By Linda Knox

It didn’t take long for Island Trees junior Bryan Verbitsky to catch the eye of the Long Island varsity baseball circuit.

In fact, it only took one at bat – his first during his freshman year against a perennial powerhouse Garden City team. It was a double that one-hopped the fence. The young Verbitsky wasn’t over matched and never looked back.

“He is the best hitter, not only in Nassau County, but in Suffolk County also,” says Island Trees Varsity Baseball Head Coach Joe D’Auria. “I’ve heard that from other people that know what’s going on, too.”

A .462 hitter during the 2009 regular season, Verbitsky also dominates the batter’s box from the pitcher’s mound. His fastball has been clocked at 91mph along with a change up, curve ball, and slider with “such incredible movement, it makes him different from all other pitchers,” D’Auria says.

Verbitsky hasn’t always been a pitching threat though. “When I was younger I really wasn’t a good pitcher,” he said. “I could throw hard but I couldn’t throw a strike. Last year during our season though it just came together. It finally clicked.”

Before being brought up mid-season to Varsity, Verbitsky was the starting catcher at the JV level. After proving he could compete with varsity players, he stayed and traded in the catcher’s equipment for the game ball. He played outfield and DH for the duration of that season and worked on developing into a pitcher.

D’Auria - who refers to Verbitsky as “The Man” for his dominance in the batter’s box, on the field, and on the mound - compares his pitching development to the likes of Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees. As a sophomore, he was used in relief, mainly as a closer, and in 2009 he made his debut as a starting pitcher. As for what pitching mentality Verbitsky prefers; it makes no difference.

“Competing is what I really like. As a starter you’re there for a longer period of time and have more control of how things are going to happen. Closing is fun, too. You can just give it your all every pitch and not have to worry about pacing,” he said. During his first season as a hurler, Verbitsky was undefeated with a 5-0 record, with two complete games, 44 innings pitched, a WHIP of 1.18, only allowing 12 earned runs and 58 strike outs, which all adds up to an ERA under two.

The outstanding stats didn’t come without sweat and sacrifice. “I hit the weights hard in the off season. My dad gives me some direction to follow,” Verbitsky says. “Baseball-related, I am hitting two or three times a week, private pitching lessons…really I’m doing baseball all year round. There is no offseason.”

Along with the personal baseball regiment he also takes part in the Island Trees offseason workout. “He comes to the baseball clinics,” said D’Auria. “He does the throwing programs. We do five Saturday clinics in January/February – he’s there.” His coach adds Verbitsky realizes he is a leader on the team but tries to lead by example. “Everyone has their role and everyone knows who’s going to do what. That puts pressure on myself that I don’t want to let my team down,” the student said.

Verbitsky is also entering his second summer season for the Long Island Titans, which has had 11 former players drafted to a major league club in the last six years.

The prep star attributes much of his success to his family. His father, Troy - a former detective in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and currently a personal trainer - coached him on the travel teams up until a couple of years ago. “He was harder on me than some of the other players, but not to a crazy extent,” the younger Verbitsky recalls. “Once I got older it was more like, ‘Thanks for being extra hard on me and pushing me the extra mile.’”

His parents have always been a big presence to Verbitsky and when he was 11 years old, his father coached his team to a State Championship. If you happen to see a woman pacing down the left field line when Verbitsky is on the hill, that’s just his mother, who has been known to even walk away when her son gets into a jam.

The young man says his late grandparents are also a source of inspiration and motivation when he needs an extra boost. “They were big in my baseball career. My grandma was my biggest fan – always in the first row. She always said she would see me in the major leagues one day. When she passed away it just kind of hit me – you got to do this for them.”

Verbitsky isn’t all athlete thought. He’s a student, too, as proven by the top shelf universities getting in line to entice him with the opportunities of their programs. “Stanford University has a strong interest in him,” D’Auria says. “They don’t usually recruit on the East Coast. If you want academics and athletics that’s where you go – it’s the Mecca.” 

Entering the 2009 campaign, Stanford University is ranked as high as number five in the country by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and only as low as number 15 by Baseball America.  Other notable schools perusing Verbitsky are locals St. Johns, Hofstra, Stony Brook and Penn State University. D’Auria has no worries though. “He’ll be successful wherever he ends up. It’s a true testament to him as a student.”

Verbitsky is leaving all options open but does plan to dorm, based on advice from his cousins and sister. He is thinking of walking in his father’s footsteps and studying Criminal Justice. As for his transition to the diamond, Verbitsky seems to welcome the challenge that he knows awaits him. “I would love to go and say it’s just like high school, but if you think about it, there are people all over the country who are just as good as you, or even better than you. It’s going to be hard.” 

He has built a resume for himself that would certainly allow him to compete with the top class athletes in America. As a freshman he took home the honor of All-League and then, as a sophomore, All-County was invited to the Empire State games and also won Long Island Titans Best Organization Player of the Year.

Not only is he a tremendous athlete on the field, a model student in the classroom, but Verbitsky is also a valuable presence in the Island Trees community. Because of the core values that his family instilled in him, he is a role model and works with Athletes Helping Athletes. “It’s pretty cool. They look up to you. We go down to the middle school and talk to the kids about drugs, peer pressure, that sort of stuff.” D’Auria is thrilled he’s a part of the club because “he’s like a cult figure here. A lot of the young athletes look up to him.”           

D’Auria is proud of his club and admits, “The team is a model program in the school. They worked hard to fundraise and we give a portion of our proceeds to Make-A-Wish foundation.” Verbitsky added, “I think everybody in this school has a piece of Island Tree Baseball apparel. We also sell wreaths during the holidays.”

The team is like a family and “we’re always having fun on and off the field,” Verbitsky admits. With at-bat music, pre-game warm up routines, superstitions and handshakes galore, the team is thinking big and Verbitsky, one of four team captains, knows “we’re going to make a run for it in the playoffs. We want the whole enchilada.”

Unafraid of any batter-pitcher match up, Verbitsky - who models himself after Red Sox ace Josh Beckett - has a professional-like mentality. “You can’t let that get in your mind. That’s when you put yourself in a position to be defeated. You always think to yourself that this kid doesn’t want to face me; and I’m going to shut this kid down.” Along with being fearless, Verbitsky is a competitor and never worries about injury. “Just play,” he says. “Don’t worry about it.”

Verbitsky has already been a part of one County Championship in 2007 as a freshman, and D’Auria would love to see him win one more.

They’re well on their way after a complete game win for Verbitsky, defeating New Hyde Park 7-3. Mike Pellegrino lifted the team with a three-run shot in the fourth inning, and Mike Manganiello added four insurance runs, hitting a grand slam in the fifth.