Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s series
by Anthony DiCocco
With a mix of returners and new faces, head coach Zach Epley and the Southampton Mariners hope to turn the tide heading into the 2026 campaign.
The Mariners have struggled over the past half decade, going 22-84 since 2021. Last year, Southampton went 6-14, and due to lower enrollment they dropped from Class A to Class B in its league.
However, with an increased focus on fundamentals after sporting a .901 team fielding percentage in 2025, Epley believes his squad can enjoy a turnaround.
We cant beat ourselves, Epley said. We lost a few close games in the middle of the season, which was disappointing for us in games we thought we could win. Those top teams are going to be fundamentally sound and we have to do the same.
Nonetheless, any potential turnaround will need to come without some key pieces. Seven players from last years team graduated, including three starters. Most notably, a pair of five-year varsity members in SS/1B/RHP Daniel McDonnell and 1B/LHP Elijah Abella are no longer Mariners, which goes the same for OF/RHP Jackson Romanow.
McDonnell who was Southamptons star is continuing his pitching career at the NCAAs Division-III level with Rogers Williams University. In 2025, McDonnell batted a team-leading .327. His 2.40 earned run average (ERA) was good for second on the team and his 73 strikeouts were a team best across 49 ? innings.
[McDonnell]s going to be a huge loss, Epley said. He was the workhorse that I could rely on when we needed to get an out on the mound or when we were in a tough inning, I would think Please hit it to Daniel so we can get out of this thing.
Abella was also a constant on the field for the Mariners over his five years as a starter.
As for Romanow, he was a power source at the plate. He led the team with a .888 on-base plus slugging (OPS) while batting .304 with a home run and eight RBIs.
To replace their production, Epley will call upon a plethora of returners and junior varsity call-ups. In the pitching department, RHP/3B/SS Thomas Crawford a Queens College commit is slated to be Southamptons No. 1 arm after posting a team-leading 2.33 ERA last season to go with 31 strikeouts over 27 innings pitched.
Thomas Crawford (Southampton2026) was sitting in the mid-80s with his fastball, topping out at 87 MPH. The RHP also featured a low 80s changeup and a slider in the upper seventies.
Definitely a player to watch for @mvpnewyork pic.twitter.com/OSO47Ut1z8
Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 31, 2025
[Crawford] will be our ace, Epley said. He had a really good summer season. He had some control issues last year, but he looks really focused and dialed in.
Senior Bailey Brown and brothers Kyle and Wesley Warner will round out the pitching staff. Kyle Warner sported a 4.54 ERA last season and eventually worked his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore, while Wesley, who is a freshman, was lighting up the radar gun at the junior varsity level and will also see time in the outfield this year.
Despite playing baseball her whole life, Brown has committed to play collegiate softball at Division-II Pace. Brown earned a spot on the United States Womens National Baseball Team after posting a 3.23 ERA last year and also had the opportunity to visit MLB camps this summer, where she picked up some added velocity according to Epley.
Bailey Brown (Southampton 2026) works out of a bases-loaded jam and keeps Dodgers Nation off the board in the fifth.
She and the rest of the As staff have kept the opposing offense at bay and trail 1-0. pic.twitter.com/WhuInC7CFA
Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 29, 2025
[Brown]s the toughest person on our team and theres not even a question mark about it, Epley said. She throws strikes and doesnt walk anybody. Shes somebody reliable that I know will get outs when shes out there.
Senior catcher James Dudley will be back behind the plate this season with hopes of a bounce back. After earning All-League honors as a sophomore, Dudley struggled last season. Like Dudley, Crawford was also was mired in a season-long slump in 2025
I think [Dudley and Crawford] had a lot of mental pressure they were putting on themselves, Epley said. They need to get off to strong starts and then they can get better as they go.
With Dudley and Crawford hoping to regain their touch at the dish, Epley expects Kyle Warner and a pair of junior varsity exports in Thomas Lavinio and Anthony Galante to lead the offense. Warner, who figures to work at first and third base and in the outfield this year, led the team with 13 RBIs last season after starting the season as a role player.
Lavinio, who shined as a pitcher at the junior varsity level last season, may see some work on the bump as long as he is healthy. Regardless of any nagging injuries, Epley believes the juniors bat will play.
Galante is a catcher, but Epley does not expect him to see much time behind the plate with Dudley and Hewie Dunne getting the bulk of playing time there. Nonetheless, Epley has high hopes and big plans for the sophomore.
I wouldnt be shocked if [Galante] leads the team in batting average by the end of the season, Epley said. Galante is a kid that can play anywhere; he might end up in the outfield.
Along with their catcher timeshare, Dunne and Dudley are in the mix for outfield reps while Dunne will also split time with fellow senior Cooper Costa-Helmsteadt at second base. Costa-Helmsteadt batted .217 last season, and though Dunne struggled a small sample size, Epley said that he is probably [Southampton’s] best contact hitter.
Senior 1B/OF Will Dupree will factor in at first base to round out the right side of the infield after batting .200 with nine RBIs last year. With McDonnell no longer a fixture on the left side, Epley is still trying to figure out a winning combination.
Crawford, Brown and Kyle Warner are all in the mix for reps there, as is senior Lucas Magnozzi. Magnozzi joined Southampton last year after being homeschooled and hit .255 with three extra-base hits and seven RBIs. Due to arm issues, he will exclusively serve as a position player this season.
With the Mariners depth, Epley hopes to see his team start the season strong with an emphasis on doing the little things right.
We cant give free passes or give away routine outs, Epley said. We have to come out, make plays and throw strikes. If we do that, well be successful this year.
Southampton will open its season against Center Moriches at the Town of Brookhaven Bill Johntry Memorial Bash for Cancer at 4:30 p.m. on March 27.