St. James-Smithtown Little League state champs…
Forget the Hamptons, St. James and Smithtown are home to Long Island’s latest A-listers.
The cities’ joint Little League crew, New York State’s champion, is driving a wave of star-studded consideration as it prepares to play the best groups from Rhode Island, New Jersey and Connecticut for a ticket to the Little League World Series.
“I feel like we’re getting a lot of recognition. I feel like a celebrity walking around,” Bulls pitcher and NYS home run derby champ Jeremy Katz advised The Post.
“It’s a good feeling, and I want it to continue that way,” he added forward of the regional match in Bristol, Conn., that begins for the 12-year-olds Saturday evening against Rhode Island.
The boys’ bolstering confidence comes with the territory, according to former main leaguer Frank Catalanotto, who performed for the Bulls in the late Seventies and early ’80s.
“Even though you were still a young kid, people took you seriously,” stated the homegrown expertise who now manages Hofstra’s crew.
“You felt like you were playing Major League Baseball. That’s how big it was and how important it was.”
Little huge photographs
And who might blame the St. James-Smithtown group that just gained the league’s first state title?
St. James-Smithtown coach Scott Santelli watches his crew apply on July 28, 2025. Heather Khalifa for New York Post
Along with vital media consideration and video games soon to be televised on ESPN, each of the Bulls acquired large state champion rings that the gamers are sporting on chains around their necks.
“They’re getting a sense of their accomplishments and all their hard work and what they’ve put into this,” stated assistant coach Eric Hanson, whose son of the identical title is an outfielder on the squad.
“It goes beyond the game, and hopefully they can use this for the rest of their lives.”
On the sphere, meanwhile, the gamers’ dad and mom are making noise that rivals Yankee Stadium. The youthful Hanson stated the crew’s state title victory against South Shore on the street on Staten Island felt like a home recreation.
St. James-Smithtown gamers pose for a image after their New York state title victory. Heather Khalifa for New York Post
Down 2-0 in that all-or-nothing recreation, households shaking down the thunder offered the bullish vitality the boys needed to come back and win 7-2.
“The boys can hear it in the dugout, and we can feel the momentum switching,” stated Hanson’s dad.
“And we took advantage of it.”
The tenth man
The dad and mom’ overwhelming help shouldn’t be misplaced on shortstop Andrew Barbato, either.
Lucas Kostas pitches during a St. James-Smithtown Little League apply on July 28, 2025. Heather Khalifa for New York Post
He stated having households around to watch the Bulls thrive has been “a real dream come true.”
“Just being in it and having all of them watch it — shout out to the parents for taking off work and stuff,” the center schooler added.
The crew, including dad and mom, has also been close since many of the group have been around 5 years previous, bringing one other layer of motivation among the boys that’s making them higher, according to Katz’s mother, Jodi.
“It really is like a family,” she stated. “It creates the kind of family environment, camaraderie that I think translates into good play on the field.”
Ryan Delgado bats during St. James-Smithtown apply on July 28, 2025. Heather Khalifa for New York Post
Understandably, she doesn’t need their heads getting too giant with all the hoopla.
“It’s wonderful that they’re being celebrated in this way,” Katz stated, “but behind the scenes, they’re still the group of scrappy 12-year-old boys who swim and play stickball together.”
Barbato agrees about preserving focus on the duty at hand.
“I’m just going to block it out and just play baseball and have fun with my friends,” he stated.
“To keep doing what we’ve been doing, it should be fine.”
Schedule breakdown
St. James-Smithtown kicks off the Little League Metro regional match against Burrillville, R.I., at 7 p.m. Saturday after Fairfield (Conn.) National and New Jersey’s Jackson-Holbrook play at 4 p.m.
The losers of the 2 opening video games meet for an elimination recreation at 7 p.m. Sunday, while the 2 winners face off at 1 p.m. Monday with a journey to the ultimate on the road.
The crew that loses Monday will play the winner of Sunday’s recreation for the opposite spot in the ultimate, which is 7 p.m. Aug. 8.
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