Joe Koppelman singled, doubled and drove in two runs for MVP NY 2025.
By Rich Bevensee
Kyle Bernier has been telling his players all summer that even when they’re not at their best, effort will carry the day.
Wednesday evening’s game at Diamond Nation in Flemington was one of those days.
The Coastal Riptide 18 Gold baseball team scored just two runs directly on base hits. That’s not a recipe for success. But scoring seven more runs in a handful of other ways allowed them to overcome a lack of a more traditional offense.
Employing that opportunistic offense allowed the Riptide to swipe a victory in the 18U Blue Chip Prospects, Powered By Victus. Chase Dodier and Adam Dumont accounted for two RBIs each in the Riptide’s 9-7 pool play decision over MVP NY 2025 Orlando.
“In a conversation we had beforehand, we talked about this: They scrap, they fight, they compete all the way to the end,” Bernier said. “There’s never a situation where they give up. Today we found a way to capitalize on things that were given to us. We came up with some big hits in big spots to take advantage of that.”
Riptide (2-1), a ballclub comprised of players from Maine and New Hampshire, was rounding out its BCP schedule Thursday with a game against Baseball U PA-Philly. Coastal lost to Next Level, 9-0, then defeated USG New York 16U, 7-4, and MVP.
MVP (1-2) was looking to even its record on Thursday against Baseball U PA 17U-National. The Long Island-based program opened with a win over OC Titans-LoRusso but lost to Next Level, 6-1, and Coastal.
The top five teams in the Blue Chip standings qualify for the Super 17 Top 25 Showcase Aug. 12-15 at ‘The Nation.’
Not only was the Riptide opportunistic in how it scored, but also in where the runs came from. Seven of the team’s RBIs came from the bottom half of the lineup.
Dodier and Dumont, Riptide’s No. 8 and 10 hitters, accounted for four of the team’s eight RBIs. No. 6 Matt Hebert, No. 7 Dan Conrad and No. 9 Landon Wolusky each drove in a run. Aeden Messier, the team’s leadoff hitter, also knocked in a run.
“It’s amazing. I love that feeling when everyone contributes,” said Dodier, a rising senior at Noble High in North Berwick, Maine. “We all work hard, work on our craft and we all take a lot of swings, so it doesn’t matter where we hit.”
Trailing 2-0 after MVP’s first at bat, Coastal put that opportunism to work by scoring five runs on just one hit with five walks and a hit batsman. With two out and the bases loaded, Hebert was hit by a pitch, and both Conrad and Dodier walked as Riptide claimed a 3-2 lead.
Coastal padded its lead when Hebert scored on a pickoff error and Dumont was hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded to conclude a first inning which chewed 42 minutes off the 1-hour, 50-minute game clock.
MVP bounced back with a run in the top of the third inning thanks to a Joe Koppelman RBI single, but Coastal used its lumber in the bottom of the inning to build some breathing room after loading the bases on three walks.
Chase Dodier delivered two RBI for Coastal Riptide.
Dodier stroked an RBI single through the left side, Wolusky chopped an RBI grounder through the middle, and Dumont and Messier both lofted sacrifice flies to give the Riptide a 9-3 cushion.
“We have a deep lineup 1-through-10, and there’s not a surefire out in that lineup,” Bernier said. “Everybody is very disciplined around the plate. We don’t have a lot of guys who expand the zone. They make that guy (pitcher) work. I’m just as confident in 1 as I am in 10, because I know they’re going to put together a good at bat. They’re going to make that guy work.”
Coastal was not off the hook even after building a six-run lead. MVP roared back in the bottom of the fourth and final inning with four runs on three hits and two walks to make the Riptide sweat this one out.
Rob Gilroy hit a fielder’s choice RBI. A.J. Wayne and Tyler Koenig, MVP’s Nos. 1 and 2 hitters in the lineup, forced runs home with bases loaded walks. Matt Martell hit a sacrifice fly to bring MVP within two runs at 9-7.
And MVP wasn’t done. In the top of the fifth with no time remaining on the clock, it got the tying runs on base with two out as John Gilroy reached on an error and Christian Mugno walked.
Roger Mercier, Riptide’s second reliever of the game, got a strikeout looking to end the game and clinch the win on the eve of the team’s final game of the season. Coastal improved to 15-8.
“We try to have each other’s back all the time, and we try not to get too high or too low. Just stay even keel throughout the game,” Dodier said. “I love this team. I couldn’t ask for a better team to play with. Just being around all the guys is amazing.”
Coastal starter Trestan Earley, a rising senior at Dover High in Dover, New Hampshire, allowed three runs over three innings on three hits, walked three and struck out three. Dodier worked an inning and allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. Mercier pitched the final scoreless inning and struck out three.
For MVP, Koppelman, a rising senior at Smithtown East in St. James, N.Y., was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
MVP’s first two pitchers are rising seniors at Wantagh High. Gavin Dregnan allowed five runs on one hit and three walks and he struck out two. Dom Cusumano allowed four runs in 1⅓ innings on four hits and five walks. Rob Gilroy pitched two scoreless innings, retiring all six batters he faced.