Long Island Lutheran names baseball field after coach John Alberda, then beats Holy Trinity
The Long Island Lutheran team poses next to the new Alberda Field sign in memory of coach John Alberda on Friday, May 8, 2026, in Glen Head. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
It was a performance that would have made John Alberda proud.
Alberda was the Long Island Lutheran baseball coach for 25 years and amassed more than 400 wins. Now, LuHi's baseball field is named after Alberda, who died at age 77 in 2024.
The Crusaders unveiled a sign that reads, "Alberda Field" along the rightfield foul line ahead of Friday's non-league game — a 9-1 win over Holy Trinity. Matthew Muzikant struck out 13 and allowed one run and three hits in a complete game.
But before Muzikant took the mound, Alberda's grandson, Mateo, threw a ceremonial first pitch.
"I know all the hard work he put into this field," said Alberda's son, John. "I used to be up on the hill in centerfield watching him work on it. This place meant everything to him. To see them put this effort and everything together for him really means a lot."
Alberda graduated from LuHi in 1965 and played baseball at St. John's Junior College in Kansas and Concordia College Chicago. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres, but he chose to return to LuHi instead. He served as a physical education teacher from 1969-2019 and coached the baseball team from 1973-1998. He also coached JV and middle school basketball.
Assistant athletic director Todd Huebner said a donation from 1992 graduate Chris Briller helped the Crusaders fund a new sod infield and ignited discussions about naming the field after Alberda.
Huebner, who was an assistant coach under Alberda from 1991-1998, delivered a speech before the game.
"He was a very passionate, fiery coach and the kids responded well to it and played hard for him," Huebner said. "He would come to support all teams, even the ones he didn't coach. Even when he retired, he would always come back and work the clock for basketball, lacrosse, soccer . . . He loved the people here and really cared about this place."
Jayden Hauser went 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and two runs. Matthew Garib added a double and two runs and Vincent Bourne went 2-for-2 with a double and a run for LuHi (13-7).
SJ Garneau drove in Christian Poveda on an RBI single in the top of the first for Holy Trinity (11-10).
Muzikant retired the last 15 batters he faced.
“I felt like I had good command of all three pitches, so it’s pretty easy to work through a game quickly when I can put pitches where I want them,” said Muzikant, a senior.
The Crusaders also held their Senior Day ceremony before the game. Between the seniors being honored and the field dedication to Alberda, it was a special day for the Crusaders.
“Like Mr. Huebner said, (Alberda) is a LuHi legend,” Muzikant said. “It’s pretty cool to play like that after a ceremony like that.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
