Longhorns Baseball Looks to Repeat Title Run

 By Andrew Lorch

Last season was a dream season for the Longhorns baseball team and head coach Bobby Molinaro. The team earned just its second trip to the NJCAA National Championships in program history.  Not only did the Longhorns finish the year with an outstanding season, they also had many athletes that had outstanding accomplishments. What was more incredible about the Longhorns than any other team in their region, and maybe the nation, is that they are returning seven of the nine starters on the field from last season. Among the returning players from last season are All-Americans Mike Kitt and Rob Aglialoro, and also All-Region recipients Joe Troy and Rob Moschetto as well as Gold Glove recipient Joe Manzella.

If the returning players from last year's championship team seem like enough to keep head coach Bobby Molinaro happy, you're wrong. Molinaro hit the recruiting field hard after the Longhorns suffered elimination from last year's World Series. Coach Molinaro added offensive weapons in Josh Webb (Commack HS), who led Suffolk County his senior year of high school with eight home runs, and also transfer student from St. Leo College, Conor Burke. Molinaro also added stellar defense with the addition of John Franco, a transfer from Nassau Community College, and Ryan Stoll, a freshman from Babylon High School. As the Suffolk Longhorns offensive and defensive abilities seem like enough their strongest point has yet to be mentioned. The Longhorns pitching staff returns three starters and two relievers and also brings in freshman stand outs in Geo Jimenez (Brentwood HS), Jon Grosse (Bayport Blue Point HS), and Vinny Loughlin (Longwood), who may be the one player that pushes this Longhorns Baseball team over the top.

                Not only did the Longhorns add new players to the team but also acquired new and top of the line coaches in Pitching Coach Sean Farrell, who played in the New York Mets organization up until 2001, and Hitting Coach Sean Kammerer, a Sacred Heart University stand out.  With the great mixture of experienced young talent and excellent coaching, the Longhorns look to be the team to beat in Region XV.  When asked who would be the main contributor to this year's success, Coach Molinaro claimed he has a team that works as a team and there is not one individual who will help the team win more then another. Although the Longhorns had done what no Longhorns team had done in ten years by making it to the 2007 NJCAA National Championships, it was and is not enough for the returning sophomore class and the Longhorns Coaching staff.  Coach Molinaro reminds the Longhorns every day of where they had been last season and where they are expected to be at the conclusion of this season.  The Longhorns are now considered to be a top team in the nation and have aspirations to not only duplicate last season's results but to also build further on them and strive to take home a National Championship.