Garden City Baseball Standouts Recognized

Six members of the Garden City baseball team were recognized last week when the Nassau County Baseball Coaches Association announced its annual end-of-season awards.

Senior catcher Joe Tursi, senior pitcher Matt Bader and junior shortstop James Cauchi received the highest honors of the group, being named to the All-County team. Senior center fielder Mike Giannone and junior third baseman Frank Cordio were named to the All-Conference team, while junior left fielder Scott Conetta earned an All-League selection.

"The kids that were selected are the reason our program is as successful as it has been," said Garden City head coach Rich Smith. "Having six of our kids recognized shows what other coaches think about our program despite us finishing sixth in the conference."

This is the second straight All-County selection for Tursi, who served as a team co-captain alongside Giannone. Tursi's .455 (30-for-66) batting average led Garden City, and represented a 149 point jump from his junior year. Tursi also added two homers, nine doubles, 24 RBI and 21 runs out of the No. 3 hole in the lineup.

Cauchi was a breakout star at the shortstop position, batting .446 (33-for-74) with eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 20 runs scored and 18 RBI. Cauchi was perhaps even more valuable on defense, where his soft hands, plus range and accurate throwing arm anchored the Trojans' infield.

Cauchi credited his improvement to going through a second season at the varsity level, as well as a rigourous summer schedule in which he played nearly every day.

"When you're facing the 17- and 18-age group all summer, then come back to high school pitching, it really helps on the hitting end of it," Cauchi said.

Bader was a crucial part of the Trojans' success, serving as the No. 1 pitcher in a season where starting pitching was at a premium at Frank Kiernan Field. The right-hander finished 3-3 with a 4.24 ERA in a team-leading 53 innings pitched, keeping his team in nearly every gave he appeared.

Giannone patrolled center field artfully for the Trojans, and overcame a mid-season slump to put together a strong offensive campaign. The senior batted .365 (23-for-63) with 15 RBI, 15 runs, seven doubles and 10 walks. Giannone upped his average 115 points from his junior season.

Anthony Cordio was an All-County selection as a senior in 2009, and now his brother, Frank, is leaving his own mark on the program. Cordio was the Trojans' primary leadoff man in 2010, batting .366 (26-for-71) with 10 RBI and 22 runs. The junior also walked 10 times, giving him an impressive .444 on-base percentage.

Conetta received just a handful at-bats in his first varsity season in 2009, but the junior became Garden City's leading run-producer and biggest power threat by the end of the 2010 season. Conetta—who also played a strong left field—batted .316 (24-for-76) with a team-leading four homers and 25 RBI. His propensity for run production earned him a promotion to the cleanup spot midway through the season.

"I went from a kid who sat on the bench last year to a starter who did some good things this year, so it shows you just have to be willing to work," Conetta said. "It feels good to be named All-League, but it just gives me a reason to shoot higher. I got this but I want to do better."

The Nassau County Coaches Association will present spring season athletes with their respective awards during a dinner ceremony at the Long Island Marriott Hotel in Uniondale on June 16.