimming with confidence.

"Winning the school's first league championship did wonders for us," St. Dominic coach Rick Garrett said. "It felt like we finally arrived."

Major league teams have tapped three Bayhawks in the past five years in the June amateur draft. No other program on Long Island can boast those kind of numbers.

The trip to Florida gave his players the chance to bond socially as well as on the field. The defending champions were 20-10 last season and earned the playoff title after finishing second during the regular season to St. John the Baptist.

The offense has senior leftfielder Derek Hirsch, one of Long Island's most dangerous hitters. He opened his season with two line-drive doubles against Rock Bridge. The Bayhawks are bolstered by the return of lefthanded centerfielder Steve Goldstein, who's back from Tommy John surgery, and junior second baseman Tommy Grillo.

The speed of Grillo and Stahl will give Hirsch and Goldstein plenty of run-producing opportunities. The trick to winning another CHSAA title can be found on the mound with hard-throwing junior righthander Nick Batas, a 6-1, 200-pounder, who had a 1.95 ERA; senior Chris Dragone and junior lefty Robert Galligan, a 6-4, 210-pounder.

St. John the Baptist has league MVP Kevin Courtney, who is the ace of a staff that includes hard-throwing righthanders Brian Hunter and Tom O'Neill. The Cougars won the regular-season title last year before falling short in the playoffs.

Holy Trinity has an experienced staff led by Villanova-bound Maximo Almonte and Sachim Kirtane, who will attend George Mason. The addition of sophomore lefty Christian Colletti gives coach Bob Malandro a fine rotation. Senior third baseman Anthony Brunetti, who has been converted to catcher, led the Titans in hitting the past three years.

Chaminade catcher Casey Cunningham will handle an experienced staff led by lefty Mike Martin. The Flyers are high on junior second baseman Tom Roulis.

St. Anthony's will rely on righthanders Michael Dolce and Anthony Eichhorn to get into the playoff mix.

St. Mary's is led by junior catcher Alex Falconi. Kellenberg had 15 players graduate, leaving the Firebirds young and inexperienced.

Visit msgvarsity.com for expanded

looks at the Long Island high school baseball scene.

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