Poly Prep Dedicates New, Renamed Athletic Field

May 10, 2022 Editorial Staff

Former New York Mets pitcher John Franco (in light blue sweatshirt, wearing sunglasses) with Poly Prep ballplayers.

Share this:

By Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Poly Prep Country Day School in Dyker Heightslast week celebrated the opening of its new baseball athletic field with a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as a performance by Grammy Award-winning rapper, singer and actor Wyclef Jean.

The ribbon is cut for Poly Prep Country Day School’s new baseball field. At center is head coach Matt Roventini, for whom the field is named. Photos by Jeremy Smith/Poly Prep

Wyclef’s performance at the new artificial-turf field took place prior to the first game on the field,where Poly Prep’s champion Blue Devils faced off with the nationally #1 ranked Don Bosco Prep Ironmen from Ramsey, N.J.

The first pitch was thrown out by Arnie Mascali, vice chair of the board of trustees and captain of Poly’s 1984 baseball team, along with Mets All-Star pitcher John Franco, who met with both teams prior to the start of the game.

Wyclef Jean pumps the crowd up with enthusiasm at the dedication of Poly Prep’s new baseball field in Dyker Heights. Photos by Jeremy Smith/Poly Prep

The field was renamed the Matt Roventini Field. With the renaming, the Poly Prep community celebrated the legacy of Poly Prep Blue Devils’ elite head coach Roventini, an alumnus of the Class of 1992. He has served as head coach since 2004 and led the team to national prominence, earning an unprecedented 13 consecutive Ivy Prep League titles, nine New York State Association of Independent Schools championships, and one undefeated season (2007).

Physical education and team sports have been a hallmark of Poly Prep since its founding in 1854. Thanks to a $5 million lead gift by the Feinberg Family Foundation, Poly Prep is constructing a world-class athletic complex that will serve some 800 middle and high school students and become a center for sport and wellness in southern Brooklyn.