Huntington Sports Briefs
After missing most of last season with a shoulder injury, former all-state Huntington baseball player Jon Tasman is back on the field for Columbia University, where he is a junior. The 2006 Blue Devil alum underwent surgery last year and his rehab period has been a long one. A later knee injury didn’t help matters. But, as spring approaches, those injuries are fading.
Tasman was relieved to learn that he had no real structural damage to his knee. “It doesn’t feel great here and there, but hey, I have been a catcher for over 10 years,” he said. He’s been practicing with the Columbia team since Feb. 1 and is swinging a hot bat.
In early intrasquad games, Tasman has gone 9-for-12 with six singles, two doubles a triple, six RBIs, four runs scored, a stolen base and two walks. He’s been hit by a pair of pitches and struck out only once. “I've been put behind the dish more again too. I threw out my first runner at second and things are coming around. I also played some first and
made a couple plays there.
Columbia has a new synthetic turf field and when conditions allow the team has been outdoors for its early season workouts. Tasman feels his arm is at about 90 percent of full strength right now.
As a college freshman, Tasman started 11 games for Columbia, before his sophomore season ended abruptly. At Huntington, he earned three varsity letters each in baseball and soccer. He sparkled on the diamond, batting .420 as a junior and .415 as a senior. He recorded seven shutouts in goal for the soccer team.
Tasman is majoring in economics at Columbia and is currently enrolled in some of the hardest courses required for his major. He will only need seven more classes to graduate following this semester.
Tasman received numerous academic awards at Huntington and was also honored for perfect attendance. He hopes to be on Columbia’s travel roster when the team heads to Duke University for a pair of games on March 1-2. “As long as I swing it the way I am, I think my coach will put me nearly anywhere,” he said. He is also making plans to play summer ball.
The Huntington wrestling team closed out the regular season ranked 21st in the state Division I poll conducted by the New York State Sportswriters’ Association (www.newyorksportswriters.org).
Huntington senior Casey Scully has already signed an NCAA Division I letter of intent to play lacrosse next year at Iona College in New Rochelle. Yet, Scully isn’t looking forward to the end of her high school basketball career. She has forged many strong friendships with teammates and enjoys the sport.
Blue Devil head coach Brad Reminick knows the transition from three sport athlete to college lacrosse player will be difficult for Scully. “It’s going to hit pretty hard when it ends for her,” he said. “She loves hoops.”
Members of the Huntington girls’ basketball team were out in force at John Glenn High School when the Blue Devil boys’ hard court team took on the Knights in the first round of the Suffolk playoffs last week. The girls sat in the upper reaches of the bleachers and cheered as loud, if not louder, than anyone in the crowd of more than 600. Blue Devil girls’ coach Brad Reminick was also in attendance at the game.
Former Blue Devil state wrestling champion Brian Fischenich has achieved another milestone in his life. After earning an undergraduate degree at Lehigh University and a law degree at Georgetown University, Mr. Fischenich, a 1993 Huntington graduate, practice law for many years in Idaho. But, he always had a yearning to serve his country.
Ironically, Mr. Fischenich bypassed an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy out of high school, but he’s in the Navy now. He resigned from his law firm for a stint as a Navy lawyer.
Earlier this month, Mr. Fischenich completed commissioned officer training and in the process earned a Distinguished Graduate Award. It’s an honor given to the top 10 percent of the class based upon academics, leadership and physical training. “I am pretty glad COT and the 20 hour days that accompanied it are over,” he said. He is current undergoing Judge Advocate training. “It should be a much more relaxed atmosphere,” he said.
While he’s busy, he still managed to keep abreast of Huntington’s performance in the Suffolk wrestling tournament, offering congratulations to county champions Damon McQueen and Dashaun Thomas and head coach Lou Giani.
Huntington School Board members have appointed Alida Jade Edwards as Huntington High School junior varsity softball coach.
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