Westbury High School baseball head coach Ryan Mulholland has helped cultivate a winning culture for the Dragons. Mulholland enters his fourth season as head coach with the team, which has been showing improvement every year since his arrival. Last season, Westbury went 11-6 and won the countywide conference two championships, the team’s first championship since 1972.
2025 will present new challenges for Westbury as its conference schedule expands with the merging of countywide conferences one and two.
A year ago, Westbury was one of five teams vying for the conference title. Now they are one of 11. But according to Mulholland, they are looking forward to it.
“Last year there was a six-team division [countywide one] and a five-team division [countywide two], and this year they decided to merge those two conferences to make one 11-team league,” said Mulholland. “It’s going to be more of a challenge for us because some of those new teams are good clubs, but for us to have more variety in our schedule is exciting.”
The new countywide league consists of Elmont High School, Roosevelt High School, Lawrence High School, Hempstead High School, West Hempstead High School, Uniondale High School, Great Neck North High School, Great Neck South High School, Sewanhaka High School, Valley Stream Central High School, and Westbury.
Two of the Dragon’s top hitters Alex Mungia and Omar Ahmad Ventura graduated last year. Both seniors batted over .450, with Mungia playing on the right side of the infield and Ventura at center field and starting pitcher. Even with the losses, Westbury has a real case to contend in the new countywide conference because of the talent they return.
Jonathan Cruz returns for his junior season as the reigning league’s most valuable player. Cruz adds a lot of versatility, being the team’s number one arm and shortstop when not on the mound. At the plate, Cruz hit .565 with three home runs and 23 RBIs. On the bump, Cruz threw 31 innings and recorded a .68 ERA and two no-hitters.
“He was all-league as a freshman and league MVP as a sophomore, and he’s only continued to develop,” said Mulholland. “He’s going to be the ace of our staff this year and will get the ball on opening day. We’re very excited to see his continued leadership and everything he brings to the table. He’s a very serious baseball player.”
The Dragons will likely have a rotation that runs three arms deep. Behind Cruz is returner Abhay Patel for his senior season. The third starter spot is still up for grabs but Mulholland says it could be a number of guys who get the nod rather than a consistent third starter.
“We have a couple of guys, including Kevin Solorzano and Nabeel Jafar, both seniors who have gotten some pitching time over the past couple of years, said Mulholland. “Hopefully, one or both of them will step up.”
Behind the dish, Christian Irizarry will get the bulk of the work done on the plate. Irizarry is a sophomore that Mulholland brought up from junior varsity to who he expects big things. Solorzano also caught some last year.
Moving to the infield, the Dragons have a lot of guys they see getting play time.
“I’ve gotta see [where they go] defensively. We always preach versatility on our team,” said Mulholland. “I don’t think anyone is playing one position. A lot of guys are playing three positions or more.”
Two of these players likely to stay in the infield are Josue Monegro and Benjamin Raskin. Monegro hit .474 last season and knocked home 10 runs.
“These two are both power bats, middle of the lineup guys and we’re excited to have them back.”
The Dragons know what they have in terms of roster players, but to Mulholland, the question is whether or not they perform up to their potential.
“I think we’re going to get hits and steal bases. I would say it all comes down to how well are we going to pitch?” said Mulholland. “I tell them we need to get 21 outs to win a baseball game. That’s what I always say to the team. Are we able to have enough?”
The Dragons still have some questions before their first game. The batting order and defensive positions aren’t set in stone. The Dragons open their season at Roosevelt on March 28 at 5 p.m.
