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Ward Melville Looks to Lean on Pitching to Return to their Winning Ways in 2026

Special thanks to Metamorphosis Landscape Design for sponsoring this year’s series

by Anthony DiCocco

After a challenging season in 2025, head coach Lou Petrucci and the Ward Melville Patriots will seek to restore the program’s glory this spring.

Last year was not kind to the Patriots. Following a 2024 campaign that saw it finish a game over .500, Ward Melville went 5-15 a season ago to miss the playoffs.

Regardless of the team’s performance, Petrucci, who is entering his 20th season at the helm of the Patriots, took full responsibility for the lost season.

“The players were 5-0 and I was 0-15; that’s God’s honest truth,” Petrucci said in an interview with Axcess Baseball. “Last year was a reality check and payback for all of the times we won a lot of games.”

Two of the more notable players that Ward Melville graduated at last season’s end are RHPs Jason Stiles, who is now pitching at Susquehanna University, and Matthew Poxon.

Despite losing two solid arms, Petrucci expects his pitching to be much improved this year after getting some pitchers back from injury. For the longtime skipper, reestablishing Ward Melville’s identity of having an elite pitching staff will be at the forefront of his mind heading into the year.

“If you’re a pitcher at Ward Melville, there’s a different level of expectation,” Petrucci said. “You’re expected to throw strikes and have command, presence and poise to help your team win. Steven Matz, Anthony Kay and Ben Brown have all proven themselves and made the big leagues. I expect these guys to understand that and restart the tradition.”

Petrucci expects any of the pitchers on his staff to be able to pitch like a No. 1. A “big arm” in senior Jake Hurley will be a key part of the rotation before heading to the University of Bridgeport in the fall, as Petrucci credited him for making “tremendous strides the last two seasons as a pitcher and competitor.”

The Patriots will also be returning one of their best players in Joe Karpowicz. Karpowicz is set to pitch once again in his junior season and will likely patrol left field. On top of being a two-way player, Karpowicz is a talented multisport athlete, as he is the only sophomore in Ward Melville history to earn an All-County nod in both football and baseball.

Along with senior Danny Cornish, juniors Andrew Poxon and Alex SanGiorgi are slated to be deployed on the mound. SanGiorgi and Cornish will join Karpowicz in the outfield in center and right field, respectively. 

In SanGiorgi’s case, Petrucci called him a “plus-defender and athlete with great speed.”

Poxon will be back after going down with an injury last year. As a freshman two years ago, Poxon was the first pitcher to beat Commack’s Evan Kay, who is now pitching for Stony Brook. 

Sophomore Connor McFarland is another name to look out for. The right-hander started for the Patriots in his freshman season and Petrucci believes he is ready to have a breakout year on the bump.

“[McFarland]’s a strong young man; 6-foot-2 with a good arm,” Petrucci said. “He’ll be a lot better for us.”

Senior Nick Failla will reprise his role as the team’s starting shortstop in addition to toeing the rubber at times. As a four-year starter, Failla is one of the main players that Petrucci plans to lean on.

“[Failla] can make all the routine plays and a couple of great ones in between,” Petrucci said. “He’ll be the main cog in our lineup. He’s the only player on the team that has played in a playoff game so I hope he can lead us.”

Senior Liam McGovern, who has also been known to flash the leather, will stand alongside Failla up the middle at second base to form a formidable double-play duo. Like Failla, he will be trusted with being a leader on the team, as he was named team captain.

Filling up the infield dirt at the corners will be senior 1B Rowan Golub and sophomore 3B Kyle Kiernan. With those four players posting up everyday, Petrucci is sure that Ward Melville will have a “very good defensive infield.”

When it comes to the competition behind the plate, senior Jackson Aplustille and sophomore Chase Eichner will vie for the starting job. Last year, both backstops received a fair share of playing time behind the dish.

“Chase is a great catcher and has been with us since eighth grade,” Petrucci said. “He started for us last year along with Jackson. That’s going to be tough and they’re going to battle.”

Though there is no easy path to the playoffs in Ward Melville’s loaded League 2, Petrucci has faith that the Patriots will improve and play hard in order to compete for as long as they can.

“We’re going to have a better season,” Petrucci said. “I can’t predict how many wins or losses we’re going to have, but I will predict that the games will be a lot better played. We have to keep working to get all the kids better everyday because the 27th guy on the bench is just as important as the first guy on the lineup card.”

Ward Melville will open the campaign on the road against Lindenhurst on Thursday, March 26.