Coming off a 17-win campaign and a fourth-round appearance in the Suffolk Class AA baseball playoffs, East Islip has high expectations this spring with the return of its entire starting rotation.

“We were able to win a bunch of games last year despite a lot of injury issues,” coach Sal Ciampi said. “Our pitching depth carried us and we returned our top five arms. So far, offensively, we’ve taken a big step, and I feel we’re capable of playing for a county championship.”

The Redmen’s starting pitching trio of seniors, Thomas Costarelli and Jaden Schmidt, and junior, Lucas Patton, began this season in Hollywood fashion, with each throwing a no-hitter in the League IV opening series against Bellport, followed by two shutouts of Centereach.

Costarelli, an all-county selection a year ago who went 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 44 innings, is headed to East Tennessee State. The southpaw is not only dominant on the bump, but also as the team’s No. 3 hitter. He plays first base and outfield on non-throwing days and last year batted .383 with 15 RBIs. “On the mound is where he’s most known, but he’s an overall incredible talent,” Ciampi said. “He has an electric arm and a great bat. He’s a Yastrzemski Award candidate.”

Schmidt, bound for U Albany, has some of the best command of any pitcher Ciampi has coached in 20 years. Schmidt whiffed 15 Bellport batters April 2 and went 3-0 in 2024. “He’s strong mentally and physically,” the coach said of the righthander, who, like Costarelli, dials up the fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Patton, who fanned 15 Clippers on April 3, also has strong command and keeps hitters off-balance with a dazzling change-up and breaking ball. He also plays outfield and is a key cog in the lineup in the 5-hole. Last year on the mound, he was 5-1 with an outstanding 0.68 ERA and 41 Ks in 41 innings.

Leading the bullpen and coming off lights-out 2024 seasons are junior Mike Tramaglini, who starts at third base, and senior John Tait, a lefty who plays some first base.

Tramaglini is a third-year starter at the hot corner and is expected to get plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. So far in the early going, he’s batted cleanup and totaled five RBIs in the series sweep of Bellport.

Setting the tone for the offense is senior left-fielder Alex Ciampi, the coach’s son, who battled through a broken hand last spring but only missed two weeks of action. A strong contact hitter with a good eye, Ciampi, who had two hits in each of the three games versus Bellport, will be counted on to get on base and wreak havoc with his speed. Senior centerfielder Dylan Casani also runs well, and the first-year starter is swinging in the 2-hole.

The coach loves East Islip’s defense up the middle, with senior Chris LaMacchia moving from second base to shortstop, and senior Billy Mahoney filling LaMacchia’s former home of two seasons.

Junior catcher Matt Pasfield has plenty of experience behind the plate at the JV level and earned the starting role on varsity. “He’s very strong defensively,” coach Ciampi said. Junior Chris Rizzo, a quality lefty bat, has been in the lineup as the designated hitter.

“We’ve got a great group of kids who are confident in each other and care for each other,” Ciampi said.

East Islip (5-0) resumes league play April 21 at home against West Babylon at 4:30 p.m.