Charlie and Ryan Neuweiler have been teammates since birth – both on and off the baseball diamond.
The twin brothers have developed a special bond from their days playing T-ball all the way through to now starring on the Msgr. McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst, varsity baseball team.
So it’s totally fitting that the Crusaders’ team captains will remain teammates as they continue their baseball careers in college at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus.
Charlie is McClancy’s No. 1 starting pitcher, while Ryan meanwhile is the team’s starting shortstop as well as the closer when needed.
The senior twins began playing CYO baseball while attending Our Lady of Hope School, Middle Village. They played on the junior varsity team as freshmen at McClancy and have spent the past three seasons on the varsity squad.
Crusaders’ head coach Nick Melito said it’s been easy coaching the Neuweilers since they are so dedicated to being the best they can be.
“They’re hard workers,” Melito said. “They’re good in the classroom. They’re brought up the right way. It’s really been just fine-tuning some things and watching them grow, physically and mentally.”
The Neuweiler twins have never not been teammates. Though there is, of course, an engrained sense of competition between each other in everything that they do, they view it as always pushing each other to be better.
“We’re like one player on the field,” said Charlie, the slightly older twin. “We always know pretty much what each other are thinking, the right decision to make for each play and always picking up each other.”
The brothers always have a throwing partner, someone to lift weights with and someone with whom to discuss the important aspects of the game.
“I think being brothers brings us closer than what we are with other teammates,” Ryan said. “We’re all close with each other, but just having that blood chemistry, it brings something extra to the field.”
The Neuweilers were recruited by a number of colleges. While continuing to play together was certainly a dream, it wasn’t necessarily a must-have. However, when LIU Brooklyn’s Division I program expressed interest in both brothers, the decision fell right into place.
“We went to see the school, and we loved it,” Ryan said. “We come from a small grammar school where our graduating eighth-grade class was 40-something kids, and this (Msgr. McClancy) is 145. So transferring to another small environment just makes everything more comfortable.”
A Perfect Match
“The school was a perfect match for us,” Charlie said. “It’s almost like going here (Msgr. McClancy). It’s a big family.”
The Neuweiler twins know all about family, so that familiarity will only help them as they become LIU Blackbirds.
Though it sometimes may be tough to tell them apart on the field, all you have to do is look for the two players with the most heart to find the Neuweilers.
Whether the twins are wearing McClancy red or LIU black, it will be easy to recognize their heart as they continue playing the game they love.
Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.
I have known these two great kids since they were born. Their mother, Tracy is my cousin
Her and her husband Richie have done a fabulous job. They are such good kids. I still can’t tell them apart (lol)!!!
My son TJ played with Charlie and Ryan for three years on an elite travel team on Long Island. I found as much joy watching these boys play as I did my own son. They compete at such a high level and always respected the game as well as their teammates. Off the field, they are humble and conduct themselves as gentlemen. Kudos to their parents for teaching them about life both on and off the field. Best of luck to the Neuweilers in their future.
The best… simply the best!!!