The College of Staten Island recently completed what was their final turn through the City University of New York Athletic Conference in 2019-20, and will be fully integrated into the East Coast Conference with an NCAA Division II schedule in 2020-21.  Leaving behind a tremendous wake as one of the CUNYAC's founding members, day-by-day we will be looking back at each of CSI's programs, notably the CUNYAC Championship teams spanning over 40 years in our spring CUNYAC retrospective entitled, "Remember the Legacy."  This historical look back will chronicle the amazing achievements of CSI athletics programs, complete with championships, milestones, and amazing performances.

One of our final sports spotlighted will be Baseball, one that has been at the forefront of the conference since its inception in 1978.  Second only to Softball, the CSI Baseball program has laid claim to a heavy 20 CUNYAC Championships since the conference adopted a Tournament in 1983, with scores of postseason awards following suit.  Playing in one of the premier facilities in the northeast, CSI has long attracted some of the area's best talent, pushing the level of competition to greater heights in the conference and getting CSI ready for their advancement into NCAA Division II.

THE START
The College of Staten Island joined the CUNYAC and NCAA Division III ranks in the fall of 1977, and baseball jumped right in, debuting during the spring semester in 1978 after having had a great deal of success at the junior college level.  Guiding the program was Staten Island Baseball Hall of Famer Sebastian "Sonny" Grasso, who would later go on to coach Softball at the school in the mid-90's,  Grasso's tenure started off rocky, as CSI put the foundational pieces in place to build, but he would retire as the conference's only coach to win both a baseball and softball championship as a head coach, a testament to his versatility.  CSI also shied away from no one, adding Division I & II teams routinely on the schedule.

THE FIRSTS
First Game:  March 30, 1978 - CSI traveled to face Jersey City State (Currently NJCU),and fell hard, 14-2
First Win:  April 6, 1978 - In their CUNYAC program opener as well, CSI traveled to Lehman and defeated the Lancers, 18-9
First Home Win:  April 10, 1978 - In what was another CUNYAC game as well, CSI defeated Baruch College, 6-3
First Coach:  Sonny Grasso, who spent the first four years of the program guiding the team until the close of 1981

AN UNORTHODOX START
For one of CSI's and the CUNYAC's best all-time programs, it's hard to believe that the College of Staten Island's Baseball program had the start that it did with their overall win-loss record suffering as it did in the early days.  Sebastian "Sonny" Grasso, already a mainstay from the SICC days, ushered in the move for the baseball  program, but it certainly took some growing pains out of the gate.  The Dolphins' were joining an already healthy contingent of CUNYAC schools rich in tradition, and the team won just six games in their debut season, dropping 17.  The team, however, laid some healthy groundwork in CUNY, going 5-3 overall at a time when the conference did not carry a postseason tournament.  That carried over the following season, when CSI launched themselves to the top of the standings with a  7-1 overall record, losing only to Brooklyn College, a school that would, three years later, make the jump to NCAA Division I.  Overall, the Dolphins upped their win total to 10 games, boasting a win over Division I St. Peter's University as well.  

Led by the likes of pitcher Charles Bernardi and heavy hitters like Donald Gossett, CSI continued the CUNYAC dominance in 1980, boasting another 7-1 mark, but struggled overall in a very dense baseball environment, falling to an 8-14-1 overall mark.  That same fate followed the team in 1981, where CSI was steady enough to finish 5-5 overall in the CUNYAC, but stumbled through a 7-22-1 season otherwise, starting 0-10-1 in the tumultuous campaign.

Despite a pair of coaching changes, CSI continued to struggle, going a combined 28-64 over the next four seasons, as the CUNYAC introduced a CUNYAC Postseason Championship on the heels of Brooklyn's move to Division I and Queens' move to Division II.

It certainly was a long time coming, but after eight consecutive subpar seasons, things started to turn around in 1986 under second-year Head Coach Matt Rozzi.

AN INSTANT TURNAROUND

As unexpected as CSI's start as a program was given how the program would turn out to be, so was the almost immediate turnaround the team experienced in 1986.  Freshman pitcher Steve Schrell joined power-hitting junior Pat Daddio to make CSI a formidable contender in the preseason that would finally carry over. to the regular and postseason.  It took some time, but after five-straight losses to open the season, the Dolphins began to turn it around, and powered to some lopsided wins over CUNYAC schools en route to a 7-1 CUNYAC campaign.  CSI's only loss within the CUNYAC was to Lehman College, but come Tournament time, CSI powered past CCNY, 9-2, and then faced three-time defending-champions John Jay College in the Final.  Despite falling into a 2-0 hole, CSI roared back for a 4-2 win, winning their first-ever title in the sport, and setting the stage for dominance in the future.  CSI would finish 17-12 overall, their first plus .500 season in history.

