MacArthur's Tuozzo wins pitcher Diamond

It was a little bit like lightning in a bottle -- a bright and unexpected flash of energy in a package that didn't seem like it could contain it. That was Jesse Tuozzo, a newly-minted 15 years old at the time, five-something, about 130 pounds, pitching in a summer league.

At that point in his junior varsity career, Tuozzo had made his name as what MacArthur coach Steve Costello called a "nearly prospect level" middle infielder. But the ninth-grader had a different thought. After missing over a year because of elbow tendinitis, Tuozzo wanted back on the mound and the summer league was the place to do it.

"So I went to this summer league and the first pitch he threw was 87 mph," Costello said. "I shook the gun like, 'did that just happen?' Right at that moment, I knew he had something."

Tuozzo had something, all right.

Now a junior, Tuozzo, pitched to a 7-1 record. In 47 innings, he allowed 11 runs, only five earned. He gave up 22 hits and struck out 94 batters -- that's exactly two an inning, for those keeping track. His fastball has climbed up to the low 90s; he tops out at 93. It's not even his best pitch.

He has a changeup, which he uses to set up his fastball, and a knuckle drop. That one's the ticket. "It's my strikeout pitch," Tuozzo said. "I'm comfortable with it. I can throw it first pitch, I can throw it 3-2."

Or, as Costello put it: "It's pretty much impossible to hit for a high schooler. It's almost unfair."

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It's a pitch worth its weight in gold or, if Wednesday night's Nassau awards dinner at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale is to be believed, diamonds. Tuozzo, 17, won the Diamond Award, given to the best pitcher in Nassau after helping MacArthur to a 19-7 record and a spot in the county finals against eventual Long Island champion Carey. On April 15, the righthander had a school-record 18 strikeouts in a one-hitter against Port Washington.

"It's always important to have an ace to build the rotation around," Costello said. "Even on good teams, defense is a problem on a high school level, so to have a kid with so many strikeouts takes the pressure off the defense."

Costello said that Tuozzo hit the 90s with his fastball some 20 times a game and seems to only be getting bigger and stronger. As a junior, he's courting some heavy recruiting interest, both from Division I schools and "some I've never even heard of," he said.

Tuozzo, though, remains sanguine about his accomplishments. When pressed, he deemed that his season went "pretty well" and said he didn't have many goals for next year, other than pitching to the best of his ability and getting his team back in the playoffs.

Hours before his name was announced, he expressed his delight at being nominated. The other finalists were Carey's John Daddino, Clarke's John Jarosz, Division's Sean Abbate, Calhoun's Frank Trimarco and Plainedge's Anthony Graziano.

"I'm kind of surprised I'm a finalist," Tuozzo said. "I'd love to win it, but I think there are better pitchers in the county."

The coaches have spoken: Not so, kid.