When 6-foot-3’ Stephen Cotov stepped onto the mound to pitch the second
inning of the C.H.S.A.A. Senior Classic, he was the biggest man on the
field, and he had to be. The Archdiocese of New York' All-Star team has
just knocked around Cotov’s rival pitcher turned All-Star
teammate—Dominick Scavelli of Xaverian—for four runs in the first
inning. As Cotov faced the top of the order, he had to stop the
bleeding for the Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens.
The two teams are the cream of the crop of the C.H.S.A.A. “A” Division, and played this All-Star game last Friday at St. John’s University’s picturesque stadium. The league is talent-laden and highly competitive, and surviving an inning against New York City’s best young players is no small task.
Cotov surrenders a leadoff walk to Antonio Negrin and then endures two steals by the young speedster. But Cotov doesn't panic, and jams a hitter inside to force a pop-up to shallow center. He then leaves two batters—Xavier Bonilla of St. Ray’s and then Luis Alicea of Mount—bewildered, striking both out looking on 2-2 counts. It’s a hard-earned final inning of work in his high school career.
His clean cut, young face and shaved head drip with beads of sweat as he comes back to the dugout.
“It feels great to be playing with these guys,” Cotov says. “It’s like pitching against the 3 or 4 hitter every time.”
“Hard work” is a phrase that follows Cotov around.
“There's no substitute for hard work,” says Nick Melito, his Varsity Manager at McClancy High in Queens, NY says. “And Stephen's a hard worker…One of the hardest workers on the team.”
“I’ve worked hard since freshman year,” Cotov says. “I’ve gotten my fastball up to the mid-80’s.”
That hard work paid off for Cotov this year. He notched the biggest win of the season, throwing 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball to beat Xaverian, the eventual league champion and perennial powerhouse.
“It just goes to show you his character. He's strong minded,” Melito said of the win. “He handles the pressure very well.”
Cotov rarely faltered this season. He maintained a phenomenal 1.10 ERA and 0.68 WHIP while going 4-1 in six starts. His opponents only batted .133 against the southpaw.
Unfortunately, once Cotov takes his permanent place on the bench, the rest of the Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens does not fair so well.
Archdiocese of N.Y. tacks on insurance runs in the 4th and 5th and Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens only manages two hits until the bottom of the 5th, when Sebastian Grazziani of St. Francis drops in a 2-RBI double with the bases loaded. But Archdiocese of N.Y. adds insurance runs in the 6th and 7th, and win 8-2.
Still, it’s a night for celebration. The Senior Classic team members are voted in by opposing coaches, and for many, it’s the first time to bond. Xaverian players encourage their new teammates tongue-in-cheek: “come on, you hit against us, the number one high school.”
“These guys battle against each other four years,” Melito says. “And it’s great for them to get together and play with each other.”
There’s none of the sadness that would be present at an all-star game for smaller schools. Most of these elite players will go on to play college ball, and that includes Cotov, who will pitch at N.Y. Tech next year while pursuing a career in Early Childhood Development. At N.Y. Tech, he will have plenty of room to build on his still thin frame and reach his potential.
“One of his strengths is his thighs,” Melito says. “He's got a good body for a pitcher. He's pretty big and has potential to get bigger and throw harder.”
Vanity, it appears, has not struck Cotov at all, and he too sees areas for improvement.
“I tend to fall behind hitters, and I need to work on my accuracy,” he admits. “But I’m pretty happy. The sky’s the limit with hard work.”
When 6-foot-3’ Stephen Cotov stepped onto the mound to pitch the second
inning of the C.H.S.A.A. Senior Classic, he was the biggest man on the
field, and he had to be. The Archdiocese of New York' All-Star team has
just knocked around Cotov’s rival pitcher turned All-Star
teammate—Dominick Scavelli of Xaverian—for four runs in the first
inning. As Cotov faced the top of the order, he had to stop the
bleeding for the Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens.
manages two hits until the bottom of the 5th, when Sebastian Grazziani of St. Francis drops in a 2-RBI double with the bases loaded. But Archdiocese of N.Y. adds insurance runs in the 6th and 7th, and win 8-2.