STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Senior John Tuccillo and sophomore Shane Paradine technically compete for playing time behind the plate with the Stony Brook baseball team.

In reality, the Seawolves are blessed to have two top-tier defensive catchers on their roster. And Tuccillo and Paradine have so closely bonded, they decided to share a house this academic year, along with teammates Chris Hamilton and Sam Turcotte.

"Last year we got close with each other because we were always working with each other," Tuccillo said. "It's probably weird that two catchers on the same team live together. But we're close friends. We work together every day, hit together, do everything together to try to get each other better."

Having two elite defensive catchers on the roster at the same time generally is a rarity among college baseball teams in the Northeast. Yet head coach Matt Senk has been blessed multiple times in the past decade to have two catchers simultaneously with elite defensive skills. Other examples include David Real and Sean Buckhout, Anthony Italiano and Kevin Krause, and Justin Echevarria and Pat Cantwell.

With designated-hitting duties available and with Paradine also dabbling at first base, Tuccillo started 14 of Stony Brook's 15 games, while Paradine started 13 games last season.

Tuccillo, the upperclassmen, saw the bulk of the action behind the plate. Paradine started at catcher twice at Clemson as well as in single games against Central Connecticut State and Merrimack during the abbreviated season.

For his career, Tuccillo has thrown out 26 of 89 would-be base stealers — a healthy 29.2 percentage clip. This season, the average across Major League Baseball through Sunday was 28.7 percent of runners thrown out (189 of 658).

"Tucc being here really has pushed me," Paradine said. "It's made me work hard. I wouldn't want it any other way. He has a gun throwing. Seeing him throw the ball like that has pushed me to work harder to try to throw the ball like him."

Said Tuccillo: "Shane is, all around, a very good defensive catcher. But the one thing that stands out to me with his catching is the way he receives the ball. My receiving might be my weakest part defensively. So every time he's catching, I'm trying to watch how quiet and smooth he is when he receives the ball."

One of their favorite pastimes, particularly this summer, has been picking off runners by throwing behind them on the bases.

Tuccillo earned co-defensive MVP honors with the Westfield Starfires of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League during summer ball.

Paradine, who had his timing down while playing on the same summer-ball team as Stony Brook shortstop Stanton Leuthner, earned Atlantic Baseball Confederation all-star honors in his native New Jersey while picking off multiple runners at second base.

Tuccillo particularly enjoys studying Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, who has thrown out 40 percent of base stealers this season and is particularly adept at "back-picking" base runners.

Paradine's favorite catcher to watch had been now-retired Joe Mauer, a career-long Minnesota Twin. Paradine also appreciates the receiving talents of Tucker Barnhart from the Cincinnati Reds.

"I was watching him the other day," Paradine said about Barnhart. "He was making big plays. He was picking the ball in the dirt and throwing to second. I just like his energy when he plays. He's into the game. That's kind of how I play, too. Being into the game and my energy makes me a so much better catcher. I think the pitcher appreciates it, too."

Said Senk: "We have been very lucky to have so many outstanding catchers in our program over the years, going back to Dave Marcus and Frank Colon, the first two catchers I recruited to Stony Brook three decades ago.  As a former catcher, I believe we've been so good at the position because we've emphasized how absolutely vital it is to winning on a consistent basis.

"Specifically, Johnny and Shane have bonded together, like so many of the Stony Brook catching fraternity before them, and are working diligently at their craft, helping to continue the long and proud legacy of Seawolves catchers."