Long Island varsity baseball team playing eighth graders with eyes on tomorrow

These baby falcons are learning to fly early.The Locust Valley varsity baseball team is looking to the players of tomorrow, boasting one of the youngest lineups, primarily comprised of middle school call-ups, on Long Island.“When we took over the program three years ago, we had 10 to 15 seniors that were graduating,” manager Brian LoRusso, 28, told The Post of his squad, with just two seniors currently on it.“We evaluated some younger guys, and we brought up, I think, in the range of 15 eighth graders over the last couple of years.”LoRusso and coaches Andrew Bock and Rob DeSimone know the endgame isn’t about this Falcons season — they are 1-9 and won just two games last year — but instead their focus is on turning the page for the next generation.And the team believes that day will come sooner rather than later.“When we’re high schoolers, I believe that we could definitely dominate the league,” said eighth grader Mason Terrana, the starting left fielder.“We’ll be bigger, stronger and more experienced than all the other guys on the other team.So I definitely believe we’ll be way better together.”The young recruits — LoRusso has called up around 5-7 per season since taking the helm — are taking the opportunity in stride and learning from their older counterparts.“Every time I see, like, some kid on the mound that throws a little above average for my age group, it can be scary,” starting eighth-grade right fielder Alex Karousos said.

“But I go to the other guys and they always help me, and I’m able to just calm down and be more comfortable.”Liam Baker, a junior shortstop, was one of the first to be called up in the middle school experiment a few seasons ago.Now, as an upperclassman, he still feels the concept is “awesome.”“You want to play for the older guys who don’t have as much time left,” he said.“And you’re also a little nervous because you’re playing against kids, like, four or five years older than you ...