Former CBA teammates back together again with the Albany Dutch
AMSTERDAM, NY » Adam Zebrowski and Nick Melillo each had big nights on Wednesday for the Albany Dutch, with Zebrowski (aka Zebo) hitting two home runs and Melillo capping off the first game with a grand slam in the final inning.
“I actually came into the dugout and went up to Zebo and said ‘that’s the CBA way’ because we both played awhile for Coach O’Connor at CBA. It was special and pretty cool because I didn’t know if I’d ever play with any of these guys again,” Melillo said, who is going into his junior season at Siena College.
Zebrowski, Melillo and Nick Debrino are the three former CBA players on the Dutch for their shortened summer season, although Melillo has quite a few connections to the guys he’s now playing with.
“I’m playing with a couple guys from Siena, where I play at school. I’m playing with my cousin Chris Hamilton, and a couple guys from CBA, so all my worlds are colliding. In that regard, it’s been one of the best summers so far,” Melillo said.
The Saints outfielder wasn’t really able to get going offensively in the eleven games he played ear
earlier this year, but he’s hoping a string of recent hits will continue.
“I was just looking to drive the ball. I was struggling at first and I’ve been starting to see the ball better. I had a couple good BP rounds and I was trying to translate it into the game. Today I was able to do that.” he said after the home run and an RBI double.
“I’m just trying to stay sharp and stay consistent. Those are things I always want to work on and just having a great time. This might be the last summer I’m out here playing collegiate baseball, so I want to go out on a good note and really just enjoy it.”
Melillo continued, talking about his attempt to learn first base on Wednesday night.
“Coach Davey actually put me in at first because my cousin Chris wanted to play the outfield and I said that I’d play first for him. Nick Debrino, who also went to CBA, and I were laughing because I dropped a couple balls on accident and he was kind of teaching me where to stand. The little stuff like that stands out.
Zebrowski plans on using the summer to advance as a catcher, although it is his bat that is making the most noise. After hitting two home runs on Wednesday, for three on the season, he talked about what it is like finally getting to see competitive pitching again.
“It’s great to be back and just seeing live pitching. Getting back in the box and back on the field, especially with a good group of guys like this. I’ve played with and against a ton of these guys and seen a bunch around the Capital Region. As much stress as we felt since we weren’t playing any games, it just feels great to be back out here.” Zebrowski said, who catches at St. John Fisher College.
In seven games for the Cardinals this spring, Zebrowski was able to collect seven hits and four RBIs, including each a double, triple and home run in his 24 at-bats, good for a .292 batting average
The rising junior said that he was initially supposed to play summer ball with the Albany Dutchmen in the PGCBL for Coach Nick Davey.
“I’m glad this worked out that I was able to somewhat keep the same plans, playing with a lot of the guys that were going to be on the team initially,” he said. “It’s exciting to be out here playing with a bunch of guys that I played with in high school. We can relax now and just get back to playing.”
As a catcher, Zebrowski knows all the ins and outs of calling a game and pitch selection, so when it comes to hitting, he has a specific approach.
“I was just hunting my pitches and when I got them, I didn’t miss it. Really the most important thing is just to be getting at-bats,” he said of his home runs.
Even tough he’s been hitting the ball well, he does know of a few things he wants to work on this summer.
“Probably hitting more off-speed pitches and ultimately commanding a pitching staff better as a catcher. Defensively, I’d like to be able to work with more guys differently and to be able to adapt to different pitchers,” he said.
Instead of canceling fall sports, the America East and its member institutions will develop plans to accommodate hosting Fall sports competition during the spring 2021 semester.
The decision and framework for fall sport operations were unanimously approved by the league’s Board of Presidents, chaired by UAlbany President Dr. Havidán Rodríguez.
“The past few weeks have been unquestionably difficult in working our way through the process that led us to this outcome,” said Dr. Rodríguez. “However, this proactive decision by our members to postpone fall sports athletics competition for the duration of the first semester is in the best interest of all America East student-athletes, athletics departments and university communities. Right now, it is imperative that each of our institutions can safely reopen to their broader campus communities and this decision supports those efforts. We have always maintained that the health, safety and well-being of everyone within our conference, especially our student-athletes, is paramount. Unfortunately, given the current persistence, restrictions and uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear to us now that this difficult, but responsible decision must be made.”
“This was not an easy conclusion for our membership to reach but it was made with care and diligence and with health and safety as the highest priority,” said America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen. “For the last several months, we have been working extensively with our membership to prepare for the fall sports season, including developing health and safety protocols, revising schedules and creating contingency plans. We have remained optimistic that we could safely conduct a fall sports season, however, there are several external factors outside of our institutions’ control that will limit and disrupt our ability to deliver our student-athletes an experience they deserve. While several outstanding issues and questions remain, we are hopeful that creative thinking and solutions will emerge in concert with improved measures to reduce the risk associated with COVID-19 as the academic year unfolds.”
“I’d like to thank Dr. Rodríguez, our America East Board of Presidents Chair, for his leadership and commitment to the health and safety of our student-athletes,” Benson added.
UAlbany and the America East will continue to monitor public health conditions as they relate to COVID-19 locally, regionally, and nationally and provide future updates as decisions are made regarding winter sports.
The CAA is committed to exploring the possibility of conducting a football season during the spring 2021 semester and will continue to analyze this scenario as more information becomes available and conditions continue to evolve.
“I commend the Board of Directors for their forward thinking and open-mindedness when dealing with the uncertain and complex moment that we find ourselves in,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio. “Each of our institutions is making the best decisions for their campus community, based on a totality of the circumstances analysis.”