By BILLY HEYEN When Tom Sapienza hits warm-up ground balls, he won’t allow his Rayson Miller team to finish on an error. If the shortstop bobbles his last attempt, he can be sure the next grounder is coming his way. Sapienza doesn’t get mad at one of his players when they make a physical mistake. He gets angry when they allow that mishap to impact the ensuing attempt. In … [Read more...] about Tom Sapienza’s 48-year leadership of Rayson Miller put on hold
Tom Sapienza
Heyen: Life’s not fair, but Legion scheduling snafu still a shame
By BILLY HEYEN Rayson Miller had it all lined up. Lukas Haefner, RM’s ace, had been pulled early on Saturday so he’d be eligible to pitch Wednesday in a potential championship series. A lot of pieces had to fall into place for that to work out. But something no one on Rayson Miller could’ve expected is what made that Haefner usage a moot point: The schedule changed. At … [Read more...] about Heyen: Life’s not fair, but Legion scheduling snafu still a shame
‘Evil empire’ Rockland ends Rayson Miller’s states run for 2nd-straight year
By BILLY HEYEN A year ago, Rayson Miller head coach Tom Sapienza called Rockland the "evil empire." As far as Rayson Miller is concerned, that may be true. Rockland is the team that's ended RM's season two years in a row. Rayson Miller lost 9-2 to Rockland on Tuesday at Murnane Field in Utica. After a scheduling shift forced RM to face the three-time defending state … [Read more...] about ‘Evil empire’ Rockland ends Rayson Miller’s states run for 2nd-straight year
Hayden Smith keeps Rayson Miller alive at state tournament
By BILLY HEYEN All season long, Hayden Smith has delivered when called upon for Rayson Miller. With a loss Monday representing the end of RM's season, Smith ensured that wouldn't happen. Rayson Miller stayed alive at the state tournament with a 7-1 win over Maine-Endwell. Smith threw a complete game on the mound, allowing five hits and striking out six. The lefty-hitting … [Read more...] about Hayden Smith keeps Rayson Miller alive at state tournament
Rayson Miller’s pitching plan gets put to final test as RM falls to losers’ bracket
By BILLY HEYEN Rayson Miller's 2018 season ended in the state championship series, two wins shy of a title. The shortcoming was due in part to the pitching demands placed on a team coming out of the losers' bracket. This year, RM head coach Tom Sapienza didn't want to face that issue again, so he loaded up with even more talented arms than a year ago. Of course, Rayson … [Read more...] about Rayson Miller’s pitching plan gets put to final test as RM falls to losers’ bracket