Westchester Rockland Wood Bat League

Last season, manager Joe DiRocco had the tough task of completely rebuilding the league’s most historically successful team. It was not an easy task, as the Outlaws brought in over 15 new players into last season and expected them to gel quickly. Despite some growing pains, the Outlaws won 11 games and turned a few heads. Now with their core returning this season, the hope is to build on their growth and make some noise.

Leading the charge offensively for this Outlaws squad is last year’s Rookie of the Year, T.J. Beninati. The Salem State standout made his presence known throughout the league, as his .431 average, 31 hits, and 51 total bases placed him firmly amongst some of the best. The return of his bat will surely set the tone for this young lineup. Joining him atop the lineup are Tommy Kreider and Kyle Cremin, both All-Star selections last year. Coming off of big offensive seasons in the competitive SUNYAC conference, these two will look to keep it going this summer. Mike Ascaino, Joey DiRocco and Andrew Knapp are also back to provide an offensive spark. Newcomers Alex Kornblau, Joe Salerno, Brandon Policar, Danny Winchester and Justin Pandolfi will all look to make an impact early on with their bats.

Defensively, the Outlaws boast 3 gold glove winners from last season, tied for the most amongst league teams. Ascaino and Beninati make up one of the best defensive outfield pairings in the league and will look to keep the no fly zone going this season.

On the pitching side, the Outlaws are not deep on paper. However, they do boast some of the league’s best young arms. Jaylen Cuevas returns to lead their staff after striking out 37 batters in 34 innings of work last season, cementing himself as one of the league’s best strikeout pitchers. Supporting Cuevas is a pair of young standout arms in Kevin Blum, Christian Charalambous, and Aidan Vargas. Vargas, a Marist commit out of New Jersey, is a hard throwing right hander that will look to give the Outlaws quality innings on the mound.