Season Preview: Lynbrook Owls Baseball

The Lynbrook Owls baseball team will head into the 2011 campaign with hopes of redemption for the past few seasons of missing out on the playoffs.

The Owls were last in the playoffs in 2006, when they won the Conference A-III championship, followed by a deep run to the third round. In 2010, under 10-year head coach Al Marrazzo, the team missed out by one game, but this season has plenty of upside to get back once again.

“Every team's expectations is to go to the playoffs and learn and get better everyday. We haven’t been there since 2006, so I think that is the bottom line” Marrazzo said. “Hopefully we can do really well in league and maybe win it, but if not at least have a great showing and do the best we can.”

Lynbrook capped off last season with a 9-9-1 record in A-III and will square off in the same league this season. Despite losing All-County leftfielder Chris McGrane as well as first baseman Justin Randazzo from 2010, Marrazzo will be looking at a group of seniors to lead the Owls' comeback.

Senior left-handed pitcher Danny Grossi, who also doubles as a back-up first baseman, will be looked at to lead a solid pitching staff this year. Grossi pitched in summer baseball for the Long Island Tigers club team.

“We want to get the program back on track to where it definitely could be. The winter workouts have been great, so it should spell for a great year,” Grossi said. “I want to get the team to come together and get our name known out there. We’ve been practicing really hard and preparing for this.”

Senior centerfielder Andrew Marks is a returning All-Conference player from 2010 and should provide major offense at the lead-off spot. Vin Sharkey is a senior as well and will be the starting shortstop, along with potentially providing another solid bat to put runs up on the scoreboard.

“Our whole pitching staff is returning, we have a good defense and a good lineup, so we expect to go far,” Sharkey said. “I hope to contribute to the team and do whatever is best for these guys.”

Along with Grossi, Lynbrook will fill out their pitching staff with junior Alex Weingarten (RHP), senior Will Norris (RHP) and senior Spencer Kirsch (RHP). Kirsch will also be an incremental part of the lineup as a third baseman along with promising junior catcher Brian Billello.

“If we pitch and play defense, we could be great. We need our guys to throw consistent strikes and the guys behind them need to eat up the ground balls and make plays,” Marrazzo said. “We’ve got four guys who we will rely on a lot this year in the pitching.”

Lynbrook will match up with Plainedge, Bethpage and Lawrence in league play, and will play Glen Cove, Valley Stream South, West Hempstead and Great Neck South in league crossover games. The Owls will also see Island Trees and Valley Stream Central in non-league games.

Lynbrook will get their season started against Island Trees on Tuesday, March 29 at 4:30 pm at home (Marion Street Field).