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Sports

Seaford Baseball Aims for County Title

Senior-laden Viking team motivated after first round playoff exit last year.

The baseball team is coming into the 2011 season with high hopes of capturing a Nassau County title after numerous conference championships and heartbreaking playoff losses in recent years. 

Last season the Vikings reached the playoffs but fell to Jericho in the first round. After this gut wrenching loss, players and coaches alike have dedicated themselves to reaching the county finals this year.

“We are trying to focus on every possible defensive situation we might find ourselves in,” said Seaford head coach Mike Milano, who has led the Viking baseball program since 2004. “Defense is key. A big reason why we lost last year in the playoffs is because of errors. You simply can’t give extra outs to kids who have had 60-70 at bats at that point in the season.”

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Milano said another key focus this year is situational hitting and pitching. “Most of these kids play other sports throughout the year,” he said. “We have to get them back into the baseball mindset and preparing them for a tough baseball season.”

Seaford returns seven seniors from last year’s squad led by catcher David Hraska. Two of the key pitchers are Mike Kalista and Bobby Ryan, who is a tri-captain along with Haraska and Keith DeGeorge.

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Seaford pitching coach and former Viking hurler Jamie Adams said he attended New York Yankees spring training last month and studied how their pitchers approached the game and attended clinics during the offseason to learn new techniques he can teach his players. “A big part of pitching is just wanting the ball in your hands no matter how you feel that day,” said Adams. “You might not always have your best stuff, but you still have to go out there and try to win. That’s the mindset I am trying to instill upon these young pitchers.”

A key offensive player for Seaford is DeGeorge, who earned All-Conference honors after hit.400 in 2010. “He is a great player who breathes baseball all year round,” said Milano.

Hraska said he is dedicating this season to his neighbor’s mom, Mary-Anne Muller, who recently passed away and was the one who first introduced him to baseball at age five. “We just want to go out and play well for her,” he said.

For Seaford to qualify for the playoffs it will need to do so in a tough conference that includes perennial baseball powerhouses Division, Garden City and Clarke. Seaford's first game is scheduled for March 31 at home against Mepham starting at 4:15 p.m.

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