Despite a logjam near the top of the standings in 1987, CSI was foiled in their attempt for a repeat that year, getting nipped by Lehman in the Championship, putting the Lancers back on top.  That led to 1988, and second only to 1986, CSI won a total of 14 games, and on the CUNYAC's final day, CSI squared off with Lehman again.  Despite losing twice to the Lancers in the regular season, CSI broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth, winning 4-3 with Victor Reich named MVP.  The win made CSI CUNYAC Champs twice in the past three years.  Lehman would get their revenge on CSI in the Knickerbocker Conference Championship  a week later, continuing the heated rivalry with the Lancers.

The 1989 season would prove to be the last for skipper Matt Rozzi, and CSI knew it could be a special one with players like Anthony McSherry, Keith Ryan, and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Crombie anchoring down the unit and developing into standouts.  CSI followed with their best season in history, posting over 20 wins for the first time ever, going 21-12 overall and 7-3 in the very competitive CUNYAC.  All eyes were on the CUNYAC Final, where again, CSI and Lehman were squared off.  CSI got up early, 2-0, but later Lehman exploded for five runs in the late innings to break a tie and win it 9-4.  Just days later, in the ECAC Championship, CSI again fell to Lehman, this time 9-3.  The losses left the Dolphins disappointed, but they rebounded when it came time for the Knickerbocker Conference Championship.  After 9 years competing in the "Knick," CSI finally got their first Championship in the conference, beating their rivals of Lehman, 12-11, ending their season on a positive note and on the doorstep of greatness.

SETTING THE STAGE - 1990
Matt Rozzi's departure opened the door for Fran Hirschy to take over the CSI program in front of the 1990 baseball season, and for the next three seasons, CSI was virtually untouchable.  The CUNYAC was rich in talent, with CSI, Lehman, and John Jay College all establishing themselves as conference and regional powers.  Knowing they left some unfinished business on the table, CSI came out with a vengeance in 1990.  The team started 10-2, and went through a 9-1 rip through the CUNYAC, riding the arms of Crombie, Ryan, and Steve Jimenez, and the power-hitting of McSherry, William Lonergan and Steve Herbstman to guide them.  CSI roared past CCNY in the CUNYAC Semifinals before punching out John Jay, 5-2, in the CUNYAC Championship to lift the trophy for the third time in history.  CSI left little to wonder as to who the best in the CUNYAC was, as they followed with a back-to-back Knickerbocker Championship, beating Lehman in the Final, 10-5.  Despite an amazing, 26-5, campaign, that would be as far as the Dolphins would go, but the 1990 season went a long way in impressing the decision-makers at the NCAA to start considering CSI for an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament moving forward, and 1991 started that movement.

NCAA MAGIC - 1991-1992
Returning an arsenal of firepower in 1991, CSI began their season looking for their first ever repeat as a CUNYAC Champion, and the addition of Tom Tierney and his powerful bat gave them good reason to think they could.  After a decent, 3-2, start to the season, CSI ripped off 10 of their next 11.  In early-May, CSI started their postseason run, and had their dream dashed with a 7-5 loss the Lehman in the CUNYAC Final.  Not settling, CSI refocused itself well in time for the Knickerbocker Tournament run, and took their anger out on Kean University (16-6) and then the US Merchant Marine Academy (11-2) to win their third-straight title there.  CSI then entered the ECAC Tournament, looking to impress to get the NCAA talking.  There, they defeated Ramapo College, 18-5, and then beat Kean again, this time 6-3, to lift the trophy.  It was time for the NCAA to make a decision, and this time they rewarded CSI with an at-large bid to the Division III National Championship Tournament.  

In their opening game against powerful Ithaca College, CSI nearly pulled off an extraordinary upset, but lost a heartbreaker, 8-7.  It put them in the Loser's Bracket of competition, but there CSI flourished.  They defeated St. Lawrence, 6-5, and then Montclair State, 8-3, to put themselves in the Regional Championship with, as expected, Ithaca.  CSI needed to beat Ithaca twice to advance, and they took care of the Bombers, 11-8, in the opening game setting up a winner-take-all Regional Championship.  Despite a 3-3- tie late, Ithaca used unearned runs to steal the win 6-3, leaving CSI frustrated.  Still, the Dolphins had accomplished what few teams had been able to at CSI, and they planned on getting there again.  CSI finished their season 27-9.

