Oceanside gets bats going early

Brisk weather hasn’t stopped Oceanside’s baseball team from coming out of the gates swinging.

After hammering the ball in three successful scrimmages, the Sailors continued to smack it around in a season-opening 15-5 non-league victory at Mineola on March 28. Brian Lau drove in three runs with a pair of hits and Mike Hertling scored four times to lead the way.

“Usually the pitching is well ahead of the hitting at this point,” coach Andy Morris said. “We’ve hit the ball in clumps. Let’s hope it keeps up.”

Oceanside, which finished above .500 last spring and beat East Meadow in a Nassau Class AA first-round playoff game before falling to eventual county champion Calhoun in the quarterfinals, is expected to battle Massapequa and Farmingdale for Class AA/League-I supremacy.

“It’s a league we can win,” Morris said. “We’re good enough. It’s likely to come down to how we play against Massapequa and Farmingdale.”

Leading the Sailors’ chances is senior shortstop Chris Flynn, an All-County performer in 2010 who batted .380 and anchored the infield defense. “He’s a three-sport kid and a three-year starter for us,” Morris said. “Chris is able to stay very relaxed at the plate regardless of the situation. He’s our best hitter in terms of consistency and makes all the plays in the field.”

Junior Eric Mandell slides to second base from third to forma reliable double-play combination with Flynn. “Eric looks great at second, and he and Chris have great chemistry,” Morris said. 

Lau, part of a talented sophomore class with outstanding potential, is starting at first, while senior Zach Droblas tries to hold off a challenge from sophomore Francis Rapp for the starting nod at the hot corner. Rapp, the leading hitter for the JV team last spring, could also find himself in the lineup as the designated hitter. Junior Matt DeMartino and senior Brian Ellis present Morris with additional options at the DH spot.