Vinny Messana (VM) : Joey Savino is a freshman at Elon University, graduated from Connetquot last year. He won the Paul Gibson award which is given to the best pitcher in Suffolk County. Could have won it the year before too just looking at the numbers; 6-1 with a 0.67 ERA for the Suffolk County Class AA champion Connetquot T-Birds. You guys won the championship last year and I remember following you two years before that– it just seemed like the writing was on the wall.
You guys had such as strong core of players– Division-I talent and the role players. Is that something you guys knew was the ceiling of the group when you were in high school?
Joey Savino (JS): Yeah. Freshman year we had three or four guys– me, Trevor Adamo (Coker) Derek and Jared Yalon (Stony Brook)– were playing varsity as freshmen. We knew even through middle school that was the group and we have been playing together all our lives, so we were waiting for [the opportunity] .
VM: You guys had Commack in your league so it was not easy by any stretch, you guys had your challenges along the way. Last year at ‘Baseball Heaven’ they beat you in a game and it seemed like the narrative was ‘Connetquot was overblown, maybe Commack was actually the team.’ You used that as a jumping point, did that day motivate you guys?
JS: For sure. That was the wake up all for us to say we weren’t unbeatable and the best out there. Any team can come in and beat ours, anything can happen. That told we have to take every game seriously.
VM: The first couple of playoff games, you guys won relatively easily. But your first challenge was against Ward Melville in the Finals. In the first game at Ward Melville, Ryan Hynes shut you guys down [with a no-hitter]. You would never say you guys were worried at that point but what was the mood like after going down one game in a best of three?
JS: That was interesting. Matt Goodis pitched his butt off and threw the whole game. We were like there is nothing to worry about it is just another game, we are going to go back to basics to do what we do. We trust our coaches that game– I knew I was on the mound in Game 2. We went back to the basics and said let’s leave it all out there, it could be our last as seniors.
VM: The playoff atmosphere is intense Factor in the MLB Draft was next week. I remember watching you warm up and there’s 15 [scouts]standing around you. How did you control your emotions?
JS: After a while you get– I don’t want to say used to it– from like the first game of the season, I mean, I had four or five scouts coming and some would come every other game. You have to tune it out. It’s like playing catch . Josh McGee was a great catcher all year.
VM: I think that’s what most successful pitchers say. You can’t get pumped up. Your way of tuning it out to where it’s just a game. It’s great you mention Josh because he did not get nearly enough attention but he is one of the three All-County players and hit .540. He was the secret leading up into the season. Talk about the less heralded players that stood out last year and did a good job for you guys.
JS: McGee is one for sure. He was our catcher, he was our guy. He started batting 7th in order and we realized he is getting two hits every game, consistently. We moved him up and stayed consistent all year. Matt Goodis is another one. Not many people knew of him and he was struggling in tenth grade, he couldn’t throw strikes. In 11th grade he started picking it back up and 12th grade he was lights out. James Goff is our sophomore coming up. He played lockdown-D at second base every game.
VM: You had three coaches in your high school career, which is very rare. Coach Burger coming in at the last minute last year and takes you guys to the championship. I was impressed by his ability to galvanize a group of that many players. What was it about him that allowed you guys to maximize your potential?
JS: He would get on us some days. He was a great coach, great coach. There were two other assistants– Dwayne Page I have known all my life and I played with his little brother Chris through little league in high school. Frank Staib was the new guy coming in. They would relate to us and give some tips because I know they played. We put our trust in them and they would tell us after every practice, every game “trust the process, coaches and we’ll do what we do.”
VM: Dwayne was on the championship winning team in 2012. Connetquot, having a rich tradition, won it in 2015 so it’s not like they were starved. Do you have memories of 2012 and 2015?
JS: I remember going to the 2015 AA game, it was them against MacArthur and they were down 1-0. I remember Dave Brehm comes up, two outs and hits a bases loaded ground ball to short and beats out the throw. Then they rally out two more runs and held it on.
VM: You guys graduated a big group of players in ’19 but the ’20 team was going to be in very good shape with Alex Ungar and Max Brown. Are you confident in the direction of Connetquot?
JS: I think they are going to be good for a long time. Connetquot is known for having baseball players throughout the program. I know Liam Flaherty and Sean Miletti is going to be the #1 next year. Mike Loughlin. I know a lot of them coming up and I’ve heard a lot of good things about them.
VM: I’ve heard the ninth grade group from Coach Burger is comparable to your group last year. That summer of ’18 in HTMH, it was comical since you have scholarship pitchers throwing meaningless games. What was that like?