CSI's first order of business in 1992 was getting back the CUNYAC Championship, and they went into the CUNYAC Postseason with a 23-2 record, already establishing them as a veritable lock for a postseason bid.  In the CUNYAC Tournament, they did not falter.  After beating CCNY in the Semifinals, 13-1, they turned back Lehman in an offensive affair, 14-10.  A few days later they got their invitation by the NCAA, back to Ithaca College.  This time, CSI was able to win their Regional Semifinal over RPI, 2-0, to advance to the Winner's Bracket Final against the host Bombers.  CSI powered over Ithaca, 5-3, advancing them to the Regional Championship.  Ithaca would come out of the Loser's Bracket, needing to beat CSI twice while CSI needed just a lone victory to get out of the Regionals and into Super Regional competition.  In the opener, Ithaca took a 5-1 win, setting the stage for another winner-take-all Regional Championshipn yet again.  Ithaca and their home turf won again, 7-3.  It finished CSI with a 29-4 overall record, obviously frustrated by the ending, but having completed a tremendous two-year run of dominance that has since been unmatched at the national stage, which at the time only featured 32 teams playing in the postseason tournament.
 

FINALLY A REPEAT - 1993
From 1986 to 1992 surely CSI was looked at as a torch-bearer for the conference on the diamond, but CSI hadn't realized a back-to-back CUNYAC Championship in that span and it proved frustrating.  That all changed in 1993.  CSI had lost a lot of the firepower from their NCAA runs of 1991 & 1992, but they still powered through a 15-9 campaign and a more modest 3-1 CUNYAC Regular Season record.  CSI defeated John Jay, 6-5, in the semifinals, and then exacted revenge on a regular season loss by beating Lehman in the Final, 5-1.  It marked their first  back-to-back Championship and the CUNYAC's first repeat winner since John Jay won three-straight from 1983 to 1985.

REGAINING GROUND
Hirschy would stay on for one more season at CSI, one that saw the team go undefeated in the regular season in CUNYAC, but get ousted in the Semifinals to Lehman.  An Assistant Coach that season, Bill Cali assumed Head Coach duties in 1995, looking to reestablish CSI as a perennial CUNYAC superpower.  It wasn't an overnight success for Cali and his troops.  CSI struggled to just an 11-win season in 1995, but in 1996, infused with the like of Jason Anarumo, Bobby Campbell, Ryan Lotito at the plate, and John Testa and Chris Kelly on the hill, CSI started to make their run forward.  They moved themselves back into the CUNYAC Championship, but were stymied in a 4-2 loss to John Jay College.  Despite the frustrations again, CSI appeared ready for a great stretch moving forward.
 

THE CALI STRONGHOLD - 1997-2008
That tremendous stretch started for CSI in 1997, and for a little over a decade, CSI dominated the scene and took eight CUNYAC Championships over an 11-year stretch.  In 1997, CSI took back the title crown from defending-Champs John Jay, 10-7, capping a 26-13 season, matching CSI's third-highest win total to that point with Anarumo and freshman Frank Sansonetti leading the way.  John Testa was named the Tournament's MVP a year later, when CSI went 20-11 and won another CUNYAC crown, 6-2, over John Jay.  

In 1999, CSI was reminded of the heartache of the early 90's when first they lost a tough, 3-2, affair at Shea Stadium to Mount Saint Mary College that eliminated a chance for them to advance into the NCAA Tournament, and then a few days later, still dejected, they suffered a 12-9 loss to their rivals at John Jay in the CUNYAC Championship, denying them a third-straight Championship and finishing them at 21-17.
 

With great leadership in Frank Sansonetti, Marc Navarino, Michael Guarneri, Anthony Avena, and pitcher Craig Sleap leading the way, CSI looked to regain form in 2000.  The up-and-down Dolphins started peaking towards the postseason, and on their home turf, the Dolphins scored a thrilling, 5-4, 13-inning affair over Lehman to regain the CUNYAC crown.  Proving it wasn't a hoax, CSI, the bottom seed in the ECAC Metro NY/NJ Postseason Tournament, blitzed thrrough Drew University and FDU-Madison to capture the school their first ECAC title in a decade, putting that group out on top regionally as well.

