Reistetter, Demitroff make art of hitting look easy

See the pitch, hit the pitch. Dads and grandfathers have been telling aspiring players that for ages.

It sounds so simple. But hitting a round ball with a round bat squarely might be the most difficult task in any sport.

This spring, two guys named Matt will punctuate five-year high school baseball careers in which they have done it better than anyone else.

Matt Demitroff of Manhasset and Matt Reistetter of Hauppauge are two of the finest hitters Long Island has seen. Both are chasing the Long Island career hit record of 163 set by Brett Roeske of Cold Spring Harbor from 2005-09. Reistetter has 129 hits, Demitroff 118.

"It's all about the approach and focus," said the 5-10, 180-pound Reistetter, a catcher with a gun of a throwing arm who has accepted a scholarship to play at Hofstra. "I believe that patience and the ability to recognize pitches has helped me be a successful hitter."

The lefthanded-hitting Reistetter has astounding career numbers. He has a .453 average, a .653 slugging percentage, 87 runs scored and 84 RBIs.

Reistetter, who is hitting .357 with a .607 slugging percentage this season, is on the verge of something never accomplished in Long Island history. No player has ever had the triple-double of baseball - eclipsing the century plateau in hits, runs and RBIs. The achievement is within his reach.

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"What separates Matt from other high-schoolers is his ability to use the whole field," Hauppauge coach Kevin Giachetti said. "He doesn't swing at bad pitches. He's a smart hitter and has a game plan when he goes up there.''

The Boston College-bound Demitroff also is no easy out. The speedy leadoff man for the Indians has a .471 average, a .576 on-base percentage and 113 stolen bases.

"He sets the tone for the rest of our lineup," Manhasset coach Brian Corbo said of the 5-9, 175-pound shortstop. "He's such a tough out. His ability to hit and run really well puts a lot of pressure on the opposing pitcher and the defense."

Demitroff is one of the most decorated players in Manhasset history. He was an All-State honoree and earned the Nassau Conference A-1 MVP as a junior.

The two-time All-County selection surpassed two milestones in his junior season. He collected his 100th hit and 100th stolen base, both school records.

"He's an exciting player but he needs to relax, have more fun and stop putting so much pressure on himself," Corbo said. "We're a young team and Matt wants to set the example for the underclassmen. He seems to carry the weight of the world sometimes."

The righthanded-hitting Demitroff has felt the pressure that comes with the pursuit of the career hits record. He is hitting .500 with 12 hits, 12 stolen bases and 12 RBIs this season.

"You just want to play to your potential or it's disappointing," Demitroff said. "I have high expectations and want to lead my team to a conference championship."

Reistetter laughed when told of Demitroff's self-imposed pressure. The Hauppauge catcher for the past five years also has felt the anxiety of a few bad at-bats.

"Tell him to join the club," Reistetter said. "The toughest part of hitting is the mental aspect. You have to zone in every at-bat and look forward, never back. If you dwell on a bad plate appearance, you're done. My father used to tell me to focus on every at-bat individually."

Reistetter is a gap-to-gap guy and has hit five home runs, 34 doubles and four triples. Demitroff is a line-drive hitter who turns singles into triples with stolen bases.

Neither of the hit kings strikes out much. Reistetter struck out twice in his junior year and Demitroff did so only three times.

Both aspire to play professionally and both have become role models in their communities.

"I want to be a leader for the younger players," Demitroff said. "I want them to understand that you can be a great hitter through repetition and hard work. But they have to be focused and not get frustrated."

Said Reistetter, "The plan is to put yourself in the best possible situation to hit. Make the pitcher work. Make him throw your pitch. And then drive the ball where's it's pitched."

Sounds like two guys who'll make their college coaches roll out the "Welcome Matt."