Blue Devil Baseball Swings into Season
If the Boston Red Sox could turn around 86 years of frustration, why can’t the Huntington High School baseball program overcome the past half-century?
To be fair, the Blue Devils have enjoyed winning seasons and even made the playoffs since their last league title in 1965. But, Huntington has never again won a championship.
Billy Harris is not one to accept second place or third or fourth. You get the point. The team’s new head coach is committed to building a competitive program at every level.
Huntington went 2-1 in pre-season games, but it has a formidable league schedule ahead of it. Harris believes the team is ready for the challenge.
Luke Eidle and Isaac Rodriquez will lead the pitching staff. Brian Mora is the team’s second baseman and Brian Donnelly is Huntington’s catcher. Marco Caporuscio will help anchor the infield. Michael Harris and Steven Napurano are expected to pace a very good defensive outfield.
“We’re looking for great things out of ninth grader Elian Pimental,” Harris said. “He’s a very good and versatile ball player who will play a few different positions, including pitching. He will be a big bat in the middle of our lineup.”
The roster also includes Emanuel Anastos, Jeff Blakley, Kei Ron Byrams, Jonathan Canas, Marco Collins, Nicholas Costabile, Gavin Crockett, Vincent Fredericks, Matthew Montefusco, Brian Mora, Ryan Postiglione, Tyler Smith, Thomas Stock, Will Vollack and William Wright.
The Blue Devils play in Suffolk League IV, which features many talented teams. Huntington will play three game series against Half Hollow Hills West, West Babylon, North Babylon, West Islip and Centereach. Huntington is battling Hills West this week.
“We are looking to take a couple of teams by surprise in a very tough league,” Harris said. “A couple of teams are ranked in the top five on Long Island.”
A 1988 graduate of Huntington High School, Harris studied at SUNY Cortland for two years before earning an associate’s degree at SUNY Farmingdale. He went on to study at SUNY Stony Brook before joining the New York City Fire Department, where he has worked since 1998.
Harris played offensive and defensive tackle for the Blue Devils varsity football team and was a catcher with the Huntington varsity baseball team during his scholastic career. He has played on and been a coach with the FDNY football and baseball teams.
Harris started coaching baseball at J. Taylor Finley Middle School in 2010 and served as the Falcons head coach since 2013. He’s also been a head coach in the Tri-Village Baseball League program since 2002. His 2008 Tri-Village team won the New York State District 34 championship and was the Section 7 runner-up.
The new Blue Devil varsity diamond mentor was the head coach of the Huntington Dodgers when that team won the National Junior Baseball League championship in 2010.
Harris has coached in the Huntington football program since 2010, working with the high school team during its early season practices and helping with game day activities and also coaching squads at Finley.
A familiar face to Huntington baseball players, Harris has coached many of them in summer leagues and/or at Finley as seventh and eighth graders.
Harris has been stressing fundamentals in an effort to limit physical and mental errors at the plate, on the bases and in the field. The Blue Devils hope the solid pre-season translates into a winning campaign.