NYPost.com’s CHSAA baseball beat writer Marc Raimondi takes a look at the Class AA playoffs, which begin this week.
SCHEDULE
TUESDAY, May 22
First round, single elimination
No. 15 Farrell vs. No. 18 Salesian @ TBA
No. 16 Monsignor McClancy vs. No. 17 Regis @ TBA
WEDNESDAY, May 23
Second round, single elimination
No. 14 Archbishop Stepinac @ No. 11 Holy Cross
No. 13 Xavier @ No. 12 Cardinal Spellman
TBA @ No. 10 Bishop Ford
TBA @ No. 9 St. Francis Prep
Seeding tournament, first round
Iona/Fordham @ No. 1 Xaverian
No. 3 St. Raymond @ No. 2 Moore Catholic
THURSDAY, May 24
Third round, best-of-three series
TBA @ No. 5 St. Joseph by the Sea, Game 1
TBA @ No. 6 Fordham/Iona, Game 1
TBA @ No. 7 Archbishop Molloy, Game 1
TBA @ No. 8 All Hallows, Game 1
FRIDAY, May 25
Seeding tournament, second round
SATURDAY, May 26
Third round, best-of-three series Game 2s @ TBA
SUNDAY, May 27
Third round, best-of-three series Game 3s if necessary @ TBA
WEDNESDAY, May 30
Championship round, double elimination @ TBA
FAVORITE
Xaverian
The defending CHSAA Class AA intersectional champion is the favorite to win it all again after suffering just a single loss during the regular season. The Clippers have plenty of pitching, led by Seton Hall-bound Blaise Scerbo, John Pena, Brian Rosa and Frank Kaplan and a lineup featuring Boston College-bound Gabe Hernandez and George Washington-bound Eric Kalman. The latter has caught fire recently.
CONTENDERS
Fordham Prep
Andrew Velazquez, Steve Fondu, Jack Sexton and Zach Leone lead one of the best lineups in the city and that will be one of Fordham’s biggest advantages going into the postseason. Pitching is where the Rams have a major question mark and it has been that way since Jack Becker went down for the season. Ace Sean McNamara, Pat O’Shea and Fondu will need to have a big month to ensure a long postseason run.
Iona Prep
Left for dead hovering around the .500 mark in the middle of the season, Iona Prep has won seven in a row and is looking again like one of the best teams in the area. Pitching has never been a conern led by Division I-bound stars Matt D’Ariano (UConn) and Tim McCarthy (Temple). But will Iona hit enough to win a CHSAA Class AA intersectional title or even last a long time in the playoffs?
Moore Catholic
Not only does Moore have a very nice 1-2 punch at the top of its rotation with Shea Spitzbarth and John Baggs, the Mavericks might be getting ace Matt Kostalos (knee) back for the postseason in a closer role. Central Florida-bound Matt Diorio has a sweet lefty stroke and Joe Todaro can mash. Moore came on late, beating St. Joseph by the Sea twice to earn its first Staten Island division title since 2008.
St. Joseph by the Sea
After starting off so hot and being perhaps the best team in the CHSAA for most of the season, Sea hit some hard times in the last two weeks with two losses to Moore Catholic and one to Monsignor Farrell. The Vikings will still be very dangerous heading into the postseason, though. Brian Russell and Chris Falcone are formidable at the top of the pitching staff and Sea’s lineup is very deep.
St. Raymond
The Ravens have arguably the top lineup in the city, led by sluggers Leo Bravo and Dave Sanchez and also guys like Orlando Collado, who get on base. But the postseason is all about pitching and St. Ray’s has that, too, with four starters – Anthony Colon, Brian Paulino, Julian Monserrate and Adam De La Cruz – who can all get it done. Second-year coach Marc DeLuca has done a fine job.
SLEEPERS
Archbishop Molloy
The postseason is all about pitching and outside of the top teams, Molloy has perhaps the best staff now that Evansville-bound Jonathan Ramon is back. Rosario DiLorenzo has been brilliant at times this year and Donovan Armas has a ton of potential, as does Greg Boyle. If the Stanners lineup, led by Ramon and Frank Peperone, hits enough, they could do some serious damage.
Cardinal Spellman
It’s hard to imagine Spellman making a deep run with ace Nick Padilla on the shelf with a sore arm, but help came up from JV last week in the form of Jason Polgano, who can also be one of the team’s best hitters. Chris Scholkoff, Malik Dixon and Tommy Montilli can all throw a little bit – there is depth there. The question is whether the Pirates lineup, led by Dom Luongo, will hit enough to do some damage.
Monsignor Farrell
Yes, Farrell finished below .500, and sure the Lions have been banished to the first-round elimination game against Salesian. But this team has beaten Moore Catholic, it has topped St. Joseph by the Sea and has pushed some of the other top contenders. Farrell has solid pitching led by Jason Failla and Mike Murphy and a versatile lineup – Mike Viegas is awesome at the top of the order – to make a little noise.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
SS Stephen Alemais, All Hallows
The Tulane-bound star is just reaching midseason after a suspension by coach Ed Gutierrez sidelined him for the first two weeks of the season. If All Hallows is to make another deep run, Alemais, who also closes, will be a big reason why.
C Matt Diorio, Moore Catholic
The Mavericks have a deep order, but the Central Florida-bound Diorio is the key near the top. The versatile junior, who can play multiple positions, can hit for power, average and also fly on the bases when asked to.
P Nick DiLeo, Xavier
It hasn’t been the best regular season for the St. John’s-bound left-hander and slugger. DiLeo, though, has made his money in the postseason, where he has developed the reputation as one of the best big-game pitchers in the city.
3B Eric Kalman, Xaverian
The George Washington-bound hitting machine scuffled early in the season, but has come on late to be what he is supposed to be – one of the city’s best hitters. He gives Xaverian a real charge in the middle of its order.
P Taso Stathopoulos, St. Francis Prep
The Terriers ace was incredible last year in the third-round, best-of-three series against Moore Catholic and was perhaps the greatest reason why SFP advanced. He has help in the rotation this year with Dylan Lawrence and Nick LoPrinzi.
