Sports

Baseball: McAlary, Frick finalize college choices

Two more Shoreham-Wading River baseball players locked up their college future this week, part of a standout senior class for the Wildcats.

ROBERT O'ROURK FILE PHOTO | Shoreham-Wading River senior Ryan McAlary will play for SUNY Cortland next year.

Seniors Ryan McAlary and Chris Frick committed to Division III schools to play baseball. McAlary will attend SUNY Cortland and Frick will play for the University of Scranton. They become the third and fourth members of the Wildcats’ senior class who will be playing baseball in college. Dan Sperruzzi and Matt Kneisel signed letters of intent in November (Division III does not have letters of intent).

McAlary, a third-baseman and pitcher, was an All-County player as a junior last season as well as a gold glove finalist. He led the Wildcats in home runs, slugging percentage and batting average. On the mound he won six games and struck out 42 in 44 innings with a 3.34 ERA.

At Cortland McAlary will play for a team that has reached the NCAA regionals 18 consecutive seasons, having won 10. Last year Cortland was the national runner-up in a 40-win season.

Frick has been a two-year starter in center field for the Wildcats, where he’s developed into one of the top fielders in the county. He’s started 49 consecutive games in center field and was the Shoreham gold glove winner in 2009 and 2010.

Shoreham coach Sal Mignano said Frick has good speed and great instincts on the bases.

Scranton plays in the Landmark Conference and the team went 16-24 last year and 9-9 in the conference. Mignano said in addition to being a great baseball player, Frick is an outstanding student, boasting an A- average.

The Wildcats may still have a few more seniors commit to playing college baseball in the future.