Carey firing on all cylinders

In what has already been a banner year for Carey baseball, the Seahawks have seemingly taken their game to a new level recently, scoring 10 or more runs in four straight games, outscoring their opposition 46-11 in that span.

With a combined team batting average hovering around .330 and a team ERA of 1.64, the Seahawks have a playoff spot locked up with a 7-2 record in Conference A-2 and 11-2 overall.

“We’re just playing good baseball all around,” said first year coach Doug Robbins. ”It makes my job easier. Good hitting is contagious.”

On Monday, the Seahawks began a three-game set with Jericho. After that, they face the only team that’s standing between themselves and a conference championship. At 8-1, Garden City sits one game above the Seahawks. But that could all change when they play a three-game series between May 6-9 – the first and last games taking place at Carey.

After beginning conference play earlier this month with a sweep of Bellmore-JFK, Carey had its lone hiccup of the season by dropping two of three to Manhasset. Though their offense was uncharacteristically quiet in the series, Robbins acknowledged that his team was simply outplayed. “We have to give credit where credit is due,” the coach said. “They pitched well.”

While the Seahawks boast a deep starting rotation and a well-rounded lineup, Robbins said what makes his team so lethal is their speed. They strive to steal at least five bases per game, putting extra pressure on opposing pitchers to throw more fastballs to control the running game, which leads to his hitters seeing more hittable pitches.

A quick survey of Seahawks’ pitchers’ ERAs might require a magnifying glass. Senior Matt Cosgrove is 3-1 with a 1.14 ERA (He’s also hitting to the tune of .400 with 18 RBIs.) Junior Nick Castel is 4-1 with a 1.35 ERA, and Senior Conor Huckemeyer boasts a 1.54 ERA.

Senior left fielder Riley Demeo is hitting .475 with 12 stolen bases. Junior Garrett Scavelli, a returning All-County center fielder, has all five tools, said Robbins, including a cannon for an arm. His on-base percentage for the year is .627. “Guys just aren’t pitching to him,” said Robbins, noting his 20 walks in 51 at bats. “He’s really disciplined. Lots of young players would start chasing.”

In their most recent conference series, the Seahawks handled New Hyde Park – a team Robbins had previously coached for 19 seasons – outscoring the Gladiators 33-10 in a three-game sweep. In the finale, Cosgrove took a perfect game into the sixth and ended with a two-hitter and six strikeouts.

Robbins insisted his team isn’t looking too far ahead looking towards Garden City next week, but that didn’t stop him from offering a preview.

“It’s going to be two well-played defensive teams,” he said. “Garden City is always good defensively. Their pitchers throw strikes. We’re similar teams. It’s going to come down to who make less mistakes who wins.”

But he cautioned, “If we don’t take care of Jericho first, we’re not going to be fighting for the title.”