Fedak earns his keep, Hawks make college commitments

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BY KYLE BRENNAN
CITIZEN’S NEWS
Among all the accolades the Woodland baseball program racked up this spring — a state championship, three All-State players, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association’s Team of the Year award, and more — there was one that recognized a man who doesn’t get headlines or much public credit.
But Hawks head coach Steve Bainer needed to make sure his top assistant coach, Frank Fedak, finally got his flowers.
“Other coaches are saying, ‘You know what we need? We need a Coach Frank,’” Bainer said.
“When they recognize that, I needed to make sure that I recognized it.”
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Five members of the Woodland baseball team received recognition at the Connecticut High School Coaches Association baseball banquet in June as the Hawks were named the CHSCA Team of the Year. From left, Woodland baseball head coach Steve Bainer, All-State shortstop Tyler DeCrescenzo, Player of the Year Michael Belcher, All-State outfielder Ethan Stepputtis, and Assistant Coach of the Year Frank Fedak.
Bainer successfully nominated Fedak for the CHSCA Assistant Coach of the Year award, and the group recognized Fedak with the award at the All-State banquet in June.
“Frank is irreplaceable. I can’t even quantify his value,” Bainer said. “Frank could be a varsity coach at the highest level for any program. I’ve had the pleasure of coaching with him for my last three years in Derby and these four years at Woodland. We’ve coached summer ball together. He is exceptional.”
Fedak played his high school ball at St. Joseph-Trumbull and his college ball at Iona. He joined Bainer’s staff at Derby High, and when Bainer became Woodland’s head coach in 2021, Fedak followed.
Bainer said Fedak is particularly adept at identifying talent when positional needs arise, and he’s proven it multiple times over the last few seasons.
“In 2022, we’re scrimmaging Xavier,” Bainer recalled. “(Michael) Belcher is playing second base, Croy Mastropietro is playing short. They go for a pop-up behind second base and collide. Belcher had a concussion and Croy was so bloodshot that he couldn’t see out of his eye for a few days. We were going to open [the season] at Torrington, and just like that, our middle infield is gone.
“I asked Frank what we were going to do, and he’s like, ‘We’ll be fine. We have enough good players,’” Bainer continued. “He said that we should bring all the infielders we have to practice because he wanted to see all of them. He saw (then-freshman) Tyler DeCrescenzo take two ground balls and he said, ‘That kid is going to be special.’ He was right. He said the same thing about (sophomore second baseman) Jack Schwenger this year.”
And Fedak’s contributions go beyond merely spotting talent. According to Bainer, Fedak excels in teaching skills and giving feedback to players.
“If guys have questions about their swings during summer ball, they’ll send videos to him and he’ll give them advice,” Bainer said. “He’s always there for them. His ability to coach guys like Erik Pulkkinen and Bill Untiet is incredible. He can teach guys to do anything they need to do to excel at a high level. The kids at Woodland have been lucky to have him.”
College commitments roll in: Several Woodland baseball and softball players recently announced commitments to play in college.
Tyler DeCrescenzo, one of the Hawks’ three All-State baseball stars, announced his commitment to play at Merrimack. The shortstop hit .500 with 40 hits, 36 runs scored, 25 RBI, and four home runs along with a 1.396 OPS during his breakout junior season.
Julia Rowley, who once again earned All-State honors after leading the Woodland softball team to a third straight state title, announced her commitment to play at UMass Lowell. The junior catcher hit .544 with 10 home runs, 60 RBI, and 51 runs scored with a 1.726 OPS.
Ella Van Alstyne, the Class M state championship MVP, previously announced her commitment to also play at UMass Lowell. The junior pitcher had three hits and three RBI while spinning a five-hitter with seven strikeouts and a walk in the final against Sheehan-Wallingford.
Their teammate, second baseman Paige Chiaramonte, also recently announced her commitment to play at Western New England. In the Class M final, she recorded a hit and a run scored while also saving a run with a crucial dive up the middle.