JS: I’ve made some lifelong relationships with those guys. It was even better since we had us four from Connetquot in school season then we go to HTMH. It was good to be around the guys from the Island. It was great knowing those guys behind me, there wasn’t going to be an error. The guy coming in after me was going to shut it down.
VM: You guys had that legendary Cincinnati trip playing nine games and giving up three runs maybe.
JS: We beat Cincinnati three times in a row. It was great. We played at the Univesity of Cincinnati. It was sick. It had the brick and the bleachers all around it.
VM: You chose Elon. You had an outstanding year and spiked in velocity so I’m sure you had a lot of choices. What was that process like for you?
JS: It was stressful for the most part. I would say I was a late bloomer. I wasn’t where I wanted to be sophomore year, velocity wise and I was walking a lot of guys. Junior year came and I had a lot of choices to stay local but I chose Elon because it was the perfect fit. The coaches are unbelievable since freshman year they have lived up to what they told me and more. It’s also warmer here– I always wanted to play in the south. I look every day and it’s 50 in [NY] and 80 there, so it is a baseball player’s dream to play down there.
VM: I know you had an injury in January, can you elaborate on what happened?
JS: So, I ended up hurting it in Game 2 of the Ward Melville series. It was a fracture on the outside of the bone. Doctors told me to rest until September and the trainers said I was good to throw. I threw and in October I was lobbing on the mound in October and felt the same thing. The doctors there told me the same thing so when I came [home] over winter break I saw the Yankees’ doctor. He did X-Rays and told me we could do the bone stimulator or put a screw in and permanently fix, but [I] would have to red-shirt. It was a tough choice but we went through with the surgery and went back to school in January and I am lucky to have trainers from the Dodgers. My rehab was everyday so I kept getting stronger and I just got cleared last week, so I’ll probably start throwing Saturday.
VM: If there was one person that benefited from the canceled season, it was you–
JM: — It was me, yeah. It was tough to see down there with the seniors because I got really close with them.
VM: Who were some big leaguers you like watching now or when you were younger?
JS: I love watching Max Scherzer. I don’t express it but I have that inner animal in me where someone steps in the plate, I’m like ‘let’s go.’ I love watching him pitch. I like Walker Buehler because his mechanics are flawless. Jacob Degrom the same thing.
VM: All power-throwing righties in MLB. When did you experience the biggest jump in velocity, grade wise?
JS: Junior year. I was 25-pounds [heavier] and grew an inch too. I started throwing in January with Bobby and noticed it was starting to come out.
VM: Which outing stood out as your best?
JS: The William Floyd first playoff game. It was the nicest day we had all spring and I just felt on. My fasbtall velocity was up and the umpire came up to me after the game and said’ Man, you were chucking it.’
VM: Who were three of the toughest hitters over the past two years?
JS: Timmy Q got to be number one. I see him step into the box and I would be like ‘alright, can’t make a mistake.’ Might have to go with some Connetquot, I knew not to throw a fast ball to Matt Brown. The Allen Twins know how to hit, all they do is mash.
VM: Going into the LI Championship Games, what were the emotions like that game? Up 5-1, do you think you took your foot off the gas pedal?
JS: I think it could have been that. At the end of the day, they strung together some walks, hits and drove in their runs. I know not being able to play, I said keep your foot on the gas. We left it out there on the field since it could have been the last game together.
VM: What weather conditions bother you more [pitching here]?
JS: Most of the people know I don’t like pitching on turf mounds because I have a longer stride than most people. I would land in between the mound and turf and I would slip each pitch. It was wet and the mound was turf.
VM: It was the perfect storm for them because there was also the wind too.
Who are your biggest influences in life?
JS: I would say Gregg Sarra, he was my coach since freshman year and lives down the block. He is like my second father. John Zadirn, same thing. Bill Romm for sure. I started going to him in 8th grade when I was 155 and now I’ve gained 60 pounds.
VM: Who is one teammate you could be quarantined with and you wouldn’t lose your mind?
JS: Anthony Sigamoni. He was there freshman year and I played with him two years before. I love all those guys.
VM: 2022 Draft is going to come before you know it. What do you have to do to hear your name called?
JS: I’ve got to improve a lot on the little things. I’m going to start with my slider, throw it a little differently and harder. I have to work on my craft and make sure I’m throwing strikes. With the weight crew at Elon, velocity will come as I get bigger. That is the goal to be called on the first day.
VM: Thank you very much for your time Joey. It takes a lot of courage to talk about injuries like that. Stay safe.
