Grand Slam Challenge renamed in honor of former Commack coach Bryan Bonin
Commack coach Bryan Bonin jogs over to third during the Long Island Championship Conference I baseball game against Massapequa in Patchogue on Sunday, June 20, 2021. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
After a two-year hiatus, the Blue Chip Prospects Grand Slam Challenge is back.
The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the annual all-star baseball game, which features Nassau’s top seniors against Suffolk’s best. This year the 16th annual game will be renamed the Bryan Bonin Grand Slam Challenge and the proceeds will benefit the Bryan Bonin Foundation. Bonin, the former Commack baseball coach, died of melanoma on Jan. 25, 2022, at 33 years old.
The game is scheduled for Wednesday at Farmingdale State College at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 at the gate.
“The baseball community wanted to come together and do something special in Bryan’s name,” said Long Island Lutheran coach Shaun Manning, the game’s coordinator. “This game has been a staple in the baseball community and supported so many great causes over the years. Bryan was a lifelong friend and this will be an emotional event for many people.”
The Suffolk all-stars are 8-7 in the series. It’s a game that has had 17 players go on to play professionally, including major-leaguers Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs and Steven Matz of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“This is going to be the most special game I’ve ever coached,” said Commack coach Matt Salmon, who served as Bonin’s assistant at Commack for four years. “I learned so much from Bryan about relationship building, coaching with passion and just things in our everyday lives. He was such a kind person and good friend.”
Bonin, a father of three who taught physical education in the Commack School District, was the head coach for Commack baseball from 2017-21. In that span, he led the program to three league titles, two Suffolk crowns and a Long Island Conference I championship in 2021.
“I played in the PAL exceptional senior all-star game in 1997,” Salmon recalled. “I know what it means to be selected to play in these games. And it’s an added honor to coach in a game named after someone that had such a positive impact in our community.”
The game will showcase some of the finest pitching on Long Island. Suffolk will feature St. John’s University commits Chris Batuyios (Mount Sinai) and Brady Clark (Bayport-Blue Point) and University of Connecticut commit Charlie West (Ward Melville).
Jason DeCaro of St. Anthony’s, the CHSAA player of the year, is slated to start the game for the Suffolk squad. Andrew Koshy of Kellenberg, the CHSAA pitcher of the year, is expected to start for Nassau.
Great Neck South coach Ciro Ambrosio will coach the Nassau all-stars. He’ll have some of Long Island’s top hitters in home run threats Erik Paulsen (Massapequa) and Evan Baschnagel (Chaminade).
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
