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Sports

Harrison Alum Still Throwing Heat

Harrison's Frank Luongo graduated from Harrison High School in 2006 and last year he was a senior on the Pace University baseball team.

The Pace Setters had a disappointing season with a record of 16-28. One of the lone bright spots for the setters this year was the team's closer and captain Frank Luongo.

In his senior year at Pace Luongo put together a very solid season. Luongo's earned run average wasn't the best but his .268 batting average was among the team leaders. The senior showed excellent control as he only walked two batters and allowed just two extra base hits this entire year. The Pace flamethrower also led the team in saves with four.

The transition from Harrison to Pace was not easy for Luongo. He saw the speed of the game to be a huge challenge in college.

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"The difference between high school baseball and college was a major step." Luongo went on to say, "The speed of the game and the talent level was a huge jump from what I was used to."

Luongo even had trouble getting used to the pace and length of the college season as well as the team's rigorous practice schedule.

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"Practices were very tough," said Luongo, "I was never used to practicing for baseball for so long, since you start when your school semester starts in the fall and basically do baseball related work-outs until winter break, and start up right away when we return from break."

The scrupulous and tumultuous college season is difficult for any young man to handle; but, thankfully for Luongo, his career at Harrison prepared him well for his baseball career at Pace, and his teammates helped him adjust to the social life in college.

"Socially, with college ball since you are constantly with your teammates you seem to do everything with them, whether its just hanging out to taking courses together," said Luongo.

Last year one of Luongo's college teammates was fellow Harrison High alum Charlie Galasso. Galasso was a freshman for the Setters and he was thankful for Luongo's talent on the field and leadership off it.

"Frank was a real leader for us as a team on and off the field," the Pace freshman said, "Personally it was good to have Frank around because it was nice to have a familiar face among 30 new ones."

Luongo ended his career at Harrison as a great high school pitcher but he was not heavily recruited out of Harrison. Luongo now feels that walking on was the challenge he needed to benefit his baseball career best.

"I was not recruited, I had talked to the coach prior to going to Pace, but I didn't think that would be enough for me to make the team," Luongo said. "I think that not being recruited, and walking on ended up in my favor, because I knew I had to work hard at every practice in order to just make the team."

With his baseball career likely in his rearview mirror, Luongo is going to take his degree out into the business world and start the next chapter of his life.

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