On Thursday, August 15th, our CHSAA State Champion Varsity Baseball team was welcomed to Citi Field by the New York Mets for a pre-game ceremony on the field! In recognition of Molloy’s first-ever State Championship, and the first Queens team to win the CHSAA state crown, the Mets treated the Molloy’s varsity team, coaches, and administrators to an “amazin’” experience they won’t soon forget.
Mr. Donovan Mitchell, Senior Director of DE&I and Player Relations for the Mets, served as Molloy’s wonderful guide for the day. The experience began with a visit to the press room, where the manager and players hold press conferences with the media. Mr. Mitchell was kind enough to invite one of the Mets players in to hold a brief Q&A with our Stanners: none other than closer Edwin Diaz! Diaz answered questions about playing in New York, his pre-game rituals, his grip on certain pitches, and more. Thank you, Edwin!
After meeting the Mets closer, our Stanners visited the home bullpen, where they got to view the stadium from the perspective of Diaz and other Mets relief pitchers. Following this, the team finally made it onto the field, where they couldn’t help but take lots of photos and soak it all in. Molloy was even invited into the Mets dugout for a walkthrough and a quick greeting from second baseman Jeff McNeil!
After taking more group photos, including with Mr. and Mrs. Met, our Stanners suddenly saw themselves up on the jumbotron, as footage of the final out of their championship win played on the big screen. The public address announcer then acknowledged Molloy and their outstanding accomplishment in winning the CHSAA State Championship. Shoutouts included Head Coach Mr. DeSarno, Assistant Coach Ms. Staiano, Pitching Coach Michael Kondel, CHSAA Player of the Year Patrick DeSarno ’25, and All-League players Charlie Lods ’26, Dylan Payano ’25, and Sean Stoney ’24. As if that wasn’t cool enough, Molloy and Mets alum Mike Baxter ’02 then shared a special congratulatory message on the jumbotron!
It was truly a historic and memorable day for Molloy! We would like to thank the @mets, Donovan Mitchell (@dmitch2010), Bree Nasti (@bnasti13), Nick Trotta ’95 (@nicktrotta), Mike Baxter ’02, Edwin Diaz (@sugardiaz39), and Jeff McNeil! Thank you to our parents, coaches, families, and administrators for coming out to support the team at the game, and for all the support you provide them throughout their academic and athletic journey. Go Stanners!
Watch the full on field presentation via the YouTube player above this article.