The Longwood Lions have found their groove on the diamond this season, and nine games in, they just keep finding ways to win. The boys’ varsity baseball team has consistently put runs on the board.
The Longwood varsity boys baseball team is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and competes in League I. The Lions are led by 10th year head coach Ryan McSherry.
Longwood won the League I title in 2025 after a strong 19-5-0 season, where they fell short in the final four of the playoffs. The Lions have yet to conquer a Suffolk County title, but they’re certainly in the hunt for making it a reality this season.
Currently, the Lions boast a 10-0-0 record this season. They’re sitting at the top of League I and are one of three teams remaining in Section XI to have not yet lost a game in 2026. Being undefeated is just a strong motivator to keep winning and keep the goose egg in the “L” column.
The Lions have faced three opponents so far, each for a three-game series. They’ve competed against Riverhead, Central Islip, and William Floyd. Longwood has swept all three opponents up to this point. They’ve outscored their opponents 81 to 20, shutting out Central Islip completely.
Brendan Rivera was named to Newday’s Top-100 baseball players prior to the 2026 season. Rivera, a pitcher for the Lions, is a dominant force on the mound. Rivera received All-County honors in 2025. In the 2025 playoffs, Rivera threw his first-ever no-hitter against Patchogue-Medford. In 2026, Rivera threw his second no-hitter versus Walt Whitman on Monday April 20.
Jagger Franco has three wins, Ryan Audette has three, Brendan Rivera has three, and Adam Szczepanik has one. The Lions are confident in all of their pitchers and can hand the ball to anybody on any given day. Pitching is unique because, as a coach, you want to utilize your pitchers’ skill sets. A variety of pitches can be thrown, and some pitchers are better at certain ones than others.
Longwood baseball is playing for more than just themselves this season. In 2024, the Lions lost one of their own to pediatric cancer. Nolan Horn’s battle with cancer has served as a source of motivation for the Lions to give it their all on the baseball field. McSherry has leaned into the #NolanNation & #Lov3ForNolan mantras.
The Lions have eight seniors who will graduate this spring and attend college in the fall. They are: Adam Szczepanik, Brendan Rivera, Patrick Pfister, Stephen Moscatiello, Mike Mackenzie, Nick Luizzi, Tyler Groblewski, and Brayden Franco. Of the eight, Groblewski, Franco, and Moscatiello were named Captains for the 2026 season. Rivera’s headed to Cortland, Pfister’s off to Ole Miss, Moscatiello is going to Hudson Valley, and Franco will be attending Mercy U.
On Monday afternoon, the Lions clinched a spot in the Section XI playoffs after their 3-0 win over Walt Whitman.
The Longwood Lions boys’ varsity baseball team has 15 games remaining on the docket for the 2026 regular season. In those 15 games, they’ll play three more three-game series against Walt Whitman, Patchogue-Medford, and Brentwood. Scattered in between, they’ll play games against Sayville, West Islip, Rocky Point, Newfield, Eastport-South Manor, and Commack. Plenty of season left to continue swinging the bats, throwing strikes, and notching ‘Ws’.
