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All-Long Island Baseball

From left: Nassau Coach of the Year John Schneidmuller (Carle Place), Billy Simpson (Carle Place), Estee Harris Jr. (Central Islip), John Kalkau (Holy Trinity), Dennis Donovan (Center Moriches), Nick Luisi (Holy Trinity), Paul Gibson III (Center Moriches), Chris Sipp (MacArthur), Brian Johnson (East Islip), Dom Minnici (Plainedge), Jon Rockfeld (East Islip), Mike Ambort (South Side), Joe Esposito (Baldwin), Jesse Darcy (Division), Suffolk Coach of the Year Sal Ciampi (East Islip). (Photo by Joseph D. Sullivan)

The 13 baseball players who stood out on the fields of Nassau, Suffolk and CHSAA high schools this winter.

MIKE AMBORTM
South Side, Catcher, Senior
No one stole a base on this backstop. The 12 would-be base-stealers were gunned down in typical Ambort fashion. His quick release and powerful arm made teams play station-to-station baseball against South Side, which reached the third round of the Nassau Class A playoffs. Ambort was a four-year varsity starter. He was a three-time All-County selection and the Conference MVP award-winner three times. He hit .450 with 7 homers, 23 RBI and a .910 slugging percentage. He will attend Lamar University.

JESSE DARCY
Division, Pitcher, Senior
Classic righthanded power pitcher at 6-3, 160 pounds, who finished with a 9-1 record and earned Nassau's prestigious Diamond Award, given to the county's top pitcher. He allowed nine runs in 66 innings and had an ERA of 1.01. He struck out 96 batters with an overpowering fastball and 12-to-6 curveball with a circle changeup. He finished his career with a 16-1 record, 182 strikeouts in 122 innings and seven shutouts. He will attend Manhattan College on a baseball scholarship.

DENNIS DONOVAN
Center Moriches, Shortstop, Senior
Donovan was a smooth fielding middle infielder with excellent range and a strong arm. He was a four-time All-League player, three-time All-County selection and won the Suffolk League VII MVP award as a junior. He batted .518 with 4 home runs, 29 RBI and 23 runs scored for the Red Devils, who were undefeated in League VII. "He's a gifted athlete, good shortstop with great range and strong arm," Gibson Jr. said. "He's become stronger every year. He went from a straightaway to centerfield type of hitter to a power threat as a senior." He will attend the University of Connecticut on a baseball scholarship.

JOE ESPOSITO
Baldwin, Second Base, Senior
This was a special year in Baldwin. The final season of four in which Baldwin coach Frank Esposito coached his son Joe for the Bruins. Joe made it one to remember. He ws a finalist for the Diamond Award after finishing with a 7-1 record and a 0.42 ERA. He had 92 strikeouts in 56 innings and went the distance in a Nassau Class AA 10-inning 4-3 playoff loss to Mepham. In that game he struck out a school-record 20 batters before being undone by a fielding error. He also led county in hitting with a .607 average, including three homers, 14 doubles and two triples.

PAUL GIBSON III
Center Moriches, Pitcher, Senior
What was difficult early on became a pleasure for coach Paul Gibson Jr. He had the opportunity to watch his son turn into a terrific player over the past four years, punctuating his career with the Suffolk League VII MVP award. Gibson finished with a 7-1 record and led the Red Devils to the county Class B championship game. He had an ERA of 0.71 and struck out 76 batters in 53 innings. "He'll fight you over the last out," Gibson Jr. said. "Winning is paramount to him. He's a gamer." Gibson, a two-time All-County selection, batted .516 with 24 runs scored and 29 RBI.

ESTEE HARRIS JR.
Central Islip, Centerfield, Senior
He's been labeled a five-tool package by the area pro scouts. Harris led Suffolk with 8 homers and he stole 21 of 22 bases. He had 20 RBI, batting from the leadoff spot for the most of the season. Harris was instrumental in leading the Musketeers to the playoffs for the first time since 1991. He was a finalist for the Yastrzemski Award, given to Suffolk's best player. The lefthander hit tape-measure home runs during CI's run to the playoffs, including three in a three-game sweep over League II co-champion Connetquot. He is expected to be selected high in the Major League draft.

BRIAN JOHNSON