After a two-year absence as champs, CSI had one of the CUNYAC's best runs from 2003-06.  CSI went 38-12 over that stretch within the CUNYAC, and led by the likes of Eric Zinke, Chris Hemmes, Ray Valerio, Anthony Hillery and Michael Madalone, and standouts on the hill like Tom Wohlfit and Nick Secchini, the Dolphins became the CUNYAC's first ever four-time back-to-back Champions.  In 2007, CSI dipped to 15-22 overall and lost the title, but in 2008, Cali's final season with CSI, the team rebounded, and rode a 22-win season to another title, winning an 8-7 thriller over John Jay on their home field as Eric Waldhelm took MVP honors, while current Assistant Coach James Mardikos captained the unit.

 

REDEFINING SUCCESS - 2009-2020
In 2008, Assistant Coach Michael Mauro joined Cali's staff in time for the skipper's final Championship run.  In 2009, when Cali departed, Mauro took over the reigns, and like Cali in the mid-90's, the Dolphins struggled the initial season under new leadership.  After an up-and-down 19-20 season and a relinquishment of the title, CSI geared up for 2010, and had what a lot of people thought was one of the best seasons in CSI history.

CSI batted an amazing .355 as a team in 2010 and with the pitching (and hitting) of All-American Pat Gale, and others like Devon DiCasoli, Steve Hession and Jeff Pontebbi, the Dolphins won a program-record 31 games, 27 of them before the CUNYAC Tournament started.  In that Tournament, now following a double-elimination format, CSI suffered a 10-8 loss to Baruch College, but bounced back to take a 14-8 win at MCU Ballpark in Brooklyn to win back the CUNYAC title, earning an ECAC Tournament berth in the process.

2011 proved to be no mirage, as CSI popped out 23 wins on the season, and when it came down to defend their title, CSI got one of the greatest performances in CSI history, as Richard Anderson threw a 10-inning, three-hit, scoreless gem in what as a 1-0 Championship win over Baruch again to give CSI their sixth title in seven years.  Baruch would have their revenge in 2012, defeating CSI in the title game that year to spoil a would-be three-peat, but CSI followed up their exceptional 2010 campaign with another 30-win effort in 2013.  

Riding the arms of Anderson and Michael Fitzpatrick, CSI got plenty of offensive firepower from the likes of Chris Ramanauskas to finish 30-12 in 2013, a run that ended with another complete-game shutout from Anderson, who this time held Baruch to six hits in the 1-0 victory.  Unfortunately, despite a regional ranking, the NCAA did not come calling CSI in that fated season, and with the CUNYAC struggling to secure an automatic bid for entry into the NCAA Division III Postseason, reaching that pinnacle proved elusive once again.

In the 2014 season, the CUNYAC did get an automatic qualifier for the NCAA for one year only, but it was a rebound year for CSI and the team fell to 19-16 record and a semifinal exit from the Championship Tournament.

Fireworks then ensued in 2015.  Despite losing the automatic bid, CSI regained the CUNYAC title in quite amazing fashion.  In the dense fog at MCU Ballpark, George Kantzian's bottom of the ninth grand slam home run, helped lift CSI to an amazing 10-9 win over Baruch, putting the finishing touches on a 25-win season.  CSI would sit atop the CUNYAC for quite some time later, winning the crown in 2016, 2017, and 2018.  CSI ran the table come tournament time in 2016, before emerging out of the Loser's Bracket in 2017 to become the three-time champs riding the arm of Christian Capellan to the title.  In 2018, the Dolphins overcame a 6-0 deficit to storm back and take an 8-6 win over John Jay, with Anthony DiMarco taking MVP honors.

After doing something that only the CSI teams of 2003-06 were able to do in securing four-straight Championships, CSI gave a spirited effort but fell in the 2019 installment of the Tournament, as the very young Dolphins team finished just 16-22 on the season, their first sub .500 finish in 10 years.

2020 marked CSI's first test as a Division II member, and it appeared the Dolphins were back to their winning ways before the COVID pandemic hit.  CSI was 5-3 overall at the time of the stoppage, boasting a 2-3 mark against their DII brethren.  With a winning pedigree in tow, CSI seems primed for a great run, one they can only hope will mirror their success at the Division III and CUNYAC levels.

REMEMBER THE LEGACY
First Season:  1978
All-Time Record: 752-621-4 (.546)
All-Time CUNYAC Record:  268-88 (.753)
CUNYAC Postseason Championships: 20 - 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Hall of Famers:  Sonny Grasso (2012), Fran Hirschy (2014), Kevin Crombie (2014), Jason Anarumo (2016), Frank Sansonetti (2018), Bill Cali (2018)


Cover Photo from left to right: Kevin Crombie, Frank Sansonetti, Pat Gale.  2015 photo courtesy of Denis Gostev