MacArthur seeks a strong finish

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It’s been a roller coaster ride for MacArthur baseball so far. The Generals are working to become more consistent in time to make noise in the Nassau Class A playoffs.

“The expectations were that we’d be very good, but we’ve struggled to get there,” coach Steve Costello said May 25 after the Generals defeated East Meadow, 9-1, behind four hits from sophomore Sebastian Loor, three RBIs from junior Finn Duffy, and the pitching of freshman Tyler Bonsignore. “I’d like to see us become more consistent on offense,” he added. “We have ability up and down the lineup and hopefully we’re moving in the right direction.”

The win over East Meadow brought MacArthur back over the .500 mark with five games remaining in the regular season. The Generals are in good standing to qualify for the Conference II playoffs and a big finish could earn them a first-round bye. This spring, the top six teams in each conference will qualify for the playoffs and play its own tournament creating multiple county champions. Nassau’s conference titlists will face Suffolk’s conference champs for Long Island supremacy on June 20.

“Our conference is balanced and it’s a different setup with Class A and AA teams together,” Costello said. “Calhoun looks like they’ll take it and we’d like to finish second and get that other bye if we can.”

The top four in MacArthur’s lineup have been swinging hot sticks all spring, Costello said. Sophomore center fielder James Eden is setting the tone from the leadoff spot with a .450 average. He’s followed by senior J.T. Raab, who’s not only one of the top pitchers in the state but the team’s leader in homers and RBIs. Junior second baseman Matt Sarni is hitting .400 in the No. 3 spot, and Loor is raking as the clean-up hitter and playing shortstop.

“James is a talented kid who makes great contact and also has power,” Costello said of Eden, who plays varsity soccer.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Rabb, bound for Stony Brook University, earned All-County honors in 2019 when he went 5-1 on the mound as a sophomore. In his 2021 debut, Rabb struck out 19 Mepham batters to set a school single-game record. “He’s a pro prospect who throws a fastball, curve and change-up all with great command,” Costello said.

Sarni, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in the fall, will be part of the pitching staff next season. Stepping up in the mound absence of Sarni and junior Mike Tufo, who could return soon, to bolster the Generals’ staff have been Bonsignore, a lefty with two wins in as many starts, and seniors Jason Wall (3-0, 1.55 ERA) and Matt Fioretti. Senior Mike Randazzo has been excellent behind the plate, Costello said.