High school notebook: Patchogue-Medford baseball coach Anthony Frascogna crosses 300-win plateau
Patchogue-Medford baseball coach Anthony Frascogna takes part in a podcast interview with Newsday sports writer Gregg Sarra on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019 in Melville. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
It was Opening Day and the number 299 had given way.
Anthony Frascogna had his 300th win to begin his 23rd season as Patchogue-Medford’s baseball coach after a 5-1 victory at Central Islip on March 26.
“I was proud of the program,” Frascogna said. “To get that many wins, you’ve got to win a pretty good amount of games every year. So we’ve been pretty consistent with that.”
When the 55-year-old Medford man reflects on his run, it isn’t one particular victory that stands out the most, nor the six pros he helped develop, including Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman and fellow righthander Josh Knoth, who was drafted 33rd overall by Milwaukee last year.
Frascogna, a former Pat-Med catcher, prides himself on just doing the job.
“I’ve had a lot of great players, and I really never take credit for them,” said Frascogna, who is up to 305 wins with his team at 6-8. “I didn’t give birth to those guys. I did my part when I had them.
“But they’re not my greatest accomplishment, I don’t think, because I was just lucky to have them. I think the greatest accomplishment is just being able to do the work necessary to keep a program viable in this day and age when there are so many obstacles that you have to overcome.”
Herricks boys lacrosse rising
Herricks lost several close games and finished 5-12 last season, including a first-round exit in the Nassau Class B playoffs. Now the Highlanders are in A and they’re getting better results.
This team, featuring six college commits, is 9-4 overall and running second at 8-1 in Nassau Conference A.
Senior midfielder Riley Royals, who has a team-high 35 goals, and his twin brother, senior defenseman Jesse Royals, are committed to the Division I Queens University of Charlotte Royals in North Carolina.
Junior attackman Troy Madden, who has a team-high 72 points, and senior long pole middie Gavin Lamere are committed to D-II Mercy.
Senior defenseman Damien Chu (D-II Roberts Wesleyan) and senior attackman Tommy Gaudio (D-III Vassar) are the other college-bound players.
“We’ve lost some really talented players over the last few years,” coach Mike Chin said, “but really the heart of the team that’s been through now multiple playoff seasons and has been through the ringer and the trials and tribulations, they’re back. It’s a really committed senior class that we’re getting the most out of.”
