18th annual Grand Slam Challenge baseball game to honor the life of former Commack coach Bryan Bonin
Commack coach Bryan Bonin jogs over to third during the Long Island Conference I baseball championship against Massapequa in Patchogue on June 20, 2021. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Bryan Bonin lives on, in the spirit of the Long Island baseball community. The former Commack varsity baseball coach died at 33 in January 2022 after a battle with melanoma.
The annual Grand Slam Challenge was named after Bonin in 2023, and the respective all-star teams — featuring senior talent from Nassau, Suffolk and the NSCHSAA — face off each year after the conclusion of the state championships.
“His loss was a truly devastating loss for the baseball community, his family and loved ones,” said Commack coach Matt Salmon, who served as Bonin’s assistant for years. “The all-star game is the perfect platform to remember Bryan. He was loved by everyone. We still feel his impact and his words in our community.”
The 18th Annual Bryan Bonin Grand Slam Challenge is scheduled for Monday, June 23, at 7 p.m. at Farmingdale State College. The game pits Nassau against Suffolk and there is a donation of $10 per ticket. All proceeds will help support the Bryan Bonin Scholarship Fund, which raises money for college-bound students or to help families going through a similar struggle that need financial support and/or guidance.
The coaches wore T-shirts that read “COACH STRONG” in 2024, a common theme throughout the baseball community. This year, they will replace “Coach Strong” shirts with the popular “Mudita” tees.
“Bryan’s coaching motto was ‘Mudita,’ ” event organizer Jamie Salmon said. “Bryan taught his players ‘Mudita,’ which [is a Buddhist term that] means the unselfish joy for others. It’s about genuine happiness in the success of others. He felt that no matter how you were doing, you needed to see the joy in teammates’ success and happiness. And that made for great teamwork and the overall team camaraderie.”
All players will receive a commemorative T-shirt sponsored by the Bryan Bonin Scholarship Fund.
“We make it a special night for everyone,” Long Island Lutheran baseball coach Shaun Manning said. “We have Complete Baseball Performance and the BK7 Brand Apparel donating jerseys and equipment. It’s a big night to celebrate Bryan Bonin’s life and the great game of baseball on Long Island.”
Bonin led Commack to the Long Island title in 2021 after a win over Massapequa. The team drew inspiration from his diagnosis and was able to rally behind him and capture the first LIC in program history.
“The game is becoming bigger and bigger,” Hauppauge coach Josh Gutes said. “The foundation is wonderful. People will remember the legacy of Bryan Bonin. He was so young, but the wisdom that he brought to the game and how he did it the right way was inspiring.”
Hauppauge catcher Michael Oliveto, who will be traveling to MLB camps in Florida and Arizona and working out for pro clubs at home in the next few weeks, led Suffolk with nine home runs.
“This is a big honor to play in this game,” he said.
Suffolk has a 10-7 advantage in the series. It’s a game that has seen 27 players go on to play professionally, including major-leaguers Marcus Stroman of the Yankees, Jason Foley of the Tigers, Greg Weissert of the Red Sox, Ben Brown of the Cubs and Steven Matz of the Cardinals.
Kellenberg coach Pat Miles will head the Nassau squad. He has some of L.I.’s top hitters, including Garden City’s Evan Cabral, who hit 10 home runs this season, and Wantagh first baseman Gavin Diegnan.
Sayville coach Joe Esposito, who led the Golden Flashes to a second Long Island crown with a 1-0 win over Wantagh, will skipper the Suffolk team. He has three MLB draft prospects on a roster that is pitching rich, with Miller Place lefty Nick Frusco, Patchogue-Medford righthander Jayden Stroman and East Islip lefty Thomas Costarelli.
SUFFOLK ALL-STARS
P – Nick Frusco, Miller Place
P – Ryan Palm, Sachem North
P – Cooper Fuller, Bayport-Blue Point
P – Sean Fanning, Smithtown East
P – Joey Hiller, Center Moriches
P – Dylan Wilkinson, Connetquot
P – Anthony Gerbasio, West Babylon
P – Tyler Brown, Sayville
C – Michael Oliveto, Hauppauge
C -- Michael Orgera, Whitman
C – Matt Podesta, Sachem North
C – Phil Mazzola, St. Anthony’s
1B – Anthony Carlo, St. Anthony’s
1B – Andrew Law, Sayville
IF – Bennie Franquiz, Mount Sinai
IF – Frank Kentoffio, Patchogue-Medford
IF – Kyle Messina, Sayville
IF – Zach DeMilt, Sachem North
IF – Seamus Smith, Hampton Bays
OF/P – Jayden Stroman, Patchogue-Medford
OF/P – Thomas Costarelli, East Islip
OF – Elijah Outlaw, West Babylon
OF – Andrew Amarando, Connetquot
OF – Brady Austin, Smithtown West
OF – Alex Ciampi, East Islip
Coaches: Joe Esposito, Sayville; Matt Salmon, Commack; Tom Gambino, Sachem North; Paul Parsolano, St. Anthony’s; Sal Ciampi, East Islip.
NASSAU ALL-STARS
P – Luke Lang, St. Dominic’s
P – Thomas Harding, Massapequa
P – Dylan Beirne, Oceanside
P – Jesse Kostulias, Mineola
P -- Christian Danzilo, Wantagh
P – Jacob Daddino, Carey
P – Ryan Morash, Calhoun
P – Mike Diorio, Manhasset
P – Patrick McCarthy, Carle Place
P/DH – Jack Durso, Kellenberg
C – Angel Cartagena, Farmingdale
C – A.J. Cumbo, Clarke
C – Tyler Persampire, L.I. Lutheran
1B – Gavin Diegnan, Wantagh
1B – Jason Romance, Massapequa
1B – Nick Albert, MacArthur
IF – John Franco, Farmingdale
IF – Colin Anderson, Chaminade
IF – Luke Villella, Oceanside
IF – Justin Owolabi, Valley Stream Central
OF – Evan Cabral, Garden City
OF – Lucas Vamvaketis, Kellenberg
OF – Eli Lowenstein, Bellmore JFK
OF – Steven Misrok, Long Beach
Coaches: Pat Miles, Kellenberg; Matt Prokopowicz, Kellenberg; Dave Izzo, Garden City; Colin Fratrik, Plainedge; Mike Gattus, Bellmore JFK.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
